Tag: trucking history

Founder of Love’s Travel Stop Passes Away at Age 85

Posted on March 8, 2023 by - truck stop, trucking industry, trucking industry facts

When traveling down the interstate, seeing a Love’s Truck Stop isn’t an uncommon sight. With over six hundred stores in 42 states, and numerous rewards under its belt, including Corporation of the year in 1991 and the President’s Award for Service to God and Country in 1996, it’s not hard to see that it is a very successful business. The company owes its success to its founder, Tom Love who passed away on March 7, 2023, at the age of 85.

In the mid-1960s, Tom and his wife Judy leased an abandoned service station to open their first gas station which later developed into a chain of gas stations located near Oklahoma City. In an attempt to diversify his products and revenue, he got the idea to attach convenience stores to his existing gas stations. As a result, his gas stations became the first to offer grocery items and self-service gasoline in the 1970s. The first Love’s travel stop was opened in Texas in 1981, catering to both truckers and motorists alike. 

Today Love’s offers a wide array of services including roadside assistance for commercial trucks, emergency roadside vehicles, truck maintenance, parking, hot and fresh food items, shower facilities, restaurants, and even hotels at some locations. It is the largest business in its industry and is still family-owned. Tom’s love of sports also managed to get Love’s as one of the partners of his hometown’s NBA team the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Tom Love’s legacy will continue to live on in his widely popular business that continues to offer a number of convenient services for truckers and motorists alike. He contributed a lot to the trucking industry by providing truckers with places to park, take showers, purchase food, and even repair their trucks if needed. Love’s Truck Stop even goes as far as giving away millions of My Loves Rewards points during Trucker Appreciation Week for truckers to use at any Love’s location. They also hold Christmas giveaways for a number of useful items. During Christmas, they have donated to the St. Christopher Truckers Fund, a charity that helps truckers and their families when illness or injury causes them to be out of work. Even after Tom Love has passed, Love’s continues to make a positive contribution to the trucking industry helping truckers around the country.

Five Inspiring Stories of Women In Trucking

Posted on March 8, 2021 by - Women’s History Month

In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s Month, we thought we’d take a look back at four women who broke ground in the trucking industry.

These women helped pave the way for female truck drivers by fighting stereotypes, sexism, and harassment. Here are five inspiring stories of early women in trucking.

Lillie Elizabeth Drennan

The jury is out on which woman was the first licensed female truck driver. However, Lillie Elizabeth Drennan is certainly in the running, having obtained her CDL in 1929.

She and her husband started the Drennan Truck line in 1928. At first, only her husband drove a Model-T Ford but eventually they purchased a second Chevy that Lille drove. 

When she and her husband later divorced, Lillie maintained sole ownership of the company they had started. Until 1952, she ran the business and drove a truck with an apparently perfect safety record (despite lack of HOS regulations at the time).

She received much acclaim throughout her career for her colorful personality and strict training methods for new drivers.

Adriesue “Bitsy” Gomez 

In 1976, Time Magazine featured an article about Bitsy’s game-changing activism on behalf of women in trucking. She formed her own coalition of women truck drivers and fought against sexual harassment and the exclusion of women from truck stops. Through legal action and just plain persistence she helped break down barriers for women truck drivers.

Luella Bates

According to some sources, Luella Bates was actually the very first woman to get her CDL in 1920. But what is certain is that she was the first woman to consistently drive trucks professionally, having been a test driver during the first world war. By most accounts, she is also the first woman to drive across the United States in a truck.

Mazie Lanham

Mazie Lanham was the first female UPS truck driver. She began working for them during World War II as many women began filling in for men in America. UPS continued hiring women as truck drivers during and after the war.

Rusty Dow

Rusty Dow was another woman who was called into service during World War II. She was employed by the Alaska Defense Command and drove over the treacherous ice roads and through the largely untamed wilderness. She became the first woman to drive the entirety of the Alaska Highway in 1944. 

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