Randy Marten to Return as Marten Transport CEO
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Randy Marten will return as Marten Transport CEO, the carrier said.
Mondovi, Wis.-based Marten said Aug. 22 that current CEO Timothy Kohl would retire Sept. 30.
“We are very thankful to Tim for his tenure as CEO and previously as president with the company since joining us in 2007. He championed the company’s transformation to a multifaceted business that led to a period of unprecedented growth, often during complex and challenging environments,” said Randy Marten. “It has been a privilege to work with Tim, and we wish him the best in his retirement.”
Truckload carrier Marten Transport ranks No. 46 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America plus No. 5 among refrigerated carriers and No. 17 among intermodal carriers.
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Randy Marten previously was executive chairman of the carrier his father, Roger, founded in 1946. He became a full-time employee in 1974 and served as CEO from January 2005 to May 2021.
Kohl is signing off as CEO by piloting the sale of Marten’s intermodal division to Hub Group for $51.8 million in cash, a deal set to close by the end of the third quarter.
Marten Intermodal has around 100 customers in the food and beverage segments for its temperature-controlled intermodal services. Marten launched its intermodal business in 2005 and operates about 1,200 refrigerated containers.
Marten sees the transaction allowing the company to concentrate on its core businesses.
Oak Brook, Ill.-based Hub Group ranks No. 2 among intermodal carriers and No. 14 on the TT Top 100 for-hire list.
Marten’s core business has organic growth opportunities, Randy Marten said upon the release of the carrier’s second-quarter 2025 earnings after a tough few quarters.
Nils Jaeger of Volvo Autonomous Solutions says self-driving trucks will complement the industry’s workforce as freight demand grows. Tune in above or by going to .
“Our earnings have continued to be heavily pressured by the considerable duration and depth of the freight market recession’s oversupply and weak demand — and the cumulative impact of inflationary operating costs, freight rate reductions and freight network disruptions,” the executive said in a statement accompanying the results.
“We remain focused on minimizing the freight market’s impact — and the impact of the U.S. and global economies with the current trade policy volatility — while investing in and positioning our operations to capitalize on profitable organic growth opportunities,” he said.
“We expect such growth opportunities to be positively impacted by anticipated additional industry capacity exits relating to increased enforcement of the English Language Proficiency and B-1 visa regulations,” he added.
In May, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said truck drivers without adequate oral, written and reading proficiency in the English language would be removed.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance began issuing out-of-service violations in June to drivers unable to meet spot tests of their ability to communicate in English and read road signs. By August, more than 1,200 drivers had been benched after failing the tests.
Carriers and analysts agree that an excess of capacity has been a key component in prolonging the ongoing truck market recession.
Marten posted net income of $7.2 million in the three months that ended June 30, compared with $7.9 million in the year-ago period.
Still, the company’s operating ratio in the most recent quarter was 95.8, compared with 95.9 in the year-ago period.
OR provides insight on how well a company is balancing its costs and revenue generation. The lower the ratio, the better a company’s performance.
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