Some of the biggest names in trucking are honored on the wall of the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame.
Housed at the American Trucking Historical Society’s headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., the hall of fame was established in 2021 and will display three more individuals this fall.
At the ATHS Convention in June, the 2026 inductees to the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame were announced.
These industry leaders will be honored during an induction ceremony in October at ATHS headquarters.
Chester England, founder of C.R. England
Looking to get out of the farming business, England bought his first Model T in 1920 to provide farm-to-market service in Weber County and the Cache Valley of Utah. England added service to local dairies and the company grew to several delivery trucks. In 1957, England began offering 72-hour coast-to-coast service. By 1978, the company opened a terminal in New Jersey. Today, the company has terminals in California, New Jersey, Indiana and Texas, in addition to its main terminal facility in Salt Lake City. C.R. England’s fleet exceeds 3,900 units and employs 4,000 drivers.
Harold C. Groendyke, founder of Groendyke Transportation
In July 1932, Groendyke hauled his first load of kerosene from Borger, Texas, to Beaver, Okla., using a two-axle Ford truck equipped with a 3,000-gallon tank mounted on a homemade chassis. That 110-mile route helped pioneer the tank truck industry in the Midwest. Operations expanded to Ponca City, Okla., Ardmore, Okla., and Wichita Falls, Texas. Groendyke built the first truck stop in Enid in the late 1940s. The company’s footprint reached Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Louisiana in the 1950s. In 1964, Groendyke hauled its first load to Mexico and made its first delivery to Canada in 1988. Today, the company is one of the largest tank-truck carriers in the U.S., operating 40 locations in 16 states.
Al Peterman, founder of Peterbilt
A lumberman from Tacoma, Wash., Peterman acquired 30,000 acres of forestland in 1934. Instead of using railroads, Peterman built roads and purchased White Motor Company and its fleet of trucks. Five years later, Peterman completed the purchase of Fageol Truck and Motor Company from Sterling Motor Company, acquiring a 13.5-acre plant along with its tooling and parts inventory. In 1939, the plant opened for business as Peterbilt Motors Company. The red oval logo was introduced in 1953 and PACCAR Inc., was acquired by Peterbilt in 1958. The company’s Denton facility opened in 1980. In addition to its North Texas plant, Peterbilt also manufactures trucks in Quebec, Canada and Mexicali, Mexico.
OOIDA was a hall of fame honoree in 2021 for its efforts in fighting for the rights of truck drivers and small-business owners since its founding in 1973.
ATHS says the hall of fame exists to recognize award winners in a publicly accessible venue and to further highlight the exemplary work of trucking companies and their leaders nationwide. LL
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