Hornady Transportation of Monroeville, Ala., is the latest flatdeck carrier to join forces with Daseke Inc., an Addison, Texas, company that has over the past several years built up what it says is the largest company-owned fleet of flatbed, open-deck and specialty trucking capacity in North America.

The Hornady deal follows on the heels of a similar announcement with Bulldog Hiway Express, which merged with Daseke in July.

Daseke (pronounced Daskee) now has more than 3,000 tractors and 6,000 trailers, consisting of Smokey Point Distributing, E.W. Wylie, J. Grady Randolph, Central Oregon Truck Company, Lone Star Transportation, Bulldog Hiway Express and the Boyd Companies (including Boyd Bros. Transportation, WTI Transport, and Mid Seven Transportation).

Hornady Transportation, which has a terminal in Birmingham, Ala., operates a fleet of 230 late-model tractors and 325 flatbed trailers. The company operates east of the Rocky Mountains, primarily supporting the building products and steel industries.

Founded by G.E. Hornady in 1928, later led by B.C. Hornady, Hornady is now in its third generation of leadership under Chris Hornady.

“By joining with Don Daseke and our new sister companies, I know we will continue on with a people-first tradition," he said. "We will grow with our existing management team while having access to all of the assets of Daseke. Our combined group purchasing power will make us much more efficient and competitive in the marketplace. What’s more, we’re looking forward to sharing best practices and learning from the other operating companies.”

Don Daseke, CEO and chairman of Daseke, says Hornady is "cut from the same cloth as our other companies. Hornady is a well-regarded, third-generation family business with an enviable safety record. They care about their people and love this industry. It’s exciting to have them on board.”

Don Daseke got into trucking in 2008, after a long and successful career investing in and building businesses in areas such as real estate, telecommunications and teak. A relatively small open-deck/specialty transportation company called Smokey Point Distributing in Arlington, Wash., about 60 miles north of Seattle, was for sale. Three years later, E.W. Wylie Corp. was added to the fold. By 2013, he had a vision to bring the best regional flatdeck fleets to create a family of open-deck businesses.