Water, coffee and rolls of newsprint have combined to create a strong business for a Rhode Island trucking family.
Commodity Haulers Express Inc., owned by Robert P. Izzi, runs 18 trucks between Maine and Greater New York daily. The business, based at Quonset Business Park, carries a variety of consumer products, as well as newsprint rolls for two metro daily newspapers.
Izzi represents the second generation in a family of truckers.
He started his company, after 18 years in information technology, in 2004 by himself. Today, his brother and two nephews work with him.
The type of business is called regional truckload, carrying a full load of goods per trip.
From the base at Quonset, half the fleet heads up to Maine to retrieve water from Poland Spring Water, or paper from paper mills, before distributing to customers in the Northeast. Another half of the fleet heads south into New York and New Jersey, distributing paper or water, and coming back with coffee beans.
New England Coffee, Finlay teas and coffee, Poland Spring Water and newsprint for the Boston Globe and New York Post are among his main contracts. The company trucks also haul Coca-Cola products, such as Vitaminwater.
The business started in 2004 with a single truck. Izzi traveled back and forth between New York and Rhode Island, getting to know the customers and re-establishing the Izzi brand, which was known because of a trucking business started more than 70 years ago by his father and two uncles.
“I always wanted to own something of my own. I took the opportunity with some money I had … and basically started from scratch,” he said.
The solo operation lasted for a year, when he got a business loan and expanded by adding more drivers. By March 2005, he was able to hire for six more trucks. After that, the company added trucks when it could.
Now, he has 12 drivers on payroll and more operating as owner-operators on contracts.
“I’m an old-school guy. When I went to go and talk with these customers, they knew the Izzi brand. The Izzi name in trucking was at the highest level of service,” he said.
Service in trucking means hauling an extra load of coffee beans to a roaster because the production was running low. “It’s a time-sensitive business,” he said. “I was loyal to them, and they give it back.”
At Quonset, Commodity Haulers has its own leased site, and will be building a new headquarters in the spring. The 5,000-square-foot metal building will have space for engine repairs and some storage, as well as office space.
In the 15 years he’s had his own business, Izzi said much has changed for the industry. In 2010, new regulations went into effect that limit driving hours to 11 and require electronic record keeping.
All the trucks have electronic equipment that logs their activities. Izzi can see, from Quonset, where his trucks are located and whether they’re stopped in traffic or at what speed they’re moving.
“Because of where we are in Quonset, my guys [finish] in under 11 hours every day,” he said.
Owner: Robert P. Izzi
Type of business: Regional truckload transportation
Location: North Kingstown
Employees: 12
Year Established: 2004
Annual Sales: WND
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
