APRIL 2005 WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO...

THE (ONCE) BRIGHT
SPOT OF VERNON
Story and Photo by Truck Historian/Author Stan Holtzman

(Click on image for larger photo)

Dick Smith ran the Great Western Truck Lines part of Great Western Packing Company of Vernon, CA. Seen in this 1970 photo is one of Great Western’s new Peterbilt cattle trucks. Fact is, this truck and trailer was just delivered and not yet lettered nor had license plates on it. The Great Western rigs consisted of Peterbilts and White Freightliners, and their colors were bright orange and white. Most of their trucks were powered by Detroit Diesels with 13-speed trannys. These bull haulers ran as far north as Hanford and as far south as the Red River area in Arizona, hauling cattle for John Wayne. In 1972, Garrett & Thomas, another large livestock hauler, took over the operations of Great Western Truck Lines, and the colors were changed to green and orange. At that time, the name was changed to Hi-West Livestock Transportation and the operation was moved to Arizona. For reasons unknown, the company eventually “bit the dust” at some point. The next time you are online, be sure to visit my website at www.linerigs.com.