About us

Two brothers, Two trucks and Two sets of trailers combined in 1981 to formulate the initial ingredients of Tiger Lines. From these modest beginnings, Don and Dennis Altnow moved forward to fuel an extensive network of logistical services and offerings throughout California and later, throughout the United States.

 

To quote the brothers, “Transportation has always been the lifeline for industry and agriculture. It is the critical link that ties people with their goods and services. We feel that being in the middle of that link is the most fascinating part of the commerce of our country. We have devoted our lives to insuring that this link remains unbroken. We are proud to say that our drivers safely move tons of freight and produce for Californians and beyond year after year. We do this by instilling in our whole team an unwavering commitment to fulfill the needs of our customers. We do this by recognizing that our family of employees is our greatest asset. This is evident in that we have one of the lowest turnover rates in our industry. In turn they consistently provide our customers with a safe, honest days work. In fact, integrity and safety in business practices are foundational values by which we endeavor to build strong permanent relationships with all our employees, vendors, and customers. The longevity of our relationships with our customer/friends and family of employees is testament to the viability of these values.”

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History

The Altnow Family, founders of Tiger Lines, has been established in the transportation industry since 1935. Now, Tiger Lines invites you on a journey to discover the roots of the Altnow Family legacy. In the 1930’s the San Joaquin Valley was a rugged land, yet rich in soil, making the valley a superior place to raise crops. One foresighted gentleman saw a need to move these goods to markets and to the cities to be shipped to other parts of the world. This man was Arthur Altnow, and in 1935 he founded Lodi Truck Service with just one truck. Soon, Arthur Altnow saw the need for more efficient and dependable transportation that could move products from all of Northern California to the rest of the country. Throughout the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s Arthur Altnow added equipment and expanded his agriculture base to dry freight, as well as pioneering intermodal shipments throughout California. In 1960, Mr. Altnow established himself as an industry leader by being elected President of the California Trucking Association and later a Vice President of the American Trucking Association.

 

After partnering with their father for several years, it is not surprising that Don and Dennis Altnow founded a new company that would meet the needs of the shippers in nearly every facet of transportation. Tiger Lines was born in 1981 symbolizing power, aggressiveness and efficiency in movement. The idea was to establish a team of logistical experts who would respond immediately to the needs of their customers and expedite their shipments. Initially, they solicited palletized feed moved on flats, wine tanker and cased wine movements for the California wine industry and high cube double vans to haul light weight freight for California’s container/packaging industry. The vision materialized and the fun began as the two brothers were able to include some trusted friends and relatives from childhood, from church, a few lawyers, bankers and an accountant friend. And as they say the rest is History!

 

As one of Tiger Lines longstanding customers recently stated, “Tiger Lines is a premier carrier. I can always rely on them to be responsive, reliable, safe and economical. When I arrange for their services I know that I can depend on their friendly customer service people to track my product’s status from the time of pick up to its delivery.”

 

Tiger Lines is fortunate that so many of their processors and shippers have contracted their services consecutively since its inception. That is why we consider them Family. These renowned shippers and processors are among some of the largest and most successful in the United States. These days, the inclusion of family shareholders and seasoned team members in the business is as important as ever for the success of Tiger Lines. A part of our strategic planning is to perpetuate, preserve the legacy and to facilitate the succession of Tiger Lines for years to come. The family shareholders and executive team desire to hire and employ the most experienced professional managers, drivers, dispatchers, mechanics, safety and administration the industry can offer. Our current crew has set a high bar for new team members to follow. We believe it is necessary so we can emphatically claim that every team member is always eager to serve you.  

 

We end this part of the Journey to say that, now; you are part of the Tiger Lines Family. Remember, today’s world is continually moving and we are here to move with you. Feel free to explore the rest of our web site and call us to assist you with any of your logistical needs!

 

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