Tom, just about all freight companies of that era were Teamsters. You really didn't have that manu truckload companies back then because you didn't have the mega-retailer warehouse operations like today. Plus, now we haul finished products made overseas while back then a lot of the freight was hauling nuts,bolts, and various parts to build things. Back then it coould take sometimes 60 shipments to fill a 40' trailer. As far as "how they operated" I assume you are talking about organized crime. Most of us never gave it much thought, trucking was a tough environment back then, you couldn't be thin skinned. Back then your boss would call you a sock cucker and you'd give it right back. The union provided good wages, good benefits, and protected you from being fired on a whim. One thing I can tell you about those times that is telling, just about every driver you ran into at a diner or whatever, no matter who he worked for, had a smile on his face, was friendly, ready to help you out if you needed it, and could tell you a bullcrap story that was so good you didn't care if it was true or not. So if 560 was skimming a little off the top back then, who cared, they took care of the drivers.