The late Leonard Kane Sr. started his trucking career in the mid-1950s with a 74 Series Harley-Davidson and a commercial sidecar. He delivered parts and packages for Atom Delivery Ltd. to Vancouver’s industrial district. It wasn’t long until he upgraded to a half-ton pickup that offered increased capacity and payload to his carrier.
In his spare time, Len Sr. was a self-taught autobody specialist known for his work building trailers and truck decks. It was around June of 1964 when Len was approached by a friend of his to build a small lift truck hauling trailer for the superintendent of BC Conveying. The design had to be something completely new, low to the ground, and able to haul lift trucks behind a 2 ½ tonne truck. Before the end of 1964, he built his own version of the small lift truck hauling trailer that was much wider and could tilt to the ground. Once Len and his new truck and trailer combination were in service, Lift Truck Delivery (later known as Len’s Lift Truck Delivery) was born. Soon equipment dealers from all around Metro Vancouver were asking for their high-mast lift trucks to be hauled.
What started small grew into one of BC’s most inventive heavy equipment transportation services. As profits increased, Len Sr. was able to anticipate the company’s needs and made staffing and equipment changes to accommodate for the boom in business. In 1978, Len saw the opportunity to expand into heavy haul and purchased Ranger Transport Ltd. Len’s and Ranger extended it’s services to cross-border travel and began specializing in a variety of other transportation services.In his spare time, Len Sr. was a self-taught autobody specialist known for his work building trailers and truck decks. It was around June of 1964 when Len was approached by a friend of his to build a small lift truck hauling trailer for the superintendent of BC Conveying. The design had to be something completely new, low to the ground, and able to haul lift trucks behind a 2 ½ tonne truck. Before the end of 1964, he built his own version of the small lift truck hauling trailer that was much wider and could tilt to the ground. Once Len and his new truck and trailer combination were in service, Lift Truck Delivery (later known as Len’s Lift Truck Delivery) was born. Soon equipment dealers from all around Metro Vancouver were asking for their high-mast lift trucks to be hauled.
In 2008 the economic recession hit and Leonard Kane Jr., Len’s son, became the director of the Len’s Transportation Group. Len Jr. weathered the recession by refocusing on the values that made Len’s and Ranger successful to begin with. Excellent service, fair pricing, and a dedication to safety. As a result, Len’s Transportation Group came out of the recession with a few of their most profitable years ever. Our dedication to safety has not gone unnoticed. In early 2017, Len’s Transportation became COR (Certificate of Recognition) certified, meaning we have been recognized as an employer that maintains the strictest safety guidelines in North America.
2017 also saw the passing of Leonard Kane Sr. Len Sr. was a beloved member of the trucking community. He’s missed by many in the industry and it’s safe to say that his innovative spirit and legacy will never be forgotten.
Today, Len’s Transportation Group owns and manages all trucking operations that come under the Len’s or Ranger Transport name. Len’s Transportation Group offers the same lift truck services that made it successful in 1964 with the addition of heavy haul transportation, lowbed transportation, high mast forklift transportation, and over-dimensional transportation. On average, Len’s and Ranger accumulate over a million and a half kilometres (over 9,000 trips) a year.
In the next few years, Len’s Transportation plans on sticking with our winning formula. Rather than looking for a quick expansion, we plan on keeping the same tight knit group and services that has given us success over the years. The office staff, mechanics, and drivers are the ones who have made LTG what it is today.
