When the multi-billion-dollar Gordie Howe International Bridge officially opens to commercial traffic today, the first live commercial cargo to cross the border will be carried by proud OTA member Onfreight Logistics, a family-owned company based in Tecumseh, Ont.
The milestone marks the culmination of a 20-year vision championed by Onfreight President Steve Ondejko Sr., who has spent decades advocating for the bridge as critical infrastructure to strengthen supply chains, create jobs, and support economic growth on both sides of the Canada–U.S. border.
Onfreight’s trucks will cross the bridge separately from each side today. The first exemplifies the fleet’s deep roots in Ontario and Canada while another represents its growing U.S. operations. Each business is led, respectively, by Steve’s son and his daughter, who recently became a U.S. citizen. Today’s inaugural crossing tells a story about a family business that has invested in both countries and reflects the cross-border partnership the bridge was built to strengthen.
“We started this company decades ago around a plastic kitchen table, but the foundation was poured long before,” said Steve Ondejko Sr., President of Onfreight Logistics and former Chair of the Ontario Trucking Association. “Growing up as one of eight children on our family’s farm, working seven days a week, I learned that nothing grows without hard work, persistence and commitment. This bridge wasn’t built just for multinational corporations – it was built for family businesses that create local jobs, invest in their communities, and believe in the future of cross-border trade. To have our Canadian and American drivers cross together as the first commercial vehicles is an incredible honour and a dream more than 20 years in the making.”
Steve didn’t simply advocate for the bridge – he built his company’s future around it. Years ago, Onfreight invested $10 million in a state-of-the-art, 11-acre cross-dock terminal in Florence, Kentucky, expanding its U.S. operations and creating new opportunities for cross-border employment. Steve is also an active member of trucking associations and chambers of commerce in both Ontario and Kentucky, reflecting his long-standing commitment to strengthening the transportation industry on both sides of the border.
“This bridge is about far more than moving freight more efficiently. It’s about creating opportunities for working families, supporting drivers, growing businesses, and strengthening the economic partnership between Canada and the United States,” said Ondejko.