The Brockway Story is continued from page 1

The next day's edition of the same paper (June 17, 1938 Syracuse Herald) announced that Federal Bankruptcy Court Judge Frederick H. Bryant was considering yet another modification of the Brockway reorganization plan:

“Brockway's Reorganizing Plan Studied - Proposal Gives Bigger Share to Holders of Common Stock

“A modified plan for reorganization of the Brockway Motor Truck Corporation, which attorneys say will provide a more equitable share to common stockholders, was under consideration Friday by Federal Judge Frederick H. Bryant.

“The company's plant in Cortland was the scene of a $250,000 fire early Thursday (June 16, 1938) resulting in destruction of between 36 and 40 trucks, and a testing and storage building. It was said the loss was covered by insurance.

“Details of the modification were presented in Federal Court Thursday afternoon. It was indicated an agreement; on the plan would be reached by the next hearing which is to be held at Malone Monday morning.

“The modified plan would give preferred stockholders stock purchase warrants allowing them to buy one share of common stock of the new company for each five shares of preferred block held by the old corporation.

“It would grant to holders of common stock of the original company stock purchase warrants entitling them to buy one share of common stock, of the operating company for each 10 shares of the old corporation at $20 a share.

“The new company would be authorized to issue 260,000 shares of common stock, with 20,500 shares reserved for stock purchase warrants.

“Attorneys said the reorganization plan offered by the creditors' committee would have disregarded common stockholders. Creditors would have received 97 per cent of the stock and preferred stockholders three per cent.”

The Depression of 1938 saw Brockway's sales decline, with only 1,303 deliveries compared to 1,695 in 1936. To help publicize the brand, Brockway president George S. Piroumoff penned the following article which appeared in the September 19, 1938 issue of Automotive Industries:

“Cites Statistics on Commercial Car Use

“Brockway Head Holds Vehicles Essential

“Statistics calculated to show that life in America, from a practical, utilitarian standpoint, would come to a virtual standstill if industry were denied the use of commercial motor vehicles have been presented by George S. Piroumoff, president of the Brockway Motor Co., Inc. The company is one of the several score manufacturers of motor vehicles, parts and equipment which will exhibit at the Fifth Annual National Motor Truck Show at the Port Authority Building in New York, November 11-17. This is being held in conjunction with the National Automobile Show.

“In support of his statement, Mr. Piroumoff points to the report of 25,000 fleet owners of eight or more trucks who in January of 1938 were operating a total of 901,484 vehicles. So widespread is the use of motor vehicles, the report indicated, that people in every type of enterprise are affected.

“Largest fleet operators are the Federal, state, county and municipal governments with 1,546 bodies using 222,780 motor trucks. First ranking among large fleet operators in private industry goes to the oil and gasoline companies with a total of 15,558 trucks in operation. Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey stands at the top in his field with more than 12,000 commercial motor vehicles in use.

“In the smaller fleet category, the express, moving and hauling businesses rate of outstanding importance with 156,945 motor trucks being operated by 5,522 concerns. Public utilities are next with 1,250 railroad, gas, electric, water and telephone companies operating 70,972 vehicles.

“Food almost would not be available were it not for commercial trucks. Transportation of baked goods and candy occupies 57,035 carriers; hauling of butter, eggs, milk and dairy products uses 54,046 trucks; 38,454 trucks are used by chain stores, truck farmers, independent grocers and fruit and vegetable dealers, and hauling of meats and fish account for 17,583 trucks.”

By 1939 Brockway's reorganization, coupled with an upturn in the economy, resulted in a return to profitability, with 2,158 deliveries - an increase of 30% over 1938 - the February 27, 1940 issue of the Syracuse Herald reporting:

“Brockway Profit $212,358 Against $3,347 Former Year

“Cortland, Feb. 27,  - A net profit of $212.353 in 1939, as compared with a profit of $3,347 for 1938, is reported fay the Brockway Motor Company, Inc. Last year, it is announced in the report, was the company's first full year of operation since the reorganization of the old Brockway Motor Truck Corporation in October, 1938.

“The net profit for 1939 is $1.013 per share on the 209,500 shares of $10 par value common stock outstanding on Dec. 31, 1939. An initial divident of 25 cents per share was paid in November, 1939.

“The net sales were $5,986,054, as compared with $4,683,364 in 1938. The balance sheet as of Dec. 31, 1939, shows total current assets, including cash and notes and accounts receivable of $2,619,325, amounting to $3,900,136. Total current liabilities were $690,147.

“The new truck sales in 1939 were 2,158 units as compared with 1,658 units in 1938. It was also announced that the company operates direct factory-controlled branches in 20 cities.”

Brockway continued to produce small numbers of purpose-built school bus chassis into the 1940s. Most of the firm's cowl and chassis were shipped by rail to mid-west bus builders such as Lima, Ohio's Superior Body Co. and Richmond, Indiana's Wayne Works although two Central New York builders, Rex-Watson in Canastota and Penn Yan Bodies in Penn Yan are knonw to have constructed some Brockway buses. Only one operational pre-war Brockway bus is known to survive, a short wheelbase 1941 school bus formerly used by the Virgil, New York School District and recently restored by Green Island, NEw York's Peter Grimm.

With the sudden outbreak of War, Brockway converted its plant over to the production of war materiel, specifically the Model  B666 (B for Brockway), 6-ton, 6x6 truck chassis, which was based on the Corbitt Model 50SD6's originally manufactured by Henderson, North Carolina's Corbitt Company. Brockway had constructed only 171 trucks in the first 3 months of 1942 when the factory was converted over to manufacture of the 6-ton prime mover, whose production commenced on April 1 of that year.

Although Corbitt had developed the rugged 6x6 , they lacked the production capacity to construct the vast numbers  required (10,000 in all), and the Government split the contract among five manufacturers; Brockway, Corbitt. F.W.D., Ward-LaFrance and the White  Motor Co.

Variants of the 50SD6/B666 included gasoline tankers, shop vans, communications vans,  cargo trucks, fire-crash tenders (F-666), revolving crane carriers (C-666) and specialized self-contained chassis (B-666) for hydraulic bridge erecting cranes (G-547), with Brockway concentrating on the chassis of the latter four models.

From 1942 to 1945, Brockway constructed 3,183 6x6 variants, which included 1,166 (Model G547) bridge erector chassis (White and F.W.D. produced the remaining 1,909 of 3,075 produced in total). The Army Corps. of Engineers designed a self-contained bridge erection system that not only transported the bridges steel and rubber components,but included the 4-ton hydraulic crane needed to unload and place the 45" wide steel treadways and a unique twin boom arm that helped unroll and place the heavy inflatable rubber pontoons upon which the bridge was laid. The  220-inch wheelbase chassis included a 25,000-lb front winch and extra-large air-brake tanks that also served to inflate the rubber pontoons before they were placed in the water. The bridge erector's Model M-IIA hydraulic beds were supplied by both the Daybrook Hydraulic Corp. of Bowling Green, Ohio and the Heil Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Brockway, White, and F.W.D. supplying only the cab and chassis.

The remaining 2,017 B-666 series chassis were equipped as platforms for revolving cranes (Model C-666) manufactured by the Quick-way Power Shovel Co. of Denver, Colorado (a total of 2,225Quick-way Model E cranes were built during the conflict ); fire-crash trucks (Model F-666 Class 155) bodied by the American-LaFrance Co. of Elmira, New York; and basic cargo trucks (Model B-666). Chassis destined to carry Quick-way cranes featured a half- cab only, with the massive boom arm resting besides the driver. Most of Brockway's C-666 cabs featured a collapsible windshield and removable canvas top, although some fixed-roof variants are known to have been produced.

In 1943 Brockway purchased the old Cortland Natural Gas plant for $20,500 in order to expands its wartime capacity. May 8, 1943 issue of the Syracuse Herald Journal:

“Brockway Motor In Cortland Will Expand Plant

“Cortland, May 8 - The Brockway Motor Company has completed arrangements for the construction of a new building which will containe 22,000 square feet of floor space. The property is located on the south side of Central Avenue adjoining their present showroom. The new structure is made necessary through war contracts, and construction will begin at once.

“The properties purchased for the building include the Bush Cabinet Company on Central Avenue, which has been used as a warehouse, and that of Haword J. Allen of 113 Central Avenue.

“Officials of the company would not say whether the expansion would increase the number of employees working at the plant.”

On January 2, 1944, the War Production Board (WPB) authorized the making of one million trucks for domestic government, military, municipal and civilian use with Brockway commencing construction of some pre-War models on March 1, 1944 – sales were limited to 'qualified essential users' and each purchase had to be approved by a local representative of the WPB.

Supplies of new trucks were more plentiful in 1945 and on August 20, 1945 military requisition of new vehicles was lifted completely. Truck production for civilian use tripled from 1944 to 1945 although production in the latter year was still less than half of 1939.

During 1945 Brockway introduced what would prove to be one of their most popular models, the  Model 260 tractor which included an all-new 572 cu. in. 6-cylinder Continental engine. A sleeper cab became a factory-built option in 1946 and the 260 series would continued in one form or another into the late 1950s.

