PHOENIX, June 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- U-Haul today announced the release of the book A Noble Function: How U-Haul Moved America. Through the use of eyewitness accounts from pioneer U-Haul employees, A Noble Function tells the story of how U-Haul began and grew, from 1945-1964, creating the do-it-yourself moving industry and establishing U-Haul as the consumers' number one choice.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3793
Very few people know how and why the U-Haul organization was created, and how it developed into an industry in less than 20 years. A Noble Function captures the personalities, drive and uniquely American spirit of U-Haul co-founders L.S. "Sam" Shoen and his wife, Anna Mary Carty Shoen, and the U-Haul employees and dealers who helped Americans move in the 20 years after World War II.
In 1945, Sam, a World War II Navy veteran, and Anna Mary tried to rent a utility trailer to move their possessions from San Diego, Calif., to Portland, Ore. It couldn't be done. They had to take only what they could fit in the car. The Shoen's reasoned that many other families had a need similar to theirs: the short-term availability of a trailer that could be rented "here" and left "there." No one, at that time, seemed ready or willing to serve that need.
With a 1937 Ford and $5,000 in savings, Sam, Anna Mary and their young son moved from San Diego, Calif. to Portland, Ore. During the drive, they came up with the name and formulated the outline of what was to become the U-Haul Trailer Rental System. The covered wagon of the pioneers morphed into orange U-Haul trailers. In the process, an industry was born.
A Noble Function, written by Luke Krueger and published by Barricade Books, is available at bookstores everywhere and online.
For over 60 years U-Haul has been the undisputed choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,400 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to more than 93,000 trucks, 80,675 trailers and 33,500 towing devices. As a result, U-Haul offers more than 380,000 rooms and more than 33.5 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,050 facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as on of the nation's largest retailer of propane.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
