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Since the late war, when the importance of motor transportation was clearly shown, hauling by truck has come to play a big part in the system of modem transportation. The war and its problems have taught us many things, and the local Beaver Valley Service Company was born during the critical days of 1917.
Just six years ago, in December, 1917, J. A. Biggie began hauling between Pittsburgh and Beaver Falls, and intermediate points of delivery. A single truck was the sole equipment of the new enterprise. Today the Beaver Valley Service Company operates thirteen trucks, nine of which are for heavy duty, and it serves a widely increasing area.
The company was incorporated November 6, 1919, with J. C. Armstrong, president; W. H. Biggie, vice president, and J. A. Riggle, secretary-treasurer and manager. Four trucks were used at that time for making deliveries to Leetsdale, Fair Oaks, Ambridge, Baden, Conway, Freedom, Rochester, Monaca, West Bndgewater, Beaver, New Brighton and Beaver Falls. The same year, the company built its garage at 1921 Third Avenue, New Brighton.
The gross business of the company during the year following its incorporation amounted to $55,200. During the past five years, the C.O.D. business alone; handled for shippers, averaged over $11,000 per year.
Beginning July, 1923, trucks were hired out by the company to the Pennsylvania railroad for hauling L.C.L. freight from station to station. This was the first time in the history of transportation, it is said, that an independent company moved freight for a railroad company. At first freight was moved in this manner from Pittsburgh to Beaver Fails. Later another truck was added for the route between Beaver Falls and Enon. In November, a 5-ton truck was added for similar work between Greensburg and New Alexandria.
The Beaver Valley Service Company has just
received four 5-ton and one 2-ton trucks, increasing its total
daily hauling capacity to 100 tons.