1930
Galen Roush joins the R&M Transportation Company, a freight-moving endeavor
set up by his brother Carroll and partner Charles Morrison to move tires between
Akron, Ohio, and St. Louis, Mo. The first shipment is moved on Feb. 22, 1930.
In December, the Roush brothers found a new company, Roadway Express, Inc.
1931
The Gadsden, Ala., terminal is set up in July
and becomes the keystone of Roadway's southern operation.
Roadway Express operating revenues in 1931 are $200,000.
1932
R&M's operation is merged with Roadway's.
Roadway Express operating revenues in 1932 are $700,000.
1933
Initially specializing in truckload shipments, Roadway began to shift to less-than-truckload
shipments in 1933. Roadway began to actively promote its LTL operation in 1934.
1934
The Roush brothers emphasize safety on all their routes. Programs
that stress safety, including an inspection system that ensures all equipment
is checked before leaving the terminal, begin.
1935
Roadway's
operations extend from the Southwest to the East Coast.
The Roush brothers contract with shippers to deliver their freight, and then
hire independent drivers who own their equipment to move the shipments.
1936
Roadway Express operating revenues in 1936 are $1.2 million.
1938
Tabulating equipment for processing freight bills is installed at
the Akron office, putting Roadway at the forefront of the
industry's use of technology to manage information.
The Roadway fleet wins first place in the large-fleet class
in the national truck safety contest sponsored by the American
Trucking Associations.
1939
Roadway has offices in 22 cities, including Chicago, Atlanta,
Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.
Roadway experiments with a diesel unit on a trip from Atlanta to
Dallas and back.
Roadway inaugurates a safety program, giving awards to drivers who
have driven without a preventable accident for the past calendar
quarter.
