Quebec-Based Company Boasts North America’s Largest Pilot Vehicle Network
ODS North America, the region’s largest pilot car network, is stepping up its preparations to support the transport of oversized military equipment for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2024 trade event in Washington D.C. this October.
The Quebec-headquartered transport specialist will provide event organizer GES with pilot car services for a convoy of tactical hardware and military vehicles.
According to Nick Ruscito-Caissy, president and CEO of ODS, police in a number of U.S. states have stopped running pilot car services for the transport of oversized cargo due to various logistical and resource constraints, creating a gap that private companies such as ODS have now stepped in to fill.
“It’s an annual project that we’ve been working on – this is the third year,” Ruscito-Caissy told Breakbulk. “We recently completed some survey work to scout the route and make sure we’re prepared to shut down roads in Washington D.C. From the marshalling yard where they’re holding all this equipment, we convoy it to the convention center, and then convoy it back.”
Featuring an independent contractor fleet of more than 6,000 vehicles, ODS has been supporting specialized carriers to securely deliver heavy and oversized cargo across the U.S. and Canada since 2010. Last year, ODS handled more than 25,000 pilot car bookings.
In a recent project in Tennessee, the company successfully arranged 62 cars for a client who required the vehicles for next-day service.
“There were also the other 60 pilots that we booked for different clients for the next day, bringing it to a total of 122 cars that we booked,” said Stefano Pilozzi, director of operations and business development. “In the span of 12 hours, those orders came in, were addressed, put in our system, booked and confirmations sent to our clients.”
ODS North America will be exhibiting for the first time at Breakbulk Americas 2024 on Oct. 15-17 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Meet the team in the main hall, Stand Q49.
