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Celebrating Schneider's 82nd birthday: Comparing 1935 and 2017

Al Schneider and his first Schneider truck in 1935 shown alongside the latest 2017 line of Schneider trucks.

A lot has changed in 82 years, but one thing that hasn’t: Schneider’s role as a leader in the trucking industry.

Today we celebrate Al Schneider’s “leap of faith” to sell his family car to buy his first truck and the amazing company history that has transpired — from one truck in 1935 to 10,120 company driver trucks in 2017.

To put it in perspective, here are a few things that happened in 1935:

  • The Great Depression continued, with unemployment still surpassing 20%.
  • The U.S. Social Security Act was signed into law.
  • The Hoover Dam (then Boulder Dam) was completed.
  • Amelia Earhart flew solo across the Pacific Ocean.
  • The first technicolor Mickey Mouse short film was released.
  • Babe Ruth hit his final home run — No. 714.

Even crazier, here’s a comparison of the cost of living between 1935 and 2017:

19352017*
A new house$3,450$360,900
A new car$625$33,560
Average annual salary$1,500$48,000
A gallon of gas$0.10$2.30
A loaf of bread$0.08$2.31
A postage stamp$0.03$0.49

*or most recent data available

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About the author
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Schneider Guy loves the "Big Orange." He's passionate about the trucking industry and connecting people to rewarding careers within it. He's been the eyes and ears of our company since our founding in 1935, and he's excited to interact with prospective and current Schneider associates through "A Slice of Orange."

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