Red Ball Motor Freight, Inc. v. Shannon
377 U.S. 311 · Decided June 1, 1964 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Red Ball Motor Freight, Inc. v. Shannon was decided on June 1, 1964 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Truck or motor carrier regulation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 377 U.S. 311 · 84 S. Ct. 1260 · 12 L. Ed. 2d 341 · 1964 U.S. LEXIS 2181
- Docket number
- 406
- Decided
- June 1, 1964
- Argued
- April 28, 1964
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Truck or motor carrier regulation
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Interstate Commerce Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Dissent | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Arthur J. Goldberg | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Red Ball Motor Freight, Inc., et al. v. Shannon et Al., Doing Business as E. & R. Shannon
SCDB identifiers: case 1963-125, docket 1963-125-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Truck or motor carrier regulation”
- Willis Shaw Frozen Express, Inc. v. United States
- United States v. J. B. Montgomery, Inc.
- Pensick & Gordon, Inc. v. California Motor Express
- Hewitt-Robins Incorporated v. Eastern Freight-Ways, Inc.
- United States v. Drum
- Interstate Commerce Commission v. J-T Transport Co., Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Interstate Commerce Act
- Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Elmore & Stahl
- A. L. Mechling Barge Lines, Inc. v. United States
- Southern Railway Co. v. North Carolina
- Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Co. v. United States
- All States Freight, Inc. v. New York
- Interstate Commerce Commission v. New York
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Tipton v. Socony Mobil Oil Co., Inc.
- Securities and Exchange Commission v. Capital Gains Research Bureau, Inc.
- Dennis v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co.
- Eichel v. New York Central Railroad Co.
- Polar Ice Cream & Creamery Co. v. AndrewsLaw held unconstitutional
- United States v. Wiesenfeld Warehouse Co.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error