AAA Cooper
Encyclopedia
AAA Cooper Transportation, headquartered in Dothan
, Alabama
. is a family owned, non-union, transportation company servicing customers through Less-Than-Truckload, Dedicated, Port, International and other related transportation services. The company was founded in 1955 by John H. Dove after he purchased an interest in P.C. White Truck Lines. The company continues to be owned and operated by the Dove family.
and joined the family firm between 1959 and 1962.
The decades of the fifties, sixties, and the early seventies were a time of regulation by the Interstate Commerce Commission
(ICC)
, a former independent agency of the U.S. government. The Company growth potential would be limited to purchasing other operating routes, or companies who possessed routes that were not being operated to their greatest potential. Thus, in 1969, AAA Motor Lines Inc., bought Cooper Transfer Company Inc. The resulting company was called AAA Cooper Transportation (ACT).
In 1973 Mack and Earl recognized the beginning industry deregulation and began to position the Company for that occurrence through improved cost measurement systems and management training. In 1976, the Company obtained approval from the (ICC)
to serve all of Florida. Deregulation
of the industry began in July 1980 with the passage of Motor Carrier Act of 1980
. Meanwhile, ACT completed its opening of Florida and in 1978 bought expansive authority to operate in Georgia, North and South Carolina. As a result the Company entered the decade of the 70’s with $3 million in annual sales and ended the decade with $43 million in sales.
ACT continued its expansion during the 1980’s by purchasing Haynes Motor Lines in 1986 which added nine new terminals. In January, 1989, Earl sold his 50% ownership in the company to Mack. In early 1990, ACT purchased nine terminals from the former Bowman Transportation Company. These facilities were used for new terminal openings and relocating certain existing terminals for expanded and improved service. By 1989, annual sales had increased to $136 million.
During the nineties, ACT's terminal network in the South continued to expand. In 1994, ACT opened its first terminal outside of the Southeast in Chicago. Later that year, ACT opened a terminal in Minneapolis. Also in this year Mack's son, Reid, joined the company after his graduation from Auburn University. Reid has held many positions in the Company from Truck Washer to Driver to Terminal Manager, was named President of the Company in 2001.
In 1997, "Truck-to-Ship-to-Truck" service was added for the island of Puerto Rico. ACT's international service also extends to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
A Dedicated Contract Carriage offering was formally established in 2002 and we expanded our LTL service to all of Texas and Cincinnati in 2005. In 2006 annual revenue of the Company surpassed $500 million for the first time.
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. is a family owned, non-union, transportation company servicing customers through Less-Than-Truckload, Dedicated, Port, International and other related transportation services. The company was founded in 1955 by John H. Dove after he purchased an interest in P.C. White Truck Lines. The company continues to be owned and operated by the Dove family.
Company History
In the 1930’s, John H. "Red" Dove began his association with the transportation industry by working with his father hauling logs from the Alabama woods to sawmills. In 1951, Mr. Dove bought an interest in P.C. White Truck Lines. In 1955, he purchased the remaining ownership interest in P.C. White Truck Lines and changed the name to AAA Motor Lines. His sons, Earl and Mack, received their degrees in Transportation from the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
and joined the family firm between 1959 and 1962.
The decades of the fifties, sixties, and the early seventies were a time of regulation by the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
(ICC)
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
, a former independent agency of the U.S. government. The Company growth potential would be limited to purchasing other operating routes, or companies who possessed routes that were not being operated to their greatest potential. Thus, in 1969, AAA Motor Lines Inc., bought Cooper Transfer Company Inc. The resulting company was called AAA Cooper Transportation (ACT).
In 1973 Mack and Earl recognized the beginning industry deregulation and began to position the Company for that occurrence through improved cost measurement systems and management training. In 1976, the Company obtained approval from the (ICC)
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
to serve all of Florida. Deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of the industry began in July 1980 with the passage of Motor Carrier Act of 1980
Motor Carrier Act of 1980
The Motor Carrier Regulatory Reform and Modernization Act, more commonly known as the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 is a United States federal law which deregulated the trucking industry.-Background:...
. Meanwhile, ACT completed its opening of Florida and in 1978 bought expansive authority to operate in Georgia, North and South Carolina. As a result the Company entered the decade of the 70’s with $3 million in annual sales and ended the decade with $43 million in sales.
ACT continued its expansion during the 1980’s by purchasing Haynes Motor Lines in 1986 which added nine new terminals. In January, 1989, Earl sold his 50% ownership in the company to Mack. In early 1990, ACT purchased nine terminals from the former Bowman Transportation Company. These facilities were used for new terminal openings and relocating certain existing terminals for expanded and improved service. By 1989, annual sales had increased to $136 million.
During the nineties, ACT's terminal network in the South continued to expand. In 1994, ACT opened its first terminal outside of the Southeast in Chicago. Later that year, ACT opened a terminal in Minneapolis. Also in this year Mack's son, Reid, joined the company after his graduation from Auburn University. Reid has held many positions in the Company from Truck Washer to Driver to Terminal Manager, was named President of the Company in 2001.
In 1997, "Truck-to-Ship-to-Truck" service was added for the island of Puerto Rico. ACT's international service also extends to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
A Dedicated Contract Carriage offering was formally established in 2002 and we expanded our LTL service to all of Texas and Cincinnati in 2005. In 2006 annual revenue of the Company surpassed $500 million for the first time.