
Hi-Way 9 Express Ltd. had its start when John H. Kohut Sr. was asked to haul a load of laundry from Drumheller to Calgary on the long weekend of May 1969. As he loaded up his 2-ton truck, he logically decided that if he had to haul laundry to Calgary then it only made sense to pickup freight for the return trip to Drumheller. He made it all happen that same-day and the fundamental offering of Hi-Way 9 Express was born.
With wife Irene by his side, their children all worked part time in various functions as they attended school. As they graduated, John and Irene were delighted to see them join the company on a full time basis. All had different skills and their individual strengths complemented the various sales, administration, operational and fleet maintenance requirements. Similar to the beginnings of many enterprises, it was truly a family affair. By positioning the company in the Central/Southern Alberta markets, and filling a need that was not being fully served, it created huge opportunity and growth for the company.
Over their long history, the Kohut family continually strategized and amalgamated other trucking companies to enhance the customer service package they had to offer. They focused on the entire market area and continually improved processes and procedures to ensure Hi-Way 9's customers were all receiving excellent service. The second generation took to the trucking business like their parents before them and John Jr., Dean, Heather and Darrell work closely together to keep the company moving forward and keep their parents vision alive...
"To offer a service you can depend on and do it better and different than our competitors".
The third generation has now entered the ranks of the company and today The Hi-Way 9 Group of Companies is comprised of four operating divisions: