Private Company 1949-1992

After buying his first truck in 1949, a '49 Chev Maple Leaf, Roland Mullen persevered through two decades of economic growth and contraction. He hauled gravel for $3.50 per hour in 1950 and by the mid-50s was operating three trucks. In the early 1960s, amid an economic downturn, Roland drove for Nodwell Bros. in Alaska. When the economy improved, he again went independent, buying his first Kenworth in 1965 for $26,000 and a second Kenworth three years later.

The fleet continued to expand throughout the 1970s. In 1979 Mullen had authority to transport across the Canada-U.S. border and the fleet size increased to 40 trucks.

In the 1980s, Mullen relocated from Calgary to Aldersyde, located south of the city, where it operated from a modified mobile home. The Company began to computerize its operations and in 1983 established its Oilfield Division. Business in the United States increased and by 1984 the Company had 110 owner operators. In 1989, the Company purchased FSJ L.A.N.D. Transport Ltd. and moved the Oilfield Division to Leduc. A year later, Mullen moved to new, expanded facilities in Aldersyde and implemented its Quality Program.