During the years before 1935 trucking companies were small outfits that began with one man and a truck taking freight between one or two cities or towns that were not far apart since roads were still somewhat primitive. As roads and equipment got better, the small trucking companies grew by adding miles of routes. Rates were not consistent, service was sporadic and the growing industry needed structure.

In 1935 the Interstate Commerce Commission began regulating the trucking industry. Prior evidence of consistency to serving areas would generally insure granting “grandfather rights” to established companies. A limited number of carriers would be granted rights to operate between specific points and the ICC controlled new certificates of operating authority being awarded. The ICC also controlled the the merger plans of two carriers who might wish to grow bigger.

From 1935 to 1980 common carriers ruled the highways transporting general commodities between cities and towns. The big rigs from trucking companies of all sizes; from the small trucking companies serving one area of a state to the mammoth truckers running from coast to coast. Most of the companies are long forgotten. Some are determined to hold on as they compete in a deregulated world. Their histories are presented here as this blog tries to preserve their memory.

I use a vast array of sources in presenting the histories of the trucking companies shown in my blog. Printed copies of Interstate Commerce Commission Reports preserved in online libraries have been a valuable resource, as well as archived newspaper articles. Old telephone books and city directories is another source of information that have been used. I have used trucking company collectibles sold on Ebay to know more about older trucking companies that evolved through mergers into the larger firms that are no longer in business.

My hope is that something can be learned from the blog. Once a mighty industry, the trucking sector is nothing like it once was. That era is gone, and kept alive here. Your comments are always welcome as well as ideas about what you would like to read about here. If there is a particular common carrier and you wish to know more, please do not hesitate to let me know. I also welcome your contributions of photos or memorabilia that you wish to share with others. Whatever you do keep checking back for added pages to thus blog. I’ll try to keep it interesting and informative. Thanks for reading.

Please respect the hours of work that goes into this site by not posting any articles or photos without acknowledging the source. If I see any portion of my work on any other site it must include somewhere a statement such as “Courtesy Of http://www.lessthantruckloadhistiry.wordpress.com” or “Thanks to Ed Craddock for the photo”. I have seen an article taken from the site and posted that it was a newspaper article, where below the post on my site I give credit to the magazine where it came from, along with the issue number. I do not charge for access to the info on my site, but getting that info cost me money and lots of time.