Brockway production for 1946 would total 4,212 trucks, a number that rivaled fiscal 1928 (not including Indiana Truck), the firm's highest year to date. 1947 was a banner year for Brockway, with a profit of $2.26 million on sales of $24.5 million, however the saturated post-war truck market reduced both sales (2,919) sales and profits in 1948, the March 18, 1949 issue of the New York Times reporting:

“Brockway Motor Company Inc. - For 1948: Net income, $1,275,355 on net sales of $20,338,601, contrasted with $2,262,564 on net sales of $24,436,220 in 1947. Amnnual meeting of stockholders will be held in Cortland N.Y. on April 12.”

Brockway had an on and off interest in the Canadian market, selling a few trucks in Montreal in the 1930s, then lapsing until another effort was launched in 1939. Small numbers were exported after the War, and Canadian transport historian Rolland Jerry visited the Cortland plant several times in the postwar era, reporting that the trucks were assembled where they stood, there being no assembly line in the usual sense. He observed the department where the cabs were assembled and reported one of the largest areas was final inspection where remaining problems were fixed and given an exhaustive road test.

From 1946 to 1948 Brockway, Dodge, Ford and Mack supplied 250-300 bus chassis to Mercury Aircraft Corp.'s recently acquired Penn Yan Bus Bodies division, which were marketed under the trade name 'Mercury.' The bus building business was originally located on Liberty St. in Penn Yan, which was partially destroyed by fire in 1941, after which it was converted over to manufacture of cargo bodies for military 2 1/2-ton trucks. At the end of the War Penn Yan's owner,Willard Wetmore, sold the plant equipment and trade name to the Mercury Aircraft Corp., who relocated the operation to Hammondsport, NewYork, the hometown of aviator Glenn H. Curtiss.

Renamed Mercury Buses, Penn Yan Bus division, the firm constructed approximately 250-300 all-aluminum school bus bodies using aviation tools and techniques. In 1948 Karl Kreutziger, Mercury's former sales manager, purchased the firm's equipment and remaining contracts and moved the entire operation back to Penn Yan, where he reorganized it as Coach and Equipment Mfg. Corp., a firm that survives today.

Manufacture of the cab-forward Metropolitan chassis resumed after the War in two versions, the standard wheelbase M146 and the long wheelsbase M152, both of which were discontinued in 1949 due to a lack of orders.

Post-War Brockways were fitted with a massive wrought iron grill guard that made the truck instantly recognizable from a distance. The two-section grill featured 33 vertical bars at the top, and 52 shorter  curved bars at the bottom (not counting the surrounding framework) which were shaped like a waterfall to cover the valley between the front bumper and the front fenders. The guard prevented large objects (aka deer) from getting lodged in the radiator or behind the front bumper. In 1952 a revised lighter-weight grill was introduced with only 17 bars on the top and 18 bars below (not counting the surrounding framework).  Between late 1955 and 1960 a significantly smaller guard was utilized that featured 4 wide horizontal bars affixed to two vertical channels that were affixed directly in front of the radiator housing behind the front bumper.

During the 1948 Israeli War for Independence (aka Arab-Israeli War), a number of Brockway cowl and chassis were purchased by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for military use based on the reputation of the pre-War Brockways they had requisitioned for military use.

In 1948-49 Brockway introduced an optional extra-wide cab with a fixed three piece wrap-around windscreen called the model 50. Another option on all cabs at that time was a door with exposed wooden molding, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘Queen Anne’ today. Although the door’s moldings looks applied, in reality the door skin has been cut away exposing the wood door frame inside, although the small piece mounted on the cowl is applied, not cut-away. Later cabs offered applied cast aluminum moldings, as the exposed wood on early models allowed moisture to enter the composite doors, which rotted out from the inside.

By 1950 Brockway had a firmly established dealer network with 20 independant dealers and 35 factory branches, most of which were concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania and states located on the Atlantic seaboard.

The US Army used a number of ex-WWII Brockway B-666-based bridge builders and C-666 crane platforms during the Korean Conflict. One pair of bridge-builders were used by the Treadway Bridge Co. of the Army's 58th Engineer Battalion to span a heavily-defended river crossing  at the southern end of the Chosin Reservoir near the village of Koto-ri (now in North Korea). It's likely Brockway supplied some new vehicles to the US Military during the Korean conflict, but their civilian production remained unaffected with 20 new models being introduced between 1950 and 1952, mainly in the 100 and 200 series, which were all equipped with Continental gasoline engines, Fuller transmissions and Timken axles.

The end of the Korean conflict brought a year-long recession during which time Brockway sales and the firm's share of the domestic market diminished to where it controlled a meager 0.2% of total US truck sales (including light trucks).  Tragedy also struck during the year when the firm's founder, George A. Brockway died on August 17, 1953 at the age of 90. Especially sad was the fact that the rest of his family (his wife Mary and two sons; G. Russell and William N. Brockway ) had predeceased him, save for a single grandson, (Wm. N. Brockway III who was born to Charlotte and Wm. N. Brockway II in 1920) the August 19, 1953 issue of the Syracuse Herald reporting:

“George A. Brockway Funeral Is Today

“CORTLAND — Funeral services for George A. Brockway, 90, industrialist and philanthropist, who died Monday night at his late home, 19 W. Court st., will be at 2 P. M. today at the late home. The Rev. Dr. Ralph C. Lankier, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery, Homer.

“Mr. Brockway, known as a leading industrialist, and founder and former president of Brockway Motor Company, Inc., Cortland, and was also widely known for his contributions to civic, educational and charitable institutions.

“He was born March 26, 1863, at Homer, son of William N. and Edith Hine Brockway. He became an associate of his father In the 1860's in the manufacture of carriages at Homer, known as the W.N. Brockway Carriage Works.

“When his father died In October, 1889, George A. Brockway carried on as business manager. The business expanded rapidly and soon became one of the largest privately owned concerns for the manufacture of carriages in the country.

“In 1912 Mr. Brockway organized the Brockway Motor Company of Cortland. He retired in 1928 but continued to serve as chairman of the board. During the war years the Brockway company supplied its full capacity of units for the armed services.

“During World War II they manufactured large quantities of the famous Class "B" military trucks and Brockway developed a heavy duty chassis for pontoon bridge building equipment, heavy cranes and fire-fighting apparatus.

“Mr. Brockway was a former president of Homer National Bank and president of Cortland Water Board. He was also president of the board of trustees of Cortland County Home for Aged Women; vice-president and director of First National Bank of Cortland and vice-president and director of Homer National Bank; one of the founders of the Cortland County Hospital and its vice-president for many years. He also organized the Brockway Foundation, the income from which he used to help persons of moderate means in the town of his birth.

“Mr. Brockway was cited in 1944 in Who's Who of America for giving libraries to the University of Miami and to the village of Miami Shores. Fla.; an infirmary to the Cortland County Home for Aged Women; a clubhouse to the American Legion of Homer and funds for a Student Union Hall to New York State University Teachers College at Cortland.

“In 1929 he purchased 118 acres on West rd., where he established the Willowbrook Ayrshire Farm, devoted to breeding of blooded Ayrshire cattle.

“Married to the late Miss Leffingwell Dunbar May 15, 1889, the couple had two sons, G. Russell Brockway, who died In 1937, and William N. Brockway, who died in 1945.

“Mr. Brockway was a member of the Cortlandville Lodge F. and A. M., Cortland Country Club, Century Club of Syracuse and the Miami-Biltmore Club of Miami, Fla.

“Since 1899 Mr. Brockway spent his winters at his Miami Beach home and his summers at 19 W. Court st., Cortland.”

In his eulogy the Rev. Dr. Ralph Conover Lankier stated that Brockway, “produced the good in life as well as the goods of life.”

In January of 1954 George S. Piroumoff retired for health reasons and Harry O. King, the firm's principal shareholder, was elected president of the Brockway Motor Co., Inc.
Born in Chicago, Illinois on March 6, 1890, Harry Orland King was a corporate turnaround specialist and financier, who started his career in the plumbing supply business and for a short period of time served as treasurer of the Maxfer Truck & Transfer Co. and Phoenix Trucks Makers, two short-lived Chicago truck manufacturers. In the late 1920s he went to work for the Bassick Co., a Bridgeport, Connecticut-based manufacturer of brass and iron casters and hardware, eventually becoming vice president and general manager. He also served as president of the Magazine Repeating Razor Co., the manufacturers of the Schick razor. His experience in the ferrous metals industry earned him a position as Deputy Commissioner of the National Recovery Administration in Charge of Ferrous Metals during the Roosevelt administration. By the late 1930s King had become quite wealthy and purchased a controlling interest in the Manhattan-based Munson Line Inc. (formerly Munson Steamship Lines) from its founder Carlos P. Munson in 1939. As Munson president, he and its sympathetic board of directors purchased a controlling interest (54% as of Dec. 31, 1941) in Brockway using $1,665,519.77  of the Munson Line's liquid assets. He later married Arizona's US Congresswoman, Isabella Greenway (2nd marriage for both of them), and during the Second World War headed the Copper Division of the War Production Board, which coincidentally provided Brockway with a number of lucrative military contracts.

During Piroumoff's tenure as Brockway president, King trusted him to manage the company, which remained profitable into 1954 when Piroumoff retired, after which King assumed Brockway's top position. During Piroumoff's last few years at the helm Brockway's annual sales had tumbled to pre-war levels and King, who had no interest in running the firm other than to salvage his investment, began looking for a third party to either purchase the firm outright or buy out Munson Line's controlling interest.

