West Motor Freight, a truckload and special services trucking division of The Evans Network, is turning 100 years old this month.
Phillip Jesse West, born in England in 1884, established West Motor in 1907 with a few horses and a single wagon in West Chester, PA. The business expanded to nearby Pottstown and Boyertown.
West’s son, Winfield, purchased the company’s first two trucks in 1930, expanding service from the east coast to the west coast of the U.S. The Evans Network bought West Motor in the late 1980s, changing the company’s focus from a transcontinental service provider to a regional carrier. This allowed West Motor to build on its growing retail customer base, said Albert “Bert” Evans, Jr., president & CEO of Evans Network, and helped grow its fleet to some 700 tractors primarily serving the Northeastern U.S.
“The secret to West’s success is abiding by our core value of always doing the right thing,” said Bob Petruzzi, president of West Motor. “Our turnover rate is significantly lower than industry average–just 36%–illustrating our core value greatly affects the heart of our operation.”
