Mikes Book Club 2020: Old Dominion Helping the World Keep Promises (2011)

Old Dominion The Mid 1960s to 1970.

This chapter had some big steps forward for Old Dominion, but I am going to summarize what happened because it's easier to do. Basically, what happened was Old Dominion started leasing trucks to Thomas Bus Company, and started the gears rolling to purchase a couple of other truck companies.
Now the middle 1960s revenue and expenses were kind of all over the place, but by the end of the 1960s Old Dominion had expanded their foot print through acquisition and now, had over 1000 trucks in there stable. So things were going good and the company was expanding.

One thing of note, interline freight was a big business of Old Dominions at that time and around that time Interline Freight actually started to die off, but the one truck company they bought out, had a fairly big truck load operation, but it was union and so that truck load operation was operated separately. Anyhow that's about it for the end of the 1960s over all the company ended the 1960s on a high note.

 

Hi guys I'm still here. We had a 5 alarm fire on Sunday in my neighborhood, biggest fire I think anyone including the fire department had ever seen. Anyhow that kind of distracted me.

 

Hi guys still here I don’t have my big computer right now as I just fired my old cable and Internet provider and the new people are coming tomorrow to install new service.

How are all of you I hope Coronovirus hasn’t slowed you down.

 

So I bet all of you guys are busy on mandatory runs to take full advantage of the HOS suspension in places like Ohio

 

Hello everyone, so it seems to me we are in unprecedented times. I talk a lot about truck history (although I have been slow on this thread.) Anyhow, we have right now a teachable moment.

We are in the midst of our own "Red Ball" Express. Weather the emergency is real or imagined and we can debate about that somewhere else, the fact remains here in these United States, grocery store shelves are running empty and warehouses full of goods are now running bare as the trucking and supply chain industry in certain segments rushes to meet consumer demand.

Now some segments of trucking are down.
LTL Freight as it pertains to shopping mall style consumer goods and automotive manufacturing is on the way down. Food Service Trucking while it has some surges and spikes in some areas is up, but over all that's way down Sysco, Kansas City runs 45 routes in any given day right now they are running around 7 routes they are down 84%. Overall despite certain segment spikes food service trucking is down. What was an industry that was operating at capacity and almost over, now looks like a Delta air lines hanger. Go to any food service company warehouse or yard tractors and trailers stacked on top of each other never seen before.

But on the other hand a modern day Red Ball Express is taking place.
While stores empty out, companies like Kroger:


Even though I don't like them and try not to go to there stores.
Giant Eagle/Talon Logistics


CVS Pharmacy/CVS Health (whatever they call them selves this minute.)


Rite Aid (To a Lesser Extent)


Walgreens (To a Bigger Extent)


And many other truck load carriers and distribution fleets working to supply the warehouses and stores.


Why this picture was taken yesterday as this old set of trucks and trailers was pulled out of the vast storage yards and called up for use to help with surging demand (hey but you just said LTL freight was down? )


As warehouses empty of "buffer stock" and supplies are rushed to the front lines (aka the store shelves)


A new era of the Red Ball Express is taking place here in these United States.
During WWII the French Railways were destroyed and unfit for freight shipment. The United States Army Transportation Core sprung into action and set fourth "The Red Ball Express" 25,000 drivers on a highway headed into the Rhine to liberate France.

Convoys of trucks one right after the other.
Today we face an enemy, an invisible enemy, but an enemy none the less. With acute food shortages and other supply shortages popping up everywhere, a new era of the Red Ball Express is taking place as trucks race across the highways to keep up with supply and demand and to keep us in feast instead of famine.

Yes this is a teachable moment, one that is testing our metal, but as tough people go will pass this test like we have every other test here on the modern day Red Ball Express.

Thank you.

 

Our GFS grocery stores have been very very busy certain units have seen sales triple. The GFS grocery stores and some nursing homes right now are keeping us working. Our restaurant base right now has also been decimated as well.