Truck Topics

In Memoriam: Edwin P. Housworth

The expediting industry has lost one of its pioneers.

Ed Housworth of Housworth Trucking and Leasing succumbed to heart failure on Wednesday, March 17, 2004. He was 68 years old.

This innovative trucking entrepreneur was the president of a
company that bills itself as the "nation's largest company leasing team-driven trucks for the expedited freight business."

Ed had been fighting kidney and bladder cancer for over two years.  Although the bladder cancer had shown improvement, an operation was scheduled to remove one kidney.  On the day before that operation, cancer of his liver was discovered.

Chemotherapy treatment for the liver condition was ineffective, so he was transferred to another medical center where an experimental therapy was tried with no success.  His doctors suggested an experimental surgery and on the day after the procedure, Ed appeared to be doing well.  Sadly, and possibly due to the pain medications he had been taking, he suffered heart failure.

Ed's wife Ruby and his daughter Linda were with Ed at the time of his passing.

Ed's background  
Ed Housworth came from a humble background; born on a farm in rural Georgia, he worked his way through Georgia Tech running a milk route until he achieved enough college credits to go into Naval Aviation.

From 1955 through 1963, Ed served as a fighter pilot flying the first 1000 mile per hour Navy fighter, the F-8 Crusader. Other naval career highlights included his time with the "Jolly Rogers" aerobatic team in Europe and working in an exchange program with the US Air Force, flying the F-104 Starfighter.

Upon leaving the Navy, Ed worked for a gas/petroleum company and was also employed in the Recreational Vehicle business. He also spent time working as a fleet and truck manager for a Chevrolet dealership.

Ed lost his first wife of 33 years to an accident in 1990. He is survived by his second wife Ruby, who he married in 1991.

In 1994, the couple answered an ad from an owner who was looking for a team to run a cargo van, and after 6 months of expediting in the van, Ed and Ruby ordered a "D" unit which they leased to Con-Way NOW of Ann Arbor, MI.

They ran for Con-Way NOW for over three years, becoming the top wage earners in straight trucks in 1997 and 1998 and collecting the "Contractor of the Year" award in 1998.

Unfortunately, health concerns forced them to retire from driving in that same year. By that time, they had purchased a second truck and had another team driving for them.

It was around this time that, "Our CPA helped us develop this unique concept in expediting/leasing," stated Ed.

Their program provides late model FL 70 & 80 Freightliner straight trucks on a lease basis for people who, as Ed Housworth explained in an interview several years ago, "Don't wish to commit to the major expenditure that a straight truck represents, or those who don't qualify for purchasing their own truck; we can help set them up in their own business. With us, their credit background doesn't matter."

"The teams do not work for us but rather they work for themselves. We offer our recommendations on where the top truck income can be earned. They make their own contract with an expediting company and we provide all start up funds for truck lettering and satellite installation."

Since the inception of this leasing program, Housworth Trucking & Leasing has grown to some 36 units currently on the road. The expediting companies which are leasing Housworth trucks include Allstate Express, Nations Express and, of course, Con-Way NOW, with some 30 trucks leased to that company alone.

Some remembrances
Housworth Trucking & Leasing's operation is situated on a 200-acre farm 20 miles east of Atlanta, GA.  General Manager Louise Johnson has been with the company since 1999, and says of her late employer, "Ed always had a positive attitude; he liked to encourage all of his drivers.  He was always here for them and whatever they needed."

She continues, "His drivers were always welcome to call and whenever they were close to our location, they had an invitation to come visit.  He was always in an upbeat mood, he never let anything get him down."

Steve and Linda Gawlik are from the Palm Beach, FL area and were signed with Housworth Trucking and Leasing a little over 2 years when interviewed. Their truck was leased to Con-Way NOW before leaving the business due to medical reasons.

Steve said at the time, "It's the best system we've run across! Ed Housworth came highly recommended and I wish we had met Ed and Ruby when we first looked at expediting. We had a great relationship and it worked out very well."

All-State Express President Spencer Squier says, "We've always kept Ed's trucks quite busy! Ed was a remarkable fellow; his concern was the comfort and well being of his drivers."

"Ed and Ruby were excellent professional business owners who were a part of the beginning of Con-Way NOW," says President  Ed Conaway of Con-Way NOW. Once they stepped out of the truck and began their leasing company, they became an even larger part of the success of Con-Way NOW.

"Personally,  I always looked forward to hearing from Ed, speaking to him and working with him. Ed was of those people that you just enjoyed doing business with both professionally and personally. He will be missed at Con-Way NOW."

 
Arrangements for Ed Housworth

Visitation:

Sunday, March 21, 2004

2:00 - 4:00 PM

6:00 - 8:00 PM

Harry White Funeral Home
1299 Millstead Ave.
Conyers, GA 30012
Phone:  770 483-7216

Funeral

Monday, March 22, 2004

11:00 AM

Smyrna Presbyterian Church
2920 Highway 212
Conyers, GA
Phone:  770 483-8962