Transcon Lines 1946 Tapestry

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.