Proudly Local Business: Al's Hotshot & Trucking Services
How a Wainwright business was born from a $1,500 loan and a truck.
A career in hotshot trucking might not be the cushiest — you’re often met with endless hours on the road, near-impossible timelines to get the job done and working through the occasional high-stress situation. But Al Gormley, owner of Al’s Hotshot & Trucking Services in Wainwright, is making the best of his career choice and ensuring those who work with him feel like family in his hometown.
Al grew up in Wainwright and left the town for the first time after high school. He ended up in Estevan, Saskatchewan, working the service rigs and oilfields for a year or so before returning to his hometown.
In the early ‘90s, Al started trucking with H&E Oilfield Services in Wainwright and enjoyed being out on the open road. “I was driving all the time, and I loved it,” he says. That love for the open road would prove to be highly influential, and in 1995, Al started a trucking business himself. “If I was going to do this, I was going to try it on my own.”
There was only one thing left for Al to make this dream of owning and operating his own trucking business a reality — buy a truck.
"If I was going to do this, I was going to try it on my own."
At the time, money was tight and he couldn’t afford to buy a big truck for heavy hauling like he was used to, so he borrowed $1,500 from his mom to lease a 1995 GMC diesel hotshot truck from the local dealership, Denwood Motors. “I was still trucking for H&E at the time, so I’d go do a hotshot in my truck and then come back to work,” says Al.
That’s how Al’s Hotshot & Trucking Services was born.
By working two jobs, Al saved up enough money to buy his first winch tractor. The business took off, and it’s been thriving ever since. Al and his wife, Kim, have grown the business to over 70 employees and have a fleet of over 100 trucks and trailers. Al’s Hotshot & Trucking Services primarily serves the oil field sector in Alberta, and the company has now expanded into Lloydminster and Fort McMurray.
But the company’s growth wouldn’t be possible without the generosity and warmth that comes from within. “I tell everybody, we’re all on the same floor, and we’re really involved with the people in our business,” says Al. “You know, you’re not a number here.”
Al takes pride in having an open-door policy with all his staff and credits his wife for making the business feel like a family. “She’s the rock that holds this all together. I can go out to the field and do the work, but she looks after the office and supports where needed.”
Al is proud to be a business owner in the Wainwright community, holding on to the relationships he’s built since he was a kid. “I’m pretty lucky and fortunate to live here with great people that actually have your back,” he says. “They say if you go through life with one friend, you’re rich, and I’m going through life with multiple friends and family who support me.”
Al makes sure to give back to the community, a “thank you” for all the goodness it’s brought to his life. Multiple times a year, he participates and donates to community programs like 4-H, the Wainwright Food Bank and hockey sponsorships. One of Al’s favourite things is setting up the community’s Christmas tree in town for the local Kinsmen. “I really enjoy supporting the town where I come from,” he says. “I grew up here, so I support here. Wainwright has always been very good to me.”
Though not everyone in Wainwright could use a trucking service regularly, Al and the team at Al’s Hotshot & Trucking Services are happy to be a constant in the community that’s given its owners so much to be proud of.
Call: (780) 842-7990 | Email: dispatch@alshotshot.com
