C.J. Donovan started his Donovan Transport business with his father, Jim, in August of 2000 as a one-truck operation.
Today, the business consists of five full-time employees, a couple part-timers, plus C.J., who splits time between the road and office. Jim, too, is still “very much an integral part of the business,” C.J. said. The fleet also uses a handful of owner-operators on trip-lease agreements.
Despite challenges across the board in trucking in recent times, Donovan said his fleet has managed to stay “extremely busy” of late. The company dispatches about 15 open-deck trailers with three full-time reefer trailers.
Donovan said the fleet is “at capacity,” mostly due to “strong relationships we’ve had from 20 years ago.” He added that his company has “treated them right, and they’re treating us right,” noting that the long-term relationships are “keeping us going in this very tumultuous market.”
About 70% of the fleet’s business is from direct customers, with the remaining 30% being brokered freight. “If I had to live off the load boards, I’d probably be selling equipment right now.”
Donovan Transport’s equipment ranges in age from mostly new to well into antique territory, but it all works. One of the fleet’s oldest rigs, which Donovan drives himself when he’s needed, is no stranger to the pages of Overdrive, having won the Antique category in the 2020 virtual Pride & Polish competition.
While the truck has most recently worked pulling a reefer, it also pulls open-deck trailers as part of the Donovan Transport business.