That fall King located an interested party, the H & B American Machine Co., a large manufacturer of machine tools for the textile industry with plants located in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Chicago, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Los Angeles, Calif. On November 4, 1954, H & B made a $5.5 million lease - purchase agreement with Brockway, the November 4, 1954 issue of the Canandaigua Daily Messenger reporting:

“Brockway Motor Co. Sold To H & B

“New York (AP) – The H & B Machine Co., manufacturers of machines and tools, has purchased the Brockway Motor Co. Inc., which operates from New York City and Cortland.

“H & B announced yesterday that the purchase agreement incorporates a five-year lease by the company of Brockway’s Cortland plant with a purchase option subject to agreement of Brockway’s stockholders Nov. 19 in Cortland. H & B has plants in Chicago, Indianapolis, Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

“Jacob Saliba, executive vice president of Brockway, will become president and general manager of the Brockway Motor Co. division of H & B. Harry O. King is now president of the Brockway firm, maker of tractor trucks.

“The announcement said: ‘No change in the present operation of Brockway is contemplated, and the H & B officers express the intent and hope that the entire organization of Brockway Motor Co. will remain intact.”

H & B had second thoughts and withdrew their purchase offer in December and King resumed his search for another buyer. In August of 1956 both firms announced they were suing each other, with Brockway charging 'breach of contract' and H & B alleging 'general damages.'

During the early 1950s the Sanitation Department of the City of New York employed a large number of Brockway trucks equipped with Roto-Pac self-packing sanitation bodies constructed by Corona, Long Island's City Tank Corp. In 1954 the City of Philadelphia Department of Street sand Sanitation ordered a similar fleet of Brockways to be used in conjunction with 184 Roto-Pac refuse collection bodies they had purchased, many of which served double-duty as snow plows during the winter. A City Tank display ad in the June 1954 issue of the American City providing details:

“Philadelpia Orders 184 Roto-Pac Units

“City Estimates 600,000 lbs. More Refuse Collection Per Day!

“The City of Philadelphia has just ordered 184 Roto-Pak refuse Collection Units. This order was based on a 2-year comparison between escaltor-type compaction and rear-door compation. On the basis of daily test runs during the past 2 years, the officials of the City of Philadelphia estiamate that the escalaor-compactor type of refuse collection unit will carry 600,000 pounds more refuse per day than rear-door compaction vehicles.”

Brockway had begun working on their first all-steel truck cab in 1953, hoping to replace the composite sheet metal-sheathed wood-framed cabs they had been using since the mid-teens, and by 1955 all new Brockways were fitted with all-steel units with 3-piece windshields, which were advertised as the 'All-Steel, Safety-View Cab'.  That year also marked the debut of the firm's first Diesel engine, which was supplied by Continental, their favored engine supplier at the time. Brockway employees also elected to join the United Automobile Workers union, the January 29, 1955 issue of the Syracuse Herald Journal reporting:

“Workers Chose U.A.W. in Cortland

“By a vote of 104 to 48, production and maintenance workers of Brockway Motor Company. Cortland, chose the United Auto Workers C.I.O. as the collective bargaining agent yesterday in an election sponsored by the Nationl Labor Relations Board.

“Francis X. O'Melia, area director of the auto workers, announced that meetings would begin at once to negotiated for collective bargaining contracts as soon as certification is made with the N.L.R.B. in Washington.

“O'Melia further states that this will open up a new organizsation field for  the U.A. W.-C.I.O. in the southern tier section.”

During the next few months Brockway entered into talks with the White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio, who had recently purchased Sterling (in 1951) and AutoCar (in 1953) but discussions broke off that July. Brockway's engine supplier, Continental Motors Corp., was the next firm to express an interest, but they too got cold feet and backed out of the discussion in August.

Mack Truck, which had recently been taken over by the Northeast Capital Corporation, a holding company headed by Christian A. Johnson, was the next firm to express an interest in Brockway, the August 9, 1956 issue of the New York Times reporting:

“Mack To Buy Brockway Motor, Merging 2 Oldest Truck Makers

“Mack Trucks, Inc. and the Brockway Motor Company, two of the nation's oldest heavy-duty truck manufacturers, are planning to unite. P.O. Peterson, president of Mack Truck, and H.O. King, president of Brockway, announced that an agreement has been signed whereby Mack will acquire the Brockway business.

“Subject to approval of Brockway stockholders at a meeting this fall, the consolidation woulde make it the largest independent heavy duty truck manufacturer in the country.

“While the terms have not been complete, the transaction is understood to involve a cash purchase, the amout of which was not given.

“News of the acquisition, issued for publication today, was reflected in the price of Brockway Motor's stock which sold at 35 bid, 37 asked in the over-the-counter market yesterday. On Tuesday the stock was traded at 33 1/2 bid, 35 1/2 asked. Mack Truck on the other hand was off 1/8 point, closing at 37 on the New York Stock Exchange.

“The agreement calls for outright purchase by Mack of Brockway's inventory. In addition, the Brockway plant and manufacturing facilities at Cortland, N.Y., together with its owned branches, will be rented by Mack with a two-year lease option to purchase. Leases on rented branches will be assumed by Mack.

“The announcement enphasized that Mack will maintain the Brockway organization in its present form, operating it as a division of Mack Trucks, which will continue to manufacture and sell Brockway trucks and products.

“Mack Trucks, whose assets on last Dec. 31 totaled $194,988,105 reported its 1955 net income at $7,815,783 on sales of $194,317,035. Its sales for the first half of this year reached a record $126,609,541, a gain of 51 per cent over a year ago, while earnings were at a new high of $5,754,031 or $3.05 a share.

“Brockway, which was first formed in 1875 as a carriage maked, had assets aggregating $12,823,276 last Dec. 31. It earned $524,605 in 1955 on sales of $14,055,387, and 1956 volume is estimated to be running 15 per cent ahead of last year.”

Apparently Harry O. King was not 100% certain that the Mack deal would proceed and three weeks later, the August 29, 1956 edition of the Syracuse Post-Standard reported that Brockway was still in negotiations with White Motor Co.:

“Brockway and White Motor Co. have entered into a tentative contract under which Brockway holdings would become part of the White organization. The contract has been approved by the officers of the respective companies, but still is subject to the vote of stockholders.”

The following month (September, 1956) Mack purchased the C.D. Beck Co. of Sidney, Ohio, a manufacturer of custom-built inter-city buses that is covered in great detail in this encyclopedia, the 'Industry in Review' column of the October, 1956 issue of Bus Transportation reporting:

“Mack Enters Intercity Bus Making Field

“A New Bus Manufacturing Giant was created last month with the announcement that Mack Trucks, Inc., has purchased the intercity bus manufacturing firm of C. D. Beck & Co. Long restricting its bus manufacturing to local transit-type buses, Mack embarked on this venture, said President P. O. Peterson, to be able to “Compete for additional bus travel business” sure to come with the advent of the superhighway and toll roads.

“Transit Buses have been Mack's mainstay ever since it first started building buses . . . This new merger removes another manufacturer from the bus making scene, but in the long pull the purchase will benefit…

“No sooner was news of the purchase announced than Greyhound, one of the largest customers for intercity buses, let it be known at the convention of the National Association of Motor Bus Operators that it had ordered 34 new buses from Mack. Beck, one of the smaller manufacturing firms which pioneered many of the innovations that have since become standard, will be operated as a division of Mack.

“Peterson said that Mack will begin producing intercity buses immediately through the facilities of the Beck plant at Sidney, Ohio. However the 34 vehicles ordered by Greyhound will not be intercity vehicles, but will be Mack C-59 models, transit-type buses costing $23,019 each.

“These new buses will go to Pacific Greyhound, which has extensive commuter operations in the San Francisco-Oakland, Calif., area, and to Richmond Greyhound Lines. Pacific Greyhound will receive 30 buses. Richmond, four. Greyhound has long been a customer of General Motors ... in fact, was named a co-conspirator in the government's anti-trust suit against GM. This new order, according to Greyhound boss Arthur S. Genet, “would, in the past, have gone to General Motors.”

“However, Greyhound is currently preparing a "multi-million dollar suit against GM for alleged failures in Scenicruiser buses." In addition to the bus manufacturing facilities of the Beck company, Mack also acquired the C.D. Beck Realty Co., and also a large plot of land adjacent to the Beck Plant. The latter purchase, said Peterson, will permit future expansion of facilities.

“At the helm of the new division will be H. R. Fouss as manager. He is presently general manager of the Beck firm. C. D. Beck & Co. was organized in 1931 and has specialized in over-the- road buses, just the reverse of the Mack company. It pioneered the modern-day deck-and-a-half bus, a vehicle which became better known to the general public through Greyhound’s Scenicruiser, manufactured by General Motors. Only last year Beck unveiled its semi deck-and-a-half bus, lighter in weight, a little less deluxe and a less costly version of the Scenicruiser.”

The September 1956 issue of Canadian Transportation reiterated the details of the pending Mack-Brockway acquisition:

“Mack Trucks Set To Acquire Brockway Trucking Business

“P. O. Peterson, President of Mack Trucks, Inc., and H.O. King, President of Brockway Motor Company, Inc., announced Aug. 8 that an agreement has been signed whereby Mack Trucks, Inc., will acquire the Brockway truck business.

