Southeastern Freight Lines
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | W. T. Cassels |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Southeastern and Southwestern United States |
Key people | W. T. "Bill" Cassels, Jr. (CEO/Chairman) W.T. "Tobin" Cassels III (President) |
Number of employees | 8,500[1] (2021) |
| Subsidiaries | Southeastern Logistics Services |
| Website | sefl |
| Footnotes / references [2] | |
Southeastern Freight Lines (SEFL) is a privately owned American less than truckload (LTL) trucking company based in Lexington, South Carolina that operates in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States.[3]
History
[edit]Southeastern Freight Lines was founded in 1950 by William T. Cassels in Lexington, South Carolina. The company first had 14 trucks and 20 employees with a $5,000 loan.[4] In 1975 W. T. "Bill" Cassels, Jr. became President of Southeastern Freight. The Florence facility was opened in September 1953 where Bill Cassels, Jr. operated one of three trucks.[5]
On October 2, 1987 W. T. Cassels died leaving his son Cassels, Jr. as CEO of Southeastern Freight. "Tobin" Cassels III, who worked at Southeastern Freight since 1973, became President in 2001. The Augusta service center was established in March 1976.[6] The expansion into the Southwest began in the 1990s with the establishment of a facility in New Orleans in 1996.[7]
Southeastern Freight expanded into the Texas market by expanding in Tyler in 2005.[8] Eight years later Southeastern Freight further expanded in Texas with a Houston facility on February 21, 2013 and a Lubbock facility on May 11, 2015.[9][10] International operations were expanded in October 2008 by offering four shipping options to Mexico.[11] Kentucky operations of Southeastern Freight was established in 2015 with expansions to Lexington, Louisville and Bowling Green.[12]
On November 2, 2015 the West Atlanta service center opened enabling service to customers of West Georgia and East Alabama.[13][14]
In March 2024, Southeastern opened a service center in Bowling Green, Kentucky.[15][16]
Operations
[edit]
Southeastern Freight Lines operates 89 service centers in the Southeast, Southwest and Puerto Rico with a primary focus on next-day delivery, using its own line of semi-trailer trucks. The service centers were established to provide customers with reliable deliveries.[17] There is also a network of service partners for transportation to other areas of the United States not in the South. Transportation internationally includes Canada, Mexico, and the United States Virgin Islands.[18][19]
In 2011, Southeastern Logistics Solutions was launched as a subsidiary of Southeast Freight to provide expedited service and multi-modal transportation. Southeastern Logistics Solutions focuses on projects that require a partnership capacity.[20][21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Our state's Best Place to Work Southeastern Freight Lines of Lexington honored". Lexington Chronicle. February 22, 2021. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines". Forbes. February 9, 2021. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Southeastern celebrates 60 years". Canadian Shipper. April 20, 2010. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines Celebrates 60th Anniversary". Layover. April 9, 2010. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines' Florence service center celebrates 60 years of service". Vehicle Service Pros. September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines' Augusta Service Center Celebrates 40 Years of Service". DC Velocity. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines Celebrates Milestones of 2 Service Centers". American Journal of Transportation. March 11, 2016. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines announces multi-million dollar expansion of Tyler facility". CBS 19. September 20, 2012. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines opens new service center in Lubbock". American Journal of Transportation. May 11, 2015. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Molly (February 21, 2013). "Trucking company to open Houston service center, add 100 employees". Houston Business Journal. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines expands operations to Mexico". Commercial Carrier Journal. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ Mann, David (February 9, 2015). "Southeastern Freight Lines expands into Kentucky". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Welcome to the West Atlanta service center". ltlfreightsefl.com. Southeastern Freight. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ "William T. Cassels, Jr. Legacy of Leadership Profile". media.knowitall.org. South Carolina Business Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ Cassidy, William B. (2024-03-11). "Southeastern Freight Lines adds to regional LTL terminal network amid growth push". joc.com. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
- ^ Whaley, Will (2024-03-11). "Southeastern Freight Lines opens new service center in Bowling Green". WBKO News. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
- ^ Yates, Scott (October 6, 2011). "Southeastern Freight Lines' Investment in Service Center Density Continues to Pay Off" (Press release). National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Regional LTL Service". sefl.com. sefl. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Southeastern Freight Lines expands Canadian service". trucknews.com. February 9, 2016. Archived from the original on 10 February 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ Berman, Jeff (January 5, 2011). "Southeastern Freight Lines expands service line with launch of Southeastern Logistics Services". Logistics Management. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Moss, Mike (January 4, 2011). "Southeastern Freight Lines Launches Southeastern Logistics Solutions". Layover. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.