FreightWaves Haul of Fame: Transcontinental Refrigerated Lines
A very cool operation that could not be sustained… An RTL tractor-trailer. (Photo: Flickr/Rick McOmber)
Stephen P. Hrobuchak, Sr. and his son, Stephen P. Hrobuchak, Jr., founded Transcontinental Refrigerated Lines, or TRL, in the northeastern Pennsylvania town of Pittston in 1975. They started the company with just two trucks. The company grew rapidly, however. According to statements by the Hrobuchaks at the time, they achieved fast growth by placing strong emphasis on equipment and on service.
Continued growth during the 1980s and 1990s
By 1987, the company had been so successful that it had outgrown its first headquarters, and was constructing a new site, also in Pittston. The new headquarters was completed in 1988, and operations for the company were soon relocated. By 1989, TRL, whose motto was “From Sea to Shining Sea,” was making a name for itself hauling fresh produce and frozen foods in the c