During the next several months the majority of posts to my blog will be early history of common carriers in the period from 1935 to 1940. I recently discovered an online source of information that many of you may not have known how to find.

There is a source of 126 volumes of Interstate Commerce Commission Reports of Common Carrier Hearings that cover the years of 1938 to 1976. The earlier volumes have history of trucking companies from 1935 and earlier, and each book has over 800 pages!

Each hearing covers a specific application submitted to the ICC from the carrier, whether it be for the initial application for an operating certificate, addition routes being requested or to merge with another trucking company. There is so much good information that I feel my readers will want to know and for that reason wanted to give you a reason why you will be seeing so much from the 1930s,

I promise to make it as interesting as possible. Imagine discovering how the familiar carriers from the 1970s began from just one truck and one small route! Find out what one commodity some truckers began transporting and what shippers said in those ICC hearings to help the carrier get that much needed operating certificate!

Your comments are always welcome and if you have questions about a specific trucking company just let me know. Thanks for reading and following the blog!

Ed Craddock
“IwahStore”