“Mack will take over all of Brockway's manufacturing, sales and service facilities under terms of a special purchase-rental agreement, and will carry on the business as a separate division of Mack Trucks, Inc.

“The agreement calls for outright purchase by Mack of Brockway’s inventory. In addition, the Brockway plant and manufacturing facilities at Cortland, N.Y., together with the Brockway-owned branches, will be rented by Mack with an option to purchase. Leases on presently rented branches will be assumed by Mack.”

On September 15, 1956 the New York Times announced that the deal between Brockway and Mack had been approved at a meeting of Brockway stockholders and the transfer would commence on October 1st,1956:

“Brockway Deal Approved

“A special meeting of Brockway Motor Company, Inc., stockholders at Cortland, N.Y. has approved transfer of the company's truck manufacturing business to Mack Trucks, Inc. The transfer is expected to take place Oct. 1.”

The agreement between Mack and Brockway, as filed with the New York Stock Exchange, follows:

“Proposed Purchase

“On August 7, 1956, the Company entered into an agreement with Brockway Motor Company, Inc. (herein called “Brockway”) subject to the approval of Brockway's stockholders, to purchase on October 1, 1956, certain of Brockway’s assets, principally consisting of service and production parts inventories, branch sales and service station equipment, and including its trade-name. Brockway manufactures trucks in the categories known as Groups 5, 6 and 7 in relatively small volume, assembling them from components purchased from others. Its total sales for 1955 were about $14,000,000.

“The purchase price is to be based in part on the book value of certain assets purchased in part on the lower of cost or market of inventories as adjusted. It is estimated that the aggregate purchase price will be between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000, depending on the value of inventories at the date of acquisition. Payment of the entire purchase price will be made out of the Company's general funds. Under the agreement, Mack will lease Brockway's plant and plant equipment at Cortland, N. Y., and its eleven owned branches for a period of four years, with mutual cancellation privileges after two years in the case of the plant and the plant equipment and after one year as to the branches. The annual rentals will be $100,000 for the plant, $50,000 for the plant equipment and $150,000 for the branches. Mack also has options to purchase, at any time during the term of the leases, the plant for approximately $600,000; the plant equipment for approximately $375,000, less rentals thereon theretofore paid by Mack; and any or all of the branches for a price based on the number of branches purchased and the purchased (estimated to be about $1,600,000 if all of the branches were purchased separately). Mack has also agreed to assume such of Brockway’s eighteen branch leases as the latter is able to assign; the annual rentals of all 18 branches aggregate about $125,000. A copy of the agreement is filed as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement.”

Per the preceding agreement Brockway became an autonomous division of Mack Trucks, Inc. on October 1, 1956. Mack was the nation's oldest continuous manufacturer of motor trucks, having built their first motor vehicle, a sight-seeing bus, in 1900.  Like Brockway, Mack started out as a New York State carriage and wagon manufacturer, Fallesen & Berry, whose Brooklyn plant was taken over by Augustus F., John M. and William C. Mack in 1893. In 1905 production moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania where the firm manufactured trucks, buses, fire apparatus and trolley cars. In 1911 they merged their operations with that of  the Saurer and Hewitt Motor Truck companies, reorganizing as the International Motor Truck Co. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Mack (and Brockway) became a full-time builders of Class B Liberty trucks for the U.S. military and in 1922 was renamed Mack Trucks Inc. For the next three decades Mack, White and International dominated the heavy truck industry in the United States, and in the early 1950s Mack and White started buying up their smaller competitors, which resulted in Mack's acquisition of Brockway which during the late 1950s strengthened their postion in the market, which they went on to dominate.

The two firm's manufacturing techniques were oceans apart, Mack utilized a modern assembly line while Brockway built their trucks to order, assembled where they stood, with the parts being transported to the truck - the same method Brockway had used since they were founded in 1912.

With Harry O. King gone, Mack vice-president James E. (Jack) Cambria became Brockway's vice-president and general manager. Mack's earnings for fiscal 1956 rose 55% with unit sales rising a record 31%. Also gone were the unpopular Continental Diesel engines, which were replaced by reliable Cummins power. Mack made the wise decision of keeping Brockway's parts procurement an entirely separate operation and during the next 20 years, no major Mack components, eg: engines, transmissions, axles, would be fitted to any Brockway motor truck, although the cabs and basic design of the firm's 1963 COE came from Mack.

A large part of Mack's marketing and national prominence was related to the firm's 'Bulldog' mascot, which had been introduced back in 1932. In 1957 Brockway set about getting their own mascot, which was suggested by the son of Brockway employee Bill Duncan. While watching the Sgt. Preston of the Yukon television program, young Jim Duncan suggested that the show's canine co-star, an Alaskan Malamute named 'Snow  King' might make a suitable mascot. Brockway management agreed, and a stylized 'Huskie'  became the firm's very first hood ornament, first appearing on a 1958 Brockway Model N-260TL.  Although they are visually very similar, the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky are two distinct breeds (the Malamute is considerably larger), although it's hard to argue that 'Husky' is far better-known and easier to pronounce, as to its incorrect spelling 'Huskie' it's anybody's guess.

One month after their contract expired (October 18, 1958), the United Auto Workers Union threatened to strike at five Mack Plants (including Brockway), the November 21, 1958 United Press Wire reporting:

“Mack Truck Strike Threat for Nov. 28

“New York - (UPI) - The United Auto Workers Unio has served notice that it will strike at midnight next Friday, Nov. 28, unless a settlement is reach with Mack Trucks Inc.

“UAW negotiators for 6,500 workers at Mack Truck plants in five cities have scheduled another meeting for Monday in their contract negotiations. A joint union-company statement Thursday said progress has been made but the union said it would strike if agreement was not reached by deadline time.

“Mack Truck plants affected are in Plainfield and New Brunswick, N.J.; Sidney, Ohio; Cortland, N.Y.  and Allentown, Pa.”

A settlement was reached after an all-night bargaining session on Sunday, Nov. 31 and on Monday morning, December 1, 1958 both parties announced that the walkout had been averted.

By that time Brockway advertising centered around their 'BBC' or 'bumper to back of cab' dimensions, which they claimed were the shortest in the industry. The Huskie Model 258 advertised it was 'only 87" from bumper to back of cab'.

With a $12 million dollar payment to Brockway stockholders, Mack completed its takeover of Brockway in late January, 1959. On May 15 of that year James E. (Jack) Cambria announced the introduction of Brockway's all new line of "Huskie" motor trucks, the firm's first all-new model since 1935. Easily identified by their  squared-off 'Step-Aside' FRP (Fibreglas-reinforced-plastic) front fenders and chrome Huskie mascot , the same basic design would survive into the late 1970s. During the year Brockway received an $800,000 contract to supply the US Air Force with 94 of the new 'Huskies'.

In the May 5, 1960 issue of The New York Times, author Gay Talese wrote about a year-long trip four volunteer firefighters had recently made from Argentina to Manhattan in a 1925 Brockway Firetruck:

“4 Argentines Here In Fire Truck

“Year's Trip in 1925 Hook-and-Ladder to End Upstate by Gay Talese

“Fifteen months ago in Argentina, four footloose firemen with a yen for adventure hopped into their 1925 hook-and-ladder truck, pointed it northward and began to putter toward New York at a thirty-mile-an-hour clip.

“Today, 17,000 miles and three blowouts laterm thye will leave for Cortland, N.Y., the last leg of a journey on which they have spent all their money, irritated their wives and been discharged as firemen.

“Originally the four firemen had told their wives that the goodwill tour of United States fire departments would last four or five months. On the tour the ARgentines also planned to trade their Brockway truck for a newer model at the Brockway truck plant, which they believed to be in New York City.

“But things happened en route. PEdro Centrone broke a rib saving a fallen child in Guatemala, he said. Leonardo Antico, the only fireman with a driver's license, said he had broken his finger fixing the motor. And then there was the fire in Los Andes, Chile.

“'We saw this house on fire,' Senor Centrone recalled yesterday. 'And people started yelling, 'Ah bomberos, bomberos' - firemen, firemen! We put the fire out and everybody was happy. But when they saw the sign on our truck they asked, 'How come the firemen from Argentine get here before the firemen from Chile?'

“It was while they were speeding through Louisiana at fifteen miles an hour (2 miles an hour uphill) that they exhausted the $650 each had brought along. So they accepted fifts, oil and gas, from fire companies along the way, and they hunted and fished for food.

“They arrived, unshaven and battered in Manhattan last Thursday. They began to look for Brockway. But they were told that Brockway was still farther, in Cortland.

“Brockway officials, however, had learned about the trip and they sent a representative, George Snyder, into Manhattan yesterday.

“'I've been instructed to escort them to Cortland and help them financially,' Mr. Snyder said. 'The trip down from Cortland took me five hours in my car. But the trip back with this fire truck will take us two days.'

“'In Cortland they plan a party for the firemen, and I think they'll give them a newer fire truck for this one, which is desirable as an antique.'

“"The cops may stop us on the way up to Cortland though. Have you noticed that these guys drove all the way up here with an Argentine license plate that expired in 1953?'

“The Argentines plan to return to their home town of Boca, a suburb of Buenos Aires, this week. The new fire truck will probably be shipped. They hope to borrow money to fly.”

