Company History

• 1975: Dan Einwechter starts the forerunner of Challenger Motor Freight as a one-person, one-truck operation, while in university
• 1985: Purchases and relocates to site on Queen St. in Cambridge, Ontario
• 1985: Company grows to a fleet of 60 trucks
• 1985: Challenger applied for and received the largest ever grant of operating authority in Ontario
• 1988: First Canadian carrier to use two-way satellite tracking
• 1988: First Quebec terminal opens in Montreal
• 1994: First carrier under the new NAFTA agreement to receive authority for Mexico, and provide transportation services across the entire continent
• 1995: Westward expansion begins with opening of B.C. facility
• 1994: Purchase of former Bundy plant on Groh Avenue in Cambridge adds 105,000 sq. ft. of office and warehouse space, setting up new opportunities for sub assembly and kitting
• 1996: Chosen as a test fleet for the AVION program, which enables vehicles to transmit load information via transponders and bypass inspection stations, a forerunner of some of the transponder technology we have in use today
• 1997: Chosen as test fleet for NATAP program, which enables vehicles to transmit Customs Information via transponders for pre-clearance at border crossings
• 1998: Chairman and CEO Dan Einwechter elected Chairman of both the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Ontario Trucking Association
• 1998: Certified as an ISO 9002 registered company with a commitment to continuous quality improvement
• 2000: Happy 25th Birthday Challenger!
• 2001: Challenger achieves certification to the new ISO 9001:2000 Standard
• 2001: Challenger opens new facility in Breslau, Ontario to accommodate the growth in the Special Commodities Division

• 2001: BC Terminal relocates to Delta, BC, offering a variety of Logistics Services
• 2001: Challenger purchases Elgin Motor Freight,
  a full service transportation carrier based in
  St. Thomas, Ontario
• 2002: Partners with MCX (Motor City Express), a minority based enterprise, to improve US service offerings
• 2002: Challenger purchases Cam Hiltz Trucking,a solid waste hauler 
• 2003: C-TPAT, PIP and FAST customs programs implemented and approved for improved security and expedited clearance across the US/Canadian border. Challenger leads the industry with FAST certification, at one time having 10% of ALL FAST approved drivers at Challenger.
• 2003: Challenger participates in a joint US/Canada fatigue management program aimed at curbing fatigue and preventing accidents
• 2003: Challenger dedicates itself to reducing harmful gas emissions by participating in Canada's Clean Air Corridor project, making it one of the first companies to deploy heavy duty engines operating on liquid natural gas (LN6)
• 2004: Challenger breaks ground for new headquarters
• 2004: ISO 9001: 2000 recertification achieved
• 2004: Challenger utilizes Recruiting Cruisers as an innovative way to address capacity issues
• 2005: Challenger moves into new state-of-the art corporate headquarters in Cambridge, amalgamating the Cambridge and Breslau facilities
• 2006: State-of-the-art driver simulator is introduced into the driver training program
• 2006: ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) truck e-manifest system implemented for greater security, faster processing time at the border and increased accuracy
• 2007: Lodwick Transport, a long haul temperature controlled carrier, becomes the newest addition to the Challenger Group of Companies, expanding our presence in that market
• 2007: ISO 9001: 2000 recertification achieved
• 2007: Challenger becomes a SmartWay partner, dedicated to reducing emissions and increasing fuel economy
• 2008: Challenger acquires certain assets from and assumes customer base of INX PRESS Corporation, expanding our Special Commodities Division
• 2009: Challenger opens new terminal in Aldergrove, BC.
• 2009: Challenger acquires assets of Sandrock Specialized Carriers - special commodities over dimensional transportation