Idaho State University students pen book about history of Garrett Freightlines; community reception set Dec. 7

Sixteen Idaho State University honors students and their professor will host a community reception at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7, to celebrate completion of their manuscript about Pocatello’s iconic Garrett Freightlines, scheduled for release in May.

The reception is at Juniper Hills Country Club, 6600 Bannock Highway, Pocatello. The book will retail for $23.95 and profits will help fund student scholarships, said Assistant Professor of Management Alex Bolinger.

He and his students spent the semester researching the business practices, management style and personalities that shaped Garrett Freightlines – once the nation’s fifth largest freight carrier and a major Gate City employer for nearly seven decades. They scoured university archives, toured the old Garrett terminal and interviewed former company employees. Students will talk about their experiences at the reception.

Arcadia Publishing, the nation’s largest publisher of local and regional history, is publishing the book in its popular “Images of America” series. The book will consist of up to 180 historical photos and captions.

Clarence Garrett and his brothers founded the company in 1913 as a service to pick up freight from the Union Pacific Railroad and deliver it to customers around the Pocatello region. The company’s story includes attempted hostile takeover bids, negotiations with Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa, and the introduction of several innovations to the trucking industry, including the use of diesel engines, long-haul refrigeration and triple trailers.

The course represented a unique collaboration among the ISU College of Business, ISU College of Arts and Letters, the ISU Honors Program, and the Special Collections archives at Eli Oboler Library. Students from varied disciplines – including business, finance, creative writing and history – not only analyzed an entrepreneurial success story, but learned the dynamics of working collaboratively in a large group, Bolinger said.
To pre-order copies, go to https://commerce.cashnet.com/isugarrettfreights.