Wilson Freight

[TomM]

Hi,

My father drove for a company called "Wilson Freight" in New Jersey back in the 1960's and I am wondering if Wilson Trucking is the same company. I don't recall too many details other than he was a member of Local 560 and retired in 1968.

Thanks

[ltltrkr]

wilson freight in NJ is long gone

[TomM]

Thanks for the info.

[SuperCourse]

Wilson Freight we used to call "Dirty W" back in the day when most of the freight outfits had nicknames. They didn't last long after deregulation. Them, along with a hundred other good freight companies.

[PAUL VAN'ES]

MY DAD DROVE FOR WILSON FREIGHT CO. FOR QUITE SOME TIME TILL THEY WENT BANKRUPT IN 80 THEY WHERE LOCATED 171 NORTH AVE E. ELIZABETH NJ .NEW ENGLAND MOTOR FREIGHT HAS THAT TERMINAL NOW AND A LOT OF OTHER OLD WILSON TERMINALS TO POPS IS RETIRED IN FLA. BUT HAS ALSHIMERS NOW NO MEMORIES IM ONLY 44 BUT WHERE DID ALL THE GOOD ONES GO THOUGHT I HAD A JOB WAITING WHEN I GOT OLD ENOUGPH FOR WILSON FREIGHT.CO AKA THE DIRTY W

[screwy louiey]

just a coincidence both Wilson Trucking & Wilson Freight trucks are the same color. Miss seeing those Dirty W White Boss tractors with the white steering wheel and 45' ribbed trailers with Wilson on the sides running on the NJTP.

Will say that Wilson trucking does keep a clean looking fleet thou.

[TomM]

Is there a good story behind the "Dirty W" name?

[Jeff]

Got any old pics of Dad in his truck Tom?

[TomM]

Unfortunately the only pictures I have are memories and those are fuzzy since I was only 5/6 years old. According to my mother father at one time worked out of a Wilson facility in Fairfield NJ. He started with Wilson in the early 1950's as an OTR driver but switched to local driving. I believe the only items my mother might still have are his safe driving award pins but I am not sure if they were given to him by Wilson or the Teamsters.

[SuperCourse]

Tom, those pins would have come from Wilson, not the union. As far as the Dirty W name goes I assumed at the time that it was just the fact that their trucks looked like they never got a wash, but back then everybodies trucks looked like that, they were tools to do a job, not show pieces. Some looked worse than others, especially trucks with the exhaust underneath. Trucks back then blow thick clouds of black smoke and if you had an exhaust leak it didn't take long to turn the rear of the cab or whatever black with a coating of soot. Damn, I miss all those old companies.

Edit: Tom, you might want to check out the link below. The second pic down on the left, that's the classic Wilson truck I remember, click it to enlarge. A good and grimy White 9000 with a 40 footer with the tandems all the way back. I'd give anything to drive that truck today.
David Faust's Wilson Freight Corporation Collection