The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad sold its bus operations in1945 but retained its truck operations. In 1945 the Trucking Division of Burlington Transportation Co. changed its name to Burlington Truck Lines, Inc. In 1935 the company had purchased Corn Belt Transportation Company (Chicago, IL) and Merchants Cartage Company (Galesburg, IL). These acquisitions enabled Burlington to have routes between Chicago and Omaha.

Here is a list of revenue growth during the ten year period starting just before the name change.

Year. Revenues

1944 $1,731,968

1945. 1,485,555

1946. 1,852,249

1947. 2,438,493

1948. 2,617,668

1949. 2,849,156

1950. 3,652,431

1951. 4,284,794

1952. 4,552,376

1953. 5,867,667

Headquartered in Galesburg, Illinois by 1953 had 244 employees in that city, including 3 officers, 11 department heads, 11 supervisors, 60 office workers, 67 linehaul drivers, 42 mechanics, 16 city drivers and 34 dockman. The fleet consisted of 800 pieces of equipment, operated in 7 states over 5,324 miles of routes from Chicago to Denver and Billings, Montana. Maintenance shops were located in Galesburg, Ottumwa, Omaha, Denver, Cicero (Chicago) and Greybull, Wyoming.

Terminals in 1953 were in the following locations:

– Illinois: Galesburg, Chicago, Kewanee, Macomb, Peoria, Rock Island and Quincy

– Iowa: Burlington, Centerville, Charlton, Crestor, Des Moines, Keokuck, Knoxville, Oslaloosa, Ottumwa, Red Oak and Shenandoah

– Nebraska: Hastings, Lincoln, McCook and Omaha.

– Missouri: Kansas City, St Joseph and St Louis

– Wyoming: Casper and Greybull

– Colorado: Denver

– Montana: Billings

January 1957- Opened a terminal in Oskaloosa, Iowa at 1104 Tenth Avenue, replacing an older facility at 714 South Seventh Street. The new terminal is a small one with only three dock doors!

November 1960- Announced that Burlington Truck Lines will acquire Arrow Freight Lines of Broken Bow, with 800 miles of routes in Nebraska and extend westward from Omaha and Lincoln to Merrill and Crawford. Arrow had 32 pieces of equipment.

December 27, 1960- Acquired H.B.Green Transportation Line, Inc. with terminals in Burlington and Davenport. Added 600 route miles in Illinois and Iowa. Burlington now has 7,700 miles of routes in 8 states.

November 1965- Company is building a new St. Louis terminal at 6100 Hall Street to replace an existing one at Third Street and Franklin Avenue.

October 1971- Northern Pacific Transport Co. and Burlington Truck Lines to merge together and form BN Transport, Inc.