In an era of cutthroat competition where profits are measured in pennies, New England Motor Freight (NEMF) stands apart. Recognizable by its distinctive maroon trucks and trailers that frequent the Boston-New York-Washington "Acela Corridor," NEMF is celebrating its centennial this year with a year-long observance of its 100 years in operation.
NEMF shares the rare distinction with 111-year-old UPS as one of only two North American freight carriers to reach the century mark while remaining in continuous operation. Like publicly traded UPS, privately held NEMF has maintained steady profitability under the leadership of Myron P. "Mike" Shevell, the 83-year-old indefatigable chairman of parent company Shevell Group.
"It's a giant leap even from 50 years ago, let alone 100," Shevell told industry reporters. His fascination with trucking began in childhood when, at age 13 in 1950, he worked loading and unloading trucks for his father's Perth Amboy, New Jersey-based Apex Express, founded in 1923.
From Humble Beginnings to Industry Leader
NEMF traces its roots to 1918 when a small New Jersey trucking operation began transporting goods for National Biscuit Company (Nabisco). The company even delivered milk for a local dairy farm called Fair Lawn Dairies (later acquired by Farmland Dairies), which eventually purchased the trucking assets of its delivery provider - the operation then known as New England Motor Freight.
Shevell rose through the industry ranks, becoming Apex Express vice president in 1953 and president of another family business, Royal Motor Lines, by 1958. After a 1963 merger created Eastern Freight Ways (still part of Shevell Group's truckload division), Shevell and his brother Daniel dramatically improved operations during the regulated era. Within eight years, Eastern's revenue grew from $6 million to $50 million while net worth increased ninefold to $9 million.
The Phoenix Rises
Following a 1976 bankruptcy resulting from the challenging acquisition of Associated Transport, Shevell emerged stronger by acquiring the struggling Northeast less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier NEMF from Farmland Dairies. Under his leadership, NEMF thrived through 1980's Motor Carrier Act deregulation - unlike most regulated-era carriers that folded.
Of the top 50 trucking companies in 1979 (deregulation's eve), only YRC (parent of Yellow Freight and Holland), ABF, and two smaller carriers remain today. Though not among the top 50 then, NEMF now ranks 17th on the industry's top 25 LTL carriers list.
The carrier has grown from 55 units and five terminals pre-1980 to over 4,000 pieces of equipment and 30 terminals across the Northeast today, making it the region's fastest-growing family-operated LTL carrier. With additional terminals in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Canada plus service partnerships, NEMF now serves 80% of the U.S. population.
A Century of Adaptation
"It's a whole new ballgame," Shevell remarked when comparing today's deregulated, entrepreneurial environment to the government-regulated era of fixed routes and rates. NEMF President Thomas W. Connery expressed pride in the company's century-long legacy and its dedicated workforce, noting that third-generation Shevells now actively participate in management.
"Today with driver shortages and all the [non-economic] regulations, it's completely different than what it was," Shevell observed. Asked about carriers that didn't survive deregulation, he quipped: "A lot of those guys took the money and ran."
Shevell, who still works tirelessly from Elizabeth headquarters or his Florida homes, has earned numerous accolades including Ernst & Young's 1999 "Outstanding Entrepreneur" award for demonstrating "extraordinary management ability" - among the highest honors for independent U.S. business owners.
Yet nothing matches the thrill of seeing his trucks on the highway. "Every day when I see one of our trucks, I thank God for what we've accomplished," Shevell reflected. "The people we've employed, their families, helping their kids go to college because they had good-paying, steady jobs for decades - that's a terrific feeling."
NEMF celebrates its centennial with special truck decals and worker appreciation events - exactly the kind of celebration Mike Shevell enjoys most.