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A Trip to New York in 1920
Growth and Innovation.
Providing innovative service and using the best equipment is nothing new for American Red Ball. Our founder instilled that into the company from the very beginning and we've always believed in it.
In early 1920, Hiner's innovative weatherproof moving service led to an agreement with the U.S. Motor Truck Company of Covington, Kentucky, where he purchased twenty 16-foot straight vestibule van trucks with 10-inch solid tires, and the first electric self-starters and headlights ever used on household goods vans. These were entirely closed with tight rear doors and equipped with the first special furniture pads ever designed (previous moving vans used reclaimed bedding.)
As his business grew, Hiner opened sales offices in Chicago, Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati and finally in New York City. In 1920 he sent a caravan of nine fully loaded vans over the hazardous, unpaved mountain roads to New York City - an arduous trip of two weeks. What we believe was the largest single assmeblage of long distance moving vans to date was met in Times Square by special police esort and the Pathe News (one of the old movie reel news services). This generated immense nationwide publicity and added great impetus to Hiner's growing interstate system. Thus, Red Ball became truly the first interstate household mover in America.
According to Richard Hiner (Ward's son), the trip was a harrowing one, with mostly dirt roads and trucks miring down in the mud. When the caravan finally reached Times Square one of the hard working lead vehicles finally gave out, reportedly causing a giant traffic jam, but not detracting from the accomplishment.
(The above information was taken from company records as written by a Hiner family member).
