Ross Neely Trucking

In 1958, Ross Neely, Jr., bought a 1947 1.5-ton International Harvester for $240 and drove it between Birmingham and Gadsden. That daily trek would soon grow into one of the area’s largest transportation companies that still bears his name and trademark slogan, “Breathe freely … ship Ross Neely”. Within just a few months, Ross hired his first full-time driver and began expanding the service footprint to include other areas of the state. By the 1970s, Ross Neely Systems operated more than 1,2000 pieces of equipment and employed close to 700 people as the company grew to service 26 terminals across the state of Alabama as well as in Atlanta, Georgia and Beaumont, Texas. Both LTL and truckload services were offered during this time as Ross Neely operated in 48 states across the country. Van, tank and flatbed divisions also flourished during this significant period of growth.