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CRST International, Inc. Acquires NAL Group
March 02, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Questions: Please contact – CRST Media Requests mediarequests@crst.com CRST International, Inc. Acquires NAL Group CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, (March 2, 2020) – CRST International, Inc., one of the largest privately held transportation companies in the United States, today announced the acquisition of privately-held NAL Group, headquartered in Edison, NJ. Privately-held NAL Group is an industry leading final mile logistics company, servicing the U.S. and Canada. NAL Group specializes in warehousing services, home delivery of big and bulky consumer durables, complex in-home installation and assembly services, and express courier services. NAL Group’s customers are predominately high-profile retailers, most notably delivering, installing and/or assembling items such as furniture, appliances, exercise equipment and electronics. The company services the United States and Canada.

Matt Riordan (left), previous president and CEO of NAL Group, who will continue overseeing sales and operations for CRST’s NAL Group operating company is pictured with Hugh Ekberg (right), president and CEO of CRST International.
About CRST International, Inc. Cedar Rapids, Iowa–based CRST International, Inc. is one of the largest privately held transportation companies in the United States. CRST provides a broad array of transportation solutions, including team expedited, flatbed, dedicated services, truckload capacity solutions, transportation management, high-value product white-glove services and big and bulky home delivery. For more information, visit www.crst.com or call (800) 736-CRST (2778).Maria Finds CRST Is a Great Place to Work
February 10, 2020
New to Birmingham, Alabama, and newly divorced with two kids, Maria Gilbert wanted to do more than be a customer service manager at the local Walmart. When she saw a job opening for an administrative assistant at CRST that sounded “exciting and fantastic,” she went for it. Maria interviewed with Vice President of Sales, Tim Barth. Things went so well that she was offered the job on the spot and started two weeks later as a temp. Sixty days after that, she was called into Tim’s office and offered a permanent position. After eleven months as an administrative assistant with CRST Flatbed Solutions, Maria applied for a pricing analyst role in 2014. In 2017, she became a pricing manager.
Lots to Do and Making a Big Impact
As a pricing manager, she oversees new business opportunities that come to the company from different customers. She reviews those opportunities and prices them, optimizing the overall transportation network to benefit contractors while also helping CRST contractors earn a livelihood. “You have to take a lot into consideration with this job. It’s not just about pricing things, winning new customers and completing bids. When hard deadlines come along and a bid isn’t turned in on time, you could potentially forget about seeing that business again. It can be busy and overwhelming at times when big tasks come through,” Maria said. Maria successfully juggles a lot in her role. She creates dedicated freight lanes for contractors. She works contracts back and forth between legal departments and customers. When it comes to pricing, she considers layover time, detention, cargo liability, driving and loading time, whether the load is legal or over-dimensional in size and protection of the company and contractors hauling the loads. “At the end of the day, you’re affecting the business and people’s livelihood. If we can win the bid and execute the business, it is a very satisfying feeling, and I know my job has been done right,” Maria said. It excites Maria to see the impact her job has on the entire company and drivers. “Our department affects so many other departments at CRST. I get to assist in training people in operations and customer service. I get to touch a lot of departments because of the knowledge I have and what I do for CRST’s customers. The more I know, the more I can help people learn and grow," she said. She wants the best for drivers and cares deeply about everyone’s well-being. “It’s exciting that I am able to help, not only myself, give opportunities for growth, but also be valuable to the company. CRST allows me to do that,” Maria said.Making a Difference in Multiple Ways
Volunteering is a large part of Maria’s life — both at church and at work. Each year, CRST participates in a fundraising campaign for United Way. Maria enjoys being one of the driving forces of the campaign and urging her coworkers to donate for the greater good. She said in 2018, Flatbed Solutions raised $8,065 and increased that by 10% in 2019. Their efforts are then matched by CRST Chairman John Smith. Every day at work is different, Maria said. Logistics continually change and challenges are met, including the challenges women face in trucking. The mentorship and support of other women is the key, Maria said. “The women that I have seen be successful in this industry stand behind each other and mentor each other. They help each other learn and be successful,” Maria said. A good dose of confidence doesn’t hurt, either. “Mistakes will be made, whether you are a man or a woman, but don’t take things personally. Stand behind your decisions, learn as much as you can, call on other women within trucking and logistics to ask for their advice or help, and do not be afraid to ask questions,” Maria said.Keeping our Women Safe
January 02, 2020
As we embark on a new year, I can’t help but reflect on the many stories we have shared with you about the tremendous talent we have at CRST. In this blog, we’ve highlighted 18 of our female driving partners and administrative staff – covering everything from their ‘Words of Wisdom’ - (both on the road and in our offices and shops), to ‘life stories’ they were proud to share. Each of these women had a deep sense of pride and loyalty, both to the industry and to CRST. As we’ve talked with these women, it became abundantly clear they wanted to pass along their ‘best practices’ and ‘life lessons’ to their fellow female drivers on the road. Out of this exercise, we did further research with assorted women safety blog sites, as well as the Women in Trucking organization. All of this culminated into a launch of several Focus Group meetings last month, where we encouraged female drivers to join us for a series of discussions on best practices. What we learned was that there was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback and discussion on how to stay ‘safe’ on the road, as a female driver in a male dominated industry.
- Street Smarts: Safety Best Practices on the Road
- Advice from Your Fellow Female Drivers
- Having a Successful Driving Experience
- Recommendations for a Safety App called Red Panic Button
- Reminders about ‘who to call’ to ask for help
- Self Defense Videos
- Bystander Training
Helping Train Next Generation of Drivers
December 04, 2019
CRST Proudly Supports United Way in Our Communities
December 02, 2019
Trucking Runs in the Family
October 04, 2019
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
September 03, 2019
Trucking Is in Shannon’s Blood
August 05, 2019
40 Years of Trucking and Stories
July 03, 2019
Earning Her Place and Providing for her Family
June 06, 2019