Three Alabama Trucking Companies Respond to Call, Transporting Hay for Starving Livestock Owners in Alabama and Texas
Three Alabama trucking companies are aiding Texas farmers.
=======================================================
DMT Trucking, PS Logistics, and Boyd Bros. have been named TT Frontline Heroes for supplying hay to livestock.
A volunteer from DMT Trucking is preparing a load of hay to feed cattle on Texas farms affected by wildfires. (Alabama Trucking Association)
In response to the plea from Alabama and Texas agriculture commissioners, three Alabama trucking companies have stepped up to transport hay to ranchers facing starvation amid deadly wildfires that have destroyed over one million acres of pastureland.
The February wildfires in the Texas Panhandle claimed the lives of three residents, including 40-year-old volunteer fire chief Zeb Smith. The fires also destroyed 138 homes and businesses and led to the death of 15,000 cattle.
For ranchers, these lost cattle are valued at $27 million, with an additional loss of $26 million from pastures that can no longer be used for feeding surviving livestock. The survival of these cattle and some horses depends on getting hay delivered to affected areas.
In response to Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate’s call, Mark Colson, CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association, reached out to his members to help transport large quantities of locally sourced hay donated by the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association to Texas ranchers.
“Our team called for assistance from our members and soon several Alabama companies, including DMT Trucking, PS Logistics, and Boyd Bros. Transportation, stepped up. In a short time, they made what seemed impossible possible,” Colson recalled. “Throughout my career in this industry, I’ve learned that truck drivers have immense heart. I always like to say that whether it’s during a crisis or Christmas, truck drivers serve America. They did just that here, and these trucking companies, along with Commissioner Pate and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, are true heroes for their swift action and service.”
Transport Topics proudly awards the three carriers the Trucking Frontline Hero Award in recognition of their efforts to respond to the needs of farmers and livestock in affected areas.
Over several weeks, these three Alabama trucking companies coordinated and transported 27 loads—hundreds of round bales of hay—directly to the Texas Panhandle. According to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, this is enough feed for approximately 5,400 cattle.
“I grew up on a farm where my father was both a cattleman and peanut farmer. Because I grew up in this environment, I have a deep understanding and empathy for our farmers and agricultural community, which is vital to the nation’s backbone,” said Chris Cooper, CEO of Boyd Cos., a flatbed carrier that primarily operates across two-thirds of the eastern United States, transporting steel products and construction materials.
“Truck drivers and farmers are pillars of this country,” Cooper added. “I am happy to voluntarily provide our resources to help those in need. It’s completely reasonable for me.”
“Some members of our team either grew up on farms or are part-time farmers, so they felt a call to immediately get involved and help,” said Harold Smith, Group President of DMT Trucking, SEL Transportation, and Shelton Trucking. “Some of our drivers and contractors, as well as some office staff, have family members who own farms. We view farmers as an important pillar of our nation.”
“Even though we are helping another state, it feels like a very close-to-home issue,” he said. DMT operates 375 tractors and 500 53-foot open-top trailers across the lower 48 states with a workforce of 370 drivers.
Scott Smith, founder and CEO of P&S Transportation (a subsidiary of PS Logistics) and cousin to Harold Smith, noted that PS was well-positioned geographically to provide assistance.
“PS Logistics has multiple terminals in Texas, one near the area affected by the wildfires,” he said. “We are always willing to lend a hand to those who need it. We have a connection with these small community farmers and ranchers.”
Founded by Scott Smith and Robbie Pike in 2004 with 20 trucks, PS Logistics now boasts a fleet of over 4,900 trucks. PS Logistics, DMT Trucking, and P&S Transportation are sister companies. PS Logistics ranks 28th on Transport Topics’ list of the top 100 for-hire carriers in North America.
Harold Smith noted that this operation faced unique challenges, including delivering hay to small rural farms in Alabama and Texas. “This is very different from where we typically load steel and construction materials,” he said. “It required extensive communication between our office staff, drivers, the Alabama Agriculture Commission team, shipping farmers, and receiving farmers. While everything went smoothly, it required more coordination than most flatbed orders.”
This included coordinating with agricultural departments in both states, arranging trucks to pick up hay, and determining transportation regulations for disaster zones. Cooper noted that handling bales of hay was also a learning curve, as individual hay bales are 5 feet wide by 4 feet high.
“The size of the hay bales and the weight of the load were our biggest challenges,” he said. “Figuring out how many bales we could transport and how to properly secure these loads were some early challenges. After a few loading sessions, we streamlined this process.”
Despite the challenges, Cooper said Alabama’s trucking community came together in support of this effort. “The dedication, compassion, and willingness to help others shown by our trucking community is awe-inspiring,” he said. “It warms my heart and rekindles my faith in humanity—that people will go out of their way to help those who truly need it.” He added, “Doing the right thing for the right reasons is a lifestyle and something we should all strive for. However, the appreciation it receives is inspiring.”
He encouraged others in the industry to respond similarly when crises arise.
“Helping others in a truly worthwhile cause is always worth it,” Cooper said. “Sometimes, what’s right in our world can be hard to define. But I challenge every truck driver to do some deep soul searching. If they believe it’s the right thing or helping those in need, then it certainly has value,” he added. “I hope and pray that everyone knows that trucking and agriculture are pillars of this country. Trucking makes our nation better and propels it forward.”
“The hay trucks from Alabama are a testament to many responding to calls for help,” said Gary Joiner, communications director at the Texas Farm Bureau, who helped coordinate the effort. “In the days and weeks following the fires, donations at supply points were critical in transitioning survival to recovery. The generosity of Alabama truck drivers was greatly appreciated.”
“Truck drivers keep America running, meeting our needs, but delivery timeliness usually doesn’t mean life or death,” Harold Smith noted. “In this case, for Texas livestock, it truly is a matter of life and death.”
—
Source: Transport Topics