The United Press Newsire noted that the fireman had completed their 17-month, 17,000 mile trip from Buenos Aires to Cortland on May 7, 1960:

“17,000-Mile Journey Ends For Firemen

“Cortland, N.Y., May 7 - (UPI) - Four volunteer firemen from Argentine arrived here today at the end of a 17,000 mile journey to trade in their 1925 fire engine on a new model.

“The men, a butcher, locksmith, building engineer and a chauffeur, left Buenos Aires Jan. 1, 1959 for the Brockway Motor Company here, where the fire truck was originally purchased. A three-day celebration including a parade and a fishing trip was planned, before the men return to South America.

“Albert Bonillo, Pedro Centrone, Felix Dimango and Leonardo Antico visited 11 countries, 10 states and the District of Columbia during the good will tour marking their company, the first volunteer fire company in Argentina.”

1962 marked Brockway's 50th anniversary and the firm's 'Huskie' mascot was plated gold to commemorate the occasion. The Cortland firm also announced a large $1 million dollar contract to produce prime movers for the US Air Force and Navy.

Mack had kept a hands-off approach in regards to the engineering of Brockway trucks until 1963 when the Cortland subsidiary released a COE (cab-over-engine) model, which was based upon the Mack 400-series Model F COE. Brockway's COE was available as a 50" BBC 4- or 6-wheeler; a 72" BBC 4- or 6-wheeler with a 22" bunk; or an 80" BBC 4-or -6 wheeler  with a 30" bunk. The Mack-based sleeper cabs included custom, deep-spring mattresses with interior lighting and ventilation controls within easy reach:

“The Brockway Model 61A ‘Cab-Napper’:

“From bumper-to-back of cab, the Brockway ‘Cab-Napper’, even with the same spacious bunk dimensions, is 6 inches shorter than conventional tractors. The unique engine mount and cab-forward design provides the answer to heavy-duty hauling that requires maximum trailer length with a sleep cab.

“The Brockway Model 61J ‘Siesta-Cab’:

“Built to the traditional dimensions of the heavy-duty motor tractor, this new sleeper cab combines top driver comfort with highest efficiency and economy. It’s the first choice in a sleeper cab where bumper-to-back of cab dimensions are not a critical factor in operation.

“Insulated Engine Compartment:

“To maintain the same standards of easy accessibility and maintenance, Brockway combines the Step-Aside fenders with this fully insulated engine compartment in the cab-forward model. It opens up or dismounts to make the rear portions of the engine as easily accessible as the forward section.”

Under Mack's control Brockway continued to cater to their traditional customers, which were clustered in New York State, Pennsylvania and the Atlantic Seaboard. Despite occasional ads in the industry trades, Brockway sales continued to decline in the early Sixties, tumbling from a high of 1,206 units in 1963 to 1,047 in 1965.

Brockway dropped the decades-old 100 series of light trucks in 1965, replacing it with a new line of Huskies, the Model 300 series, whose advertising touted its short 'BBC' (bumper to back of cab) dimensions.  Introduced during 1965, the popular series offered customers a choice of a short- (90" BBC) or long- (117" BBC) hood cab which were designed to accomodate a wide variety of powerplants, which were easily accessible via Brockway's distinctive 'swingout' front fenders. The 300 series also featured the firm's all-new FRP (fiber-reinforced-plastic) grill surround, a distinguishing feature that helped identify a Brockway from quite a long discatne away.

Sales of the new 'Uni-Matched' Series 300 models, particularly the Model 358 and 359 helped boost Brockway's 1966 sales by 25%, which outperformed it's parent company's, which were up only 15% over the previous year. The 359 offered a greater choice of powerplants, such as the Detroit Diesel 12V71 12-cylinder or Cummins 903 8-cylinder, as its cab was mounted 8" higher than the 358's.

Plagued by a chronic shortage of working capital, Mack's directors began entertaining merger prospects in 1967. The first prospect, their long-time rival, White (now known as White Consolidated Industries), was deemed too similar to Mack, and rejected in March of 1967. The second suitor, the Los Angeles-based Signal Oil and Gas Company, the west coast's largest independent petroleum producer, was deemed more suitable and on August 18, 1967, Mack became a Signal subsidiary via an $82 million exchange of stock.

Per the agreement, Mack retained complete autonomy, which continued into 1983 when the Signal Companies (reorganized in 1978) spun off Mack, doubling their initial investment. The structural organization of Mack remained the same with Zenon C.R. Hanson as president of Mack although James E. (Jack) Cambria was elevated to executive vice-president of Mack, his postion as general manager of Brockway going to another vice-president, Robert J. (Bob) Matthews.

At that fall's American Trucking Association Convention, which was held in Chicago, Illionis from October 15-18, 1967, Brockway introduced two additional 300-series models, the Model 360 (set-forward front axle) and the Model 361 (set-back font axle), which were available with a choice of single or tandem rear axles and a 'BBC' measurements of 90" or 117".

1968 marked the introduction of Huskidrive, a powertrain which combined a 248 h.p. 6-cylinder Cummins  NHCT-CT (Custom Torque) Diesel with a 5-speed transmission and 2-speed (5.05/3.70) rear axle, the later being controlled by a below-the-dash-mounted power/cruise switch.  A Huskidrive equipped Brockway was readily identified by the dual Huskie mascots setting atop the hood.

'Overdrive', the most popular trucking magazine of its day, christened Brockway as "The Most Rugged Truck in the World!' in its May 1968 issue, and during the next decade would feature numerous Brockways inside and on the cover.

Caterpillar Diesel engines were a factory option for 1970, a year in which Brockway unit sales increased 22% over the previous fiscal year (1969) and an ambitous factory expansion program ( P.E.P. - Progressive Expansion Program) debuted, the January 24, 1970 issue of the Syracuse Post-Standard announcing the dedication of the project's first facility:

“Brockway Dedicates New Cortland Facilities

“Cortland - Robert J. Matthews, vice president of Mack Trucks Inc. and general manager of Brockway Motor Trucks, Friday formally dedicated the company's new office and factory facilities on Central Avenue here.

“Construction was begun early in 1969 as the first step in a major Brockway-Cortland expansion program. Matthews was joined by Zenon C.R. Hansen, president and chairman of the board of Mack Trucks Inc., and Cortland Mayor Morris A. Noss, both of whom were instrumental in encouraging Brockway to remain in Cortland during the recent period when the company's future here was in question.

“Following a toast to the future success of the state's only major heavy-duty truck manufacturer, Matthews unveiled a mural in the reception room of the new office. The mural depicts the origin and growth of Brockway Motor Trucks with its founder, George A. Brockway, as the central figure in a montage of past and present Brockway products and facilities.

“Brockway and his associates built the first Brockway truck at the site of the new building in 1912.

“A bronze plaque in the outer lobby of the new building was unveiled, by William A. Duncan, Brockway public relations and advertising manager, noting that the new structure is on the site of the factory purchased by Brockway in 1911 from the E. Ellis Omnibus and Cab Co. The original building was erected in 1850 by the Omnibus firm. It was demolished in 1963.

“Brockway became an autonomous division of Mack Trucks Inc. in 1956.

“Donald B. Cameron, assistant to the general manager, said the new facilities contain a total of 40,000 square feet of space. Purchasing, planning plant engineering, personnel and traffic departments have been shifted to the new office building, which contains a reception area and interviewing offices. F.M. Ambler, director of operations, also will occupy an office in the new building.

“The new factory area will be devoted to receiving materials and components and is expected to facilitate production with more efficient feeding of materials to the assembly lines through improved handling procedures.

“Cameron noted that the new factory section of the structure contains indoor loading docks and truck wells as well as a five-ton bridge crane.

“At the dedication, Matthews said, ‘We owe a lot to many people in Cortland for encouraging us to remain here and we certainly owe a lot to Zenon C.R. Hansen who has had the best interests of Brockway at heart during the time he has headed our parent company.’

“In addition to Hansen and Noss, other dignitaries attending the dedication were L. A. De Polis, senior executive vice president of Mack Trucks; John McNeil, past president of the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce; Robert Biviano, newly installed chamber president; Ralph Jordan, executive secretary of the chamber; Vern Niederhofer, president of the Cortland Development Co.; Edward Suben, chairman of the City of Cortland Planning Commission; John Larkin, president of the Common Council, and Floyd Wood, oldest living Brockway employee, who joined the organization in 1913. The dedication was followed by a luncheon at Shamrock Inn.

“The new plant was thrown open to all Brockway employees and their families and guests Friday evening with a full program of entertainment and a catered meal. Two Country and Western shows were presented and inspection tours were conducted throughout the plant.”

By late 1971, the second building in the PEP program was completed, with construction of the third well underway. 1971 also saw the introduction of the Model 527 Huskiteer, a short-wheelbase cab-forward truck designed for heavy-duty use in confined surroundings.

In 1971 Brockway truck cabs were custom padded for noise reduction as well as impact protection. They would also develop an air brake system in which the air brake was separate from other accessory uses. It had a constant 60 psi, despite failure of any other accessory.

Further cementing its popularity with Brockway truck users, Overdrive magazine published a feature article on Brockway in its May, 1971 issue, which was later reprinted as a sales brochure entitled 'Brockway—The Most Rugged Truck In The World!'  The article also pictured one of a small run of custom-painted trucks built for Brockway's Puerto Rican distributor in 1970 which were fitted with gold-plated radiator shells identifying them as 'Borinquen Specials.'

