Fikes Truck Line

Fikes Truck Line of Hope hasn’t made as much noise as some of the state’s larger trucking companies, but it has been growing steadily and is making changes that may make it more visible as it nears its 25th anniversary under James Smith’s ownership.

Last year the company decided to rebrand the flatbed carrier, adopting the slogan “Connecting People With Purpose.”

Fikes specializes in shipping building materials, steel, machinery and manufactured goods. It operates in 48 states with a contract fleet of more than 500 drivers and a full-time staff is 49. It has offices in Tennessee and Oklahoma and terminals in Texas, Colorado and Kentucky. When Smith bought the company in 1981, it was a small, 11-truck company that only had authority to operate in Arkansas.

“Our best friends are the shippers we do business with,” said Gary Salisbury, the senior vice president and chief operating officer. He has been with Fikes since Smith bought the company, starting as a contract driver.

Some of its biggest shippers are Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific, Temple Inland, Niagara-LaSalle and Alcoa.

Salisbury says it’s the company’s honesty that has earned it a solid reputation. Fikes is willing to say no to customers if it thinks there’s a disconnect between what that customer needs and what Fikes is able to deliver.

Finding drivers is a challenge, as it is with trucking companies nationwide, but Fikes targets more mature drivers who like to be home on weekends. Fikes’ driver turnover rate is half the national average, and its retention rate has steadily increased to 70 percent last year.

With a solid economy and continued gains in housing starts, the flatbed business is expected to stay strong. Salisbury foresees growth of 10 percent to 15 percent this year.

Previous Honorees