SBS Transport

In 1997, Diana and Marko Franovic arrived in the U.S. with little money, no English and a shared interest in all things automotive.

Marko, a racecar driver in former Yugoslavia, wanted to stay close to the road and the machines he loved. Diana, observant and determined, instinctively turned this passion into a plan. They worked tirelessly the next two years, pursuing their version of the American Dream.

The result? A single hauler. He drove and she managed the details. Together, they built a reputation for transparency and dependability.

“Our first clients were moving between Michigan and Florida. We barely spoke English and used hand gestures to explain our services, pointing and mimicking how we’d wrap their belongings. Every trip, we let our honesty and hard work speak for us. Those early days proved that values speak louder than perfect English ever could,” says Franovic.

By 2009, their minor operation had blossomed into SBS Transport - a family-owned company supporting drivers, logistics professionals and customers across borders. The decision to specialize in open car carriers kept operations efficient when commercial loads were introduced alongside individual moves. Although the company grew, it never lost sight of the promise that guided it: show up, communicate and deliver.

Deliver it did - showing an ability to adapt at every twist and turn.

When a client needed vehicles shipped into Canada, the company secured the necessary licenses, insurance and certifications to make the process seamless. When a manufacturer in Mexico faced rail delays and security concerns, SBS partnered with trusted operators and navigated regulatory hurdles to deliver a solution to the crisis.

That willingness to adapt and evolve permeates throughout the entire business. Each hauler has custom roof racks that accommodate gasoline and electric vehicles, with adjusted weight and compliance requirements to match. Real-time shipment updates (including a driver’s location, estimated delivery time and foreseeable or potential delays) provide customers with unfiltered information in an industry where tariffs, port disruptions and fast turnarounds can often lead to misunderstandings.

“Coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success,” says Diana, reciting a well-known Henry Ford quote (which also appears on the company’s website). “That applies to everything we do - from how we partner with customers to how our team supports each other on and off the road.”

Assistance abounds among this team that feels more like a family than a corporate hierarchy. Drivers average over a decade of experience, backed 24/7 by an office team with over 50 years of combined industry knowledge.

The proof is in the pudding (or, in this case, the numbers). An impressive 98.8 percent of deliveries are damage-free, accompanied by a 96 percent on-time performance.

Nearly 30 years (and car carriers) later, SBS Transport continues to work with the same optimism and determination that brought about its creation. From initially moving one vehicle at a time to transporting thousands across the U.S. and Canada, the American Dream is alive in Grand Rapids.