Universal Truckload Purchasing Westport Axle
Universal Truckload Services announced Monday that it will acquire Westport Axle Corporation from an international industrial group headed in Brazil by SM Brasil Participações S/A.
Universal Truckload Services announced Monday that it will acquire Westport Axle Corporation from an international industrial group headed in Brazil by SM Brasil Participações S/A.
Based in Louisville, Ky., Westport provides warehousing and component distribution services to U.S. manufacturers of Class 4-8 trucks, RVs and super-duty trucks. Westport also machines and distributes steering knuckles and axle components for the automotive industry.
The cash purchase price is $123 million and is subject to a post-closing adjustment. To finance the acquisition, Universal anticipates increasing its senior credit facility to $300 million. It expects to receive regulatory approval for the transaction and close in late this month.
“The acquisition of Westport strategically enhances our customer base by further penetrating industrial markets, specifically to manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty trucks,” said Scott Wolfe, Universal CEO. We believe that Westport’s value-added services and limited capital requirements fit nicely into Universal’s business model and long-term growth strategy.
Warren, Mich.-based Universal Truckload Services is an asset-light provider of customized transportation and logistics solutions throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.
.
More Fleet Management

Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking
An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.
Read More →
ITS Logistics Settles Religious Harassment Case
The Nevada-based logistics firm agreed to pay more than $396,000 to settle a religious harassment charge involving an employee's Jewish identity.
Read More →
Your Trucks Are Busy. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Winning.
High utilization doesn’t always mean strong margins. Looking beyond the current load can help fleets make better dispatch decisions and get more value from each truck’s time.
Read More →
Why This Trucking Recovery Is Different
Freight demand remains sluggish, but rising costs and tougher enforcement have taken enough capacity out of the market to change the outlook for motor carriers.
Read More →
Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools
Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.
Read More →
PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data
PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.
Read More →
Motive Adds AI Agents for Fleet Operations
New tools automate follow-up on fleet data, from maintenance work orders to driver alerts, with two-way voice conversations planned for later this year.
Read More →Can You Beat Our Trucking Trivia Challenge?
Test your truck knowledge with 19 trivia questions from Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange. Can you keep up with the fleet pros?
Read More →
BeyondTrucks Adds Rules Checks to Dispatch
New Compatibility Engine checks driver qualifications, equipment requirements and fleet policies before loads are dispatched.
Read More →
Diesel Prices Hijack Trucking’s Worry List
ATRI’s annual survey finds cautious optimism about freight, but diesel costs, litigation, and insurance continue to squeeze fleets. Drivers have different priorities on several issues.
Read More →
