Bruce Transportation Group history

In 1964, Bruce returned to farming in El Paso—where he initially raised cows.

So in 1968, Bruce purchased a dump truck and began making the 75-mile trip to Batesville, Arkansas—where he bought the lime he then sold to, and spread for, his first customers.

And in 1977 (shortly after the completion of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System), he bought the 20-acre site, in North Little Rock beside the Arkansas River, where Oakley’s headquarters is located today.

Gradually, the company’s barge business grew to the point that, in 1980, Oakley purchased half-a-dozen or more new barges—then established a second Arkansas River location at Morrilton, Arkansas.

Bruce Oakley’s son Dennis officially joined the family enterprise in 1982, at the age of 18.

Following the 1985 Transport Act, which legislated for the deregulation of the UK local bus market, Grampian Regional Transport Ltd was formed to own and manage Aberdeen council’s bus fleet.

Over the next decade, Dennis became increasingly involved in Oakley’s business administration—and in 1993, he succeeded his father as president of Bruce Oakley, Inc.

Oakley added a river terminal in Russellville, AR; then purchased a fertilizer terminal at Caruthersville, MO—gaining access, in 1998, to the Mississippi River.

Which is why Bruce continued coming into the office on a regular basis until the day he died, in 2006, at the age of 70.

In 2011, Oakley acquired Jantran—a river towing company operating 20+ tow boats on the Arkansas, Mississippi and Red Rivers.

First Bus provided spectator transport for hundreds of thousands of attendees at the London 2012 Games with our rail companies also running additional services.

In early 2014, Oakley acquired Johnston's Port 33 in Catoosa, Oklahoma.

FirstGroup awarded contract to operate the Great Western franchise to September 2015.

FirstGroup signed agreement to operate the Great Western franchise until 2019 and an additional year operating First TransPennine Express.

Update statement in response to AGM 2020 vote