Freight Kids Hoodies

Just as I was walking this CSX freight began to move

Close up fragment of old rusty train cargo wagon. Rusty wheels of an old rail car with weathered peeled green paint. Industrial conceptual scene with trains.

Known throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for their iconic orange and white trucks, Preston Trucking Co. was founded in 1932 in Chesapeake Bay. The company was started by a canned goods wholesaler who had difficulty moving their product in less than truckload quantities, and their accountant suggested the company start its own trucking division. Initially, the company focused on small, irregular loads. These loads would later be known as less-than-truckload, which would be the model for what would come to be known as LTL trucking. Preston would go on to grow and expand, buying up many smaller carriers and by the late '90s, they had just over 5,000 employees, most of whom were drivers before suddenly folding in 1999, citing a lack of s

Founded in Holland, Michigan in 1929, Holland Freight spent decades serving the central United States. Long recognized for delivering the most next-day service lanes in its territory, Holland expanded into the Southeast, Midwest, and Canada's two easternmost provinces, bringing their on-time reliability to even more customers. From humble beginnings in a single truck driven by the owner, to more than 10,000 dedicated employees in the 2020s, Holland Freight was a regional success story in the LTL freight business.

Red Ball Motor Freight Co. was founded in 1928 by Henry English in Lufkin, Texas and had an original service area encompassing Lufkin, Houston, and the towns along the route. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions over the years, Red Ball Motor Freight Co. expanded to become the sixth-largest common carrier trucking company in the nation. Like many of the great carriers of that era, Red Ball failed to meet the demands of a deregulated trucking industry after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 was signed into law by President Carter, and filed for bankruptcy in April 1982.

Founded in 1930, Smith's Transfer Corporation was based out of Staunton, Virginia and, inside of 50 years, grew to be the eighth-largest trucking company in America. For decades, you could find their signature 'ST' logomark on their silver trailers traveling from coast to coast until the company was bought out in the early '80s.

Reddaway Truck Line was founded in 1919 by William Arthur "Art" Reddaway in Oregon City, Oregon with a single Model T truck. He managed the company with his wife, Ethel, and later, his son, Walter, succeeded him and led the company until his retirement in 1970. Reddaway Truck Line ran the I-5 corridor hauling general commodity and LTL freight between Alaska and California with 20 terminals along the way. In 1989, the firm was brought out by an Australian conglomerate and at that time, the truck line had over 800 pieces of company owned equipment and were one of the largest carriers on the West Coast.

Willig Freight Line was founded in 1923 and quickly proved to be a pioneer in California trucking. Over the next 40 years, Willig remained a modestly successful truck-load carrier while keeping the majority of its operations within the Golden State. In 1965, CPA Eric K. Anderson purchased Willig for a reported $2 million, immediately changing the operation from a TL carrier to an LTL operation and began overnight service from LA to San Francisco. Over the next several years, profits increased by 20% per year as Willig expanded throughout the west with new terminals and expanded service. By 1986 revenues increased to $62.6 million a year and became one of the US's top 100 carriers, but not a decade later, Willig would be defunct.

A meme with some carbon in it.

A lighthouse next to the bluewater bridge, emitting a light that says "Port Huron Michigan".

In the 1980s, my Dad bought me my first proper trainset, featuring a Class 58 in Railfreight livery (that's the greylivery with the large logo and distinct red bar underneath). I still have that trainset, along many other models, including a Class 37 which caught my eye because of the noses at each end. I've drawn it here in Petroleum Sector livery which was used in the 1980s.

Black and white sketch style classic truck on a colour background with two silhouette figures

New York Central Early Bird Freight Service

primes autoshop

Road Systems was the first and, for the longest time, the only company that specialized in refurbishing less-than-truckload (LTL) trailers. From their 200,000 square-foot-manufacturing facility in Searcy, Arkansas, Road Systems employed over 150 specialists in applying specialized processes, tooling, and expertise to refurbish and rebuild used trailers to like-new condition, while recycling up to 80% of existing components and materials. Road Systems was founded in 1977, and in the mid-'80s, was purchased by Con-Way Freight to become their manufacturing division. In addition to refurbing Con-Way's trailers, they also began making new trailers to company spec, all while still providing refurbish and rebuild services to customers nationwide.

Motor Freight Corporation (MFC) was started in 1926 by Harry Adams with one truck operating between Terre Haute and Brazil, Indiana. About a year later another truck was added and service was extended to Bloomington and Bedford and a little later to Indianapolis. Adams would proceed to buy up smaller truck lines year over year until the '60s when MFC was operating terminals in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and maintaining ICC operating authority on multiple routes. Increasing public interest in deregulation of the trucking industry in the early '70s had Adams seeing the writing on the wall, and he looked for a buyer for MFC, finding one in Branch Motor Express out of Pennsylvania.

Do you work at an Amazon warehouse? Are you aware of the Amazon Workout...Pick & Stage?!

Con-way Freight was founded as a non-union spinoff by Consolidated Freightways (CF) in 1983 in Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan. CF’s business focus was long-haul transportation, with many of its routes averaging 1,300 miles. Research revealed that the most profitable segment of over-the-road transportation at the time was freight that traveled less than 500 miles, so a decision was made to pursue regional LTL operations. While deregulation through the 1980 Motor Carrier Act had left many carriers floundering and desperate for a buyout, CF elected to build Con-way from the ground up. The gamble paid off, and for the next three decades, Con-way Freight flourished, taking them through 2015 until they themselves were bought out.