1971 and '72 were banner years for Brockway, with over 2,000 trucks per annum, the highest number since the postwar boom of 1946-1949. Unfortunately the 'Energy Crisis' of 1973 and the ensuing depression of 1974 hit the truck manufacturing industry hard.

High interest rates and high operating costs, prompted fleet buyers to put new purchases on hold, and by mid-1974 new orders had come to a crawl. Timing couldn't have been worse for the introduction of Brockway's new 700-series which included an enlarged radiator, and an all-new driver's cab supplied by Toledo, Ohio's Sheller-Globe Corp.  Many 700-series trucks were fitted with a forward-tilting FRP hood which was made available in two different lengths to accomodate different-sized powerplants.

Unfortunately new models did not result in increased sales and the Brockway plant experienced a number of short-term layoffs during late 1974 and early 1975. However an accumulated backlog of 1,500 orders brought 68% of laid-off workers back to work in April of 1975.  In July of that year Brockway's overseas sales department landed a  575-piece $22 million contract, increasing the percentage of employees called back to 85%, the July 19, 1975 issue of the Syracuse Herald Journal reporting the good news:

“Cortland firm to sell 575 Trucks to Iran

“CORTLAND - Robert J. Matthews, general manager of Brockway Motor Trucks here, announced Friday that successful negotiations were completed last week for $22.6 million in truck sales to Iran over the next four months.

“The new orders call for approximately 575 heavy-duty units to be built and shipped before Nov. 1, 1975. The deal was consummated by Roy J. Sherry, Brockway vice president of marketing and assistant general manager. Matthews and Sherry returned from overseas last week with final confirmation for financing and shipping the initial orders.

“The Cortland truck manufacturing concern has completed the first phase of the export commitment already and the first shipment of 100 units is on a ship headed for its destination. Another 75 units will be completed and on the water before Aug. 1.

“The 175-unit order is made up of 124 dump trucks and 51 tractors. The configuration and specifications for the balance of the 575 truck order for Iran is being completed. Additional orders are expected from the new Brockway distributor in Iran monthly, as the company successfully completes and ships scheduled orders.

“A growing backlog of domestic orders resulted in the April 21 recall of 68 per cent of employees laid off in February. With the new export orders, 85 per cent of the peak Brockway work force is now on the job, and Matthews indicated that all workers will be recalled as soon as raw materials are received and production schedules permit.

“While Brockway has an ample supply of parts and components on hand, certain special components for foreign orders had to be purchased and received at the factory before full production on the new orders could commence. At the start-up of business last Monday, Brockway increased its production by 120 per cent, from five trucks a day to 11.

“In crediting Sherry with being instrumental in securing the export business, Matthews said, ‘Roy Sherry has worked tirelessly in a strange land amid fierce competition to bring all this to a successful conclusion.’

Sherry spent many weeks in Iran during the negotiating period and set up Iran-Brockway, the new distributorship that was ultimately responsible for the present 575-vehicle order. Sherry said, ‘When we add this influx of export business to the gradual upturn of domestic orders, Brockway will be busier than it has ever been in the modern truck-building era that began right after World War II.’

“‘During the next few years, Brockway plans to increase production capacity to 25 trucks a day, a figure never attained before in the 63-year history of the company,’ he said. ‘Because plans in the past few years have been made to triple our production, we are now geared and ready to handle a full load of domestic orders as well as the new export business,’ he said.

“It now appears exports will account for a large percent of Brockway production this year. Despite the apparent slump in domestic heavy-duty truck sales, Brockway production reportedly will compare favorably with that of the early 1970s when the company was in one of its greatest growth periods.

“Emphasizing that all the new foreign business obtained is commercial and not military, Sherry also announced that, in addition to Iran-Brockway, new distributors have been acquired in Europe, Africa and South America.

“Both Matthews and Sherry pointed out that a rapidly spreading network of new distributors, both home and abroad, is being translated into new business. At present, Brockway finds itself in an advantageous position. In the past, the company's distribution was concentrated to a great extent in the eastern half of the United States, leaving a large portion of this country open for growth as well as the overseas market.

“During the present economic slump, Brockway is able to maintain its production and bolster its sales through an accelerated program of expansion both home and abroad.”

The Sept./Oct. 1975 issue of the Brockcaster, Brockway's in-house newsletter, announced that September 1975 was the largest single month in the company's history in terms of both dollar volume and number of trucks delivered.  By that time Brockway's factory branches numbered only nine, although the number of independent distributors had gradually increased during the previous decade and now numbered 91.

Mack's continuing shortage of working capital meant there was very little to be shared with Brockway. Most troublesome for the firm was the implementation of USDOT (United States Department of Transportation) FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) No. 121, which mandated that all heavy duty trucks manufactured after March 1, 1975 must include anti-lock air-brake systems that met minimum performance, equipment and dynamometer test requirements to ensure safe braking performance under normal and emergency conditions.

FMVSS-121 created havoc in the industry because of the lack of technology available to implement compliance. Customers were unwilling to pay for complex, unproven and expensive systems and put off their purchase of new trucks until after either the systems were improved, prices came down, or the anti-lock requirement was repealed.

In March of 1976 Brockway inferred that a 5-day shutdown was due to FMVSS No. 121, stating they had been forced to re-adjust their inventories, and were shutting the plant down to allow new orders to build up. To get around the statute, Brockway introduced a 'glider kit' which included only a frame, cab, hood, front fenders, radiator, and front axle - FMVSS No. 121 only applied to complete motor trucks.

That July, Brockway won a substantial order from the New York State Department of Transportation for a fleet of plow trucks, based on the Model 776, a new model introduced to commemorate the country's Bi-Centennial.

As expected the implementation of  FMVSS No. 121 caused sales of heavy trucks to drop off exponentially and the manufacturers took the USDOT to court. The industry group won the case and the anti-lock requirements of FMVSS-121 were repealed in 1978, however it was too late for Brockway.

During the summer of 1976 Mack management and the Cortland UAW local (No.68) entered into labor talks as the union's contract was slated to expire at the end of the year. Local 68's president, Geno Patriarco, lost his re-election bid and talks between the UAW and Mack stalled. stalled between Brockway's U.A.W. #68 and Mack management after Geno Patriarco wasn't elected. A wildcat strike erupted after lunch on a Monday at the Cortland plant early in 1977, the January 24, 1977 issue of the Syracuse Post-Standard reporting:

“Union Gives Resounding No

“Cortland – Meeting at St. Anthony’s Hall Saturday afternoon, members of United Auto Workers Local 68 voted 367-8 by secret ballot to reject an offer by Brockway Motor Trucks for extension of the previous contract, which expired in October. The local has about 380 members.

“Following the vote, local president Ed Wigenback stated, ‘We will go back to work Monday. We will be going into continued negotiations with management, probably the first of the week.’

“About 365 Brockway Union employees walked out of work at noon Thursday and picketed the plant Thursday afternoon and Friday.

“Now owned by Mack Trucks Inc., Brockway Motor Truck Co., is for sale, according to announcement last month by company Vice President Robert J. Matthews.

“The 80-year-old company, formed by George Brockway, in the truck industry of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s was one of the big three, which also included Mack and White trucks.”

Although Union members went back to work, they returned to the picket lines on February 8, 1977, and on March 30, 1977 Mack/Brockway management announced the plant would be shut down for good within 10 days, the same day's issue of the New York Times reporting:

“Brockway To Close Plant Producing Large Trucks.

“Brockway Motor Trucks of Cortland, N.Y., where some 370 members of the United Auto Workers union have been on strike since Feb. 8, announced that the plant would case operations within 10 days. The plant, a division of Mack Trucks Inc., employs 600 persons in the production of heavy-duty trucks.

“The Signal Companies Inc., Mack Trucks parent company, said it expected a net loss of about $4 million from the discontinuance of Brockway. In 1976, Mack Trucks as a whole earned $23.8 million on sales of $11.03 billion.”

Mack/Brockway decided to keep the plant open a little while longer during which time they entered into negotiations with Steven J. Romer, the president and chairman of Solargen Electronics Ltd., for the purchase of the Brockway plant. The April 21, 1977 issue of the Syracuse Post-Standard contained the following statement from Mack’s corporate vice president Richard Mann:

“Mack Trucks Inc. today signed a letter of intent to negotiate for the sale of Brockway Motor Trucks of Cortland, New York, to Steven J. Romer, New York City attorney and president and chairman of Solargen Electronics Inc.

“Negotiations will be conducted during the remainder of April with a prospective closing date of June 1.

“Mack on March 29 had announced plans to end production at Brockway and to liquidate the assets.

“Mr. Romer said he anticipates Brockway will be back in production by June 1, and that he intends to manufacture Brockway’s line of heavy duty Diesel trucks as well as a line of electric cars in the existing Brockway plant.

“My hope is to retain as many Brockway employees as are willing to stay.”

