By Aaron Vehling

Revenues for the truck transportation, warehousing and storage, and courier and messenger industries combined rose 2.8 percent to $242 billion in 2003 from $235 billion in 2002, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Truck transportation alone reached $172 billion in 2003, up 2.5 percent.

General freight trucking contributed about two-thirds of all trucking revenue, with $111 billion in 2003. Trucks transporting specialized freight (requiring equipment such as refrigerated trailers) accounted for $60 billion.
Representatives from two local trucking companies, Lofgren Trucking and Dahl Brothers Transportation, both of Rush City, offered their insights into the statistics.

Joanne and John Ploetz run Lofgren Trucking, which hauls a variety of freight, including carpets, televisions and other dry freight.

ìAnything but people,î said Joanne Ploetz of her company, which has been in Rush City for 62 years.

Despite the statistics, 2003 was a bit flat for them, she said. It is too soon for the numbers, but Joanna said that her company saw better growth in 2004 than in 2003.

ìThe first half of the year we saw sporadic bursts of activity,î she said. ìToward the end of the year we saw more consistency.î

Kevin Dahl, owner of Dahl Brothers Transportation which has been in Rush City for 50 years, said he saw an increase in business in 2003.

ìThe biggest thing we did was pick up a new customer, Caribou Coffee,î he said.

That amounted to about 75-80 percent growth of revenue, he added.

ìWeíve really grown quite a bit in the last two years,î he said, ìand we have a pretty good growth pattern this year as well.î

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