HISTORY

Carlile's Alaskan Roots, National Reach, Making History

Our History: Carlile was founded in 1980 by brothers John and Harry McDonald, Carlile trucking has grown from two tractors to one of Alaska’s largest trucking & shipping logistics companies.

A long-time employee in Tacoma once noticed an employee intently sweeping the warehouse floor and asked his co-workers “who’s the new guy?” They told him it was John McDonald who happened to be visiting. To this day, John can be found in the shop engineering a piece of equipment or at a project site working side-by-side with others. He enjoys camaraderie and being in the thick of things.

Years ago when now Tacoma regional manager Ted Klein was a forklift operator, Harry McDonald asked him what he thought about running trucks from Tacoma to Anchorage. It made a lasting impression on Ted that one of Carlile’s owners genuinely wanted to hear his opinion. About a month later, Carlile began offering Arctic Express service between the two cities, which continues today.

John acknowledged that upbringing played a big part in shaping the brothers’ work ethics. “We always worked. That’s just what we did,” recalled John. “We cleaned, fixed, whatever was needed.”

Today, Carlile’s wholly-owned shipping terminals serve the state of Alaska from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, Kodiak, Prudhoe Bay, as well as Tacoma, WA, Houston, TX, and Edmonton, AB. With 40 years of history in shipping goods from the lower 48 to Alaska, Carlile has become Alaska’s leading transportation company.

If you ask brothers John and Harry McDonald how they became the leading transportation company, they’ll likely credit the hard work of employees. Ask those same employees and you’ll hear how two brothers inspired a hands-on culture that continues today.

John and Harry lead by example – helping Carlile build a reputation as a family business whose members do whatever is necessary to overcome challenges to safely get the job done. The rest is history.

Carlile is a proud member of the Saltchuk Family of companies.

https://www.carlile.biz/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Carlile-Logistics.jpg

Contact Carlile today for all your shipping needs. We’ll keep you connected to your cargo.

Carlile's Alaskan Roots, National Reach, Making History

Our History: Carlile was founded in 1980 by brothers John and Harry McDonald, Carlile trucking has grown from two tractors to one of Alaska’s largest trucking & shipping logistics companies.

A long-time employee in Tacoma once noticed an employee intently sweeping the warehouse floor and asked his co-workers “who’s the new guy?” They told him it was John McDonald who happened to be visiting. To this day, John can be found in the shop engineering a piece of equipment or at a project site working side-by-side with others. He enjoys camaraderie and being in the thick of things.

Years ago when now Tacoma regional manager Ted Klein was a forklift operator, Harry McDonald asked him what he thought about running trucks from Tacoma to Anchorage. It made a lasting impression on Ted that one of Carlile’s owners genuinely wanted to hear his opinion. About a month later, Carlile began offering Arctic Express service between the two cities, which continues today.

John acknowledged that upbringing played a big part in shaping the brothers’ work ethics. “We always worked. That’s just what we did,” recalled John. “We cleaned, fixed, whatever was needed.”

Today, Carlile’s wholly-owned shipping terminals serve the state of Alaska from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, Kodiak, Prudhoe Bay, as well as Tacoma, WA, Houston, TX, and Edmonton, AB. With 40 years of history in shipping goods from the lower 48 to Alaska, Carlile has become Alaska’s leading transportation company.

If you ask brothers John and Harry McDonald how they became the leading transportation company, they’ll likely credit the hard work of employees. Ask those same employees and you’ll hear how two brothers inspired a hands-on culture that continues today.

John and Harry lead by example – helping Carlile build a reputation as a family business whose members do whatever is necessary to overcome challenges to safely get the job done. The rest is history.

Carlile is a proud member of the Saltchuk Family of companies.

https://www.carlile.biz/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Carlile-Logistics.jpg

Contact Carlile today for all your shipping needs. We’ll keep you connected to your cargo.

LTL Freight Experts in Alaska

LTL Freight

To Alaska

Carlile Transportation is an
expert in shipping LTL to
and from Alaska.
Government Contract Transportation in Alaska

Government

To Alaska

Local, state and federal
agencies turn to Carlile
for DOD moves.
Hazmat and Bulk Cargo in Alaska

Hazmat & Bulk

To Alaska

Carlile’s track record for
Bulk and Hazmat cargo
is second to none.
Heavy Haul Trucking in Alaska

Heavy Haul

To Alaska

Carlile has Heavy Haul
Equipment and is ready
to deliver.
Transportation Logistics in Alaska

Logistics

To Alaska

Carlile has the logistics
expertise to deliver
seamless solutions.
Retail package forwarding to Alaska

MyConnect

To Alaska

A small package, consumer
shipping solution for those
hard to ship items.