Page 31 - ATR 3 2012 web 2

settings as well as on the ranch,” he with something everyone thought was “After five years, [Garrison] bought
said. “He was never intimidated by any preposterous, like cell phones in trucks. his old terminal back in Harrison. He
company with which he found himself.” And Sheridan was working when you had the model in his mind that what
And Reed was quick to credit the and I were sleeping. Sheridan was an he would do is build terminal facilities
company Garrison built as the reason absolute workaholic, but a smart and and operate them, but as far as pickup
FedEx Freight was itself successful; in intelligent workaholic.” and delivery he would have owner-
2011, the carrier saw $4.9 billion in Take Garrison’s reaction to deregu- operators,” Campbell said. “Arkansas
revenue and averaged 86,000 LTL ship- lation, Campbell said. He knew that Freightways owned the over-the-road
ments per day. since Garrison Motor Freight had equipment, the operators in every ter-
“Sheridan had a vision for a living, an "A" contract with the Teamsters minal owned their own trucks and
breathing, belching company,” he said. Union, it wouldn’t be able to survive hired and fired the drivers. Therefore,
“He had passion; a love for people and as a regional carrier in the deregulated the Teamsters were never quite in
the things he wanted to do.” world. He approached his drivers and a position to organize at American
laid out a proposal: Sign the "B" con- Freightways.”
bIg SHoES tract which, though it meant less pay, Young’s business acumen was evi-
Arkansas Trailer co-owner Guy would allow the company to continue dent during the days before deregula-
Campbell Sr. knew all three of these operating after deregulation and meant tion, Campbell said.
men, both as friends and as business “you would put your head on your pil- “In his younger days, he and his
associates. Campbell described their low every night.” law partner were the driving forces
impact on trucking in Arkansas and The union members didn’t believe behind Arkansas Motor Freight,” said
beyond as “immeasurably important.” Garrison would ever sell the company, Campbell. “There were several pur-
“Mr. Young was, I think, the busi- Campbell said, so they signed a new chases that almost put ABF under—for
nessman of the group. He new how to "A" contract... and six months later, example, when they bought that line
run a business and get the best out of Garrison Motor Freight was sold to out of Jackson, Mississippi, that almost
people,” said Campbell. “J.B. was an Smith Transport, which relocated it put them under. But they persevered.”
idea man; he was always coming up from Harrison.


aRkansas TRucking RePoRT | issue 3 2012 31