OTA Dispatch Issue 3

W e in the trucking industry take pride in the importance of the service we provide. The old saying “If you’ve got it, a truck brought it” has been true for many years. We want to share with you a story about how “the trucks brought it” at a critical time in our history: The Red Ball Express. Use of the term “Red Ball” originated from announcing a VIP using a white flag with a red ball in the center, such as on a vice-admiral’s ship. In terms of express cargo, at the end of the 19th century it came to describe perishables in rail cars that needed right-of-way privileges to prevent spoilage. Around 1892, the Santa Fe railroad began using it for express cargo, allowing such trains to travel tracks cleared for their use and marked with a red ball. The term grew in popularity and was extensively used by the 1920s. After Allied military forces landed on the beaches of Normandy on Jun 6, 1944 and broke through the German line during World War II, they began moving quickly through Europe. But troops were moving faster than the supplies they needed— especially ammunition and gasoline. As a bit of background information, the Allies, prior to D-Day, had bombed the French railway system and gasoline pipelines to slow Germany’s ability to counter attack on D-Day. With railways out of commission, trucks and drivers were needed to maintain the movement of supplies. Conceived in an urgent 36-hour meeting, a convoy system that became known at the Red Ball Express began operating on August 25, 1944. 22 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch The Red Ball Express During the Red Ball Express, drivers went through around 50,000 tires. A Solution to a D-Day Dilemma By John Sallak, OTA Safety & Compliance Consultant and Christa Wendland, OTA Communications Consultant