Ted Rogers

Ted Rodgers, born April 9, 1888, in Bayonne, New Jersey, became one of trucking’s most influential figures. Raised in Coaldale, Pennsylvania, he worked in the coal mines alongside his father for seven years before pursuing new opportunities. Moving to Philadelphia, he began as a stenographer with Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co., later establishing himself as a rock contractor and taking over a Ford dealership in Lansford, Pennsylvania—his first step into the automotive industry.

Rodgers’s passion, however, lay in trucks. Joining the Maccar Truck Co. of Wilkes-Barre, he quickly rose to vice president of sales. He soon branched into selling tires and parts, and in the 1930s co-founded Eschenbach and Rodgers, Inc., a contract carrier for A&P grocers. He also established Rodgers Motor Lines, an over-the-road common carrier.

Committed to improving the industry, Rodgers championed safer trucking practices in Pennsylvania and took leadership roles in local and national associations. His greatest achievement came as co-founder and first president of the American Trucking Associations, earning him recognition as the “Father of Motor Truck Transportation.”

Respected by peers and honored within his faith community, Rodgers left a profound legacy of leadership, safety, and innovation. He died on September 13, 1960, at age 72, remembered as a driving force in shaping American trucking.