Blue Ridge Transfer

Love this super shot of a Blue Ridge Transfer rig at a truck stop some time in the mid ’70s, not because this Ford cabover is especially cool or anything, but photos of this fallen flag simply don’t exist. This is especially odd as Blue Ridge Transfer was a large outfit that ran for decades and decades, but not many pics have made it to the internet making this one a rare find.

Founded in 1931 with just two old trucks, Blue Ridge Transfer’s reach grew far beyond their hometown of in Galax, Virginia to become one of the largest over the road trucking companies in America. Blue Ridge originally focused exclusively on hauling furniture from manufacturers in North Carolina, but after deregulation, they expanded across the 48 contiguous states, hauling furniture outbound and appliances and other goods on the return trip. By the mid ’80s, Blue Ridge had over 700 employees, 300 tractors, and more than twice as many trailers. the privately owned company was sold in 1997, and within a few years, was rebranded by the new owners and merged into their existing operations.