Buchheit Logistics – a top notch transportation and logistics provider – got its start during the Great Depression when Rudy Buchheit began hauling livestock to market for local farmers. He did it Rudy’s Way: Get it there on time, get it there in good condition, and get it there for a fair price. Rudy’s Way still rings true. Reliability is paramount at Buchheit Logistics.
“In an environment where drivers are in high demand and freight volumes tend to be increasing, it is imperative that our equipment is up and running all the time,” said Jeff Buchheit, vice president of Buchheit Logistics. “Service after the sale is as important – or in some cases more important – than making the original purchase. We look for vendors with the ability to service what they sell and have the parts availability and maintenance facilities to ensure that we keep down time to a minimum.”
With one eye on service and support, Buchheit keeps the other eye on equipment operation efficiency. The logistics corporation is continually on the hunt to make its fleet more efficient. Buchheit Logistics specs trailer skirts, low rolling resistance tires, auxiliary power units, and lightweight components. This allows the fleet to save fuel and increase the freight capacity it hauls.
Buchheit Logistics field 44 Great Dane trailers, making up 60 percent of its fleet, with a focus on the Champion CP for maximum cubic capacity, cargo protection and durability. The Champion CP offers more than 101 inches of interior with high-strength extruded aluminum top and bottom rails combined with durable composite steel panels.
Buchheit Logistics is dedicated to safety and recently earned the 2016 Fleet Safety Award from the Missouri Trucking Association. “It all starts with the quality of driver that we look for and the investment we make in them with our equipment and safety programs,” Buchheit explained. “As we acquire new equipment, we continually look for added comfort, safety and efficiencies.”
Never satisfied with only doing “enough,” Buchheit Logistics continues to look for ways to give back to the industry that it has served.
This past December, Buchheit Logistics once again participated in the Wreaths Across America program, a nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. In 2016, 1.2 million wreaths were distributed at 1,228 locations nationwide. At Arlington National Cemetery specifically, 245,000 wreaths were placed at more than 44,000 graves – one for each marker in the cemetery. More than 400 truckloads of wreaths were transported across the country through a network of hundreds of volunteer drivers, donated trucks and diesel, and countless hours of work from dedicated volunteers.
“Three of the top management personnel of our organization are veterans; hence we feel a strong natural connection to Wreaths Across America. Additionally, we have a large portion of our driving force who have served in almost every branch of the Armed Forces. These individuals make up the group that we select from every year to participate in the Wreaths Across America program,” Buchheit said. “We want they younger generations to remember those who have given their lives to protect and ensure what we have today, to honor those past and present members of our armed forces and to teach the younger generations that freedom is not free.”
Many million miles after Rudy founded the company, Buchheit has become the No. 1 independent logistics corporation in the Missouri region with a network connecting continents around the globe and honoring those who protect our freedom.
