Warren/Stonewall Freight owner reflects on decades of service, industry change
After decades of hauling freight between Winnipeg and Interlake communities, George Williams is easing off the road — closing the chapter on a career that began long before he was old enough to drive.
Williams, 78, retired in December 2025 from Warren/Stonewall Freight, a family operation he quite literally grew up in. His father, Lloyd George Williams, purchased Stonewall Trucking around 1952, and by the time George was five years old, he was already helping out.
“My early days on the job were carrying empty cases of beer bottles,” Williams said. “In those days, it was all by hand.”
By Grade 12, Williams was already running freight routes. He would attend school in the morning, walk home, then climb into a truck and head to Winnipeg — a routine he continued after graduating in 1966.
“I was only 17 or 18, and the legal drinking age was 21,” he recalled. “The only reason the liquor commission warehouse would give me the booze to bring to Stonewall was because my dad owned the business.”
Williams officially took over the company in the late 1970s and never seriously considered another career.
“Life throws lots of curves at you,” he said. “But I never really deviated from my path.”
Over the years, Williams witnessed major changes in the trucking industry, none more significant than the shift from a regulated to a deregulated system.
“When the industry was regulated, you were called a public service vehicle,” he said. “If you said you were going to provide daily service, you had to provide it.”
Under regulation, rates were controlled by the province, and any increase required formal approval.
“If you wanted to raise your rates, you had to apply to Manitoba,” Williams said. “And anyone who disagreed could come forward and voice their opinion.”
Deregulation changed that landscape, allowing carriers to set their own prices and decide how — or whether — to serve certain routes. But Williams said his approach never changed.
“I never changed my mindset,” he said. “Being reliable was part and parcel of the regulated era, and I carried that forward.”
As the years passed, Williams said the industry gradually moved back toward tighter oversight — particularly around safety.
“They deregulated it, then re-regulated it,” he said. “Now it’s all on a safety basis.”
Drivers must complete multiple courses and certifications, including compliance training, safety supervision, dangerous goods handling and Manitoba Safety Certification for operating vehicles over 4,500 kilograms. Even mechanical work such as brake adjustments now requires specific licensing.
“You couldn’t adjust the brakes on your own truck unless you had an S endorsement,” Williams said. “Anybody coming into the industry now has a long list of courses before they can even say they’re in business.”
Customer expectations also evolved. In the early days, freight often arrived late in the afternoon — sometimes after stores had closed. Williams’ father carried keys to every business they served.
“We’d put the freight in the store and lock it back up again,” he said. “Nowadays, if you don’t show up by noon or two o’clock, you’re not giving good enough service.”
Williams said trust unexpectedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as contactless deliveries became the norm.
“People got more trustworthy,” he said. “Instead of signatures, I’d write their name down and ask if they were good with that.”
Despite faster traffic and higher speed limits, Williams said winter driving has become more challenging.
“Back in the ’50s and ’60s, trucks were limited to about 45 miles an hour,” he said. “Now you’re doing 100 kilometres an hour and getting passed all the time. Time is more important to people now.”
Still, he said the relationships built over decades of deliveries were the most meaningful part of the job.
“Meeting people, understanding their businesses, getting to know their families — that was the best part,” he said. “That happened all throughout the Interlake.”
Some moments still stand out, including helping transport aerospace equipment during the Gulf War era.
“That gave me a little bit of pride,” Williams said. “I felt like I was doing my part.”
Motivation, he said, came down to determination and family.
“You were determined to provide for yourself and your family,” he said.
Williams has often said that when you truly enjoy your work, it never feels like work at all — a philosophy that defined his decades behind the wheel and in business.
In 2006, Williams’ long-standing commitment to the trucking industry was formally recognized when he received the Manitoba Service to Industry Award from the Manitoba Trucking Association. The honour, presented by Trailmobile, is awarded to individuals nominated by their peers and acknowledges those who have earned widespread respect while making lasting contributions to the industry. At the time, Williams said the recognition was both unexpected and deeply meaningful, noting that acknowledgment from fellow truckers carried special significance.
After turning 78 and reflecting on a serious incident decades earlier, Williams decided it was time to retire.
“There’s only so many miles you can put under your wheels,” he said. “You follow your gut.”
Retirement plans include tackling long-delayed projects at home and clearing out old freight trailers as he prepares for what he calls the next phase of life.
Looking back, Williams hopes he’ll be remembered for his work ethic — something he credits to his father and generations before him.
“Our history is very important,” he said. “Maybe someday people will think about me the same way I think about my great-grandfather.”
If he had to sum up his years on the road in one sentence?
“Time has flown by.”
