In 1945, Jack and Dorothy Yandell started a small trucking operation in Oakland, California.  

Their vision was simple: Deliver exceptional service. Operate safely. 

Create a positive work environment for drivers. 

 Eighty-one years later, that foundation still guides Yandell Companies.  

What began as one family’s commitment to doing things the right way has grown into a multi-service logistics platform serving Northern California and beyond but the values haven’t changed.  

81 Years of Yandell 

Conversation That Stuck With Me

We had the pleasure of sitting down with John Yandell recently and hearing the history, not the polished version, but the real stories of how it all began.

The kind of stories you don’t find in a brochure.

He talked about 1945, when Jack and Dorothy Yandell started a small trucking operation in Oakland, California. No scale. No systems. Just a belief in doing things the right way delivering exceptional service, operating safely, and creating a positive environment for drivers.

Simple ideas. But not easy ones.

What stood out to us wasn’t just how the company started it was how consistent those values have remained. Over eight decades, through different markets, challenges, and growth phases, that foundation didn’t change.

And that’s rare.

Because the truth is, most companies don’t make it this far. And even fewer stay true to what made them successful in the first place.

As we talked, it became clear that Yandell wasn’t built overnight it was built mile by mile. Load by load. Relationship by relationship. Through people who took pride in their work and understood that reputation is earned, not claimed.

Today, Yandell Companies has grown into a fully integrated logistics platform transportation, tanker, warehousing, fulfillment, and value-added services supporting some of the most respected brands in the wine and beverage space.

But what matters most is this:

The mission hasn’t changed.
The expectations haven’t changed.
The standard hasn’t changed.

Only the scale has.

It’s rare these days to be part of a company with 81 years of history and even rarer to feel that history still present in how the business operates today.

I’m proud to be part of it.

Grateful for the people who built it.
Respectful of the responsibility to carry it forward.
And excited about what the next chapter looks like.

Cheers to 81 years and the road ahead.