In 1965, Ralph L. "Larry" Roberts I purchased a single truck he used to haul furniture. The business grew with the purchase of intrastate and interstate authority from Mayflower Moving and Storage, becoming R+L Carriers, Inc. When the early 1980s brought deregulation to the trucking industry with the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, the company became incorporated in conjunction with the design of a new system that resulted in the birth of R+L Transfer, Inc. The initial operation was contained within Ohio, but soon expanded to five other Midwestern and Southern states. The May 1989 acquisition of Gator Freightways, Inc. further developed the company in the South. Growth continued with the purchase of Greenwood Motor Lines, Inc. in April 1992. In March 1996, the company purchased Herder Truck Lines, Inc., a Texas-based carrier, and expansion escalated. During the next five years, terminals and service were added to New York City and to 23 more states. Soon after, total coverage to New York State was achieved and partnerships to provide service to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico were developed. Expanded coverage in Western states laid the groundwork for continued growth as 2003 brought about the opening of six additional Western states and yet another in 2005. Expansion continued in 2006 as operations began in Oregon and Washington. The final phase of expansion came in the spring of 2007 with expansion to northern California. This included service centers in three major markets of Fresno, Sacramento, and Oakland. Expansion would quickly continue into Southern California with facilities in Fontana and Los Angeles which completed the west coast expansion providing full state coverage. R+L Carriers ships an average of 45,000 shipments to these areas per day.
Promotional activities
Lima Company Memorial
R+L Carriers provides the transportation and sponsorship of the , a series of life-size paintings of 23 fallen Marines from Lima 3/25 painted by Columbus, Ohio, artist Anita Miller. The memorial travels the country to raise awareness of the Marines and their families.
Professional Golf
R+L Carriers became the presenting sponsor of the Coates Golf Championship in 2015. The Coates Golf Championship presented by R+L Carriers is an LPGA event held at Golden Ocala in Ocala, Florida. The title sponsor, Coates Golf, is a premier golf equipment manufacturer solely dedicated to women's golf.
