Midwest Carriers / Volvo Trucks
A charming town, Kaukauna, lies nestled on the Fox River, roughly a hundred miles from the bustling city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Much like the river that threads its way through Kaukauna, its local businesses are ever in motion, carving new routes toward progress and innovation. Among these businesses is Midwest Carriers, a family-owned Wisconsin trucking company that started in 1986. Maintaining a dynamic presence with its partners and vendors allows the company to adapt and grow, not just to meet but also exceed the demands of the transportation industry.
Every day, Midwest Carriers transports a diverse range of products, from cheese, pizza, and coffee to life-saving medicine. The timely delivery of temperature-sensitive goods is critical to their success. Much like the adaptable Fox River, Midwest Carriers has created a vibrant ecosystem where it continues to adapt and thrive. The company forges a path toward a prosperous future by leveraging new technology and forming strategic partnerships.
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO LEADING LOGISTICS
The journey that began as a modest family operation in Kaukauna has now grown into a leading, safety-oriented, driver-focused freight and refrigeration logistics business. Midwest Carriers, started by Dave Van Handel and his wife in 1986, was a classic grassroots operation – a single truck, a lone driver, with the family chipping in to help with paperwork and all fueled by a diligent, hands-on attitude.
Today, Dave’s legacy endures under the guidance of Eric Van Handel, president of Midwest Carriers. The company has expanded to include a dedicated workforce of over 225 employees, operating a fleet of 180 trucks and over 500 trailers. Under Van Handel’s leadership, the “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude that typifies the company spirit remains vibrant. Midwest Carriers has evolved, embracing new technologies and forming strategic partnerships that allows the company to concentrate on its core strength – freight transportation.
“When we talk about that roll up your sleeve mentality, that’s still at our core. But we’ve seen technology really take hold of Midwest Carriers.”
ERIC VAN HANDEL - PRESIDENT, MIDWEST CARRIERS
A key element in Midwest Carriers’ success and growth is its strategic partnerships, particularly its collaboration with Kriete Truck Centers. This partnership has significantly propelled Midwest Carriers’ trajectory, providing reliable, state-of-the-art vehicles and exceptional servicing. Kriete’s commitment to quality aligns seamlessly with Midwest Carriers’ ethos of working smarter, and Kriete’s innovative solutions help ensure the safety and efficiency of the company’s operations. This synergistic relationship boosts the company’s logistical capabilities and enhances its commitment to its customers.
“We believe in working smarter. From our partners to our vendors, they help us move forward and be more efficient to continue to drive the company forward,” Van Handel said. This partnership-driven growth approach has become a cornerstone in Midwest Carriers’ ongoing success and expansion.
PRIORITIZING SAFETY
In a business as dynamic and challenging as trucking, moving the business forward means prioritizing not just technology but safety. For Midwest Carriers, safety demands a holistic approach, where every business aspect plays a part, from the drivers and the trucks to human resources and logistics. To help actualize this vision of safety and efficiency, Van Handel turns to a trusted brand: Volvo Trucks.
“We want to take care of our people, our drivers, and the motoring public.” For this reason, Midwest Carriers rely on Volvo Trucks to provide solutions to ensure their drivers can be efficient and maintain paramount safety standards for everyone on the road. For Van Handel, safety isn’t a mere checkbox to tick—it’s an uncompromising requirement, a foundational cornerstone.
“When we look to our vendors, it’s what can you do to make us safer? With Volvo, that’s been their calling card. In the last 10 to 15 years, we’ve made that a priority when purchasing trucks,” Van Handel affirmed. The adage holds true for him:
“If you can’t do it safe, then then it’s really not worth being in this business.”
Over the last few years, this shared dedication to safety has been a driving factor in Midwest Carriers’ decision-making process when purchasing trucks from their local Kriete Truck Centers dealership. Volvo’s cutting-edge features, such as Volvo Dynamic Steering, coupled with driver productivity, which includes optimal driver environments and even truck ordering efficiencies, are critical in Midwest Carriers’ operations.
