The Rise of Truckload
Rebels With A Cause
Twenty-five years ago, the trucking industry was deregulated. I started writing for this magazine one year later, in 1981. Much has changed since then. Many of the major fleets at the time are gone. Most of the casualties of deregulation were the large less-than-truckload carriers: IML, Spector Red Ball, and eventually even Consolidated Freightways.
Many of the fleets featured in this issue didn't even exist then, or were small regional carriers. But by opening up the ability to haul freight, those eager young entrepreneurs not only survived, but thrived.
Truckload carriers were then considered the bad boys of trucking. But they were rebels with a cause.
Duane Acklie, senior statesman of truckload tells of an early '80s meeting of the Contract Carriers Conference. he says one of the major LTL carrier executives said, " We don't want these cream-skimmers in here."
That particular LTL fleet is now a major truckload carrier. And Acklie is certainly no longer considered a "cream-skimmer." His fleets - Crete Carriers and companies - boast more than 6,000 drivers (a huge LTL carrier prior to deregulation might run 1,000 trucks).
When we visited Acklie to profile him for this issue, this always-busy man was even busier than usual. He was working our interview around shooting a video of his address to the Republican National Committee.
Why couldn't he be there in person? He was traveling for a visit to Kennebunkport as the personal guest of President Bush.
So much for skimming cream.
Acklie is just one of the compelling entrepreneurs featured in this special tribute to truckload. It was obviously impossible to bring you all the post-deregulation success stories. But we talked to more than a dozen who tell the truckload story in their own words.
Many started in the business with just one truck, which later became mega-fleets through the most dynamic period in U.S. transportation history.
Like Jerry Moyes, who parlayed one rig into Swift Transportation, the largest fleet in history, employing more than 18,000 driers. And Glenn Brown, who went from being a truck driver himself to CEO of CFI, operation 2,500 power unites and 7,500 trailers pulled by both company drivers and owner-operators.
This issue details the entrepreneurial spirit that gave rise to technological advance and operation and equipment changes that transformed forever the way freight is hauled in this country.
It is must reading for anyone dealing with truck transportation. Additional copies are available for distribution to company employees, drivers, shippers and government officials.
To order, call (949) 261-1636, or send an e-mail message to gcartmel@truckinginfo.com.
