The trucking industry as we know it today has evolved from a lot of hard working individuals.

The first franchises were given to truckers who were in the business locally and wished to expand by hauling longer distances.

Until the early thirties, the railroads were built and improved, truckers were able to offer complete pick up and delivery for customers, eliminating the bother of handling freight from railway cars to a delivery vehicle.

Gordon Douglas trucked to Dauphin previous to 1932 with a 1928 Ford, but the real trucking firm was given a franchise in 1932 under the name of "Robertson Transfer" owned and operated by R.A. Robertson son of Harry and step-son of Jack and Evan Jones. The franchise allowed the company to pick up and deliver freight in the Valley and east as far as Pine River. Most of the freight was picked up in Winnipeg or delivered there. Their first truck was a two ton, V8 Ford. A maximum of six and a half tons could be carried on each of the three Winnipeg trips a week. Each year the truck was traded in for a new one ensuring reliability on the road. A trip to Winnipeg took about ten hours in normal circumstances, and was considered exceptionally good time.

Livestock was hauled to Swifts as Mr. Robertson was a livestock buyer and shipper. Butter was freighted from Crescent Creamery along with other general freight.

Robertson Transfer always used two ton trucks even a semi-trailer was purchased. At times a four-wheeled trailer capable of carrying fifteen barrels of oil was pulled behind the truck.

In 1940, Bill Blackwell, a former driver for Robertson's, purchased the business. A year later Verne and Claire Mitchell took over the business. Verne had also driven for Robertson.

I.A. (Ike) Woods of Bowsman received a franchise in 1933 to freight from Swan River to Mafeking, Swan River to Bentio and Bowsman to Winnipeg. Woods and Buy Griffith were in the livestock shipping business and began by taking livestock to Winnipeg, returning with general freight. Woods used a smaller truck to drive around to pick up cattle from farms to make up a full load. Nelson Pope, a half brother of Woods, was given a special permit to drive at age seventeen, the beginning of a lengthy career as a truck driver.

Semi-trailers were purchased in the thirties to be hauled by the two-ton trucks. Farmers were beginning to replace horses with powered machinery enabling freight haulers to do quite a business in transporting tractors, discs, harrows and other implements.

Johnny Lucas purchased his first truck in 1934 to be used for draying, grain hauling and gravelling locally until getting a franchise for Winnipeg. In time, with two trucks hauling oil and three general freight, he built up a large business. Lucas became heavily involved in road construction in the 1940's and sold his trucking business to Verne and Clare Mitchell.

Ed Tulman drove for Blackwell. later in 1946, he began trucking on his own when he obtained a Public Service License. he began the Minitonas Transfer which was allowed to haul from Winnipeg to Minitonas with no deliveries along the way except to farmers. Tulman sold to Mitchell's in the late forties but later took back some of the equipment. Frank Tribble spent thirteen years freighting. He secured a franchise for the Swan River-Dauphin run in 1944, selling to Hubert Davidson in 1956. Tribble also hauled from Yorkton to Swan River, carrying most of the supplies for macDonald's Consolidated, as well as a lot of machinery and parts.

Fred Quart of Kenville operated a trucking service to Dauphin beginning in 1949 when he bought out two of Tibble's certificates. He sold to Hubert Davidson.

Johnny Lucas went back into the transfer business in 1954, joining cousin Bert Lucas and the two Woods brother, Bob and Mel, to form the Swan River-The Pas Transfer. Tulman also sold his business to this company on 1954. This franchise included service to Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson, the area formely held by the Woods brothers.