Richard M. Doss purchased his first truck in 1973. At the time he was hauling exclusively for a small molding company as a private carrier. Soon with a boom in the lumber industry, Richard Doss found himself with two more trucks and a small down payment on some land in Santa Rosa CA, which would later become our Corporate Headquarters.
The company soon became one of the largest lumber transportation brokers in California. At any given time in the late 70’s to the early 80’s, a dispatch of more than 60 loads per night were processed out of the Humbolt County, Eureka region to points throughout the 11 Western States. With only 5 to 6 tractors of his own, he would drive all day and dispatch and perform maintenance at night. This pace was carried on for many years with the help of a small staff.
As time progressed and the lumber industry out of North started to become less profitable, Rich found his way into the other 47 states. In the mid 80’s he became, at the time, the smallest ICC Interstate Carrier, with only 12 tractors, in the entire US.
While running out of state and looping loads to New York in two and a half days, DOSS still had three to four trucks that hauled primarily in California and would end up in Los Angeles without a reload. Rather than hunt for cheaply rated reloads, Rich started taking small partial drops from steel companies. Everyday two drivers would unload their one-stop loads and head to one or more of these companies for pickups and then the following day deliver 5 to 6 stops throughout the Valley or Bay Area.
Needless to say this didn’t last too long, and the need for a few consolidation trucks was apparent. Throughout the late ’80s and early 90’s Rich found himself pulling back the reigns, by abandoning the Interstate genre and focusing on the California only shipments.
In the late ’80s and early ’90s fuel and equipment costs started to soar, Rich was forced to trade in his 15 long line, high powered rigs, including his first truck for 9 brand new 1992 low powered tractors. By abandoning the cowboy days of overpowered and inefficient engines he embraced the fuel saving, slower, yet comfortable business oriented tractors.
With new equipment DOSS was able to run all of the trucks 24 hours a day, thus allowing 9 trucks to do the work of 18. Through the ’90s by keeping true to our promise of overnight LTL flatbed service throughout California, business flew.
In the past 10 years DOSS has grown over 200% with over 50 trucks and opened new yards in Hayward, Stockton, Fresno, and a facility in Los Angeles. Rich Doss, Inc. has become a leader in flatbed LTL by finding a niche in an untapped market.
By keeping with the traditional lumber hauls heading southbound towards Los Angeles, as well as, the overnight steel transportation out of LA and the growing needs throughout California, DOSS is now the largest Flatbed LTL carrier in the state and still growing.
In February of 2005 Richard Doss retired from the day to day operations of DOSS and has left the company control to his two sons Adam Doss and Sheldon Doss. While working hard with the experienced staff which include a the 25 year Vice-president Matthew Hunziker and a collection of dispatchers and employees who have been with DOSS for more than 15 years The new goal is to push current service boundaries to make DOSS full service for it’s customers.
By utilizing the F3 Systems, Inc. brokerage firm owned by the same people of DOSS, we now have full truckload and partial load service for all 48 states and daily LTL service to Phoenix which lifted off in May 2005 and more Recently Las Vegas & Reno, NV!