After years of nurturing and growing R+L Carriers, a freight shipping company, into one of the nations leading LTL motor freight carriers, Ralph L. “Larry” Roberts, has taken on the responsibility of providing superior service to the moving and storage industry by anticipating customers’ needs and responding to their expectations. With the creation of YOU CRATE™, the Roberts' family now provides a dependable, customer oriented option in the moving and storage industry which parallels the service and dependability provided by R+L Carriers in the LTL industry. Moving can be stressful, but YOU CRATE™ provides affordable and flexible solutions to give customers the peace of mind they deserve.
YOU CRATE™ is committed to provide customers with superior service, protection, and handling of their valued assets on their timeline. Other self storage container companies will dictate the move. With YOU CRATE™, customers set the pace of their move, load, and unload!
The Beginning
In 1965, Ralph L. “Larry” Roberts I, was a mere teenager with aspirations of owning his own business. His dream became a reality with the purchase of a single truck he used to haul furniture. The business grew with the purchase of intrastate and interstate authority from Mayflower Moving and Storage, laying the foundation for the company now known as R+L Carriers, Inc.
The Creation Of R+L Transfer, Inc.
The early 1980’s brought deregulation to the trucking industry and opportunity to Larry Roberts, his family, and a team of dedicated employees. The company became incorporated in conjunction with the design of a new system that moved freight at unmatched transit times. The result was the birth of R+L Transfer, Inc.
Expansion & Acquisitions
The initial operation was contained within Ohio, but soon expanded to five other Midwestern and Southern states. The May 1989 acquisition of Gator Freightways, Inc. further developed the company in the South. Growth continued with the purchase of Greenwood Motor Lines, Inc. in April 1992. New terminals were added annually, boosting service area strength. In March 1996, the company purchased Herder Truck Lines, Inc., a Texas-based carrier, and expansion escalated. During the next five years, terminals and service were added to the boroughs of New York City and to 23 more states. Soon after, total coverage to New York State was achieved and partnerships to provide service to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico were developed. Expanded coverage in Western states laid the groundwork for continued growth as 2003 brought about the opening of six additional Western states and yet another in 2005. Expansion continued in 2006 as operations began in Oregon and Washington. The final phase of becoming the Premier Nationwide LTL Carrier came in the spring of 2007 with expansion to northern California. This included service centers in three major markets of Fresno, Sacramento, and Oakland. Expansion would quickly continue into Southern California with facilities in Fontana and Los Angeles which completed the west coast expansion providing full state coverage.
Into The Future
R+L Carriers now serves a total of 50 states plus Canada, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The company will continue to expand in direct response to our customers’ needs. As a leading LTL motor freight carrier with owners who stand ready to meet future challenges head-on, there is no doubt that R+L Carriers will remain A Carrier You Can Count On.
