Mid Cities History

Mid Cities Motor Freight, Inc. was founded in July 1977, after Bill Whetsell and his sons, Bob and Roger, were led to an area of need within the transportation industry. They saw that businesses in the area of all kinds were in need of a company that could take the hassle out of moving product from one location to the other.  They started out small, operating out of a little home office in Bill and his wife Ann’s 700 square foot home, and kept their promise to their customers humble: They simply promised to do what they said they were going to. The results of that promise resonated with their customers, and soon word of their reliability and determination to make their customers happy spread.

It wasn’t long before they outgrew their home office, and purchased a small corner building a and a fleet of trucks. They quickly outgrew even that, however, and finally moved for a third time into the 20,000 square foot facility the company’s main office still occupies.  Today, through nearly 40 years of business, Mid Cities has expanded its operations to over 150 trucks, 250 trailers, 75 owned Chassis and Tri-Axles, and operational and satellite locations throughout the U.S., and specializes in both OTR/Regional Trucking and Nationwide Intermodal Services. Providing freight services to customers of all sizes throughout the country, Mid Cities maintains a diverse equipment fleet with top of the line care for safety, quality, and continuous development.

Before the Whetsell family ventured into transportation, their path was headed in a very different direction – until a very sudden catastrophe led them to an unlikely opportunity. In early 1970, Bill and Ann opened The Across the Street Steakhouse and Lounge in downtown St. Joseph, MO. It was located not far from the heavily Ukrainian-Polish neighborhood Ann’s parents had immigrated to, and where Bill and Ann still lived with their children. The restaurant displayed an elegant, 1940s vibe, with live Jazz music and an eclectic menu that featured everything from fresh seafood to homemade dishes from Ann’s Ukrainian heritage – many of which she made herself. Bob and his brother, Roger, helped their parents run the restaurant in any way possible, doing every job from cooking, to bussing tables, to attending the parking lot, and even valeting cars.

The restaurant was especially popular with doctors, lawyers, and businessman of the booming area, many of whom developed close relationships with Bill and the family over the years – and whose expertise would be vital in helping them open Mid Cities after their world, quite literally, came crashing down on top of them. THE ROBIDOUX DISASTER On June 13, 1976, the historic Robidoux Hotel located next door to the restaurant was slated for demolition. During the demolition, however, a mistake with the implosion led to the hotel falling in on the lounge – completely destroying the building and the family’s dreams in one single crash. Though they initially hoped to rebuild their thriving restaurant, they soon had to face the reality that it was beyond repair.

A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE IN TRUCKING: Although rocked by the tragedy of losing their business, Bill’s stubborn determination refused to let that be the end of the road. He reached out to some previous patrons for advice, and found there was a great opportunity in the trucking industry that matched his passion for service.

At that time, most deliveries were handled by the supplier, and he found there were surprisingly limited options in the area for businesses that did not want to deliver their own product. He realized that by specializing in moving product, they could take a huge hassle away from the supplier, unnecessary stress away from the customer, and could help to streamline businesses of all kinds. So Bill and Bob created a make-shift office out of Bill and Ann’s 700 square foot home, and with a couple of pickup trucks and a determination to bounce back stronger than ever, Mid Cities Motor Freight was open for business in July 1977 – and 40 years later, we’re still going strong.