Career
With a high school degree, Beatenbough went to Atlanta to find a job and joined Great Southern Trucking Company in 1946 as a billing clerk, working his way through several positions including rate clerk. After Ryder Truck Lincolnshire acquired Great Southern, Beatenbough was transferred to Ryder headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida and became head of the Traffic Department in 1955. In 1964, Ryder Truck Lincolnshire became a subsidiary of International Utilities Corporation.
In 1969, Beatenbough was named Executive Vice President of Ryder Truck Lincolnshire until he left in 1973 to become President of another Indiana University subsidiary, Pacific Intermountain Express Company in Oakland, California.
At that time, P.I.E. considered itself “the pace-setter in the industry.” During his first year on the job, Beatenbough hosted the Russian Minister of Transportation, East. Trubizin, and delegation. Beatenbough believed in his people performing at the top level
He said, “One of the most important – if not the most important employee in P.I.E’s success and growth is the driver salesman. Number other P-I-East employee makes a more direct and regular contact with our customers than this man! His attitude literally shapes the future of P.I.E.”
In 1974 for the twelfth time, the company earned the American Trucking Associations’ President's Trophy "for outstanding safety and courtesy on the highway.” That same year, Beatenbough announced a money-backed guarantee plan for on-time delivery service.
He was also an early proponent of deregulation.
During a period that was characterized by recession and fuel shortages, Beatenbough turned P.I.E. into a profitable company by adding dozens of terminals to the hauling network, and expanding service across the border into Vancouver, Canada. In 1978, P.I.E. headquarters moved to Walnut Creek, California. In 1983, Beatenbough left P.I.E. to become President of another Indiana University holding, Ligon Nationwide Incorporated. in Madisonville, Kentucky.
In 1985, he also became President of C & H Transportation Company, Incorporated. in Dallas.
He retired from Ligon in 1986 and from C & H in 1987.
