Ontario’s Erb Transport performed a last-minute, overnight delivery run to ensure the local hockey team, the Kitchener Rangers, had their equipment in place for a game after a trailer breakdown threatened to derail the team’s playoff schedule.
The Rangers reached out to the company’s CEO, Wendell Erb, on Wednesday, April 15, after their equipment trailer broke down en route to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., putting their second-round series at risk. At the time, the Rangers were leading the series 3–0 against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday night at the GFL Memorial Gardens.
Game 5 was set for 7 p.m. the next day, Friday, April 17, in Kitchener, and the Rangers needed their equipment back in the city by noon that same day, but no longer had a functioning trailer to make that happen.
As the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds secured a win in Game 4 to narrow the series to 3–1, the Friday game was more critical to the Rangers than ever.
Erb moved quickly to fill the gap. Briona Lahti, the company’s public relations and communications specialist, told trucknews.com that this was ‘an easy yes’ for the team, especially given that Wendell Erb is a longtime hockey fan.
“Supporting the Kitchener Rangers was a natural extension of our commitment to showing up for our community,” Lahti wrote in an email. “Even though this wasn’t our typical freight, the team came together without hesitation to seamlessly execute a time-sensitive solution.”
By Thursday night, a truck had been positioned in Sault Ste. Marie and was ready to load immediately following the game.
Working alongside the Rangers’ staff, the equipment was transferred, and the truck departed on its overnight run, arriving in Kitchener at 6:42 a.m. on Friday — several hours ahead of the deadline, ensuring the team could prepare for the game without stress and further disruption.
The Rangers went on to defeat the Greyhounds 5-1 that night.
The run was completed by Erb driver Tavleen Singh, who stepped in immediately when the call came. Singh was even able to take in Thursday night’s game before hitting the road and delivering his load to Kitchener under a tight deadline.
“This is a great example of what teamwork at Erb Transport looks like: coordinated, responsive, and committed to getting the job done, no matter the challenge. I’m proud to have been part of it and impressed by everyone involved,” said Adrien Lajoie, the company’s longhaul fleet manager, who helped coordinate the run between the Sault Ste. Marie and Mississauga staff.
While this is not the typical freight for the reefer carrier, Lahti tells trucknews.com that the company was happy to take on this unique opportunity, as stepping in to solve urgent logistics challenges is something it does regularly when capacity allows.
Since 2011, the company has been a partner of the Trucks for Change Network, which leverages its partners’ excess capacity to coordinate charitable deliveries across Canada, including remote locations, Habitat for Humanity and food bank initiatives, and more.
“Giving back has been part of Erb’s story since 1959,” Lahti said. “Moments like this keep us connected to the communities we serve and allow us to be part of something bigger. It’s also a great example of how the trucking industry shows up when it matters most, often behind the scenes.”
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