Most of those having an interest in “fallen flag” carriers will recognize the name Johnson Motor Lines, the carrier that ran from Louisiana up the east coast to New England. Johnson was headquartered in Charlotte, NC and was one of the early trucking companies to fall in the first few months of deregulation in 1980.But many years before Johnson Motor Lines was formed, there was another Johnson Motor Lines.

The first Johnson Motor Lines to call North Carolina home was based in High Point and was owned by R.W. Johnson and C.B.Miller. The ICC granted a certificate number MC-32930 on February 26, 1938 authorizing the following routes:

a) over US Highways 29, 58 and 220 between High Point, NC and Roanoke, VA via Danville

b)over irregular routes within a 50 mile radius of High Point to the Virginia cities and towns of Richmond, South Boston, Winchester, Culpeper, Brookneal, Newport News, Suffolk, Norfolk and Hopewell.

c) over irregular routes between points in North Carolina and points in Virginia west and south of US Highways 29 and 250

Johnson Motor Lines (the first one) did not last long because in September 1938 the firm was acquired by Mundy Motor Lines of Roanoke, Virginia