Elevating the Infinite Game

Centering their enterprise around the virtue of humanity is a bold differentiator for Pinch Transport

For over 40 years, the Houston-based Pinch Group of Companies has been a mainstay in oilfield transportation services, delivering oil field equipment, pipe, steel, and machinery across the U.S. and Canada. The three companies that compose the group have grown through smart M&A activity, adding crating, storage, proppant delivery and container drayage to their repertoire, expanding from their local roots into a reliable, national single-source provider and an industry leader in safety, professionalism, and on-time deliveries.

Today, Pinch Transport has a physical presence in all major cities in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, and Canada, providing flatbed, intermodal, and logistics services for the energy, retail, ocean container, and air freight industries.

PGC Logistics combines the expertise and flexibility of their dynamic divisions to provide 3PL services for all business sectors and transportation modes. Pinch Intermodal, LLC provides container transportation, container loading/unloading, cross-docking, and short-term storage services as well as seamless, asset-based import/export services.

Pinch Flatbed, Inc. is one of the largest flatbed LTL carriers in the industry with over 200 drivers – and creates a range of options for the energy industry. With eight terminals in the Lower 48 and two locations in Canada, choices include scheduled nightly LTL service from Houston to Louisiana, Oklahoma, Dallas, West and South Texas, and weekly through the Rocky Mountains, North Dakota, and Canada.

Their long-haul dry van service offers local and regional transport for a wide range of commodities, and their Full Truck Load (FTL) routes serve the continental U.S. and Canada with a fleet of 53’, 48’ standard, and single drop trailers.

We recently spoke with Lance Mutschink, one of the company’s partners, about the impacts of technology and growth in their highly specialized oil and gas service niche. “We want to be the most dominating carrier in LTL oil and gas throughout our whole network,” he said. “There’s always going to be competition because it’s an infinite game.”

There’s no contesting that truth, however the Pinch difference here is the way leadership stays inspired, customer-focused, and driven to be true employee champions in an industry sector rarely renowned for that distinction.

“We love to serve our people and our customers. We get pumped up with customer service because it’s fun to us,” he said. “We love quality service, caring, and honesty. We’re a genuine transportation company that always delivers.

“We are super flexible. If we tell you something leaves on Tuesday and delivers on Friday, if you need it there Thursday, we can flex. We’re unique in that capability,” he reported. However, growth is a challenge on all fronts. “As you get bigger, it becomes more difficult  to train 20 CSRs versus just four or five. We’re constantly training in customer service and doing all we can to make our customers feel special and well cared for. … With 15 trucks, it gets hard to make things happen, but having over 100 trucks running in that network allows you to have options and be more flexible.”

Mutschink estimated that 90% of the flatbed fleet is leased through Penske. “When we’re running LTL and TL all the way from Houston up to North Dakota, Wyoming, and into Canada. We don’t have just one customer on a load; we have 15 to 20,” he explained. “Our uptime must be impeccable. Penske gets us there 99% of the time.” The full-service lease program is a strong differentiator for Pinch, enhancing the company’s efforts in keeping to their schedule and speedy delivery.

Their brokerage company, PGC Logistics, brokers truck freight that can’t be handled on their assets. “What’s so unique is about 90% of their customers came from our flatbed and intermodal division, the asset-based side,” he said, the Carrier Partners that run in the Pinch system are carefully selected and vetted. “When you’re dealing with the top oil and gas producers and service companies in the world, there are strict requirements, and our customers trust us and expect us to partner with quality carrier partners to help assist in moving their cargo.”

As for staffing, roughly 15% of the individuals in each of those companies have worked in other Pinch operations, with cross-training and experience adding to their value.

Minimizing the impact of O&G down cycles, the company has become a specialist in transporting product for inner line inspection that takes place in both above-ground and inground pipelines. “We move these critical inspection tools all over the U.S., Canada, and Alaska, which is a huge diversification in our flatbed division.”

The company’s technology investments have been designed to make work as straightforward as possible, from dispatch to drivers. Automation, including a new TMS, and investments in GPS, electronic data interfaces, and API have made connecting with customers and operators easier, and have reduced the time it takes to enter and track orders, assets, drivers, and customer needs.

Servant leadership is at the heart of the company’s culture, which is platformed on Christianity and the concept of inclusion, regardless of faith or personal beliefs. Mutschink sums it up this way: “We care to help people grow, to make them better, because the biggest thing is if people can be better husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, neighbors, friends, they’re setting the world on fire in a positive way. And they’re going to bring that into our business.”

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For over 40 years, the PINCH Family of Companies and our team of transportation professionals have delivered oil field equipment, pipe, steel and machinery across the nation. In addition, we have added crating, storage, proppant delivery and container drayage to our list of services. We are a single-source provider as well as an industry leader in safety, professionalism and on-time deliveries. With service offerings in Flatbed LTL/FTL, Dry Van, Intermodal Drayage, Hot Shot you get everything you need when it’s “Powered by Pinch.”

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Corporate Office

18515 Aldine Westfield Rd.

Houston, TX 77073

Phone Number: 832.399.1032

Email: info@pinchtransport.com

Homepage Link: https://pinchtransport.com/

LinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinch-transport/

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