A BIT ABOUT US

Marilyn recalls, "we were working so many hours for somebody else, we just decided that if we were going to put in all that time, we should be doing it for ourselves."

So, in October of 1979, with one credit card, four Mack tractors, a tire repair truck that did outside work, and a loan on the equipment, the Boughan family started its own company.

The business began by leasing those trucks to Midwest Coast Transport out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In mid-1980 the Boughans increased their fleet size to 17 Mack tractors and moved into their first real facility in Apopka.

In 1981, the Boughans suffered a serious setback when they leased their entire fleet to another company in Lakeland, Florida. They ran with them for six months but never got paid. "We ended up losing about $250,000. But through the understanding and help of our creditors, our drivers and others involved, we were able to make a complete turn around in less than a year," said Marilyn.

In 1982 the Boughans became Boughan Brothers, Inc. and two years later converted its entire fleet to Kenworth tractors. In 1987 it obtained its own common and contract carrier authority and began to operate as Bonus Transportation, Inc. and moved to a new, 15-acre facility in Plymouth, Florida, and added new equipment. This brought the company to 42 tractors and 52 trailers.

Bonus Transportation, Inc. bought out the southern division of Genova Express Lines in January of 1995, and purchased H & R Plants, Inc. in November, 1996. In February, 1996 they moved into a larger facility in Sorrento, Florida and continue to grow and prosper.