After four decades, McCammons still updating fleet, technology
10/13/2009
By Danny K Careins
NT Reporter
Back in 1969 when Blackford County residents Darrell and Patricia McCammon began their trucking company they had one gas-powered truck to haul the loads.Forty years later the couple maintains a fleet of approximately 32 tractors and 80 trailers, recently updating the family-run operation with ten brand new tractors. They have approximately 40 employees, including multiple drivers, four full-time office workers and three full-time shop workers.
In mid-September, the McCammons celebrated four decades of owning the business, which started in Hartford City, but now is located in the countryside closer to Montpelier.
McCammon Trucking, Inc., 3365 E. 400 N., Hartford City, has endured for 40 years, remaining a vital part of Blackford County’s economic base.
Darrell McCammon worked for the former Farm Bureau Co-Op on the west side of Harford City spreading fertilizer. Eventually, he opened his own business and began to haul grain not only for himself, but also for other local farmers.
The move out to the country came in 1971.
McCammon Trucking had previously done a lot of hauling for the former BeerCo, Hartford City, but when the company closed in the vicinity of 1985, the McCammons became a “for hire” business.
“That’s all we’ve done since,” noted Patricia McCammon.
According to her, the biggest change in the history of the business is the technology used in running both the trucks and the office.
“Before computers, we had to do all of the billing on typewriters,” said McCammon. “Now, it is all up-dated. We have paperless billing. It sure has made a big difference.”
Previously, the truck drivers had to have two logs books, but since the use of computers they only have to use one log book.
“They have laptop computers in their trucks,” remarked McCammon. She added that another positive aspect in the trucking business is the laws “which have changed for the best”.
The couple pointed out that they have always enjoyed people, especially their employees and those with who they do business.
“We enjoy people and being around them,” noted Darrell McCammon, who has served on the Blackford County School Board, the Blackford County Hospital Board and the Hartford City Rotary Club.
Patricia McCammon indicated that “we have always had a good relationship with all of our employees”. She added that the couple is friends with former and current employees and their families.
“It just has been an interesting job,” said McCammon.
The thing McCammon most enjoyed in the earlier days was being able to be at home with her kids when they got home from school. In addition, she was able to help her husband out on the farm.
Darrell McCammon explained that things have worked out pretty good for the pair because his wife really ran the trucking business while he was busy farming, raising corn and beans on 1,500 acres of land. He basically did the maintenance of the company’s trucks to keep them running.
McCammon recalled the days when the trucking business had one truck and he was always worrying if it would break down. “You were lucky to get from Point A to Point B”.
See the rest of the story in the Friday, Oct. 9 print edition of the News Times
For more news, visit http://www.hartfordcitynewstimes.com/
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