While some may see trucking as an equal-opportunity industry, deep-rooted biases in the past and present have meant that the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans have been overlooked or purposely forgotten. So this Juneteenth, we want to honor the vital role that Black Americans have played throughout the history of the trucking industry.
William “Curly” and Annie Neal—Royalty of the West
If you grew up with siblings there’s a strong chance that you’ve yelled “I’ve got shotgun!” as you raced toward the passenger front seat. But do you know where that phrase originated? It doesn’t just refer to riding in a stagecoach or carriage and carrying a shotgun to protect the driver—it directly refers to America’s first Black freight movers.
William “Curly” Neal was born in 1849 in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, half-black, half-Cherokee. In the post-slavery United States, it was still difficult for men of color to find work but around the age of 30, having left the army and now working in Tucson, Neal met Captain Johnson, the manager at Mammoth Mine. Captain Johnson needed someone to haul ore from the mine to the mill, but Neal didn’t have the proper equipment. Neal ended up convincing the Captain to front the money to purchase wagons and mules, and that’s how Neal started his freight transportation business. Business only continued to grow for Neal as he received contracts with the government to haul mail and supplies and in less than 10 years he was running “one of the largest freighting outfits in the world.” Neal and his wife Annie would eventually become one of the wealthiest self-made families in the Tucson area, moving freight and owning and operating a luxury resort.
So where does the term “riding shotgun” come in? Well, Neal also spent time transporting gold bullion from mines to banks, making his routes susceptible to looters and robbers. His wife would ride in the front passenger seat with a shotgun, ready to protect her husband and their cargo from anything. So you’re not just riding “shotgun,” you’re riding in Annie’s seat.
Garret Morgan—Inventor for Safety
Drive anywhere in the United States and at some point, you will most likely end up sitting at a traffic light. While waiting for a red to change when there’s no one else around, we can’t deny the safety that the three-color traffic light has brought to our roadways, and we have Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr. to thank for that safety.
Like many children born to former slaves, Morgan’s education was limited and he left home to find work at an early age. However, Morgan’s affinity for learning and understanding how things worked led him to work as a sewing machine repair tech, where he gained a reputation for his ability to quickly fix a wide variety of machines. In 1907, Morgan opened his own sewing equipment and repairs shop. This was just the first business of many that contributed to Morgan growing into a prominent and respected businessman.
Morgan’s success enabled him to join the ranks of Americans who owned their own cars. At the time, cars shared the road with bicycles, carts, pedestrians, and more, making the streets a dangerous place to be sometimes. After witnessing a crash between a car and a horse-drawn carriage, Morgan filed the first patent for a three-position traffic device.
Two-position traffic devices, manually-operated signals that only exhibited “Stop” and “Go” were already in use but it’s easy to understand how operator error and no time to transition between the two still led to many wrecks. Morgan’s invention was T-shaped and featured “Stop,” “Go,” and an all-directional “Stop.” This all-directional stop is what allowed everyone to come to a stop before allowing another direction of traffic to enter the intersection. This model led directly to the development of the three-color light we are all familiar with today.
Frederick McKinley Jones—King of Cool
The next time you pull a pint of Ben and Jerry’s out of the freezer, say a quick thank you to Frederick McKinley Jones, the man who made the transportation of your ice cream from the manufacturer to the grocery store possible.
Frederick Jones was only a child when his parents passed, leaving him to be raised by a priest until the age of sixteen. When he left the rectory, Jones found a job at an auto garage where his love of learning enabled him to build his skills and work his way up to shop foreman by 19. With his love of building and driving cars, Jones became one of the most well-known car racers in the Great Lakes area.
Jones eventually joined the army to serve in World War I, working as an electrician and beginning his career as an inventor. A transmitter for a local radio station, a snowmobile-like transportation device, and a portable x-ray machine are just a few of Jones’ incredible inventions.
In 1927, Jones was hired as an electrical engineer for Ultraphone Sound Systems, a company making sound equipment for movies. While employed there, Jones made several contributions to the industry that impressed Joseph Numero, the head of the company. Numero and Jones partnered up to form U.S. Thermo Control Company. As vice president, Jones set out to develop a system that would allow large trucks to transport freight vulnerable to temperatures, specifically food.
Jones’ refrigeration system was modified to work in trucks, trains, and ships, allowing fresh produce and food to be delivered across the country and the oceans without risk of spoiling. U.S. Thermo, now known as Thermo King, became a global phenomenon, opening up doors to thousands of new industries.
Jones passed away with more than 60 patents under his belt, many of which significantly changed the lives of Americans and shaped the technology we use today. So when you pull some fresh, cold grapes out of the fridge, or hold the orange that survived the voyage from a different country, remember to thank Jones for making it happen!
There are many other Black inventors and drivers that contributed to the freight industry as we know it today, and we will continue to recognize and honor them throughout our work in the future.