About Us - Our History
The Hi-Way 9 History
Rich in history and immense in opportunity, Hi-Way 9 Express Ltd. had a simple start with one man and one truck.
For the May long weekend of 1969, John H Kohut was asked to haul a load of laundry from Drumheller to Calgary with his 2 ton truck. “Why not?” John asked himself. And thus began John’s vision to provide a service you could count on. Thinking fuller picture, after agreeing to transport the laundry, John then figured he would pick up freight and bring it back to Drumheller. The unique detail was delivering back the same afternoon.
This same day service became very popular and overnight service was added between Drumheller and Calgary. By 1970 a third truck was included, then a fourth when Hanna and Oyen were added to the service list. By 1976 Hi-Way 9 had continued growing and an overnight service from Edmonton to Drumheller, Hanna and Oyen was also included.
Growing at a steady pace in the 1980s, same day service became a corner-stone and a strong commitment to Alberta. Throughout the 80’s service grew to communities like Stettler, Three Hills, Trochu and more. The 1990’s saw expansion to Camrose, Provost and many other central Alberta towns. Through these years John’s children-John Jr, Heather, Dean and Darrell, came to work alongside their father, helping lead this company through growth and change.
Service area and equipment is not the only area Hi-Way 9 excels. Being a proud employer of those in their local communities, Hi-Way 9 created their own quality share program that rewards their Team 9’s hard and diligent work. With a daily report card that measures service and quality, Hi-Way 9 is a leader in Alberta’s LTL freight industry, thus supporting John’s continual goal:
"To offer a service you can depend on and do it better and different than our competitors".
In 2011 Mullen Group purchased this family run business. Ensuring the directors, each with a history in Hi-Way 9 and individual strengths, continues to forge the company into the future is a guarantee. Today, Hi-Way 9 Group of Companies is comprised of four operating divisions:
The Group prides itself in supplying its 450 plus employees with the most advanced equipment and technology available in order to service their customer and their first class facilities are base to over 900 pieces of equipment. Offering same day service, overnight service, temperature control service along with flat decks and dry vans to over 300 communities, as well as warehousing, logistics, and specialized load services, Hi-Way 9 Group of Companies is proud to be “The Carriers That Care” for its customers, its team and the communities it serves.
