American Bulk Commodities Opens New Corporate Office

BOARDMAN, OH… Ralph Carrocce served in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II in a Mortar Platoon, earning 3 Battle Stars (one for the Battle of the Bulge) and received 2 Purple Hearts.  When he returned home, he started a trucking company in Boardman, Ohio eventually growing to a fleet of 4 gas trucks. 

In 1960 Ralph’s son Ron bought a truck from him and rented a building from him as well, laying the foundation for R&J Trucking and eventually American Bulk Commodities.

The company was growing and in 1971 Ron Carrocce bought property next to a lumber yard on Southern Blvd. in Boardman, Ohio, where he built the company’s corporate offices, which also housed dispatch and maintenance. (R&J Trucking has been operating from these offices for over 50 years now.) Ron and his brother Gary would do the maintenance on the trucks.  Eventually Ron’s sons Mark, Kevin, and Troy would all work in the maintenance shop.  Ron had a great work ethic and made sure that the tools were wiped down and put away in their proper place at the end of each day. Many members of his family also drove truck.  All of the freight they moved was brokered, but that all changed in 1985 when Ron formed R&J Trucking and received their own operating authority.

After 10 years of growth, R&J Trucking made its first acquisition in 1995 when they purchased John Brown Trucking in Portersville, Pennsylvania and established American Bulk Commodities.  Other acquisitions followed: Southern Haulers in Calera, Alabama in 1998 and DSI Bulk Transport in Mantua, Ohio in 2021.

Today American Bulk Commodities operates 7-Axle Straight Trucks, End Dumps, Pneumatic Tanks, and Roll-Offs, providing local and OTR services.   They have 16 terminals and 900 employees.  The fleet has grown to 750 trucks, 1,500 trailers, and 125 independent carriers.

President Mark Carrocce stated, “After many years of investing in American Bulk Commodities outside terminals, it was time to invest in a new corporate office.  The new office serves as operational headquarters for the company with the latest amenities and technologies.  It will serve us for many years to come.  We plan continued, steady controlled growth for American Bulk Commodities and its subsidiaries, as well as taking advantage of any future opportunities that may present themselves.”

Vice President Gary Carrocce  remarked, “R&J’s remarkable success is, in part, because of the hard work and dedication of many of our long-term employees.”

While Ralph and Ron have died, Ron’s brother Gary, Ron’s sons Mark, Troy, and Kevin and his grandchildren Mark, Jr. and Stephanie and Gary’s daughter Tiffany continue to carry on Ron Carrocce’s legacy.