Koetje founded Oak Harbor Transfer in 1916 in Oak Harbor, Washington. The company provided cartage carrier servicing throughout the local area and on Whidbey Island. Gus and John Vander Pol purchase the Company for $600 in 1936, assuming its debts. In 1942, the brothers merged their company with Oak Harbor Freight Lines, another area carrier. The youngest brother purchased the company in its entirety from his brothers in 1974.

Deregulation helped the company to grow in the 1980s and expand the business to what it is today, a regional LTL (less than load) carrier providing transport throughout Washington and into Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and California. In 2018, Oak Harbor Freight Lines generated an annual revenue of more than $208 million. The company’s 870 drivers operate more than 725 trucks across the United States. Oak Harbor Freight does not transport hazardous material.

Oak Harbor Freight Lines is primarily a Truckload (LT) carrier, meaning the company delivers one truckload containing similar products, goods, and materials to multiple locations. This type of trucking is opposite an LTL (less than truckload) carrier with a mixed freight. However, the company also provides guarantee delivery, warehousing in Las Vegas, Nevada, truckload services, and shipping to Canada.

Common Causes of Semi-truck Crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics reveal that accidents involving large commercial and vehicles in America involve:

• Aggressive Behavior – Aggressively operating a vehicle could result in wrongful death or severe injuries of innocent passengers and motorists.
• Commercial Vehicle Brake Problems – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that approximately 27 percent of all commercial trucks have brake issues that could cause an accident.
• Distracted Driving – There are many distractions inside a commercial vehicle, including quick access to a mobile device, changing the radio station, or looking at a GPS device.
• Driving under the Influence – It is illegal to consume too much alcohol or use illicit drugs while operating a motor vehicle. This reckless behavior could create a dangerous or life-threatening scenario.
• Drowsy Driving – Truck drivers should never operate their vehicles for long hours without taking breaks to minimize the potential of driving while tired.

Many times, the semi-truck driver has the accident due to erratic movements or because they were driving distracted or while fatigued. In these cases, both the trucking company and the truck driver should be held legally responsible for the crash and pay all associated costs and expenses that led to the wrongful death or severe injury.

Oak Harbor Freight Lines Accidents

All major trucking companies, including Oak Harbor Freight Lines, handle hundreds of accidents every year in Northern America. These accidents are often the result of attempting to maintain a tight schedule to ensure on-time delivery. Unfortunately, attempting to maintain a predetermined delivery schedule places a heavy burden on truckers trying to meet their job requirements. As a result, truck drivers and other motorists/passengers sharing the roadway are at risk of serious harm caused by an accident.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates commercial trucking and provides safety rules. However, accidents still happen, causing severe injuries and wrongful death. According to the NHTSA, there were 4889 bus and commercial vehicle fatal crashes in 2017 in the United States, a rise of nine percent from the previous year.

Contact information for Oak Harbor Freight Lines includes: