Half a century ago, when LBJ was president, the Vietnam War was intensifying, and youth culture was evolving with the Summer of Love on the horizon: Refrigerated Transporter was thriving as a print magazine.
For those who savor sojourns through history, here’s an assembly of photos that ran in our May 1967 issue. Right off a shelf in our magazine archives, this pictorial collection chronicles the trucking/transportation industry news of that vibrant time period. May 1967 included a guest editorial "The Strike and the Economy" by Milton D Ratner of Midwest Emery Freight Systems, Inc. He discussed the difference in perception that effects of a railroad strike would have on the nation as compared to a trucking strike. Ratner said, "It is inconceivable that the country could withstand the ramifications of a truck strike any longer than a railroad strike."
On the shipping and receiving side, Jim Shephard's editorial "Who's Restricting Whom?" was on the topic of restrictive loading and unloading practices. It was a follow-up to a survey done by the CCC-IR Refrigerated Division. Shephard wrote "The restrictive unloading problem boils down to maximum utilization of equipment for the carrier, versus maximum utilization of docks and warehouse space for the shippers and receivers. One or the other is going to have to give a little, or pay a little."
The cover story that month was on the fleet operated by Nurseryman Trailers of Miami FL. Also included was an announcement of a new distribution center opened by Associated Grocers of Colorado. Fleet equipment was discussed in articles about the dual refrigeration systems used by United Grocer of Richmond CA and the all-plastic truck bodies used by Hormel & Co of Austin MN.
Browse the photo gallery we've compiled from this issue.