When the multi-billion-dollar Gordie Howe International Bridge opened to commercial traffic earlier this week, the firs commercial cargo to cross the border was carried by Onfreight Logistics, a family-owned company based in Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada.
The milestone marks the culmination of a 20-year vision championed by Onfreight President Steve Ondejko Sr., who spent decades advocating for the bridge.
Onfreight trucks crossed the bridge separately from each side when the bridge opened for traffic Monday, July 27. The first exemplified the fleet’s deep roots in Ontario and Canada while the represented its growing U.S. operations. Each business is led, respectively, by Steve’s son and his daughter, who recently became a U.S. citizen.
Moinday's inaugural crossing told a story about a family business that has invested in both countries and reflects the cross-border partnership the bridge was built to strengthen.
“We started this company decades ago around a plastic kitchen table, but the foundation was poured long before,” said Steve Ondejko Sr., president of Onfreight Logistics. “Growing up as one of eight children on our family’s farm, working seven days a week, I learned that nothing grows without hard work, persistence and commitment.
"This bridge wasn’t built just for multinational corporations – it was built for family businesses that create local jobs, invest in their communities, and believe in the future of cross-border trade." To have our Canadian and American drivers cross together as the first commercial vehicles is an incredible honor and a dream more than 20 years in the making.”
Ondejko didn’t simply advocate for the bridge – he built his company’s future around it. Years ago, Onfreight invested $10 million in a state-of-the-art, 11-acre cross-dock terminal in Florence, Kentucky, expanding its U.S. operations and creating new opportunities for cross-border employment.
“This bridge is about far more than moving freight more efficiently. It’s about creating opportunities for working families, supporting drivers, growing businesses, and strengthening the economic partnership between Canada and the United States,” said Ondejko.
