By Steve Pollock
PITTSBURGH, PA…  In 1918 Jacob Haser purchased 1 horse and 2 wagons for $250 as well as a harness and 5 months stable rent for an additional $25 from his father-in-law.  Jacob used the horse and buggy to deliver ice and coal in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, establishing Haser Trucking Inc.  A community oriented and family man, Jacob often extended credit to individuals and businesses for their coal during the Great Depression.
Jacob Haser had 7 children, 6 daughters and 1 son.  Jacob’s only son, Edward J. Haser quit school at a young age in order to help the family during The Great Depression.  When the Depression was over, Edward joined the U.S. Navy and fought in the Korean War.  Edward rejoined the family business after his discharge.  At that time, Haser Trucking was operating as a small fleet of dump and stake bed trucks.  The company hauled rails, lumber, and switching gears for the railroad.  They also hauled dirt for the Sanitation Authority, along with slag and cinders for local homebuilders.  Haser Trucking received a contract from the Duquesne Light Electric Company hauling ash from their plants around the clock, which contributed to its growth.  As Haser Trucking prospered it had the opportunity to purchase the assets of Reinsfelder, Inc., changing the name to Reinsfelder, Incorporated in 1952.  
Jacob Haser passed away in the 1960s and his son Edward J. Haser became CEO of Reinsfelder, Inc.  At that time the city of Pittsburgh was growing and there was plenty of construction work for flatbed and dump haulers.  Reinsfelder received contracts with the American Bridge Company to hauling tooling and equipment to the new bridges and buildings that were going up throughout Pittsburgh.  Other companies began to come on board, including U.S. Steel, Westinghouse and Fisher Scientific.  Reinsfelder began to evolve from small dump truck operation into a flatbed and specialized service during the city of Pittsburgh’s renaissance.
Edward J. and his wife Jean had 3 sons and a daughter.  As each of the children came of age, they joined the family business.  Edward, Paul and Tom all joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam.  Edward, Reinsfelder’s current President, was a Helicopter Mechanic Team Leader, his brother Paul was a Forward Observer and Thomas was a M.P., escorting convoys that traveled the infamous “Highway 1”.  On their return from active duty in the Army, Edward worked as a Driver and dispatcher at Reinsfelder, Paul became a Professional Truck Driver and Tom became a Police Officer.  Their sister Barbara began working in Operations for Reinsfelder at an early age, a position she continues to hold to this day.
In 1982 Edward J. Haser retired and turned over management of Reinsfelder, Inc. to his eldest son, Edward P. Haser.  It was the era of deregulation in the trucking industry, a time of opportunity for some and turmoil for others.  With additional ICC authority, Reinsfelder began to expand their service area and customer base.
Currently Reinsfelder, Inc. is managed by the fourth generation of the Haser family.  Edward P. Haser is semi-retired and his son Edward Haser III is Vice President, overseeing daily operations of the company. Reinsfelder has entered a new era of service and growth, changing to more effectively serve their customers.
Today, Reinsfelder, Inc. is a 48 state irregular route carrier that hauls everything from flatbed freight to 13 axle shipments.  They specialize with commodities that support coal and nuclear power, distribution, and transmission industries.  They handle substantial “superload” projects for the power industry as well.  The company has grown to about 120 power units, about 70% of which are owner-operator owned tractors.  Reinsfelder, Inc. has an expansive trailer fleet consisting of 250 trailers from hot shots to 13 axles lowboys.  They are a CTPAT certified carrier with Canadian border clearance. They also are a certified Department of Defense Carrier and the Department of Energy. Reinsfelder moves flatbed freight throughout all 48 states, managing loads and backhauls from a nationwide network of terminals and agents.  Because of the expansive freight network, Reinsfelder is leasing contractors throughout the U.S. and hiring company drivers in the Northeastern part of the country.  Drivers can choose between flatbed or specialized work, or do both if they like.
Reinsfelder, Inc. has been operating out of their offices on North Ave. in the Pittsburgh suburb of Millvale, Pennsylvania since 1925.  In November of 2012 the company moved to a 25,000 square foot facility situated on 17 acres in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.  The new location, on Route 19, just 4 miles north of the PA Turnpike exit 29, offers Reinsfelder drivers easier access to area highways as well as the truck friendly facility.  It was a much-needed move to accommodate growth for Reinsfelder.  In addition to extra office and dispatch space, Reinsfelder now has a 6 bay garage with 2 overhead cranes and a comfortable drivers lounge.  The company also has multiple 15-ton tow motors, bobcats and forklifts on the premises to help with load adjustments and transfers.  Reinsfelder Inc. will be offering several new services that include a full service shop for its current fleet of owner operators and to other commercial carriers.  They are also offering storage, cross docking, load transfers, and inventory management as part of its new service package in order to continue their expansion.
With the new Cranberry Township, PA headquarters, Reinsfelder is poised for additional growth.  The company currently has opportunities for owner-operators and company drivers.  Reinsfelder is aggressively seeking agents throughout the U.S. as well as small fleets for lease or acquisition.  To learn more about Reinsfelder, Inc. and the available opportunities, log onto www.reinsfelder.com or call 800-424-2737.