On September 7th, at Peery’s Egyptian Theater, the Weber County Economic Development Office hosted business leaders, the trucking industry, and community members from around the country, who gathered to watch the premiering documentary, “Diesel in the Water: Small Town Pioneers of American Trucking.”
The documentary highlights the one-of-a-kind story of large trucking companies, whose roots trace back from Plain City. In 1915, the population of Plain City, Utah, was 780. Through hard work and many miracles, this small American town provided the starting soil for four different trucking companies that would go on to be some of the largest and highest quality in the world: Knight Transportation, Swift Transportation, CR England, and Pride Transport.
Before the premiere, the industry titans shared the stage together for a Q&A panel on their shared history and the state of the industry.
Dan England expressed his thoughts, stating, “On behalf of C. R. England, we are excited to see this great ‘trucking’ story come to light. Out of this little-known, quiet community have emerged four great success stories. The Englands, Moyes, and Knights learned to work hard and pursue their dreams in Plain City, Utah. Today, the combined revenues of their companies make a significant contribution to total truckload revenues throughout the United States. This is a story of family and business success.”
Upon completion of the documentary, Kevin Knight stated, “I have such gratitude for the truckload industry and the men and women who keep the supply of goods flowing. I am filled with gratitude for the Moyes and England families, our friendship, and their example.” He further reflected, “I am incredibly honored to have had the pleasure of working with all the wonderful folks at Knight and Swift. It’s been an honor to work with Randy, Gary, and Keith, and the entire team. I appreciate the opportunity to have grown up in Plain City with such fond memories of our hometown where, indeed, there must have been ‘Diesel in the Water’.”
Executive Producer of the documentary, Scott Jenkins, is a former Plain City Mayor and current Weber County Commissioner. Scott commented on his involvement in creating the documentary, stating, “I have always felt this story of hard work and the American dream coming from a small town should be told from the rooftops. For all of us who grew up in Plain City, the lessons learned and characteristics cultivated are an inspiration to the world. We were honored to help tell this story.”
The documentary can be viewed on YouTube at: tinyurl.com/plaincitydoc