Romer subsequently made a trip to Cortland to look over the property and evaluate its balance sheets, and the strike was officially terminated on April 29th, 1977. However the UAW workers wouldn't return to the plant as Romer's offer was deemed unreasonable and the purchase agreement fell through, the May 3, 1977 issue of the Syracuse Post-Standard reporting:

“Mack Trucks Inc. Monday announced that it is proceeding with the liquidation of Brockway Motor Trucks I Cortland as a result of its inability to conclude an agreement to sell the division to Steven J. Romer of New York City.

“Mack April 2 announced the signing of a letter of intent to negotiate the sale of Brockway to Mr. Romer.

“The negotiations have not been successful and have ended. It now appears that liquidation is the only means of disposing of Brockway.

“On March 29, Mack announced plans to end production at Brockway and liquidate assets, but later suspended liquidation plans after agreeing to negotiate with Mr. Romer.”

Four or five trucks that sat partly assembled in the Cortland plant were relocated to the Elmira factory branch for completion and a dedicated Brockway parts depot was established in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

An order for 45 Brockway U762TLtractors for Miami's Inter-American Transport Co. awaited completion when the plant closed down. Destined for use in hauling cane sugar in Iran, Inter-American requested that Mack/Brockway ship all the parts required to their Miami warehouse where a small crew of Brockway managers and supervisors assembled the trucks over the course of several months. The very last Brockway, an AU-762-TL, equipped with a Detroit Diesel 12V71 12-cylinder engine, 15-speed Roadranger transmission, and 55,000-lb rear axles was completed on June 8, 1977, 102 years after the very first Brockway made its way onto the streets of Homer, New York.

© 2014 Mark Theobald for Coachbuilt.com with special thanks to Doreen K. Bates, (Central New York Living History Center), Mindy Leisenring/Hailley Miller (Cortland County Historical Society) and Thomas Millard Jr.

Appendix 1: Breakdown of Brockway Models numbers (courtesy of Thomas Millard Jr.)

Model Prefix - Engine Manufacturer Cross Reference

Model Number - Engine Designation Cross Reference

Model Suffix - Designation Cross Reference - Pre-Mack only

Model Suffix - Designation Cross Reference - Post-Mack only

Appendix 2: Model Year - Serial Number Ranges (courtesy of Thomas Millard Jr.)

Appendix 3: 'Assembled' vs. 'Manufactured' Trucks

The fact that Brockway was in fact an ‘assembled’ truck served as the basis of a lawsuit the firm filed against the City of New York in mid-1931. The suit was covered in great detail by E.K. Titus in the December 12, 1931 issue of Automotive Industries:

Litigation Tangles New York Truck Market by E.K. Titus

Matter of ‘Assemblers’ vs. ‘Manufacturers’ involves huge fleet order

One of the liveliest and most significant specification debates in recent years is being staged in New York City. "Manufacturers" and "assemblers" of trucks, on opposite sides of the rostrum, have been using affidavits for ammunition.

Affidavits, representing the experience of some of the most distinguished figures in the automotive industry, probably make the best encyclopedia of opinions on the relative merits of the two methods of production ever collected.

The prizes being contested for are millions of dollars New York City is expected to spend on trucks during the next few years. The immediate issue was award of contract for nine motor-driven brooms. Brockway Motor Truck Corp., as a taxpayer, was suing the City of New York, and members of the Sanitary Commission, in an effort to secure modification of the specifications for this equipment, to admit assembled trucks.

Supreme Court Justice Salvatore Cotillio on Nov. 27 handed down an opinion declining to issue the temporary injunction restraining the department of sanitation from specifying a "manufactured" truck. Taking this course on condition that the case be set down for immediate trial on Dec. 7.

He declared, however, that the Brockway counsel had presented "powerful and almost irrefutable arguments to sustain its contention of abuse of discretion resulting in probable waste."

The disputed clauses in the specifications follow:

‘3. (a) That the chassis furnished by the successful bidder on this contract shall be the product of a manufacturer who meets the following conditions:

‘d. That the manufacturer of the chassis has in operation a factory adequate for and devoted to the manufacture of the motor or engine, transmission, front and rear axle, which it proposes to furnish in the chassis.

‘h. That the manufacturer of the chassis has been engaged in the continuous manufacture and advertised sale of motor trucks for at least 10 years.’

Under the conditions, declared Joseph L. Greenberg, attorney for Brockway, the charter of the city is being violated, because these conditions are arbitrary and do not afford full opportunity for open, free and competitive bidding, but limit the bidders to a class, causing the price to be maintained in excess of the open market price.

Not more than four motor-driven broom manufacturers will qualify for submission of bids and the acceptance of bids thereunder, notwithstanding the fact that there are more than 30 motor truck manufacturers who would be capable of furnishing proposals to the City of New York.

The specifications, the attorney held, were ‘artfully drawn’ to exclude Brockway, and unless they were modified, he declared, there would be a ‘fraud on the taxpayers.’

When bids were opened, it was found the following unit prices had been offered: Four Wheel Drive Co., $8,350, terms 2 per cent; White Motor Co., $7,082, terms net; Russell Snow Plow Co., $7,025.50, terms 2 per cent; N. P. Nelson Iron Works, $6,350, terms net. Award was delayed.

Later Brockway filed for the record a letter from Daniel Dickenson, secretary-treasurer of the Russell Co., stating the company could have bid under the low bid had it been able to order an assembled chassis. Mr. Dickenson said the 20 snow brooms bought by the city from his company in 1928, and equipped with Brockway chassis, were giving good service.

Major Emil Leindorf, who has charge of sales to municipalities for Brockway, in a supporting affidavit, said:

‘I have discovered by checking 5-ton trucks advertised in the Commercial Car Journal, a Chilton Class Journal publication, and the most important periodical in the industry, that only four truck  manufacturers could qualify, and then they would have difficulty in meeting in toto the specifications set forth by the Department of Sanitation.’

‘The requirements for bidders will necessarily cause the bids to be higher,’ said Robert F. Black, president, Brockway, ‘and it will enable the bidders to control the prices between them. Deponent therefore believes that an injunction should issue out of this court, restraining the defendants from carrying into execution any plan or device with respect to the aforesaid purchases, and directing the defendants to issue a call for proposals to furnish motor-driven brooms to the City of New York, which shall include all manufacturers on a basis where competition will be open and free, and the city will derive the benefit of the low market therefrom.’

$2,500,000 Order Involved

While the immediate object of Brockway's suit was to open specifications on the nine brooms to assemblers, the larger issue concerned purchase of 500 dump trucks with covered bodies at an estimated cost of $2,500,000. The Department of Sanitation had this sum available. It must be spent before the end of 1931, or revert to general city funds.

The result of the suit, moreover, was expected to affect specifications for some of the other millions of dollars worth of trucks that New York City buys in the course of a year. In addition, purchasing officials of many other cities might incline to follow New York's lead. The precedence set in this case will be, therefore, of great importance.

Early in the year, the Sanitary Commission spent a million dollars for 205 Autocars. While there were a number of bidders, the sanitary authorities stated their specifications had called for a ‘manufactured truck.’

In July, Dr. Schroeder held a hearing on specifications for the $2,500,000 worth to be bought later. The tentative specifications distributed called for a ‘manufactured’ truck.

Representatives of practically all the leading producers attended the hearing. Most remained silent. An unattached engineer from the borough of Queens and several association people spoke. As a result, Dr. Schroeder indicated he might modify the specifications. It was while the producers' representatives were awaiting final specifications on the $2,500,000 fleet that the department, seeking bids for the comparatively insignificant lot of nine motor-driven brooms, specified a manufactured job. Brockway's suit followed.

Decision Reserved

Justice Cotillio heard the arguments and reserved decision. The avalanche of affidavits followed. On the side of the ‘manufacturers’ there were those of A. F. Masury, chief engineer of Mack Trucks, Inc., and Arthur J. Scaife, consulting engineer for White Motor Co.

The arguments of the ‘assemblers’ were presented in affidavits by H.W. Alden, chairman, of Timken-Detroit Axle Co.; Martin L. Pulcher, president , Federal Motor Truck Co.; William R. Angell, president, Continental Motors; W. Ward Mohun, assistant sales manager, Willys-Overland, Inc.; Eugene B. Clark, president, Clark Equipment Co.; L.P. Kalb, former chairman of the Truck Standards Committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers; R.G . Stewart, vice-president and chief engineer, Stewart Motor Corp.; C.A. Peirce, chief engineer, Diamond T Motor Car Co., and Charles Balough, president, Hercules Motor Corp.

All of the assemblers' affidavits were submitted after and were replies to the affidavits of Mr. Masury and Mr. Scaife. Mr. Masury said in part:

‘Your deponent states that from his experience in the automotive industry he has found that an assembled motor truck or chassis does not give satisfactory service as a vehicle of conveyance or transportation, for the reason that the units thereof (motor, transmission, axle, etc.) are of unstable quality and quantity, often rearranged, switched, and misplaced, in order to meet a price. In other words, an assembled truck is not a coordinated unit of machinery.

‘The companies producing assembled vehicles are transient in life, often unstable financially, and in most instances insolvent, thus leaving the purchaser of an assembled truck in a year or so with orphan mechanical equipment. This means that individual repair parts have to be made up, one at a time, to fit into the units which have gone completely dead, subjecting the purchaser of an assembled truck to the practice of 'pirating of parts,' i.e., the selling, under false representation, of inferior parts.

