Pitt Ohio Express, LLC, stylized PITT OHIO, is a privately owned transportation and supply chain management company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that serves the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern US. Pitt Ohio ranked 48th on Transport Topics Top 100 For-Hire list and 14th on its Top Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Carriers list of US and Canadian freight carriers by revenue for 2021.
History
Foundation and early history
Pitt Ohio Express was founded in Pittsburgh in 1979 by brothers Charles L. "Chuck" Hammel III, Robert F. "Bob" Hammel, and Kenneth W. "Ken" Hammel. The brothers came from a family with a long history in freight transportation. Their grandfather, Charles Hammel, Sr., had founded Hammel's Express in Pittsburgh in 1919 transporting steel for local producer J&L Steel, his only customer, with a horse and buggy. His son, Charles L. Hammel, Jr., took over leadership of Hammel's Express in 1960, incorporated it, and owned the company until his death in 2001.
When Charles Jr.'s sons founded Pitt Ohio, they had three trucks and operated out of a small Pittsburgh terminal. The new company focused on next-day interstate express LTL freight shipments between Pittsburgh and Ohio. It leased its first warehouse in East Liverpool, Ohio in 1979 and by 1983, had opened terminals in Cleveland, Baltimore, Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Charleston, West Virginia.
By 1994, the company had grown to 525 trailers, 450 tractors, and 1,000 employees in 10 terminals. As it expanded, its revenue grew from $6.9 million in 1984 to $138 million in 1997. This meant it as the 29th largest LTL carrier and 84th largest trucking company overall nationwide by revenue despite its tight regional focus. By 1998, Pitt Ohio was handling 6,500 shipments daily from 12 terminals and had 800 drivers operating 928 trailers and 742 power units, 40% straight trucks and the remainder semi tractors, serving 7 Mid-Atlantic states. The company had no unionized employees.
Diversification and expansion
Ken Hammel left the company by 1998 leaving Chuck and Bob as co-owners. The company spun off its third party logistics services as Keystone Dedicated Logistics (KDL) in 1999, retaining 80% ownership of the new company with the remainder held by KDL's president and CEO, Don Varshine. That year, Pitt Ohio reported sales of $163 million and had 1,800 employees with a fleet of 900 trucks. Its purpose-built headquarters and hub terminal were located in Pittsburgh's Strip District neighborhood. That year, the company also launched its first corporate website. By August 2000, it was operating a total of 17 terminals including a second Pittsburgh-area facility and one in New Jersey.
An interline relationship with Averitt Express, a Southeastern US regional freight carrier, allowed Pitt Ohio to start serving a larger area of the US starting in 2001. This was followed within a year by an interline agreement with AAA Cooper, a Southern US regional LTL carrier as well as beginning service to Canada. Pitt Ohio also added service to Detroit, Michigan and Chicago in the early 2000s. The company added truckload brokerage, provided via KDL, and intermodal divisions in 2002. In 2003, Chuck bought out Bob's stake in the company becoming its sole owner. That same year, the company opened a terminal in Chicago.
By 2005, the company was delivering 9,000 shipments daily from 21 terminals with 2,454 employees and 1,500 trailers, 650 tractors, 350 straight trucks, and 53 smaller trucks and vans. Its 2005 purchase of a majority stake in New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based truckload carrier ECM Transport, LLC meant it could begin offering asset-based truckload services instead of only acting as a freight broker for truckload shipments. Following Pitt Ohio's purchase, ECM president Ed Meier retained the remaining 49% of the carrier.
In 2006, Pitt Ohio formed a joint venture with The CEI Group, an accident and risk-management firm called TruckGuardian Group providing risk and safety management and collision and claim management services. That year, the company expanded to North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point), Indianapolis, and Battle Creek, Michigan.
In 2007, Pitt Ohio partnered with Sunline Express and expanded its coverage to New York City and Long Island. That year, Pitt Ohio and five other regional freight carriers formed The Reliance Network (TRNET). This was an interline network with Pitt Ohio serving the Mid-Atlantic US, Averitt Express in the Southern and Southeastern US, Lakeville Motor Express in the Midwestern US, TransForce subsidiaries Canadian Freightways and Epic Express in Canada, DATS Trucking in the Western US, and Land Air Express in New England.