TFI International Completes UPS Freight Acquisition

TFI-UPS
UPS by John Sommers II for Transport Topics

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]

TFI International has completed its previously announced acquisition of UPS Freight, the company said April 30.

The UPS division, which is focused on less-than-truckload and dedicated truckload shipments, was acquired by TFI  in an $800 million deal announced in January.

'BIG BROWN' GIVES BACK: UPS Driver Delivers Help to Those in Need



TFI, a transportation and logistics company based in Montreal, said approximately 90% of the acquired business will operate independently within its LTL segment under the new name TForce Freight. The former UPS Freight dedicated truckload assets will be incorporated into TFI’s truckload segment.

As part of the deal, TFI has entered into a five-year contract to use the UPS domestic network to move packages.

Image

Bédard

In January, Alain Bédard, CEO of TFI, said, “When we talked to the team there at UPS, we all agreed that this is not a one-on-one deal. I think that time will prove that this is like an iceberg. What you see today is just one part of a transaction that could be way bigger over time.”

Meanwhile, days before the sale was finalized UPS Inc. and TFI announced leadership changes. 

UPS said April 29 that UPS Freight President Rich McArdle will retire from the Atlanta-based company in June after more than 39 years of service. In the next several weeks, he will continue to work on the transition of the company to TFI International until his retirement becomes official.

McArdle has led UPS Freight for five years, managing more than 14,000 employees while achieving record profits for the division, the company said. McArdle began his career in 1982 in Kentucky as a part-time pre-loader and worked his way up the ranks. By 1990, he was promoted to run the international air hub in Louisville. Then he relocated to run air and ground operations in Colorado and Southern California.

Image

McArdle

Outside of UPS, McArdle serves on several nonprofit and industry boards, including the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg. He also serves on boards of Truckers Against Trafficking, American Trucking Associations, the American Transportation Research Institute, the Trucking Cares Foundation, the Virginia Business Council and Venture Richmond.

Meanwhile, TFI International has announced Paul Hoelting, former UPS Freight senior vice president of sales and marketing, began leading TForce Freight May 1.

Hoelting has more than three decades of experience in transportation, beginning in 1990 when he joined Union Pacific Railroad. In 1993, he accepted an assignment with LTL carrier Overnite Transportation, which at the time was owned by Union Pacific.

Image

The year is 2039. Zero-emission, electric heavy-duty trucks roll past you on the highway. Charging ports are now commonplace at terminals and truck stops. Diesel-powered vehicles are becoming a thing of the past. You sit and wonder: How did we get here? Here, in 2021, Daimler Trucks North America's head of eMobility speaks to RoadSigns. Hear a snippet above, and get the full program by going to RoadSigns.TTNews.com.

Hoelting has held various positions throughout UPS, including his most recent assignment.

The sale of UPS Freight to TFI International may not be the last purchase for the Canadian company.

Bédard said in a Feb. 8 conference call with industry analysts that TFI will put any subsequent large acquisitions on pause while it integrates UPS Freight, but noted that the company is constantly looking at small, strategic deals that add to its business.

Earlier in February, TFI announced a deal to purchase Fleetway Transport Inc. of Brantford, Ontario, a truckload and heavy-haul motor carrier.
TFI International ranks No. 11 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America. UPS Inc. ranks No. 1 on the TT 100 list.  

Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info: