You see, in 1959 my father, Orville Osborne, set out to escape the cycle of poverty that had plagued his family for decades. Working three jobs just to make ends meet, Dad saved every dime he could so that him and my mom, Joyce, could buy a truck and start a trucking company. On March 3, 1959, he took out a $500 loan to buy his first truck and obtain his operating authority. That day, Osborne Trucking Company was born. My dad was from a coal-mining town in Pike County Kentucky; a place where coal was king and a man’s job was to get into the mines and feed his family. Having dropped out in the 8th grade, his life was on that path as he joined his father in the mines. Watching the trucks pull in and out of the mines everyday fascinated dad, and those trucks became not only his passion, but what he saw as his way out. After a near death accident, where a cave in had pinned him down by his arm, he knew he could never return to that life: he needed to get out of Pikeville. In a town like that, no one was supposed to leave. Elders saw it as reckless and haphazard: foolish. His own father told him he could never make anything of himself, and that he was stupid for leaving. My dad would spend the rest of his life proving him wrong. Moving to Cincinnati, my mom and dad took a huge risk. The only job they had lined up was $1 an hour job at the bureau of motor vehicles for my mom, and everything else was just a gamble. Dad luckily found a job and soon had a second job, and then a third. He knew that if he was going to make it, he had to take a risk; and he did. Putting up everything they owned for that loan, dad bet all he had on himself, and through hard work, and an unwavering dedication, he made his dream a reality. Dad passed away suddenly on March 2, 1989, a day before the 30th anniversary of the company he had created. From there, my mom and I took the helm and continue to grow the company, adapting to the challenges of deregulation and the changing trucking industry, all the while, making sure that dad’s legacy and our company was successful. Till this day, Osborne Trucking™, H&O Distribution™ and Osborne Logistics™ embody the principles of hard work, customer service and fortitude that my father believed in. When becoming an employee at The Osborne Logistics Group®, you join not just another job, but you become a part of a man’s dream, and a legacy that has far outlived him. I expect a lot out of our employees, as my father always did, but at the end of the day, I will never ask someone to do something that I would not do myself. Together, we will roll up our sleeves, and accomplish something, some days will be easier than others, but we will always provide our customers with exceptional degree of customer service. It is through the collaborative efforts of everyone at this company that dad’s American dream lives on. Welcome to Osborne Trucking™: we are happy to have you as a part of our family and our traditions.
- Brad Osborne, President/CEO
