Hidden History: Garrett Freightlines

Garrett’s journey began with a 25-cent drayage charge to haul his trunks by horse and wagon to the train station.

When he arrived in Pocatello, Garrett paid another 50 cents to have his baggage hauled to the hotel. “A man could get rich in this business,” he thought to himself, thus, becoming the newest drayman in the 30-year-old town.

Idaho State University students from various disciplines studied Garrett and the history of Garrett Freightlines in an honors class that required them to write a book instead of complete a final exam. The book, Images of America: Garrett Freightlines, was published this year by Arcadia Publishing.

Operating a horse-and-wagon business wasn’t easy, Garrett found. In 1913, he encountered a motorized vehicle for hauling. Impressed, Garrett, his brother and a cousin scraped together $300 — down payment for a brand new Reo with hard rubber tires, kerosene lamps and springboard seat. The truck, known as “Rosie the Reo,” was made by R. E. Olds Motor Car Company. Olds also started the Olds Motor Works, which eventually became Oldsmobile.

In the late 1930s, Garrett became one of the first trucking companies to use mechanically refrigerated trailers to haul fruits and vegetables, which pioneered opportunities for the food industry. By 1951, Garrett Freightlines was an $8 million-per-year company, and eventually became a national freight carrier.

Garrett died in 1967 at the age of 77. The company was sold to a larger trucking firm and moved out of state.