About Monson Trucking

In 1915, Olaf Monson began a drayage business in Zumbrota, Minnesota. He called it Monson Dray Line and delivered railroad freight to local stores, coal to homes, and also hauled workers to a brick and tile plant near Zumbrota.

His teams of horses and dray wagons were replaced by trucks soon after his son, Gordon, joined him in business. However during WWII, horses were once again used for local deliveries as gas was rationed to support the war effort.

Gordon Monson began hauling general freight between Zumbrota, Red Wing, and the Twin Cities. He later expanded into Rochester and Faribault, eventually selling that part of the business to Murphy Motor Freight Lines.

Gordon's son, Robert, focused on the truckload operation located in Red Wing, Minnesota. In 1980, the name of the company was changed to Monson Trucking, Inc., as by then few people knew what a dray line was anymore!

As the business grew, Robert added terminals in Duluth and Virginia, Minnesota to better serve the needs of the paper industry in Western Ontario, Canada. In 1983 the company offices were relocated to the Duluth terminal.

During that same period, Robert's children, Mark, Mike, and Carrie, joined their father in the operation of the company. Since his "retirement", Mark and Mike have taken over day to day responsibilities.

In 2006 a new terminal opened in Mauston, Wisconsin, bringing the number of terminals to four. Duluth remains the company headquarters.