Suppose U Drive was founded in 1936 by Edwin E. Johnston and his wife, Mildred. The story starts with three Dodge trucks and a bold road trip from Detroit to Los Angeles, where they opened their first truck rental yard and discovered something that still feels true today: when people need a truck, they usually need it now, and they need it to work.

Over 90 years later, the business is still family-owned and still built around the same idea. Keep the equipment work-ready. Stay responsive. Treat customers like real people. What began in Southern California has grown into a broader Southwest footprint, including Phoenix, while keeping the same hands-on approach that has defined Suppose U Drive since day one.

How it started

Ed first saw the need while working at a car dealership. Customers kept asking to borrow a truck for a few hours to handle a job, move equipment, or get a project done. The dealership could not meet that need consistently, but Ed saw the opportunity. He and Millie saved up, bought three trucks, and drove them to California to start a rental company built around straightforward access to work vehicles when people needed them most.

Eddie Johnston and Millie managed the company’s first location for many years. Over time, Ed helped relatives and in-laws set up rental operations in other parts of California. He built a reputation for working hard, treating people fairly, and staying generous with both his family and the community.

Eventually, Ed’s relatives sold their trucks and retired, but Eddie kept going. He was determined to build something lasting, a business he could pass down to his children and, eventually, his grandchildren.

The War Years

When World War II began, Ed did not want to see the business stall out. He found a way to keep equipment working and doors open by renting trucks and support vehicles to the military. It was a practical pivot that helped the company stay steady during a period when many businesses struggled.

That responsiveness paid off. The business did not just survive, it grew. Ed reinvested in the operation, expanded the fleet, and helped set the foundation for future growth, including work that would eventually connect to the studio and production world.

By the 1950s, the business was firmly grounded in serving working customers and evolving alongside the equipment. Trucks became more specialized. Jobs became more demanding. The focus stayed the same: provide reliable vehicles and keep customers moving.

The time’s they are a changing

In the 1960s, Suppose U Drive opened a location in South Gate for a short time before moving to a new lot in Norwalk in the early 1970s. Around this time, Ed’s son, Edwin Estel Johnston (Eddie Jr.), started in the shop and learned the operation hands-on.

After gaining real experience in the yard and shop, Eddie Jr. moved into the office, working alongside his father and absorbing the work ethic and service mindset that defined the company. When it became his turn to lead, Eddie Jr. carried the same promise forward and ran the company for roughly twenty years before passing it on to his own sons.

The Glendale yard remained a cornerstone as the company continued to grow, serving customers who needed dependable equipment and a team that could move at the pace of a workday.

As customer needs expanded, so did the fleet. Adding heavier equipment helped the business support a wider range of commercial work and longer-haul demands.

A New Millennium

The turn of the millennium brought third generation leadership, with Cameron Johnston as Vice President of Sales and Justin Johnston as President/COO. As the grandsons of the founders, they kept the company community-focused, family-owned, and centered on what has always set it apart: being responsive and easy to work with.

One reason the service feels personal is that many people here have earned their roles over time. Cameron and Justin started by washing trucks in the yard during high school summers. That ground-level understanding of how rentals work, and what customers need, continues to shape the way the business is run.

Ontario marked another step forward, expanding capacity and strengthening the network for customers running regional routes, project work, and production schedules. Growth came with more vehicles, more team members, and more customers, but the goal stayed simple: keep equipment ready and support people well.

Phoenix became the next chapter for a reason. More business has moved into Arizona, and more fleets need flexible capacity in the Southwest without the runaround. Suppose U Drive brought its family-owned model to Phoenix to serve commercial customers who want work-ready trucks, flexible terms, and a team that stays direct, responsive, and easy to reach.

What has stayed the same

Suppose U Drive has witnessed a lot of change, but the business continues to grow through it. In over 90 years, the company has grown from three trucks and a founder’s dream to multiple locations and a fleet that supports hundreds of working customers across the region.

Most importantly, the values have not shifted. Servicing customers, staying responsive, remaining flexible, and running the business with a family-oriented mindset are still the driving forces behind Suppose U Drive’s continued success.