12 Car Hauler Trucking Companies From the 1970s That Disappeared Forever

Twelve car-hauling companies that 1970s drivers knew—and the acquisitions, bankruptcies, and lost contracts that erased their names. From Convoy Company's custom-built rigs and Commercial Carriers' Skyscraper to Nu-Car, M&G Convoy, Complete Auto Transit, Ryder, Allied, and Jack Cooper, this is the story of the fleets that moved America's new cars. Several of these companies ended up inside one another, leading to Jack Cooper's February 2025 shutdown after 97 years. We follow the equipment, the drivers, the rail competition, and the business decisions behind each company's fate. Some names disappeared through mergers or sales; others ended when the work and the money ran out. Which of these companies did you haul for, load, or pass on the interstate? Tell us the company and the plant you loaded out of in the comments. Subscribe to The American Attic for more trucking history and the stories behind the names drivers remember.