Fikes Truck Line will be closing its doors, but Blair Logistics out of Birmingham, Ala. has joined former Fikes President and CEO, Gary Salisbury, as a strategic partner and will operate the business that formerly ran as Fikes Truck Line.
Blair will operate out of the same terminal in Hope, Ark.,as Fikes did. Some employees and owner-operators will continue their work under Blair. “I felt it was very important to talk to the same people, same dispatcher, same safety people they have been talking to for the past 30 years,” Salisbury said.
The recession and costly lawsuits have made the past few years difficult for Fikes and paychecks slow for its workers.
Salisbury credits the professionalism of Fikes’ owner-operators who continued to work despite not getting paid.
“It’s hard to believe that they are out there working and we owe them money,” he said. “We are going to get them paid.”
Salisbury has been retained as a consultant to Blair Logistics and has maintained the FTL Custom Commodities fleet. FTL Custom Commodities and a few remaining employees will move to a new location in Hope, and Salisbury will continue to own and operate that fleet of company owned trucks and refrigerated trailers.
FTL Custom Commodities will assume the ATA board membership of Fikes Truck Line where Salisbury will continue to serve the industry.
