Some companies want to grow and have great aspirations of being big, but as the old saying goes, “Bigger isn’t always better!” John Kooy recently shared with me his story of staying small to be successful. And from the very beginning his motto has been “Staying Small to Serve You Better” and we think that is a great attitude.
John started driving on the family farm in the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington when he was eight years old. Back then, a lot of kids helped on the farm, it’s just how it was. On his 16th birthday, July 22, 1961, while he was getting his driver’s license in Ephrata, WA, his dad was busy loading his hay truck, and that day became the official beginning of his driving career.
Fast forward to 1967 when John Kooy went to work for the Union Oil Company out of Los Angeles, CA. John was based out of Edmonds, WA, driving a tanker, delivering to gas stations and bulk tank facilities. The company had a “no overtime” policy so he worked 80 hours every other week. This week off allowed him to purchase his first hay truck and haul for himself on his off weeks with the company.
Purchasing a G-model Mack in Ellensburg, WA, from a little truck stop called Carl’s Service, that had the truck for sale because the owner didn’t pay his fuel bill, the truck had been pretty well stripped by the previous owner. The owner of the truck stop knew John’s work ethic and was willing to finance this first truck for him. John remembers Union Oil having a suggestion box, so he suggested they put Jake brakes on their trucks. After reviewing his suggestion, they said this was not a good idea. At the time, he was the youngest tanker driver for the company. We all know now that his idea was better than good!
In 1969 life was changed for John and his wife Karen. At 24 years old, he was drafted into the Army and ended up serving in Vietnam after he completed basic training. Thank you, John, for your service! After coming home in 1971, he ran as a team to Alaska with his good friend Ken MacMillan for most of the year. On a trip in the late 70s to Alaska, John learned a valuable lesson – buy tire chains before you leave and make sure they fit. He learned this lesson the hard way when he went to chain up at the bottom of a hill and realized they were the wrong size (the bags had been marked wrong). After that, he always took out the chains and made sure they fit the tires BEFORE leaving!
After that year of driving to Alaska, John decided to start his own company, and John H. Kooy Trucking, Inc. was born in 1972. The first truck in the fleet was a Kenworth cabover. The next two tractors were used Freightliner cabovers that TransCon had purchased new. These trucks had a lot of miles on them when John bought them and he said, “We were lucky that the drivers we had in them were also good mechanics.” This is still important today for a small company that runs older trucks. A driver with some mechanical knowledge can get a truck home to the yard and save thousands of dollars making repairs on the road.
In 1978 the company relocated from a rented facility in Alderwood Manor, WA to a new office and shop that had room for growth in Mukilteo, WA an hour north of Seattle. The company remained in Mukilteo until relocating to a larger facility in Arlington, WA. In 1984, Kooy Trucking purchased its first Peterbilt (a limited edition conventional) from Frank Battle and Gary Doty with Peterbilt Sales in Seattle, WA. This truck was very modern for its time with things like cruise control, lots of gauges and switches, and leather seats. This was the beginning of the company transitioning to all Peterbilt trucks.
Staying small also allows you to have a more personal connection with the drivers and their families. I read a review from a former employee and you’re doing it right when they say, “They treat their employees like family. If you’re having a crisis, they treat it like their own and really take care of you. With Kooy you ARE family.” A current employee said, “A very good company to work for, with new trucks and trailers, and they try to keep everyone busy.” To me, these comments speak volumes about a company – it’s the kind of place where good drivers want to work.
Kooy is a well-known name in the Pacific Northwest. They specialize in refrigerated freight on the west coast and have been servicing their customers going on 53 years. Having downsized the operation a bit more recently, they currently own 12 trucks and run 10 of them. John credits the company’s success over the years with its high commitment to customer service and the quality of his employees. Keeping his company a true “family business” he feels fortunate to have his two sons, John Jr. and Michael, working alongside him since they both graduated from high school.
John is proud of his accident free record, over the last 64 years, as he should be. He feels that one of the most dangerous things on the road used to be snow and ice, but now, in his opinion, it’s the phone. I have to agree with him on this. Being on the phone is probably a major contributor to some of the massive accidents that are happening all too frequently these days. People who are not paying attention or going too fast, then the traffic suddenly stops ahead of them, and then all hell breaks loose. The carnage it creates is horrible.
In addition to the daily work truck fleet, John has a 1959 KW conventional 2-axle tractor and a 1962 Kenworth conventional 3-axle, as well. These are his hobby trucks. He is a very active member with the ATHS and the Cascade Chapter holds its annual meeting at his shop each January. At this meeting, a group of old drivers who love their old trucks get together, drink coffee, eat donuts and do what veteran truck drivers do best – share stories of the good old days – about friendships and memories after a lifetime of being on the road.
When I asked John about retiring, he replied, “Retiring is just a thought. 80 isn’t old if you are a tree!” Having been able to maintain good health, he still loves the trucking lifestyle. John Kooy has been blessed and is grateful for all the experiences he’s had, over all the years and miles, and the friendships made with customers, drivers, and all the people he’s met throughout his travels. It’s been a great ride and it’s not over yet. We would like to thank our special friend Trevor Hardwick for getting us on the path to writing this story about John Kooy – a guy who has stayed small to better serve his customers!