North American Van Lines, or NAVL, is a large American trucking company originally formed in Cleveland, Ohio, and later based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which specializes in home and office relocations.
History
North American Van Lines was established in 1933 by a group of 12 agents. By 1938 the network expanded to 120 agents, and eventually grew into one of the largest trucking companies.
In 1947, NAVL moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
PepsiCo
On July 5, 1966, Spedco Inc., a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc., applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission to purchase NAVL for about US$22 million in PepsiCo stock. On August 29, 1967, the ICC examiner recommended the acquisition of NAVL by Spedco Inc, and on November 27, 1968, NAVL was acquired by Spedco Inc., which had Kenneth W. Maxfield as its Executive Vice President. By June 1969, North American Van Lines Inc. was fully acquired by PepsiCo.
Norfolk Southern
On May 3, 1984, NAVL was approved for sale by PepsiCo to Norfolk Southern Corporation for US$315 million. At the same time PepsiCo was also negotiating sale of Lee Way Motor Freight, as a further move in its divestment of its transportation division.
On May 23, 1984, Moving Credit Inc. merged into NAVL. Over the subsequent two years NAVL was merged with the railroad in a deal that had been initially approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
In June 1986 NAVL then hired Norfolk Southern's advertising firm, J. Walter Thompson, Washington, to handle its advertising account of more than US$1 million. It became the first active ad campaign for NAVL since the purchase from Pepsico two years earlier.
Livery
The North American Van Lines trucks (beginning ca.1968) are painted in white and a clear shadow of blue, with red and blue circles on the white area, and a white arrow crossing the circles. The name North American is spelled "northAmerican" on the company's trucks' liveries.