History Highlights:
- 1943 – The first generation of construction trucking started with Ralph Martinez, grandfather of today’s owners of Ralph Martinez Trucking. With his one truck, he hauled cinder blocks and coal.
- 1962 – Ralph Martinez Sr. continued in the industry, starting his own trucking company with one truck.
- 1983 – Ralph Martinez Jr. started working with RMT.
- 2001 – Dianna Martinez became a full-time employee.
- 2014 – Ralph Martinez Sr. retired. Daughter Dianna and son Ralph Martinez Jr. became co-owners with over 30 trucks.
The Ralph Martinez Trucking Story
Ralph Martinez Sr. started Ralph Martinez Trucking in May of 1962, with the help of his wife, Laura, who did all the billing and bookkeeping for the business. Although Ralph was an owner/operator until the early 1970s, it was through his drive and determination that Ralph Martinez Trucking Inc. expanded into the company it is today.
“The first to resale aggregate materials”
Ralph Sr. was always thinking of innovative ways to serve his customers and to offer services not provided by his competitors. For example:
- He was the first to resale aggregate materials, such as sand and rock, which is still ongoing today.
- In the early 1980s, Ralph Sr. was unimpressed with trailers that were available for hauling large rip rap and boulders. Ralph sought out a trailer dealer and proceeded to help design a stronger trailer. The manufacturer then took the design and built the trailer box onto his chassis’.
- In the late 1980s, Ralph Sr. equipped his fleet with natural gas. It was a brilliant concept for the time, although in actuality the tanks were exceptionally heavy and could not power the truck for an entire day.
Ralph Martinez Trucking father & son photo
In the early 1980s, Ralph Jr. started to work full-time with his father’s company, maintaining all of the trucking equipment. His natural mechanical talent lent itself to saving time and money for the company.
Dianna began working part-time for the company in 1990 to procure financing and equipment for the construction of Denver International Airport (DIA). She became a full-time employee in 2001, working alongside Ralph Sr., Laura and Ralph Jr.
The family worked together until May of 2014, when Ralph Sr. and Laura decided to retire.
Holding an equal ownership of the company, Dianna and Ralph Jr. are now transforming and putting their stamp on the company to keep up with the ever-changing demands of the times and industry.
For the last 3½ years, the Martinez duo has participated in a Denver Transit Partners Mentor/Protégé Program. As the protégés, Dianna and Ralph Jr. have moved forward, looking at their operating methods, equipment and business model to determine what’s working and what needs to be changed.
They continue to make improvements to satisfy customers and be the experienced leaders in hauling construction materials to and from construction sites.
