D.L. George & Sons – Truck Guys In the Trucking Business
WAYNESBORO, PA…. From the time he was a little boy, all David Lee George (DL) wanted to do was drive a truck. So, when he was 18 years old, he bought a 1946 Chevy pick-up flatbed and began hauling coal to people’s homes. Since it wasn’t a tilt bed, the coal and occasionally load of gravel had to be unloaded by hand. DL said, “It was all work and no money, but I was driving a truck. It had West Coast mirrors and mudflaps, so I felt like a real trucker!”
DL got a job on a construction site as an engineer and shortly thereafter bought a 1955 Minneapolis Moline backhoe, which the family was able to buy back in recent years. DL recalls, “In 1963 we incorporated, and it was a proud day for me when I added the “and Sons” to the door.”
It was while working at a construction site that the opportunity to start hauling roofing granules presented itself. There were 4 loads per week to be hauled to a local shingle plant, so DL went out and bought a 1972 Autocar to haul those 4 loads. Today DL George & Sons still load at the same quarry, except they now run 100-130 loads every day, 7 days a week.
D.L. George & Sons Transportation officially entered the trucking business in 1978. Initially the company maintained their roofing granules account while devoting much effort servicing the Corning Glassware Company, makes of pots, pans, dishes, and plates. D.L. George & Sons was recognized as Corning Glassware’s 1989 “Small Carrier of the Year.” When Corning switched to a logistics provider in the early 1990s, that part of the business declined. But as DL stated, “We don’t give up easily. We have struggled but have always been fortunate.”
In the late 1990s, the roofing granule quarry decided to discontinue their rail service and give all of their business to D.L. George & Sons. In 2009 DL George bought a local tool company in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, housed in a very large building. Located just 6 miles away, the Manitowoc Crane Company needed a place to warehouse steel plate and also a company to haul it for them. That is how D.L. George & Sons got into the warehousing and flatbed business. They have also maintained their construction business, diversifying it to include general site work, rugged site construction, and utility construction. DL told us, “We dig tunnels.”
Today D.L. George & Sons operates 3 distinct businesses: construction, transportation, and manufacturing. They offer custom fabricating and machining as well as industrial powder coatings in their 250,000 square foot manufacturing plant. All of the George family is involved in the business, including daughter Jessica, sons Travis and John, and John’s wife Steph and daughter Danielle. DL’s son Trevor also worked at the company before a battle with cancer took his young life about a year ago. The George family’s goal has never been to be the biggest trucking company, just to be the best at what they do.
At the age of 81, DL still comes to work every day and still does what he loves – driving truck. Although the family does try to remind him to slow down a bit.
Between the 3 companies, D.L. George & Sons employs 270 people. There are over 70 road tractors in the fleet; 389 Peterbilts and W900 Kenworths, with a few 359s mixed in. John George said, “We love our old 359s.”
D.L. George & Sons operates dry bulk trailers, stretch trailers, flatbeds, stepdeck, double drops, and even a few dry vans. Hauling roofing granules is by far the largest part of the business with 125 gravity-fed dry bulk trailers. These loads are all local, originating near Waynesboro, Pennsylvania and going to nearby shingle plants.
The flatbed operation has been expanding at D.L. George & Sons, loads originate at the company’s warehouse in Waynesboro or at steel plants. There are a lot of dedicated routes, along with OTR loads to all points. Drivers need to be located near one of the regular lanes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Indiana. There are also some opportunities for van drivers and stepdeck/double drop operators.
John George said, “We have a fit in our fleet for just about everything a driver wants in home time – home every night, a scheduled work week, or OTR dedicated or irregular routes. There is no slip seating on local runs.”
Drivers at D.L. George & Sons Transportation earn between 70K-120K per year and enjoy a full benefit package that includes company paid medical, dental, vision, life, and short-term disability. There is also a 401K with company match. Paid vacations and holidays are offered along with a driver referral bonus. And yes, they really do know all of their drivers names and handles.
In conclusion, John George stated, “We have always been loyal to the people who have helped us over the years, including our employees and drivers. Our name is on the door and that means something to us. We are looking for drivers who love driving a truck. If you would like to come to work for us, call717-765-4700, ext. 215 and let’s talk.”