Van Kam Freightways

Van Kam truck on highway

“Hauling Freight for Friends”

Van Kam Freightways Ltd. is a three-generation, BC family-owned and operated freight carrier. CEO Casey Henry’s grandfather started the business using his Harley Davidson hauling packages for friends back in 1947. With a legacy of 77 years, they have been proudly ‘Hauling Freight for Friends’ through eight company-owned freight service centres and 30 agent terminals across B.C., contributing to the development of many communities and industries in Canada’s most beautiful province. People & Community… it’s what Van Kam Freightways is all about.

Van Kam prides itself on its longstanding local B.C. roots, especially because so many local carriers have been bought out by multinationals based in the U.S. or Europe. We have staff on the ground across the Province to support our clients. We understand the value of the partnership with our clients, supporting them with staff on the ground, some of whom have been with us for 20, 30, and 40 years, who deeply understand the needs of customers.

Question: How are you supporting other local businesses?

Answer: Van Kam truly believes in the power of local businesses and services in the communities where we operate. After all, we wouldn’t have become Western Canada’s leading freight shipping company without the localized freight we ship for various private and public sector industries in BC. This cyclical effect strengthens our communities and the Province financially and socially, and we’re proud to be a part of it all.

Through our eight freight service terminals across BC, we have nearly 5000 local vendors that help us in our operations in various cities. As freight carriers, a large part of our outsourced services is for our fleet equipment and freight terminals. Here is just a sample of some of the B.C companies we work with:

We pride ourselves on our agency network – we have 30 agents in small towns throughout the province. We’ve been working with them for 50 years to unite the province – they are small local business owners in towns such as Williams Lake, Terrace, Smithers, Quesnel. They represent that “salt of the earth”, old-school trucking that we love. We also support the work of some great B.C. organizations through our local partners. For instance, we are an essential partner to Canadian Blood Services, hauling some of the most sensitive and life-saving freight in the Province. We also work with the BC Technology for Learning Society, helping to supply much-needed computers to the people of BC and the rest of Canada (over 2 million to date!) We also love working with Mills Office Productivity – they are such a great local office supply company, and they have been helping to train folks with barriers to employment in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in culinary skills.

Question: What social and environmental practices are you proud of?

Answer: Van Kam’s social and environmental practices naturally align with one of our three core values: CARE. From advocating work-life balance to our employees, creating ‘Green Initiatives’ programs to limit our carbon footprint, and treating customers like they’re not “just a number,” the practice of CARE runs deep in every aspect of our company.

On a social level, we are proud supporters of local, provincial and national non-profits. We recognize our social responsibility to better the lives of our customers and employees in the regions we serve. Annually, Van Kam donates to nearly 40 local charities committed to various causes that are strengthening the communities around us. To name just a few, we work with the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and BC Children’s Hospital. They even have one of our trucks in their kids colouring books – it’s fun to colour because our trucks have a recognizable candy-cane bumper! Save and Print the page below!

Read more about the charities we support here: Van Kam Gives Back

Through our “Green Initiatives Program,” Van Kam remains vigilant about protecting the environment and sustainability. Wherever possible, we also seek vendors and business partners who are like-minded. We are proud sponsors of Tree Canada through annual donations, and use local recycling companies such as Phil’s Batteries, GFL Waste Management and Tire Stewardship BC; all of who provide us with safe disposal options. In conjunction with Natural Resources Canada, Van Kam is a certified SmartWay participant to explore energy efficiency and reduce harmful vehicle emissions. We also have EV Tesla Semi trucks on pre-order for placement in our line haul operations. As we implement our Green Initiatives at all levels of our operations, we constantly review their impact and seek opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint while still fulfilling our customers’ needs. Read more here: Van Kam’s Green Initiatives.

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