Continental Express
Every moment matters for Continental Express: a focus that has taken them from the first mile to a limitless future.
Continental Express’s “first mile” was in 1976, when Russell Gottemoeller purchased his first commercial truck. Even when his business consisted of just one driver operating from his father’s farm, Gottemoeller had a vision for success and a conservative strategy despite the then-unfavorable trucking market.
Eight years later, the business was incorporated as Continental Express, Inc., and construction of a new corporate facility gave the company a permanent home in Sidney, Ohio.
Steadily, the company purchased more trucks and hired more drivers, mechanics, and office staff. From the start, Continental kept a mile-at-a-time focus on progress, with values of safety, service, and communication guiding its operations. Continental Express focused on growth by putting forth its best effort into every load, every customer, every mile.
Result: In the 1990s, it had outgrown that original corporate terminal, and the office underwent its first expansion as the fleet reached 100 drivers. Over the years, the original terminal has undergone several renovations and expansions to accommodate more equipment and more staff.
Continental’s reach expanded from the Midwest into the South when it opened terminals in Louisville, Kentucky (2007) and Gaffney, South Carolina (2009). Its location expansions continued, and between 2011 and 2024, the company opened seven more major terminals across the nation.
In 2021, Continental Express opened the Continental Express Commercial Driving Academy at the Indianapolis terminal and broadened its services by establishing the Logistics Division. Today, it also provides yard management and brokerage services.
The technology outfitted in Continental Express Freightliners also changed and grew. At the end of the 1980s, Continental Express made headlines for being among the first 100 carriers in the United States to use satellite tracking technology. The company has continued on the cutting edge with advancements such as its CE-GO, a custom app developed in-house in 2020 and installed on iPads to enable 24-hour driver communications. CE-GO also offers drivers access to digital scanning, GPS routing tailored to truck routes, and safety and informational resources.
In addition to being a long-time EPA SmartWay Transport Partner, the company began implementing all-electric spotters in yard management services in 2023 to increase sustainability metrics for Continental and its customers.
Today, Transport Topics lists Continental Express as the 10th largest refrigerated carrier in the nation. Its assets include more than 800 employees nationwide, 600+ Freightliner tractors, and over 1,450 refrigerated trailers. It is recognized as a leading, asset-based truckload carrier and full-service logistics company specializing in temperature-controlled and dedicated route freight.
Founder Russell Gottemoeller continues to guide operations as CEO, while the second generation has also assumed senior leadership positions. Bradley Gottemoeller serves as president, and Kiera Sullivan serves as general counsel.
The founding philosophy, “Driving the Future – One Mile at a Time,” which carried Continental Express through its early days, remains a strong guide for the future.
