CONSOLIDATED FREIGHTWAYS 1953-1954 WHITE-FREIGHTLINER 8x10 B&W Glossy Photo

Description

This is a high quality 8” x 10” black & white glossy new photo reproduction of a P.I.E./PACIFIC INTERMOUNTAIN EXPRESS 1972 WHITE-FREIGHTLINER Fleet #24-1390 pulling a set of DOUBLES, the Lead Trailer being a BROWN Fleet #98 8807.
“SAMPLE” will not be on your original photo, it is only on the scanned image.
DESCRIPTION:  I bought the original of this photo some time ago.  It has penciled on the back of the photo: “1972 License Plates”.  The original photo has “1972 FREIGHTLINER NON-SLEEPER” on a white typed-strip neatly glued to the front of the original photo, and I think it best not to try to pull it off and mar the photo.  This particular photo has a broad 1” border around all 4 sides.
SPECIAL NOTE: According to an eBay friend and customer, whose father drove for P.I.E. out their Summit, IL terminal, on his regular run to St. Louis and Kansas City, he would often stop at the truck stop in the background of this photo: the DIXIE TRUCK STOP on old US-66/I-55 at McLean, IL.  The “DIX” on the sign can be seen in the background. It is still in service today, but  now under the PILOT name.
All WHITE-FREIGHTLINERS were custom built to the buyers specifications at this time, no ‘standard’ models being built.  This particular tractor, without a sleeper compartment, might have been a Model WF-6342, with the first two digits referring to the BBC measurement, and the 3rd and 4th digits referring to 4 wheels with 2 driving.  The hinged door on the left top side of the grille assembly, provided access to the oil dipstick, which due to its length was dubbed a ‘bayonet’.  The cut-off front bumper, commonly used in this era, was designed so that in a front end collision, the bumper would not fold back into the steering tires, allowing the driver to maintain steering control.  The once familiar P.I.E. logo sign is prominent on the cab roof airfoil.
HISTORY OF FREIGHTLINER:  Consolidated Truck Lines, Inc. was started in 1929 by founder Leland James and a group of men who combined four trucking operations, becoming Consolidated Freightways, Inc. (CF) in 1939.  To meet the special needs of CF, about 20 experimental trucks were built between 1937 and 1939 by the CF mechanics in the Portland shops.  These were often called “Monkey Ward” Freightliners because to some they looked like they were made from mail order parts.  Production of the first trucks by Freightways Manufacturing began in August 1940 in their Salt Lake City shops.  In 1942 they took on the name of the Freightliner Corporation.  The early Freightliners were nicknamed “shovelnose” COE’s because of the distinctive shape of their nose.  Truck production stopped in 1944 during WWII, and the Freightliner shops were moved to Portland, with a new plant opening in 1947.  Freightliner signed an exclusive sales agreement with White Motors in 1951 that continued to the end of 1977, when Freightliner again became an independent company, and then part of the Daimler-Benz family.  As WHITE-FREIGHTLINER, White sold and serviced the trucks, while Freightliner concentrated on building the units.
HISTORY OF P.I.E.:  As you may already know, P.I.E./PACIFIC INTERMOUNTAIN EXPRESS became the largest trucking company in the world in 1956.  The story starts in 1927 when Ray V. Lilenquest joined his brothers Bill and Les to run two Model A Fords providing service from Pocatello, ID, to Idaho Falls.  Many changes occurred over the early years, with P.I.E. finally taking shape from three consolidated companies in 1940.  By 1946 P.I.E. had 535 employees and was growing rapidly through many acquisitions in the late 1940s and 1950s.  With the purchase of West Coast Freight and System Tank Lines in 1954, P.I.E became the largest hauler of petroleum products in the world.  Service extended from the west coast to St. Louis and Chicago.  P.I.E. employed virtually every type of available road equipment, and also designed some of their own dromedary tractors.  By the mid 1960s P.I.E. extended service to the east coast through more acquisitions, having 67 terminals in 29 states.  In 1973 the company was purchased by IU International, and in 1982 merged them with Ryder Truck Lines, forming Ryder/P.I.E Nationwide.  In 1985 the company was sold again, with the name shortened to P.I.E. Nationwide.  By 1989 loses were staggering, and the company was sold again, absorbing Transcon Lines.  Loses continued, and in 1990 P.I.E. filed Chapter XI bankruptcy.  An attempt to scale back operations failed, with one of America’s most famous common carriers closing their doors forever, but not forgotten in many fond memories.
CONDITION: This outstanding black & white glossy photo is a newly reproduced photo from a vintage photo in my personal lifetime collection.  This photo has been printed on excellent quality HP PREMIUM PLUS GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER using HP 02 Vivera Inks, producing a professional quality photo that resists fading over 100 years.  This 8x10 photo has a white border around the photo.
For your information, the description and documentation of this photo will be loosely taped to the back side of this photo. I try to ad some “added value” to my photos by researching each one, adding some history and information that you may not know. If I get something incorrect, please let me know … thanks!
SHIPPING & HANDLING:  This item will be shipped via USPS FIRST CLASS MAIL - PACKAGE RATE (non-machinable) within the USA, including FREE USPS Tracking from USPS from my door to your mailbox. Your item will be mailed FLAT, carefully packed in a large 9x12 double envelope with a cardboard stiffener in the inner envelope ... the cardboard stiffener assures you it will arrive in excellent condition.
I can usually mail your photo within 24 hours of your payment thru eBay, and sometimes on the same day. You will get an email confirmation from eBay that postage has been purchased, with a tracking number from USPS to track your photo from my post office right to your mailbox.
PURCHASE 2 OR MORE ITEMS FROM MY SITE, AND SHIPPING WILL BE FREE.  I believe you must put your multiple items into your SHOPPING CART to receive my FREE SHIPPING and pay with a single payment.
If it does not work for you, please contact me and I can manually issue you an eBAY INVOICE with the FREE Shipping.
I will be adding a number of vintage truck and construction equipment photos/ads, listing an additional item or two almost daily.
I still have several file boxes and shelves full of items to sell.  Please check my auctions and store frequently to see what new items I have added.
Please check the comments in my “Feedbacks” to verify that I pack very well, ship promptly, describe my items fairly, and that my customers like the quality of my items.
Rest assured, you get what is represented.  It may be ‘old school’, but I treat my customers like I would like to be treated myself.  Trucking and construction have been my life, and now in retirement I do this with a labor of love and enjoyment.
.... any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.   I try to be prompt with my email responses.
Thank you for your interest in this item!