Although not a familiar trucking center with a multitude of carriers like Charlotte, NC or Chicago, IL; New Britain, Connecticut does have a trucking history. In this article you’ll see how small individuals and companies before trucking industry regulation led the way to bringing in the big motor freight companies through the 1960’s.

The research for this article came solely from yellow page phone directories of New Britain. By seeing the changes over many years it shows the many initial proprietorships and a few regional companies in the early years.

In 1926 those involved in trucking were listed under the classification of Expresssing & Moving and Truckmen. First we will list the Expressing & Moving. Telephone numbers are used as a reference and as a guide for future changes. It’s an important reference!

Aetna Express 147 Stratford Av Phone Number 2659 (In 1929 white pages showed A.S.Fuller as proprietor. In the yellow pages it showed service between New Britain to Middletown and Hartford)

C F Anderson Rocky Hill Av Phone Number 562-3

Joseph Arbour & Son 46 Whiting Phone Number 2733-2 (I wrote an article on this website on May 4, 2018 of the history of Consolidated Motor Lines. That was the eventual company for the Arbour business. The following paragraph is from that article since it’s pertinent here.)

Joseph Arbour began his career in 1907 with one horse and a converted fire wagon and began hauling freight from the New Britain, Connecticut railroad station to local factories. Later he bought another wagon and two more horses. In 1911 he made his first merger by buying the business of John Halverson. In 1914 he bought his first truck. His early experience with motorized transportation occurred during the era of solid rubber tires, trucks with no windshields, and a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour over roads with mud and holes.
From 1913 to 1930 the fleet grew from one truck to 70,
His son, Everett Arbour, joined the firm in 1916 and the name of the business changed to J. Arbour and Son.

I haven’t been able to determine if John Halverson signed a non-compete agreement to stay out of the business for a number of years. He is listed as having a a business in New Britain under the listings of Moving, Furniture & Pianos in 1926.

Entro Audi 44 Smith Phone Number 3295

Salvatore G Coppola 309 High Street, Phone Number 4086 (First appearance in Expressing listings in 1927)

Thomas W Fay 255 Glen Phone Number 1178

John W Hagearty 22 Prospect Phone Number 2410-2

H F Kiely 64 Newington Rd Phone Number 2638

Frank T McMahon 123 Cherry Phone Number 2653

Joe Messina 45 Lafayette Phone Number 3897

Philips Express 428 Stanley Phone Number 1998

R Presto 11 Seymour Phone Number 3898

Sam Rosen 619 E Main Phone Number 2448

David Stack Jr 118 Mill Phone Number 620

Antoni Switaj 205 Broad Phone Number 521

Trudon & Platt Inc. 17 Corbin Place, Phone Number 3811-2 (First appeared in Expressing Listing in 1927, ad shows other terminals for the company at New York City 288 Hudson St, Boston at 529 Commercial St, and Bristol Connecticut at 16-20 Church St)

T.C. Trudon’s Motor Transportation Riverside Avenue Bristol, CT Phone Number 2431 ( first listing in 1929. Not sure if related in any way to Trudon & Platt. Daily service to Boston, Hartford, NYC, Providence and Philadelphia. Would have been a sizable carrier to have service to those points)

Chas F Twining 9 Long Phone Number 3880

Next are the 1926 listings for Expressmen, City & Baggage

City Express 221 Elm Phone Number 1171

Farrell’s Auto Express 22 Cottage Place Phone Number 876 and also at 40 Talcott Phone Number 1726

Interurban Transfer & Storage Co. 74 Greenwood Phone Number 2002

Now for the 1926 listings for Moving, Furniture & Pianos

Frank Amodio 221 Elm Phone Number 1171 ( in the listing he does general trucking as well)

Michael Boyko 21 Hartford Phone Number 4088-2

H Brown 158 Hartford Phone Number 3892

Eddie Fagan’s New Britain- New Haven Motor Express 256 High St Phone Number 536-2 (In 1927 the listing was under Truckmen with no mention of the company name)

J Halverson 199 Chestnut Phone Number 4459

A H Harris 1366 Stanley Phone Number 2459

Woldemar Hermann 103 Henry Phone Number 562-3

Johnson Bros. 79 Robert’s St Phone Number 3379-4

George H. Smedley 68 Bassett St Phone Number 830-2

The following were listed under Truckmen:

Adolph Asal Hunter Road Phone Number 3291-2 (not listed under Truckmen in 1927)

Bailey & Brown 128 Shuttle Meadow Avenue Phone Number 2940

George H Baldwin Kensington Street Phone Number 645-2

Altelio Balocki 33 Holmes Avenue Phone Number 504

C A Bence 50 Chestnut Phone Number 2223

A Buchiere & Sons 96 Winter Street, Phone Number 516

George Cadrain 181 South Main, Phone Number 4812

Anglo Chiarovolloti 17 Webster Hill, Phone Number 3099

The Commercial Delivery 185 Daisy Avenue, Phone Number 4372

Carl E Johnson E Lake Blvd, Phone Number 4379

Larson & Martin 24 Walnut Street, Phone Number 609 (First appearance in Truckmen listings in 1927)

A P Marsh 74 Greenwood Street, Phone Number 2002 (He possibly owned Interurban Transfer & Storage since the address and phone number is the same for both)

Bud Miller 102 Prospect, Phone Number 4478

New Britain Transportation Co. 681 Arch St, Phone Number 5422 (Appeared first in 1929)

O’Keefe Bros. Trucking 129 Hartford Avenue, Phone Number 5155 ( 1929 was the first year this appeared)

Joah Ondrick 11 West Street, Phone Number 1173

Ondrick & Brown 200 East Main, Phone Number 3971

Frank J Pierpoint New Britain Rd, Phone Number 5130-3 (Listed in 1927)

William Robinson 316 Washington Phone Number 4382

P Sarra 73 Cleveland Street, Phone Number 3301-2

Toffolon Bros. Co. 1097 West Main St, Phone Number 5187 (1927 was the first year this company was listed under Truckmen)

H R Walker Co. 54 Commercial Street, Phone Number 1048