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Long Haul, The American Trucking Companies by Ron Adams Soft Cover
Long Haul, The by Ron Adams
American Trucking Companies
Soft Cover
206 pages
Copyright 2008
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 4
Dedication 4
Introduction 5
Eastern Trucking Companies 6
Midwestern Trucking Companies54
Southern Trucking Companies106
Western Trucking Companies156
Index206
INTRODUCTION
When was the first trucking company actually started and who was the first trucking company? That is a question that I don't believe can be answered. Reading back into their history's, some started with a simple horse and Wagon, or what is known as "old dobbin." Some of these trucking company histories go back into the 1860s where a man started hauling freight with one horse and a wagon. Through the 1800s one company built up a fleet of over 200 horses and finally made the change to motor trucks. For 15 to 20 years both horse and truck had to learn to work side by side and get along with each other.
Back in those days long distance was unheard of due to the lack of good roads. Most of the freight hauling was done within the city. As you get to the 1910 era, a few men in the new truck age did venture out of the cities and explored the countryside in order to make their own roads if none were available. Into the 1920s improved roads led to better and a little bit faster transportation. More and more city to city trucking was being done. Tires started coming on the scene that eventually replaced the old solid rubber tires. This made for a smoother ride and less chance for freight damage.
Going through the 1920s there was a call for more and more freight to be hauled. Although there were a good number of trucking companies in existence at this time, more and more started to spring up and fulfill many men's dreams of the time and created jobs. But in October, 1929 many companies came to a halt with the stock market crash, and led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Jobs were scarce, money was tight and there were bad times. However, many of the trucking companies that lasted either started with one or two trucks during the depression years or were the companies that toughed it out.
After the depression years came the rules and regulations of the Motor Carrier Act of 1935, the invention of the Interstate Commerce Commission, known as the I.C.C. This is when trucking became regulated and the operating territories had to be applied for and approved by the I.C.C. Many of the companies and men that toughed out the depression years continued on their new approved routes and the bigger companies started buying the smaller companies for rights to haul in other territories.
The next thing to get through was World War II, which, although meant there was a lot of freight to haul, the end result of rationing for four years meant barely surviving. Everything was scarce. Companies that had 50 to 60 trucks running when the war started ended up with maybe only 15 or 20 by the war's end.
After the war, it was time to replace worn-out fleets with new trucks and start looking toward expansion. In 1946, Denver-Chicago Trucking Co. purchased some rights from the Adams Transfer and Storage Co., giving Denver-Chicago operating rights to the East Coast, making them the first coast-to-coast carrier.
Through the 1950s and 1960s many mergers took place and the 1960s became an era filled with coast-to-coast carriers. As it happened, many of the western based trucking companies took over the eastern based companies. This book showcases many of these companies that started with 'old dobbin' or only a truck or two, survived through the difficult times, and merged into companies that became known as the great legends in freight hauling.
Long Haul, The by Ron Adams
Soft Cover
206 pages
Copyright 2008
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 4
Dedication 4
Introduction 5
Eastern Trucking Companies 6
Midwestern Trucking Companies54
Southern Trucking Companies106
Western Trucking Companies156
Index206
INTRODUCTION
When was the first trucking company actually started and who was the first trucking company? That is a question that I don't believe can be answered. Reading back into their history's, some started with a simple horse and Wagon, or what is known as "old dobbin." Some of these trucking company histories go back into the 1860s where a man started hauling freight with one horse and a wagon. Through the 1800s one company built up a fleet of over 200 horses and finally made the change to motor trucks. For 15 to 20 years both horse and truck had to learn to work side by side and get along with each other.
Back in those days long distance was unheard of due to the lack of good roads. Most of the freight hauling was done within the city. As you get to the 1910 era, a few men in the new truck age did venture out of the cities and explored the countryside in order to make their own roads if none were available. Into the 1920s improved roads led to better and a little bit faster transportation. More and more city to city trucking was being done. Tires started coming on the scene that eventually replaced the old solid rubber tires. This made for a smoother ride and less chance for freight damage.
Going through the 1920s there was a call for more and more freight to be hauled. Although there were a good number of trucking companies in existence at this time, more and more started to spring up and fulfill many men's dreams of the time and created jobs. But in October, 1929 many companies came to a halt with the stock market crash, and led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Jobs were scarce, money was tight and there were bad times. However, many of the trucking companies that lasted either started with one or two trucks during the depression years or were the companies that toughed it out.
After the depression years came the rules and regulations of the Motor Carrier Act of 1935, the invention of the Interstate Commerce Commission, known as the I.C.C. This is when trucking became regulated and the operating territories had to be applied for and approved by the I.C.C. Many of the companies and men that toughed out the depression years continued on their new approved routes and the bigger companies started buying the smaller companies for rights to haul in other territories.
The next thing to get through was World War II, which, although meant there was a lot of freight to haul, the end result of rationing for four years meant barely surviving. Everything was scarce. Companies that had 50 to 60 trucks running when the war started ended up with maybe only 15 or 20 by the war's end.
After the war, it was time to replace worn-out fleets with new trucks and start looking toward expansion. In 1946, Denver-Chicago Trucking Co. purchased some rights from the Adams Transfer and Storage Co., giving Denver-Chicago operating rights to the East Coast, making them the first coast-to-coast carrier.
Through the 1950s and 1960s many mergers took place and the 1960s became an era filled with coast-to-coast carriers. As it happened, many of the western based trucking companies took over the eastern based companies. This book showcases many of these companies that started with 'old dobbin' or only a truck or two, survived through the difficult times, and merged into companies that became known as the great legends in freight hauling.
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