A local trucking company works to keep drivers at home on evenings and weekends when possible.
Roy Davis, owner of Asphalt Express Enterprises, said the company does its best to get drivers home on nights and weekends
“We’re all out here working to provide for our families,” Davis said. “We’re all doing it for our families, so we try to really work on that aspect of truck driving. They are able to not only take care of them (families) — but more than just handing them a paycheck.”
Established in Ardmore in August 2005, the business was formerly known as Mission Petroleum out of Houston. Davis and a partner purchased the terminal and Davis later bought the partner’s share.
“We are a truck-tanker outfit,” Davis said.
“We haul hot oil, or what you call liquid asphalt, out of refineries and asphalt terminals across a nine-state area to the hot mix plants that do the actual paving on the highways.”
Asphalt Express hauls liquefied asphalt material to companies that mix it with rock and sand to pave roads. The trucking company also caters to roofing plants such as Atlas Roofing, Owens Corning Roofing and other businesses.
“There’s a wide variety of different grades they make of asphalt for different applications,” Davis said. “One of those being the roofing companies. They use it to dip the granules in to make the shingles. They also have a type of asphalt they use to make roofing shingles with.”
Asphalt Express also caters to the fuel oil market, hauling burner fuel for Valero, the refinery at Wynnewood, as well as other area businesses.
The trucking company has steadily grown from around 22 employees to approximately 52, with about 47 trucks on the road. Asphalt Express also runs 8-10 trucks that are driven by independent contractors.
“We’ve been steadily growing for the last few years and plan on doing so as long as the business allows it,” Davis said. “My goal, as long as the business is there, I’d like to see us grow by about 10-15 percent a year and just see where it takes us.”
The company serves Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Nebraska and Colorado. Davis said the main flow of business comes out of Oklahoma. Headquartered at 415 Plainview Road in Ardmore, Asphalt Express Enterprises also has a terminal in Oklahoma City and a third facility in Tulsa.
Sheila J. Robinson, 221-6536
sheila.robinson@ardmoreite.com
