One significant aspect of the ongoing success of All Points Freight within the context of the highly competitive trucking industry is that they found a niche market, became very good at serving that market, and continue to derive continental business from their reputation for experience and excellence.
“We’re a flatbed carrier. We pick up mostly in the Greater Toronto Area, places like Stouffville, Markham, Pickering, Guelph, whatever. So it’s strictly in Ontario. And then we go to the U.S. – that’s all we do. As a flatbed carrier we haul machinery and all different kind of products that go on a flatbed truck, and from there we deliver to California, Texas, Florida and places like that,” founder/owner Peter Beintema explained, adding that they currently operate a fleet of 16 trucks/flatbeds, primarily Volvos with automatic transmissions.
“We are what’s called a mid-to-long haul carrier. We don’t do short runs, which are the upper [northern U.S.] states. It means our drivers are on the road for quite a while. If you’re going to California, you’re gone for two weeks, if you go to Texas, you’re gone for 10 days and it’s about the same to Florida. That’s what we specialize in. That’s what we’re good at.”
Superlative service is another hallmark of the company’s operation, which helps in a business that has to deal with the volatility of the economy, escalating fuel costs, and in the last couple of years, the protocols put in place at borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All the staff here do a bang-up job. They all understand that you’ve got to compete for everything. There isn’t anything that goes on or in a truck that you’re not competing for. Although flatbed is a little different than say hauling produce, with us the product is already made and then when the truck gets there, the manufacturer just wants it out of their shop, and the guy at the other end is waiting for it,” Beintema said.
“So you’ve got to give great service at both ends of the deal. You have to have the truck there when they want it. We also have our own mechanical shop and service our own vehicles, and a mobile guy that can be out on the road. Since most of the work is done right here, the down time is not much for the vehicles. And we also have Galloway Motors right across the road and he’s a parts dealer [for trucks and trailers.]”
All Points Freight also still has a brokerage component to the business, meaning if a client suddenly requests more vehicles, they can step in and hire other drivers to augment their own fleet, adding a level of flexibility and ensuring they don’t need to lose any customers for lack of vehicles.
Born and raised in Bradford, Beintema began All Points Freight in 1985 and has seen no reason to ever think of moving his business from Bradford. After working as a realtor for a number of years in the community, he shifted to being a freight broker for a year before starting his own venture.
“A broker doesn’t have trucks, we’re a go between. It’s like being a salesman – between the shipper and receiver, you find a truck. I lasted a year working for someone else before starting my own freight broker service. I know sales, and that’s what this trucking business is – sales. You’ve got to make a sale, no matter who you are, you’ve got to sell your services. You’ve got to sell, whether it’s real estate or trucking, let’s just get at it,” he said, adding that he added vehicles to the company about four years in.
“I am from Bradford; I live in Bradford, and I started this company in Bradford. I grew up in the Holland Marsh and I just love the whole area, the aesthetics of it all. And as for my business, let me put it this way, when you look at Bradford, it’s 30 minutes from the junction of Highways 400 and 401, it’s 30 minutes from Barrie, which is booming, and Highway 404 is close by. And soon we will have the link between the 400 and 404, which is have been wanting for 40 years. So for me, it’s like the old saying in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location.”
For more information, visit https://www.allpointsfreightinc.com.