Brief Overview of Tri-Hi

Tri-Hi Transportation, Inc. is a family owned and operated company. The integrity and reputation of Tri-Hi Transportation is the key to its success. Tri-Hi Transportation will provide the best possible service to every customer because they are the sole purpose of our existence. In doing this Tri-Hi and each of it's employees is dedicated to treating each customer and fellow worker with the highest respect. The reputation of the company is the customers and employees guarantee for outstanding service and long-term relations.

The History of Tri-Hi

Tri-Hi Transportation is located in beautiful North-Central Wisconsin. Locally owned and operated by the Lokemoen and Hein family, Tri-Hi has become successful in the transportation business because of strong family values and superior customer service and satisfaction. Tri-Hi transportation started moving freight in 1989. However, Tri-Hi's history in the transportation business dates back to 1976.

The Lokemoens were dairy producers in the early '70s. In 1975 they decided to get out of the dairy business and pursue other interests. The events that took place in the years following changed their lives forever!

In 1975, after selling their dairy cattle, the Lokemoen family was left with three barns filled with hay and straw. In 1976 the drought left the local farmers buying most feed in the fall. That year the Lokemoens bought equipment to transport their leftover feed from the dairy business to the farmers that needed it because of the drought. The equipment consisted of a homemade trailer that was pulled by a half-ton pickup. In the late '70s, the hay business continued to grow and in Marathon County, Wisconsin producers of ginseng for export into Hong Kong had also been enjoying substantial growth.

By 1980, the Lokemoens were dealing with farmers in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa to buy straw. This enabled them to buy more equipment. The trailers purchased were 40-feet and 42-feet long. Changes in trailer lengths allowed them to run 48-foot trailers. So they put their trailer-building experience to work and converted all trailers to 48-feet long. They also modified a truck and trailer to enable them to load another truck and trailer on top of the first unit. They would then "piggy-back" to a farm in North or South Dakota, then load each trailer separately with straw and head back. Most of the business now was for the Shang (Ginseng) farmers and since most of the hauling was done in the fall, they looked to other ways to keep the trucks busy. They had been doing business with the farming community for years by this time. Hauling potatoes from Antigo, Wisconsin area markets were a natural choice for them. They started running loads to Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, and the Virginias. Hauling potatoes into the South was great, but the occasional empty loads returning were not profitable! Kathy Lokemoen, started finding return loads with a new brokerage company called KLT services.

In 1990 original founder Doug Lokemoen started Tri-Hi Transportation and hauled freight in tandem with KLT Services.Tri-Hi began with two trucks that would pick up LTL shipments in Wisconsin, which would then be brought back to the terminal, re-consigned and reloaded for shipment to the west coast. As the LTL customer grew more trucks were obtained. The two companies eventually merged into one because of steady growth. Lynn Hein, (sister) joined the team in 1991. In 1993 Matt Hein, (husband to Lynn) joined the business. Tri-Hi's LTL business slowed down in the mid 1990's so there was a new concentration on truckload shipments. This sparked some massive growth for the company, which needed to add personnel. Once again Tri-Hi looked to a family member and Eric Lokemoen, Brother of Doug and Lynn, joined the business in 1999. Steady growth and family ties caused them to grow into new facilities and office complex.Now operating a fleet of trucks, Tri-Hi is one of the leaders in the area in refrigerated Transportation and strives to provide a quality work environment for its employees. They take pride in operating their business with strong family values which produces superior customer satisfaction.