Seward Motor Freight dates back to the early 1940s, when the trucking company started as a LTL carrier transporting general commodities exclusively within Nebraska, between Omaha, Lincoln and the surrounding cities near Seward. After purchasing the company from the founder Willard Meier, Seward Motor Freight experienced significant expansion through the 1970s under the leadership of Wayne and Joan Tanderup. During the Jimmy Carter administration with the passing of 1980 Motor Carrier Regulatory Reform and Modernization Act to deregulate the trucking industry the company seized the opportunity and incorporated in the state of Nebraska and secured contract authority in 1987. The company continued to grow throughout the 1980s, expanding the number of trucks, drivers and enlarging the foot print of operations to the west and east coast. In 1985 the company moved into their new 6.5-acre headquarters at Interstate 80 and Highway 15. It has received annual safety awards from the Nebraska Trucking Association since 1986, and its current president, Joan Tanderup, received an "Outstanding Woman in Business" designation in 2018.