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. John has never been too proud to do any task within the company – including sweeping the floor or organizing paperwork. Both brothers enjoyed the operations of the business, they wanted to be hands-on and give their wide knowledge base to every employee – from basic standard procedures of moving LTL freight, to best practices of strapping down a flatbed.

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.”

Harry always said that the heart of Carlile is its employees and the relationships we build with our Alaska partners. This influenced Carlile’s customer service approach that still stands to this day – we are here to help your business. When things don’t always go as planned in the freight world, someone is here to help you navigate all those shipping challenges. These are values that were founded and embedded into the Carlile culture because of the McDonald brothers.

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 led 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.

Since Saltchuk’s acquisition of Carlile in 2013, the company has made significant investments in both capital and technological innovations, all aimed at enhancing the customer experience and ensuring the seamless delivery of goods. Saltchuk’s commitment to modernizing Carlile’s operations has introduced a series of advancements that have set new benchmarks in the logistics industry, including:

• Transit Reports: Providing real-time updates, enabling customers to track shipments with unparalleled accuracy.
• Freight Snap: Advanced technology that automates the measurement and documentation of freight.

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

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.