After many years of cultivating and growing his business with ADM Animal Nutrition, Evan Wilson of E.S. Wilson approached us about selling the business to DBTI. Even though Abilene is just 30 miles from Salina, because E.S. Wilson’s main customer was in Abilene and because the trucks returned home to the terminal daily, it made sense to keep the terminal. Just like that, we had a terminal and maintenance shop in Abilene, KS.

Why Salina? – After starting to do some Over The Road loads hauling refrigerated/frozen for Schwans, DBTI started doing more and more freight into Tony’s Pizza (Owned by Schwans) in Salina. As that business grew, Doug and Kathy saw many opportunities in having a terminal in Salina, KS. So…. In November 1990 Doug and Kathy moved their family from Marshall, MN to Salina, KS and opened a trucking terminal. The building they purchased was formerly used as a John Deere dealer complete with a lovely YELLOW parts counter. In the mid-nineties new offices were added to the front of the building. That building remained the corporate offices until 2007 when a new building was built on Water Well Rd. The new building, mostly designed by Jake Bradley, sat on a smaller footprint, and proved to be FAR MORE FUNCTIONAL than the old building. It is the corporate office we still have today.

Having been familiar with Kustom Karriers and it’s owner Mitch Paradis for MANY years through business, we were heavy hearted when we heard that Mitch fell ill and soon passed away. Although we were somewhat worried about their business and the loss of their leader, we did not approach K.K about business because we never wanted anyone to think we were “Chasing the ambulance”. However, a couple years after Mitch’s passing, we were approached by K.K. about purchasing their business. In August of 2019 we struck a deal to purchase the assets and retain the business of Kustom Karriers. Hello Newton, KS, nice to meet you!

Marshall is the town where Doug and Kathy built their first trucking terminal. Doug & Kathy grew up and graduated from Ivanhoe, MN High School in 1973. Doug bought a truck and started hauling using their home as their base of operations. Seeing more opportunities for freight and wanting to be closer to their customers, in 1978, Doug and Kathy moved to Marshall, MN (19 miles away) and used their new home as the new base of operations. In 1980, Doug, his brothers, uncles, cousins and friends built by hand “The Block Shop” (a cinder block building) in Marshall, MN. That building was used as the truck terminal by DBTI until 1994 when DBTI built a new office and maintenance space near Schwans to be used as the trucking terminal. Since that time, DBTI has used several facilities as their Marshall terminal (including a stint using the former Floyd Wild Trucking terminal when Floyd Wild Trucking closed their doors) but has maintained a presence in Marshall through the many changes.

In 2011 DBTI won a contract to be the Dedicated Carrier for all inbound parts for AGCO North America. The two main production facilities that were required to be serviced were Hesston, KS and Jackson, MN. It was quickly decided that a terminal in Jackson was going to be necessary. Within just a couple of months, a site was identified and purchased. Soon thereafter designs were drawn up and a new terminal/maintenance shop/warehouse was under construction.