A DRIVER-FIRST COMPANY
By harnessing Volvo Trucks’ cutting-edge technology, Midwest Carriers mitigates road hazards, allowing their drivers to concentrate on their primary goal – hauling freight. Volvo’s products meet the needs of Midwest Carriers’ drivers, offering a smooth ride, precise, nimble handling and optimized seat design and positioning. Adding enhancements to their fleet, such as Volvo Dynamic Steering, drivers are safer and feel safer too. But as with any new technology, adoption is critical. To help drivers adapt to these new features, Van Handel makes it a point to participate in every new driver orientation. Here, Van Handel explains the innovative technology incorporated in their trucks and its potential benefits. The recruits receive detailed information about the reasons for the inclusion and how being an early adopter can ensure their protection and contribute to the company’s growth. “The percentage of Volvo Trucks in our fleet has grown over the years. It’s what our drivers want. Ultimately, it’s very difficult to get drivers nowadays. And so, anything you can do, you’re doing it to bring in the best drivers. Volvo helped us to do that,” Van Handel explained.
In addition to the conveniences offered by the Volvo VNL, Midwest Carriers has also introduced a fuel bonus program for their drivers. This initiative allows drivers to earn a “fifth paycheck” every month and positions Midwest Carriers as a high-performing carrier. Van Handel highlighted this program: “It’s a testament to our drivers. You need the tools ultimately to do that. And I don’t think there’s anything that makes it easier than Volvo.”
IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
“I never thought I would get into truck driving, but I got my CDL and started driving with Midwest carriers, and I just fell in love with it.” Robin Grapa, a veteran truck driver with nine years of experience at Midwest Carriers, wears multiple hats within the company. Aside from her primary role in marketing, she is also a driver, with a focus on driver recruitment for Midwest Carriers. Despite having experience with various truck models, Grapa consistently prefers Volvo, regularly choosing their vehicles. “I fell in love with it right away,” she said.
One of the first features Grapa noticed when she started as a truck driver was fatigue. Volvo’s driver area allows customizable positioning ensuring drivers have an endless array of choices for positioning the wheel exactly where they prefer for maximum comfort. She appreciates how the design of the trucks promotes driver comfort, which, in turn, combats fatigue. “It makes it adjustable to you and so you’re comfortable and you can drive for a long time safely,” she observed.
Along with enhanced driver comforts, innovative features such as Volvo Dynamic Steering adds a safer, effortless driving experience. This new feature adds torque to reduce steering strain at low speeds and provides stability when encountering crosswinds, highway crowning, soft shoulders, or emergencies like tire failure. “It’s just so comfortable to drive. Very easy, very relaxed. And the way the Volvo’s drive, it feels like you’re driving on a cloud,” praised Grapa.
SPEC
Volvo VNL 860
Volvo Dynamic Steering
Volvo Active Driver Assist
Learn more >>
PARTNERSHIP WITH KRIETE TRUCK CENTERS
Midwest Carriers takes pride in being a driver-centered company and have expanded their fleet of Volvo Trucks, thanks to Kriete Truck Centers. Paul Hurley, Fleet Manager at Midwest Carriers, remarks, “That is one of the things we do a good job with, working with our salesmen there to get the newest technology that Volvo offers.” He added, “Now we’re able to spec a truck that not only is it a safer truck but also gets a better fuel mileage and that is a huge thing to not just us but to our drivers with their fuel bonuses.” Kriete’s support extends beyond the purchase of new trucks. They assist Midwest Carriers with the service and maintenance of their fleet, which is crucial for operations and timely deliveries. Van Handel elaborated, “The way my dad built this company was we’re focused on the logistics of the business operations, and we’ve always looked to outsource the maintenance piece. So, we’ve always looked for partners that would work with us.” Through a Kriete Service Contract, Midwest Carriers can park trucks at Kriete Trucks dealerships while service and maintenance are managed for them. The service contracts eliminate unforeseen costs in an industry that is usually unpredictable. This removes the variability for Van Handel and creates a fixed cost that allows him to easily budget expenses.
