No one here has yet mentioned Amtrak Express shipping.. or maybe i missed it. Wouldn't that service be comparable to the old REA service? According to the Amtrak website they take shipments up to 500 lbs.. small LTL.
Slight correction--Arkansas Freightways became American Freightways and then was bought by Fedex and became Fedex Freight. Fedex Ground is Fedex's package division.
Backshop Fedex Ground got their start by buying RPS-Roadway Package System. It was part of Roadway, which was merged into the late, great Yellow Freight.
Fedex Ground got their start by buying RPS-Roadway Package System. It was part of Roadway, which was merged into the late, great Yellow Freight.
Before retiring from my Trucking (OTR,etc) I worked for a local carrier in Memphs,Tn. We worked very closely, with Federal Express. During the Thanksgiving/Christmas Season; we hadbuilt up to a'load count of north of 2,500 loads regular, and AD HOC.
iT was about 1990(?); Fed Ex bought a smaller road company; Originally, IIRC, it was called Razorback Express, then was renamed (American Frtwys),> Arkansas Freightways, ,HQ was at Harrison, Ark. Later, dispatch was moved to Memphis. It was from that FedEx Ground was grown. Our ties were so intertwinewd with Fed Ex; we were moved to a 'seasonal' desk in FedEx's Bunker( @ old, Holiday City)
AS to the 'Bus" Freight; Late in1960's/70's; Continental Trailways operated, out of Memphis, several converted Scenicruiuser busses( seated only about a dozen paying passengers, and the larger rear passenger area was srtipped out, and re-configured to hold cargo,which was loaded by a conveyor belt through an open window; routes ran daily, into Mississippi. Greyhound,m also operated some converted busses, into Arkansas,and Tennessee, as well.
UPS came to Memphis, late in 1960's, They brought a number of their older Package Cars [mfg by HAHN Truck,@ Hamburg,Pa.], to deliver with in Memphis area. Two of those Package Cars, I had to load in the morning sort, were from Philidelphia,Pa. They were sort of unique, as in their cab areas, they still had their machine gun rings installed:YEP! looked just like the maching gun rings,nstalled on the USMC trucks we had in SE Asia....Curious!
mvlandsw Greyhound handled packages on their buses. You had to pickup your shipment at the bus station.
Greyhound handled packages on their buses. You had to pickup your shipment at the bus station.
I had a couple of items to send west (Phoenix, Denver). I could keep the size down (built crates for them) to the point that Greyhound would take them, but our local depot didn't handle that stuff. They ended up travelling west with friends.
The crates got reused for other purposes.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
mvlandswGreyhound handled packages on their buses. You had to pickup your shipment at the bus station.
Shipped a fiberglass race car nose from Jacksonville to my son in Topeka. Not heavy, just bulky. UPS wanted North of $130 for it; a friend suggested Greyhond - $30 - 2nd day it was at the Topeka Greyhound station.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I believe that only recently ended. The coffee table in my living room rode on Greyhound and my wife bought it less than 10 years ago.
UPS bought Overnite Transportation from UP (I think) and operated it for a number of years as UPS Freight and then sold it off as it was not generating the returns UPS wanted to see.
In Chicago area, at least when I was young, UPS was the delivery service for some department stores that did not have their own trucks. Fields hac its own, but Carsons used UPS .
tree68For a number of years, it was - if you just wanted to send it, USPS. If you were in a hurry, UPS, and if you were really in a hurry, FedEx.
And now a days it seems - shipments in many cases start out on UPS or FedEx and move cross country to have the final miles handed over to USPS.
For a number of years, it was - if you just wanted to send it, USPS. If you were in a hurry, UPS, and if you were really in a hurry, FedEx.
I was surprised to realize that UPS was first operational in 1907. It sure took awhile to get to where they are now.
Reminds me of Fed Ex WANTING to locate in Little Rock, but NO, those of better insight nixed the idea. Boy oh boy, how impressive to see the parade of Fed Ex jets taxi in line, i.e. 20 deep waitng for take off (3 AM). Even the story of Fed Ex concept is fasinating. endmrw0801231117
This past Sunday History Channel had an episode of "The Brands that Made America"about the formation of UPS and FedEx. They stated that the main package shipper pre-UPS was the Post Office. They forgot about the Railway Express Agency, and its predecessors, Wells Fargo and American Express (both of which assets were merged into what would eventually be the REA). It was the REA that was in constant legal battle with the USPO about the Post Office shipping small packages. And if you wanted to send things like chicks, bees, or perishables, you called Railway Express and the green truck picked it up.
The truth is..UPS became national when they picked up the former REA Express routes-after REA went under due to a long strike.
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