When Larry Stidham was allowed to take over payments on a truck back in 1963, he couldn't have dreamed that Stidham Trucking, Inc. would become one of the primary flatbed carriers on the West Coast. Larry started his apprenticeship to the trucking world during his high school years pumping fuel at the town's only 24-hour fuel station. Then a few years driving for both a truck load and L.T.L. Carrier would whet his appetite for a truck of his own.

Stidham Trucking, Inc. celebrated its 41st anniversary in 2004. From that first truck over 40 years ago, Stidham Trucking, Inc. has grown into a fleet of 160 plus tractors and approximately 180 trailers. With a corporate office and maintenance shop in Yreka, California, the Stidham "family" consists of nearly 200 people including drivers, office staff, equipment repair shop personnel, etc.

In the beginning, when Larry bought his first truck and was driving it, Frances, Larry's wife, did the paperwork out of the house. Today, Frances oversees the accounting side of the company. Richard, their son, in addition to being the General Manager, oversees the Beam and Home Improvement Products divisions, while Mary, their youngest daughter, oversees the Glass and Flatbed divisions, as well as supervising the Safety and Recruiting departments.  Between the two of them, Richard and Mary ensure that well over 100 trucks are loaded and unloaded each day.  Teresa, their daughter, started in sales in 1983. Since that time annual sales have gone from approximately 2.9 million to 15 million. Currently, Teresa is pursuing a career in real estate, while also working part-time for the company on outside sales.

Stidham Trucking emphasizes the family element from office staff to drivers. Support from the drivers is recognized as a key for Stidham's success, and in return, Larry takes care of his people.

Stidham runs the best equipment on the road today. Safety and maintenance are absolutes. Stidham Trucking, Inc., has an equipment maintenance program that far exceeds what is required by the Federal Department of Transportation and the California Department of Transportation.  Recently Stidham Trucking went through a very thorough Federal D.O.T. audit and was given a "satisfactory" rating.  In fact, the auditors shared information with Stidham that made them very proud.  The auditors informed them they had less accidents per million miles than any trucking company of their size that they had audited within the past 9 years.  They also informed Stidham that they were issued less citations per million miles than any trucking company of their size that they had audited within the past 11 years.  Safety is a number one priority at Stidham Trucking.

Customer satisfaction and on time deliveries are a must. In the midst of constant rate cutting by competitors, Stidham has maintained a steady, firm set of published tariffs, possible only because of customer satisfaction. While others are regularly going out of business, Stidham Trucking maintains profits that put groceries on the table.

Trucking didn't come easy for Larry. It has taken a firm and steady push to reach what Stidham has become today, but because he has been there himself, Larry is now able to help others realize the dream of owning their own truck.