Team RV Express, Canada’s largest RV delivery company, recently released statistics indicating the company has 20 percent of the Canadian RV transport market, including 40 percent of the major dealers, nationwide.
The company, with the maple leaf in its logo, has been Canadian-owned and operated since its inception in 2007. The niche it created back then by garnering DPU (dealer pick up) customers in Quebec and Ontario is thanks in part to the ability of Mike McGee’s, president and co-founder, to speak French fluently and translate for his French-speaking customers.
Since then Team RV Express has been speaking “growth” and what was once a company focusing on Ontario and Quebec, has broadened to include all 10 Canadian provinces.
“I’m extremely proud of the fact that no other transport company delivers as many RVs to Canada as we do,” McGee says, “I’ve said many times that we had no idea we would get this big. We have been very fortunate.”
McGee said the ability to maintain professional drivers from Canada and learning to work with
Canada Customs were two keys that led to early success. He also attributes some of the company’s rapid growth to being the first company to offer dealerships an online portal in which to electronically view the progression of their units from manufacturer to delivery. McGee said Team RV Express began offering that option first in about 2009.
The company’s infrastructure has expanded into two office buildings and four storage facilities of more than 40 acres. Corporate headquarters are in Middlebury, Ind., and the corporate recruiting office is in White Pigeon, Mich. Storage yards are located in Middlebury, White Pigeon and Bristol, Ind.
The company has sales representative stationed in Vancouver, B.C., and in Halifax, N.S. The company also have a driver recruiter working out of B.C.
Additionally, in 2013, Ready RV was formed. This gave Team RV Express the company to also perform PDIs (pre-delivery inspections), including PDIs prior to delivering units to Canada.
The office buildings in Middlebury and White Pigeon are also equipped with 10 service bays used for PDIs.
He added that the biggest obstacle the Canadian dealers face is getting parts across the border in a timely manner. “It can take weeks to get something like a piece of fascia,” he said.
