Arka Express
Two immigrants came to America never dreaming of starting a truck company, either separately or together. But for Arka Express, that’s just the way the ball bounced.
In 2000, Arnold Kozys and Darius Sriubas arrived, separately, in the United States from Lithuania as young university graduates, ready to begin a new chapter in their lives. Neither came to America planning to build a career in the trucking industry.
But both began working in the U.S. as truck drivers. Still, it wasn’t the highway that brought them together; it was the asphalt of an outdoor basketball court where, in their free time, they shared their love of the game, started a friendship, and found that their similar experiences as young immigrants and truck drivers gave them even more in common.
Over time, their careers took different paths that would come to complement each other. Arnold moved from driving to dispatch, where he learned trucking from the inside—dispatch, operations, customers, drivers, and the day-to-day processes required to keep a transportation company moving.
Darius remained closer to the equipment side of the business. His experience behind the wheel, combined with a strong interest in trucks and a natural understanding of the mechanical and technical side, gave him a different perspective on operations.
In 2007, Arnold had the idea of starting their own trucking company. Darius joined him. The two combined their distinctive strengths, and Arka Express was born.
Through TransChicago Truck Group, Darius and Arnold developed a relationship with salesman Tom Ryder. In 2015, Arka placed its first order for new Freightliner trucks. That order marked the beginning of a relationship that has continued for more than a decade.
Today, Arka Express has grown from an idea shared by two friends into a powerhouse transportation company operating approximately 800 trucks, with about 80% of the fleet now Freightliners.
Looking back, there is a special connection between where the journey started and where Arka is today: Darius started his trucking career behind the wheel of a Freightliner, and decades later, Freightliner has become the backbone of the Arka fleet.
But ARKA's real first mile began before the first truck was purchased or the company was founded.
It began with two young immigrants, a basketball court, a friendship, and the decision to build something significant together.
