History

Challenger rebrands in 2012

2010 – Current

  • Challenger Celebrates 40 Years – Forty years ago, Challenger started with only one truck. In 2015 the fleet has grown to 1500! Today we stand as one of Canada’s largest privately held fleets, with capabilities to move freight all over the world. ‪‬‬‬
  • Advanced Commercial Information (ACI) Certification – After working closely with the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA), we become one of the first carriers to complete our ACI testing and are ACI certified. The ACI program provides CBSA officers with pre-arrival cargo information (emanifest) so they are able to identify health, safety and security threats related to commercial goods before their arrival into Canada. Although the CBSA has mandated that all carriers be compliant by November 1, 2012, Challenger has continued its leadership practices by becoming an early adapter of the ACI program.

LCV

  • Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) – We continue to develop and expand our LCV lanes by adding density and obtaining permits for new routes. Having completed a pilot with the Ontario Ministry of Transport and Revenue Canada, we identified a site at Canada Customs in Fort Erie as a viable solution for staging LCV trailers into the US. In Western Canada we have also dramatically increased our ability to utilize LCVs by certifying over 60 drivers with the appropriate credentials and sourcing shipments which are more LCV compatible.

2000’s

  • Challenger 25th Anniversary LogoChallenger turns 25
  • ISO 9001:2000 Standard certified and maintained
  • Opens new facility in Breslau, Ontario
  • BC Terminal relocates to Delta, BC for expanded services
  • New location in St. Thomas, Ontario to expand regional transportation services
  • MCX partnership to improve North American transportation services
  • Challenger expands services to include waste transportation services, called the Bulk Division
  • Implements C-TPAT, PIP and FAST trans-border customs programs
  • Implements joint US/Canada fatigue management program
  • Participates in Canada’s Clean Air Corridor project, making Challenger one of the first companies to deploy heavy duty engines operating on Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)
  • Launches recruiting cruisers
  • State-of-the-art driver simulator is introduced into the driver training program
  • ACE truck system applied for greater security, processing time and accuracy
  • Construction on new headquarters in Cambridge, Ontario begins
  • Ontario offices merge into completed state-of-the art, LEED certified headquarters in Cambridge, Ontario
  • Challenger offers refrigerated transportation services
  • Challenger partners with green initiative program, SmartWayFront of Challenger office building
  • Acquires assets from and assumes customer base of Inx Press Corporation, expanding Specialized Commodities Services
  • Challenger opens new terminal in Aldergrove, BC.
  • Challenger acquires assets of Sandrock Specialized Carriers

1990’s

Truck terminal in British Columbia in winter

  • Westward expansion begins with opening of B.C. facility
  • Cambridge adds 105,000 sq. ft. of office and warehouse space
  • Challenger becomes a test fleet for the AVION & NATAP programs enabling drivers to transmit information via transponders for pre-clearance at border crossings
  • First carrier to provide transportation services across all of North America
  • Dan Einwechter elected Chairman of the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Ontario Trucking Association
  • ISO 9002 Certified with a commitment to continuous quality improvement

1980’s

Challenger Crew in Montreal

  • Company grows to a fleet of 60 trucks
  • Receives the largest ever grant of operating authority in Ontario
  • First Quebec terminal opens in Montreal
  • First Canadian carrier to use two-way satellite tracking

 

Old Challenger building and trucks

1970’s

  • Dan Einwechter independently launches Challenger while in university