Welcome to the blog about less than truckload motor carriers and the history behind the companies. The companies presented her are, for the most part, long gone. This happened due to the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 that deregulated trucking companies. Prior to date, beginning in 1935, trucking companies were heavily regulated in terms of where they could operate, other truck lines that they could acquire and which highways they could use. The companies were mostly profitable and employed thousands. Their operating rights, or authority to operate, were like gold on the balance sheets. After deregulation became law, those rights were worthless as anyone could operate a trucking company and go where they felt money could be made. Truckload carriers took over and one by one the LTL companies vanished. This is their story. This is their history. I present it here so they will not be forgotten.
I use the following sources for the information presented in the articles found on the website:
- Interstate Commerce Commission Motor Carrier Reports found online in a digital library. These volumes were printed to have a record of the hearings concerning the certificate applications submitted to the ICC. Not every application was recorded in these books but it does give a vast history on some of the carriers.
- City Directories were a listing of each household in a particular city. Many of the better directories gave the employer and the job position for the residents, which is valuable to know which carriers had a large operation in that city. these city directories also provide an alphabetical listing of the motor carriers with terminals in the cities and can provide names of carriers for further research, especially the earlier directories.
lessthantruckloadhistory 
Just found this blog, it’ll take me a few days to get it all digested.
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Welcome! I hope you find my work interesting and helpful. Feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks
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Great job I started in the 60s for a railroad owned LTL operation The Texas and Pacific Motor Transport Co. All of the rail owned trucking companies also hauled LCL freight on trucks as a substitute for the more expensive rail less than carload service.
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History of trucking companies exist in Minnesota. Litchfield Livestock Shipping Association was started in 1908. It consisted of farmers who brought their animals to a loading spot on the Great Northern Railroad in Litchfield MN and loaded them onto a cattle car for movement to South Saint Paul MN market.
Eventually they bought a truck and would haul the animals from the farms to the railroad loading point. In 1938 the rail service did not function as well, so they made their first trip directly to South Saint Paul stockyards. This continued serving the farmers and the rest of the community transporting freight when returning from the Minneapolis – St Paul metro area. Yes, the truck was washed out in a facility in South St Paul stockyards.
This continued as a cooperative until 1977 when the cooperative was ended and the assets were sold. However Litchfield Shipping is still active today as Mike Thomas purchased the business name and authority and continued the business. The firm no longer hauls livestock, but operates 20 units hauling cheese and other products. Mike Thomas sold the company to another in the last few years.
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