ROAR Logistics, led by founder and entrepreneur, Bob Rich III, has steadily grown into one of the leading freight brokers in North America since its inception in 2003. ROAR is widely recognized as a high performing vendor partner that boasts award-winning fulfillment rates across the industry, and 2024 was no exception.
Bob credits the company’s success to his talented team that is committed to the company vision, consistently works diligently, but never takes their work, or themselves, too seriously. ROAR has assembled a world class team of associates that embrace Bob’ ABC leadership mantra: attitude plus behavior equals character. And this company definitely has character!
To see this character, one has to look no further than @roarlogistics on Instagram for a glimpse into ROAR’s playful approach to social media. A post on April 1, showed ROARY, the company’s feline mascot, taking over the corporate call center, and a few years ago Bob temporarily renamed the company PURR Logistics and adopted a kitten as the mascot. The corporate headquarters and numerous regional offices are decked out with video games, pool tables, and puzzles, so that associates can make connections with their peers and unwind from the demands of freight management.
There’s ample proof to support Bob’s work-hard, play-hard strategy, including a growing list of accolades earned from some of the biggest names in the industry.
Each year, PepsiCo recognizes their two strongest, most valuable regional partners with Carrier of the Year awards. ROAR was among the high performers acknowledged in 2024 for on-time delivery, customer service satisfaction, safety, and adherence to PepsiCo’s standards. Named the Northeast Division of Warehouse Delivered Carrier of the Year, ROAR surpassed the 97% eligibility standard and recorded 98.19% on-time performance.
“This is a very prestigious award, one we value greatly,” said Bob. “PepsiCo is one of our core clients and we’re thankful to be acknowledged for our exemplary service. We moved a lot of freight for PepsiCo last year and our fulfillment records were tremendous. This award is a testament to the ROAR team, and I couldn’t be prouder of their efforts and commitment to our customers.”
Bob believes that carrier awards highlight ROAR’s commitment to build lasting partnerships with both customers and vendors. As a freight forwarder, ROAR is the facilitator, matching freight with reputable carriers, and Bob emphasizes the important link between ROAR and their preferred vendors.
“Our relationship with vendors is critical to our collective success,” explained Bob. “Think of it like this. Let’s say I hire you every Tuesday to drive me from Buffalo to Rochester. I respect that it’s your vehicle we ride in, so I don’t show up with dirty boots, and I don’t show up 5 minutes late. When you send me a bill, I pay it quickly. And, if I have anywhere else to go, you know I will call you because you’re my preferred vendor. That’s how we treat our relationship with vendors.”
To add to ROAR’s banner year in 2024, NASTC (the National Association of Small Trucking Companies) named ROAR their Broker Partner of the Year, an honor ROAR also earned in 2018. To date, ROAR is the only freight broker to receive this designation twice, without a change in ownership or management, since the previous award.
As ROAR continues to earn industry accolades, Bob says the collective impact and impressions of those awards equates to something akin to a 5-star Uber rating, a signal that the company is indeed among the best of the best.
“In our business, we are both servant and server, and that is a really important part of the equation,” said Bob. “We are a good partner to both our customers and our vendors, and I believe that is what makes ROAR stand out as a leader in the industry.”
Bob is quick to acknowledge that there is another essential element to ROAR’s success quotient: People.
ROAR has a team of more than 180 associates across the country. This group of dedicated, highly skilled, and passionate people are the backbone of the company’s reputation as one of the top transportation service providers nationwide. Where others (some 14,000 freight companies over the past 18-24 months) have ceased operation in response to depressed freight rates and an overabundance of trucks on the road, ROAR continues to grow and thrive.
“We have been very resilient. We have continued to stay profitable through some pretty challenging times,” reported Bob. “I give all the credit to our team of associates: to those on the phones, to the management team, and to the business data analytics team that generates the intelligence to guide our decision-making. Our associates have enabled us to deliver the best service to our customers, to pay our carriers quickly, and to offer a unique boutique service operation that ranks among the 60 largest freight brokerages in North America.”
That ranking alone is a significant achievement for ROAR. There are more than 110,000 active trucking companies and freight brokers licensed by the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), and ROAR has found its way to the top tier based on revenue, size, and scale.
Bob said the company has done well to adapt to the evolving market and adjust as necessary to fine tune the operation. As part of ROAR’s ongoing growth strategy, Bob continues to actively pursue expansion and acquisition opportunities in Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
“We realize that we have a tremendous growth opportunity,” said Bob. “Our operation is dialed in, and we have the right team in place to pursue emerging markets as the next step in the evolution of ROAR.”