Image Makers

Rollin Transport sets itself apart with customized fleet of Petes

Image is important to Vinnie Diorio. The owner of three-truck fleet Rollin Transport since 1999 and the 11 owner-operators leased with him believe in making a good first impression. They have the customized rigs to back it up. “There’s nothing stock about any of them,” Diorio says.

Richfield, Wis.-based Rollin’s operators pull curtain-sided flatbeds hauling structural steel products and industrial machinery such as plastic injection molding equipment. A majority of their runs are in the Midwest and West, and the trucks average 150,000 miles annually.

Vinnie Diorio and independent contractors leased to his Rollin Transport small fleet all drive Peterbilts.

Diorio says the tricked-out trucks set his company apart from the competition. “I’m a firm believer that we get the kind of work we get and the rates we do because of the equipment we have,” he says. “When we load something for a customer and it goes to one of their customers, it looks good for us and our customer. When they see a load coming in our equipment, they’re more inclined to do business with my customer.”

The shiny image commands higher rates. Diorio estimates he gets 50 cents to a dollar more per mile than flatbed competitors. He says he transports weekly loads for a handful of customers. When a potential customer is shocked by a rate, Diorio asks if he wants the work done the right way: “I don’t second-guess myself at all when I say we’re one of the best.”

When Diorio picks up a new truck, it has bare bones specs — only the engine, transmission, rear ends and wheelbase are spec’d. The truck has no sun visor or cab lights because Diorio wants to design and place accessories his way. The customization in his shop takes about a month before the truck’s ready to hit the road. “Probably 99 percent of accessories we put on the truck are custom-made,” he says.