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“
We want to be one
of those companies that
you look at in 20 years
and say they were laying
the foundation, the right
kind of business model
20 years ago.”
— Dale Decker
Executive Vice President, Decker Truck Line
When asked about his company’s biggest
challenge, Decker didn’t hesitate.
“Surprise, surprise — that’s the driver
situation,” he said. “We’re not just going out
there and chasing drivers, throwing money
in front of them to attract them. We’re really
looking at everything, what kind of job we’re
offering.”
Decker Truck Line works with Workhound,
a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based provider
that receives feedback from drivers and
recommends steps to improve retention.
“They’ve been really good about getting us in
touch with our drivers,” he remarked.
Like many trucking decision-makers, Dale
wants to avoid the endless loop of raising
driver compensation and then chasing rate increases
to compensate. The company website
states the average tractor age is just 1.9 years,
and that they’re equipped with APUs, inverters,
bunk heaters, refrigerators, microwaves,
and television with satellite service, on top of
disc brakes and other safety technology.
“We’re providing drivers with pretty new
equipment quite regularly, and when it’s time
for them to jump in a new truck, we can swap
them in and out easily with less things for
them to have to unmount and move,” he said.
“A lot of the amenities are just standard, and
every driver knows what to expect in the next
truck.”
Keeping new equipment coming in to keep
the fleet young has been challenging this
year.
“We were able to get some trucks in that
were kind of trade deals that we had worked
with the OEMs,” added Dale. “They knew that
they had to get these trucks on to their next
marketplace, so they’ve got to get us provided
with trucks.”
The current backlog of truck orders is a
concern Dale wants to get ahead of. “We’re
trying to make decisions to get trucks on order
for next year,” he said. “We don’t have a
lot of time to waste hours around trying to
figure it out. We’ve got to get these things on
order for next year.”
As changes continue for the trucking industry,
Decker Truck Line wants to stay
ahead of the curve.
“We want to be one of those companies
that you look at in 20 years and say they were
laying the foundation, the right kind of business
model 20 years ago,” concluded Dale.
That’s a strategy that has worked for more
than 90 years at Decker Truck Line.
Leadership Team
Donald L. Decker
President/Chairman of the Board
Dale Decker
Executive Vice President
Brad Baade
Chief Financial Officer
Ken Cromwell
Chief Operating Officer
By the Numbers
DRIVERS
728
TRAILERS
1,434
EMPLOYEES
241
TRUCKS
808
Opposite page, top left: Founded with
a single truck back in 1929, Decker Truck
Line, based in Fort Dodge, Iowa, has grown
to a fleet of more than 800 tractors that haul
flatbed, dry van, and refrigerated freight.
Opposite page, top right: Decker
Truck Line driver Lisa Ohrmundt poses
with company technician Noah Perfect.
Opposite page, lower right: Driver
James Holloman gives the thumbs-up sign
before getting into his tractor. This page,
top left: Driver Chad Hazelton shows off
his tractor. This page, top right: Decker
Truck Line’s Director of Operations for
Midwest Refrigerated Steve Elston meets
with driver Art Clubb and team member
Michael Eritt. This page, left: A bright red
tractor is emblazoned with an eye-catching
yellow design, while the dry van trailer
features the company logo.
TCA NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 31