Ascend announces acquisition of DTS, in move geared towards expanding dedicated operations

Atlanta-based dry van, full truckload carrier Ascend made its first acquisition this week, purchasing Greenville, South Carolina-based Dedicated Trucking Solutions (DTS), a provider of dedicated contract carriage services.  

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

DTS was founded in 2004. The company provides shippers with a premier fleet outsourcing option, according to Ascend, adding that its “dedicated contract carriage offering enables shippers to entrust driver recruitment and retention, regulatory compliance, liability management, vehicle procurement and maintenance, and operational management to a partner with outstanding domain expertise, thus enabling them to focus on their core business.”

DTS has 24 independent operating and geographic locations, which provide service for local and national customers along the southeastern seaboard, as well as Louisiana, Texas, and Ohio.

With DTS in the fold, Ascend said it now more than 1,000 tractors and more than 3,000 trailers. 

As previously reported by LM, Ascend made its formal entrance into the market earlier this year and was initially formed by the merger and integration of Milan Supply Chain Solutions and J&B Services.

“Bringing DTS into the Ascend family continues our mission to transform the regional truckload sector by leveraging technology, building density, and offering driver-friendly routes and policies,” said Ascend CEO Michael McLary in a statement. “The company continues to build a robust and reliable network with the assets to support planned, and unplanned customer needs in the South, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions.” 

Michael McLary told LM that a major driver for this acquisition was that Ascend customers were looking for additional capacity on the East Coast, and DTS provided nodes that fit its requirements.

McLary noted that he had been working on this deal with DTS President and Founder Scott Stowers since the first quarter of 2021.

“Given the challenging nature and headwinds of the supply chain for shippers, by joining Ascend, DTS’s customers will enjoy the expanded capacity and capabilities of the combined company,” said Stowers in a statement.

When asked what the main benefits of this acquisition are for Ascend’s customers, McLary said “DTS provides our customers access to more tractor and trailer capacity across the Southeast, and DTS customers have access to a broader set of services offered by Ascend.”

What’s more, he also added that the DTS management team brings years of experience and knowledge in the dedicated transportation segment, coupled with DTS helping to add density in key markets while expanding options for Ascend’s employees and shippers.