From one truck to a thriving enterprise
David Petrino, owner and founder of PacWest Freight and Jacko Logistics, started his journey in logistics with a single box truck, inspired by his father’s work in commercial printing paper. “I jumped in and started driving for the summer doing deliveries and yeah, just grew from there,” he recalls. By the end of that first summer, he had three box trucks and had transitioned from driving to dispatching. Petrino has always owned and operated his own companies, growing his business from that initial single truck.
What David enjoys most about his work is the growth aspect and the gratification of developing solutions to problems. He remembers thinking, “Man, I can get 16 of these running. I can really scale this thing and move it forward.” Today, Jacko Logistics boasts 200 tractors and 600 trailers, a size complemented by their expanding brokerage — PacWest Freight. The integration of the fleet and brokerage allows them to tie everything together seamlessly.
Bridging the gap with a brokerage
The desire to start a brokerage arm of the business was strong as the fleet grew. David saw an opportunity to leverage their assets, especially during times when customers struggled to find available trucks. The brokerage side assists customers who need help that the carrier side can’t provide, as well as overflow loads, ensuring no freight is left unmoved in this fast-paced industry.
The power of technology and information
Technology plays a crucial role in their operations, expediting every step of their job. Automation has significantly changed the marketplace, offering tremendous benefits. David notes that customers often inquire about DAT rates when discussing pricing, recognizing DAT pricing as a benchmarking tool.
PacWest Freight and Jacko Logistics rely on DAT as a great resource for daily management. When repricing spot freight, they use tools like DAT’s RateView to identify shifts in capacity using the load-to-truck indicator. This helps them explain rate increases to customers, ensuring transparency and fostering a win-win atmosphere for both drivers and customers. “The whole company feels information is power,” David states. He sees his role as a problem-solver and an information resource, regularly communicating market insights to his main customers, which is always well-received.
“When I started in industry over 35 years ago DAT was a leader back then, but it was totally different. I’m really happy with how DAT has been evolving. DAT is very critical not to just us, but to the marketplace.” — Don Farthing, VP of Business Operations
Consistent growth and a family touch
Technology has been a huge driver of their consistent year-over-year growth, whether in truck count, revenue, or load count. The future for both Jacko Logistics and PacWest Freight is bright, with plans for continued managed growth, typically seeing 20-30% expansion annually. David prides himself on finding ways to reach the next level as the company expands.
The key to their success lies in their personnel and their “family touch.” While many companies claim an open-door policy, David emphasizes that their doors are “quite literally always open.” Looking ahead, David believes “the sky’s the limit” and is excited to see where the companies will be in the next 12 months.
