To appreciate the speed of Energy Transportation Group’s growth, consider what the Canadian truckload carrier and brokerage expected from a slower 2019: a revenue increase of at least 50 percent.
The Quebec-based company’s gross revenues grew 1,666 percent from 2013 to 2018, earning it the distinction as the top-ranked transportation and logistics company on the annual Growth 500 list of the fastest-growing businesses in Canada, released by Canadian Business magazine on Sept. 12.
Energy has more than 400 trucks at its disposal, including 90 of its own and a mix of owner-operators and carrier partners covering Canada, the United States and Mexico. The company recently expanded in the U.S., opening an office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this summer, its second location outside Canada, after Chicago.
“We’re not just stopping here,” said CEO Shawn Girard, whose company is also a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA)
Girard wouldn’t detail the privately held company’s financials. But confirmed figured in the Profit 500 ranking that Energy Transportation generated C$100 to C$200 million (the Canadian dollar equals US$0.76) in revenue in 2018 and was consistently beating its own profit benchmarks.
Key to Energy’s success, Girard said, is the ability to operate seamlessly in the United States and Canada for crossborder and domestic freight.
The company uses a heavily modified transport management system to allow for fluid operations across borders, including the movement of trailers across the network. It also uses an in-house artificial intelligence to assist with operations.
“It’s nothing too significant yet. But our plan is to make it a big brother here,” Girard said.
The softer freight market this year has made it essential to run a dynamic, data-driven operation, Girard said.
“Any extra intel helps us run a better business,” Girard said.