New England Motor Freight (NEMF) began in 1918, hauling products for commercial bakeries in New Jersey. Over the next 100 years, the LTL carrier continued to expand, eventually building up to a fleet of 1,550 power units, 40 company terminals and, 3,700 employees, all while becoming a favorite among businesses in the northeast. Despite NEMF's size and reach, their fortunes took a turn in 2018, and amidst a downward spiral, New England Motor Freight filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019, ending what can only be described as a heck of a run.

Founded in Pocatello, Idaho in 1913 by Clarence Garrett as a luggage transfer service for railroad passengers, Garrett Freight Lines grew to become the fifth-largest freight carrier in the U.S. and a major employer in Pocatello for nearly seven decades. Garrett was purchased in 1977 by a private equity firm, and then sold to ANR, an oil and gas concern, in 1978. ANR purchased three trucking companies with authority to operate routes from coast-to-coast. ANR redesigned the familiar green-and-gold Garrett logo, replacing it with a multicolored U.S. map design, and moved the firm’s headquarters to Denver, but eventually divested its trucking businesses, leaving Garrett to be absorbed by other entities.

Viking Freight System got their start in January 1966 as Viking Delivery Service based in San Jose, California. Their first customer was Pacific Telephone, and the cargo was computer punch cards that contained the daily phone number changes. These cards had to be delivered to 13 phone company offices at night so that updated information would be available the next day. By 1973 the company had grown to a large fleet of 27' van and flatbed trailers for both local and line haul routes as annual revenues reached $2.8 million. By 1981, Viking was the largest interstate carrier in California, with annual revenues of $48.0 million. Viking's success would eventually be their undoing as they were purchased by a worldwide carrier.

Freight train

In 1921, Harry Zabarsky and his brother, Mickey, started St. Johnsbury Trucking (SJT) with a single truck, and within a few years, had a growing fleet. Based in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, SJT grew to serve the northeastern U.S., and much of eastern Canada. The company grew and expanded heavily through acquisitions of trucking companies, operating terminals throughout Delaware, New England, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. The mid '80s saw fortunes turn for SJT in a post deregulation trucking industry, and by the end of the decade, it was clear the company was in trouble. After more than seven decades of business, St. Johnsbury Trucking officially closed its doors on June 14, 1993, leaving 4,400 hardworking people out of work.

Cumbres and Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad Chama New Mexico Yard | Digital Art | Wall Art | Street Photography

Cumbres and Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad Chama New Mexico Yard | Digital Art | Wall Art | Street Photography

90s carbon offset parody

Despite having a rather unremarkable name, Standard Trucking Co. was a pretty remarkable company. Founded in 1943 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Standard grew to be a nationwide carrier with terminals across the country, but sadly, fell victim to a post deregulation trucking industry.

Cumbres and Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad Chama New Mexico Yard | Digital Art | Wall Art | Street Photography

Illustration of a diesel locomotive train viewed from a high angle done in retro style on isolated white background.

A CSX freight train rounds a curve as it enters the town of Modoc, SC.

Founded in 1968, Wichita Southeast Kansas Transit (WSKT) was a privately held trucking company that started as a certificated Kansas Intrastate Carrier, serving Wichita and Southeast Kansas with overnight freight service. WSKT grew their network to 46 terminals in a closed loop line haul configuration across fifteen states. WSKT offered LTL Interstate and Intrastate, Pool Distribution, and Time Definite Delivery services and continued their reputation of guaranteed overnight service up until the end when they were sold in 2005.

In 1946, investment banker Scribner Birlenbach decided that he wanted to get into the trucking business. He began his venture by purchasing a Los Angeles trucking company with 15 tractors and 22 trailers, calling it Transcon Lines, with a plan to turn it into a major transcontinental carrier. By 1962, Transcon had over 1,100 units covering over 14,000 route miles. In three decades time, Transcon had purchased 27 trucking companies, including Kramer-Consolidated Freight Lines in 1978, which made them a true coast-to-coast carrier. Transcon's work force was 3,829 people strong with 5,700 pieces of equipment and 117 terminals in 38 states as of 1981, but as the '80s marched on, Transcon's fortunes began to turn.

Perfect appreciation, birthday or Christmas gift for FMX (Freight Mark Express ) Rider: Loved one or friend !

The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1976 and March 1982

Starting out as Branch Storage Company in Perkasie, Pennsylvania in 1920, and went into the freight business as Branch Motor Express Company in 1923. It did not take long for the company to make its mark in moving freight, and applied for intrastate certificate of authority on several key routes within Pennsylvania. With two decades of building their intrastate business, Branch applied and received interstate authority from the ICC in 1944, relocated their headquarters to New York City, and began running between key manufacturing regions throughout the East Coast. Billing themselves as "The Main Stem of The Industrial East," Branch was a key player in manufacturing, moving both raw materials and finished goods throughout their network.

Harold and Virgil Crouch were brothers from rural Irwin, Iowa who began driving trucks, eventually buying their own trucks, working as owner/operators, primarily hauling grain in the Irwin area. Harold and Virgil eventually teamed up to form Crouch Brothers Trucking in 1939 and, together, purchased the grain elevator in Kirkman, Iowa, and moved it to Irwin as a central part of their business. Crouch Brothers Trucking was expanding and increasingly getting into freight transport at Virgil's direction, though Harold really wanted to stick to the grain business. In 1943, the brother's partnership ended, and Virgil, along with their other brother, Cleo, continued to build Crouch Brothers into one of the Midwest's largest carriers.