‘In order to service the assembled trucks, the purchaser thereof is not dependent upon a reputable manufacturer who has a constant supply of repair parts on hand, but is forced to go into the open market to secure from miscellaneous parts dealers the necessary repair units. These repair parts dealers have no interest in the trucks themselves, but are simply interested in selling these inferior parts for a price measured simply in dollars and cents. This necessarily raises the cost of repairs to a very high figure.

‘The makers of assembled trucks in general do their business through dealer organizations, instead of through factory branches, which is the practice of truck manufacturers; thus a purchaser of an assembled truck has not a responsible business organization of stable character through which to service his trucks, i.e., the ability to furnish repair parts at minimum cost and with speed.

‘It is well known in the automotive industry that a maker of an assembled truck has to buy his units as they are made and manufactured by the unit manufacturer, and he has no control over the changes in material and specifications which the assembler may see fit to make in order to meet the demands of the trade.’

Mr. Scaife, consulting field engineer for the White Motor Company, said in part:

‘It is my opinion that a manufactured motor truck is superior and will give greater satisfaction from a user's standpoint than an assembled truck. A manufactured truck is engineered to give uniform performance in all of its component units, such as engine, transmission, axles, frame, steering gear, etc., due to the coordinated engineering calculations made at the time of the vehicle's design, proved by extensive experimentation and testing, extending over a period of years.

‘It is very difficult to incorporate this feature of balanced engineering into an assembled truck, due to the principal units being designed and manufactured by different engineering groups. As all engineering is a compromise, it would be practically impossible for each one of the engineering groups represented in an assembled truck to produce a completely balanced vehicle.’

Many of the affiants replying to Mr. Masury and Mr. Scaife held that the distinction ‘manufacturers’ and ‘assemblers’ was inconsistent, and that this method of distinction might well be discarded in view of the fact that even the ‘manufacturers’ purchase certain component parts of their product.

Mr. Clark of Clark Equipment pointed out that his company had manufactured major parts for trucks for 19 years. He denied that so-called assemblers were ‘transient in life’ or ‘unstable financially.’

‘Statistics prove,’ he continued, ‘that while in the early days of the industry most trucks were of the so-called ‘built-under-one-roof’ type, the tendency in recent years has been toward trucks designed and built-to-use units produced by specialists in the manufacture of such units.

‘A vehicle builder who would close his doors to the advance in the art of producing the component parts would soon find himself producing a vehicle with obsolete parts.

‘To build and design bodies and to market trucks is a full-sized job for any company. If, in addition to this task, a truck builder undertakes to compete with scores of large companies which devote their attention to design, construction, improvement and manufacture of component parts, then indeed the truck builder has undertaken more than he can accomplish.

‘The reason that the great bulk of modern trucks are built to use purchased units is not only because specialized units are generally superior but also because they are cheaper.

‘These facts account for the rapid and continuous trend during recent years toward what is improperly designated as an ‘assembled’ truck.

‘As evidence of the trend that has gone on during the past ten years, it is to be noted that the percentage of the total trucks produced by the two builders who have advertised their adherence to the principle of ‘building under one roof’ has been steadily declining. For instance, in 1920 these two manufacturers produced 12.9 per cent of the total trucks produced (exclusive of Ford); in the first nine months of 1931, they produced only 2.8 per cent.

‘Thus in a decade the total truck business obtained by the ‘built-under-one-roof’ builders has fallen to 22 per cent of what it was in the beginning ; if the Ford production be included (Ford not being a built-under-one-roof truck ), the figures are still more unfavorable to these two builders.’

Mr. Pulcher ‘most emphatically’ stated ‘that units of the assembled motor trucks now being sold by responsible manufacturers are not of un stable quality, and he knows of none that are rearranged, switched, or replaced to meet any price, as is set forth in the affidavit of A. F. Masury. This deponent states that the companies producing assembled vehicles are not ‘transient in life,’ nor does he believe them to be ‘often unstable financially.’ They are certainly not, in most instances, insolvent.

‘The deponent cites the following well known and financially responsible companies which sell so-called assembled trucks and vehicles: International Harvester Co., Reo Motor Co., Chrysler Motor Corp., and General Motors Truck Co.

‘In the opinion of this deponent the motors of the Continental Motor Co. are at least equal to any other motors, and the axles of the Timken-Detroit Axle Company have long sustained a position in that competitive field as good as those of any other company. Their integration in a truck is a guarantee of its efficiency, its economical manufacture, and its continued operation.

‘The deponent Masury states that assembled truck makers do their business through dealers, and intimates that the purchaser of assembled trucks does not have a responsible business organization of stable character through which to service his trucks. In respect to this assertion, little needs to be said, except to call attention to the fact that there are, throughout the country, large numbers of dealers in trucks and motor cars, whose financial responsibility as individuals, in many instances, approaches that of the manufacturer of the vehicle itself.’

Mr. Peirce of Diamond T referred to statements of Mr. Scaife that during the war he was a member of Class A Design Committee for trucks, and of Mr. Masury that he is chairman of the Ordnance Advisory Committee of the U. S. Army and a member of the U. S. Army Quartermaster's Advisory Committee on Motor Vehicles.

‘The U.S. War Department, represented by the Quartermaster General,’ Mr. Peirce continued, ‘has decided to adopt as standard for trucks for the transportation of men and munitions during peace and war, trucks of the assembled type. . . .’

Mr. Peirce of Diamond T stated that ‘Mack Trucks, Inc., and the White Motor Co. have been changing their policies with respect to the manufacturing of all of the parts which are used in their trucks in the past few years, and are today buying some parts from parts manufacturers which they formerly manufactured themselves. This affiant is informed that Mack Trucks, Inc., and White Motor Co. today purchase from parts manufacturers and in many instances from the same manufacturers as the Diamond T purchases its parts.’ Mr. Peirce cited axles, wheels, and universal joints, as examples.

‘The Diamond T Motor Car Co.,’ Mr. Peirce continued, ‘has been in business for 26 years, and has been under the same management continuously.

‘Affiant further states that the cost of overhauling an assembled truck is much less than that of a so-called manufactured truck.’

Mr. Alden of Timken-Detroit expressed his belief that the qualifications of companies seeking to supply the city of New York with equipment might well be considered under the following four headings: Financial and material resources; experience gained over a period of years; facilities for production of high quality material, and service.

Mr. Alden's Comments

Following are extracts from Mr. Alden's comments under each of these headings:

1. ‘As the producer of so-called assembled trucks has at his command the entire unit manufacturing resources of the country, these real financial resources are far in excess of those of any individual producer of manufactured trucks. The capital and surplus of the Timken-Detroit Axle Co. alone is $16,288,833.67.

2. ‘The unit manufacturer does not, never has, and never can produce a line of ‘canned’ units which are just sold off the shelf. In general the unit manufacturer has had more varied experience on which to design and build units than has anyone individual truck manufacturer.

3. ‘As the unit manufacturer has had to concentrate on one line only, and as competition among unit manufacturers has forced quality up and prices down, he has had to fortify himself with the best of production equipment.

4. ‘The Timken-Detroit Axle Co. has, for over 20 years, sold continuously to some producers of assembled truck s.’

Mr. Alden expressed his conviction that there was no more danger of pirating of parts with one than with the other classification of trucks, and that ‘of course it is wholly within the control of the ultimate user.’

‘Many producers of so-called assembled trucks.’ he continued, ‘have been in existence just as long as some of the producers of manufactured trucks. The latter have no monopoly of brains or experience.’

Mr. Angell's Facts

Mr. Angell, president of Continental Motors, confined his affidavit to a fact -by-fact statement giving details of the history, financial condition, service facilities, etc., of the company.

He pointed out that his company has conducted its business since 1902; has successfully designed, manufactured and sold upward of 2,250,000 internal combustion engines; maintains and operates two large plants at Detroit and Muskegon, Mich., and furnishes quick service at 38 parts stations located in various parts of the United States.

Mr. Balough, president of Hercules Motor Corp., declared that ‘the experience of large fleet operators, many of whom have operated large fleets of both classifications of trucks, are a matter of record, and a close analysis will undoubtedly prove that the specialized truck built by the so-called truck assembler has given equally as good satisfaction as the so-called manufactured truck."

Most if not all of the ‘manufacturers’ of trucks, he said, buy their ‘carburetors, ignition apparatus, universal joints, springs, frames or at least their component parts - wheels, and many other units and parts without interference to the idea of proper coordination.’

Mr. Stewart declared that "from his many years’ experience as a motor truck engineer, designer and manufacturer, he considers many of the statements of said Masury biased, misleading, and at variance with his knowledge and experience.’

He pointed out that ‘even Mr. Masury's company purchases its frame rails or frames from the Parish Mfg. Co., universal joints from the Spicer Mfg. Co., Roller bearings from the Timken Roller Bearing Co.,’ etc.

Mr. Stewart disputed Mr. Masury's statement that ‘assemblers’ were transient in life, pointing out that some of them were organized 15 to 25 years ago, Mr. Stewart also outlined in different language a number of the arguments of other affiants.

Mr. Mohun of Willys-Overland held that the practice of buying parts from ‘outside component parts manufacturers of reputable standing’ made for ‘better material and quality at lower prices.’

December 12, 1931

© 2014 Coachbuilt.com

© 2004-2014 Coachbuilt.com, Inc.|books|disclaimer|index|privacy