Trucking & Fleet Acquisitions in Canada

Trimac Transportation has acquired Watt & Stewart Commodities Inc., a flatbed and specialized carrier, effective Jan. 15, 2025. The deal expands Trimac’s flatbed capabilities and market coverage across mining, forestry and heavy equipment transport in Canada and the United States; Watt & Stewart will retain its name and operate within Trimac’s Family of Companies.

Penske Automotive Group, through its Premier Truck Group subsidiary, acquired Transolutions Truck Centres (TSTC), a five-location medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus dealership network based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The deal expands Premier Truck Group's presence into Manitoba, adds approximately $180 million of expected annualized revenue and about 200 employees (including 59 technicians and 73 service bays).

Fastfrate Group completed a majority acquisition of Challenger Group (Challenger Motor Freight) following Competition Bureau Canada approval, expanding Fastfrate's network across Canada and into the United States. Challenger will continue to operate independently under incoming CEO Jim Peeples while Fastfrate maintains existing management and staff.

An investor group led by Champlain Financial Corporation, alongside Desjardins Capital, Fondaction and Société Financière Bourgie, has completed a continuation-fund style recapitalization of JLD-Laguë, a leading Canadian John Deere equipment and Peterbilt truck dealership network. Management remains in place under CEO Terry Enepekides and the investors intend to support continued growth through organic initiatives and tactical acquisitions; financial terms were not disclosed.

Champlain Financial Corporation led a group of investors in a strategic investment in Les Transports Inter-Nord Inc. to support the company’s continued growth in the less-than-truckload (LTL) market. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, Inter-Nord operates a fleet of more than 250 units and a >60,000 sq. ft. warehouse to serve a broad Quebec footprint.

Titanium Transportation Group Inc. acquired all shares of International Truckload Services Group (ITS) for approximately $60.5 million (cash and assumption of net debt), adding ITS' assets, footprint and customer base to Titanium's platform. ITS, founded in 1986 and based in Belleville, Ontario, generates about $80 million in annual revenue, operates ~330 power units and 1,600 trailers, and employs roughly 470 people; the deal expands Titanium's scale and geographic coverage across southern Ontario, Quebec and the United States.

The Kenan Advantage Group, Inc. (KAG) completed the acquisition of Paul's Hauling Ltd. through its Canadian arm, KAG Canada / RTL Westcan. The Winnipeg-based bulk transport operator brings 233 tractors, 353 trailers and approximately 304 operational staff (192 drivers and 112 operational personnel), extending KAG's bulk transport footprint and creating operational synergies across Western Canada.

TFI International signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Gusgo Transport (including Seatainer Transport and Seatainer Terminals), a Vaughan, Ontario–based container transport and storage business. The acquisition adds container drayage, storage capacity (6,000-container yard) and ~250 chassis to TFI's Truckload segment, expands density and geographic reach across the Greater Toronto Area and cross-border lanes into the U.S.