There’s no way you can have grown up anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard, anytime post-war, and not be familiar with the accomplishments of G. Grier Beam, even if you’re already asking, “Who’s that?” The company he founded in 1932 was Carolina Freight Carriers, whose red, black and white colors flew proudly on eastern roads for years.
It’s very atypical to find any museum devoted to a single trucking firm or individual, but the C. Grier Beam Trucking Museum fulfills that duty admirably. Among the trucks on display are a brace of Macks in Carolina livery, including a B-series conventional tractor and an H-series “cherry picker” cabover. The Beam museum is also a memorial for past Carolina employees. It’s based in Cherryville, North Carolina, in Gaston County, about 30 miles west of Charlotte, and open Thursday to Saturday. Call 704-435-3072 or visit www.beamtruckmuseum.com.