In the 1800's, the most practical way to trade across long distances was to utilize the nation's natural waterways: streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Settlement, as a result, was done along the coasts and rivers. The few roads that connected the major cities were difficult and time consuming to travel.

Fast forward to the 1900's: rail cars traveled along thousands of miles of track, larger ships were built to move passengers and freight across the oceans, smaller boats traveled the rivers, lakes and canals. The thousands of miles of fresh roads were traversed by wagons, bicycles, and carriages. Towns and cities were able to thrive along the new routes. Commercial, industrial and manufacturing life was dependent upon the trains and boats that traveled in and out of far-away cities.

Cars soon entered the mix of available transportation. At the beginning, motor cars were deemed expensive luxury items. In the next few years, however, mass production allowed these vehicles to become affordable. After World War II, motor vehicles became the main method of transportation for Americans. Railroads lost their passengers and instead concentrated on hauling freight.  

By the year 2000, there were 220 million cars traveling the roadways. Airports served millions of new passengers and expanded to accommodate the ever-growing air cargo business. Freight of all kinds was still moved by truck, rail and ship, but the innovation of containers changed the way freight traveled across the country and around the globe. Shippers were able to pack any type of good into standardized steel boxes that were cheaply and easily moved from rail to truck to ship and back again.

Fast Way Freight Systems has been a leader in the shipping industry for the Inland Northwest since 1965, and is now using the latest technologies to better serve our communities and provide your companies with the best transportation service you deserve. With the addition of Fast Way Transport in 2001, we are now hauling freight for all types of companies throughout the 48 contiguous United States and Canada.

To find out more about our company, click HERE.

Regulation of price competition was the focus of American's concerns about inflation in the 1970s. Under the Presidency of Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), a series of laws called the Motor Carrier Act were passed that removed many of the regulatory shields that surrounded trucking.

Under this deregulation, companies were able to compete with each other by using any route they chose while allowing to set their own rates for their services. New companies sprung up and many customers were faced with the challenge of choosing from multiple service options and the resulting change of fares from these companies.

Deregulation was initially opposed by most transportation companies, but was soon accepted and favored: rates for truckload shipments fell about 25 percent, LTL (less than truckload) rates declined between 10 and 20 percent, and carriers became more willing to negotiate rates and services.

When facing the multiple rules and regulations of interstate shipping, any customer would agree that knowing how to define your product by the trucking industry is important to keep their shipments running smoothly.

Fast Way Freight can provide the information you need to properly complete shipping documentation and how to secure your cargo before shipment.

To discover how Fast Way Freight can help you, click HERE.