Business View Magazine - October 2018

330 331 PINNACLE FREIGHT SYSTEMS, INC. WHAT: A multi-faceted trucking company specializing in tempera- ture-controlled and hazardous materials. WHERE: Florence, New Jersey WEBSITE: www.pinnacletruck.com AT A GLANCE PINNACLE FREIGHT SYSTEMS, INC. of agents across thecountry. Ravallo’s first step inmolding PinnacleFreight intoan interna- tional,asset-basedtransportation companyofferingtruckloadand LTLfreight services,camewithin twoyearsof takingcontrol of the company.In2012,headdedmo- tor carrier authoritytoPinnacle’s operations.AsPinnaclebeganto invest in its resources,buildinga fleet andhiringdrivers,Ravallo explains,“Wesawthepotential in thehazardousandthe tempera- ture-controlledmarketplace.” Thecompanybegantotailor itsgrowthtowardthe demandfor thosehazmat andtemperaturecontrolled freight services,andquicklybecame a niche player in themarketplace.Ravallo onlyhired drivers with hazmat certifications and endorsements,leased only late-model trucks with state-of-the-art equipment,and began building a coterie of top-notchmanagers.“We have a reallygood,strongman- agement team,”he explains. “This is what I’mmost proud of.Themanagersarehands-on, they’repros.We’vegot thebestof thebest.” Organizingthecompany aroundthespecificservicesof hazardousandtemperature-con- trolledmaterialsmeansPinnacle provides specializedknowledge, capabilities,and,most impor- tantly,goodcustomer service. “Basically,a truckisa truck; a refrigeratedtrailer isa refrigeratedtrailer.Ultimatelyit’s thepeoplewhomake thedifference,”heasserts.“It comes downtowho’sgoingtobe theeasiest todobusinesswith. Who’sgoingtobeat thephonewhenyouneedthem? That’swhyourpeople reallymake thedifference.Weal- ways trytohire thebest salespeoplewecan,thebestdis- patcherswecan,andthebestmanagerswecan.Because ultimately,thepersonontheother end isgoingtowant todobusinesswiththepersonhe feelsmost comfortable withandgets thebest response from.” Whilemuch importance isplacedonPinnacleFreight’s customer service,that service is facilitatedbyastream- linedoperation.Pinnaclehasminimized itsoverhead, transit times,andrepair costsbyleasing its trucksand powerunits fromcompanies suchasMillerTruckLeas- ing.Byentering intoagreements that require the leasing companytomanage repairsandprovide timelyreplace- ments,PinnacleFreighthasgreatlyreduceddowntime anddelays,aswell as increasedcustomer satisfactionand trust. Inadditiontooperating leasedvehicles,Pinnacle Freight alsocontracts small fleetsand independents,and byworkingwith individual fleets across the country,the company is able to offer more capacity to its customers and increase overall rangewithout having to lease or purchase additional trucks and trailers.The extra manpower allows for more expansive route options and the ability to offer their LoadDirect LTLProgram,a