Lubana Trucking is far more than a long-haul company, because founder Manni Lubana has a vision for a brand that excels in service and addresses growing challenges in North American supply chain and logistics.
He didn’t drive right into this career, however. Manni first set his sights on becoming an automotive technician.
“The year I was set to study in Fort St. John, there were not enough students to fill the class,” he explains. “So, I took my Class 1 and started out as a driver. However, I knew from day one that I had my heart set on entrepreneurship.”
Driving came naturally to Manni and as he worked for other companies, he was able to quickly issue a down payment for his first truck. Running his own truck went so well for that first year, he decided to start a fleet.
“With that second truck, for the first couple of months things were slow!” Manni laughs. “That was not good, but then things picked up so quickly I was able to add a third truck.”
The entrepreneurial spirit was still simmering. While he now had three trucks on the road consistently, he didn’t have his own company. So, in June 2015, he took the leap and went from subcontractor to business owner.
“Now,” he says with humble pride, “we have 24 trucks.”
Manni runs Lubana as a family owned and operated company with his brother. While expertise in hauling is vital to the Lubana brand, a keen focus on customer service is what sets this company apart.
“Customer service is our number one priority,” he says firmly. “We only make promises we can keep. We aim for excellence – daily.”
In addition to long hauling across Canada and the United States, Lubana Trucking is HAZMAT certified, runs bonded shipments, provides temperature controlled shipping, has experience in trucking to and from Mexico and Alaska, is military certified, can run over dimensional loads and offers end-to-end logistic solutions. This diversity, which Manni ensured early on, has been vital to the continued success of the brand.
“There is political instability in the market,” Manni admits of the constant changes and recent upheavals. “While this has affected the North-South Corridor to a great extent, we are not as impacted as some other trucking companies. We do a lot of work with Mexico and are in many markets where tariffs are not involved. We have always been able to look and plan ahead.”
It is this ability to plan ahead and form long-term solutions that has Lubana on the brink of an expanded service that will benefit the industry – and beyond.
“The current transport management system (TMS) for Canadian carriers is, at present, a bit cumbersome,” says Manni. “I want to build something for Canadian carriers that improves efficiencies. For example, a TMS geared for startups would facilitate more rapid growth. Additionally, right now there are three separate platforms for logging, causing a lot of repeat data entry for logging, border crossing, tracking equipment, freight and fuel when doing more than five loads a day. This has the potential to be streamlined.”
He’s intent on improving the industry, but his vision goes even further into the realm of sustainability.
“We cap the speed on all of our trucks and when it is not necessary, we do not idle. We have also installed proper heat and AC as separate units so the drivers don’t have to run the trucks for warmth or comfort.”
Lubana is also part of a program that plants trees to help with carbon offsets. His trucking company adds up to 2,000 trees to the local landscape every year.
“There are fair, effective and efficient ways to offset carbon outside of taxes,” he says. “Planting trees is just one example that has a great benefit for the environment and for communities.”
Lubana Trucking also supports a nonprofit organization that brings water purification to developing countries and into communities where clean water is needed the most.
Manni is not one to seek praise and has even skipped his own prestigious entrepreneur award presentation, opting instead to have the plaque sent to him rather than accepting it on stage, but that doesn’t mean he is not proud of what Lubana has become – and where it is going.
“I am so very proud of my team,” he smiles. “They are the reason we do so well in this industry daily. We really are the best kept secret in Alberta. You may not have heard the name Lubana Trucking before, but when we assess our feedback, we are pleased to hear so many of our clients say we outperform other carriers.”
Above all, he credits his wife as the true pillar of strength behind it all.
“My wife has played a vital role every step of the way,” Manni says. “Her support has been beyond anything I could have asked for. From the early days of sacrifice to standing beside me through every challenge — none of this would have been possible without her.”
Manni says a very big thank you to his team, drivers, supportive business community and clients like Air Tindi, Mammoet, Flexpipe and West Fraser. Now, with a new round yard in Sherwood Park to build up and a plan to branch into manufacturing truck tires and parts, there is only one direction for Lubana Trucking to go – forward to even greater success.
5710 17 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6P 1T6
Phone: (780) 910-3000
