20 Legendary 1970s Trucking Companies Every Western Driver Knew That Disappeared

Twenty trucking companies that Western drivers knew in the 1970s—and what happened to the names once seen across the region’s highways. From Consolidated Freightways and Pacific Intermountain Express to Transcon Lines, Milne Truck Lines, Viking Freight, and Motor Cargo, these carriers helped connect the West’s cities, terminals, and long stretches of open road. For the drivers who worked there, each name meant more than a logo on a trailer. It meant a dispatch office, a familiar route, a paycheck, and people they knew. This video follows the histories behind twenty familiar names and the different ways they disappeared. Some companies closed their doors. Others were acquired, merged, or absorbed into larger networks. Freight could keep moving even after the original name vanished—and those changes did not mean the same outcome for every driver. Did you drive for any of these companies, work their docks, or share the road with their trucks? Tell us which fleet you remember, where you ran, and which Western carrier deserves a place in another video. Subscribe to The American Attic for the people, companies, and machines that shaped America’s highways.