A Glance in the Rear-View Mirror – The Ahola Story and My Personal Journey from 1960 to Today

I was delighted that my first article on the 1950s generated far more interest on social media than I could ever have imagined. That response has given me every reason to continue the story into the 1960s. I have many fond memories from that decade. As I mentioned in my previous post, I considered myself deeply interested and involved in our – or rather, my father’s – business. During the first half of the 60s, Dad continued to take on transport jobs for TVH (Road and Water Construction Board) – or Väg och Vatten, as it was known in Swedish – operating with just his one truck. The work involved both maintenance and the construction of new roads. One such project was the extension of Route 13, which was built from the city boundary in Kokkola out towards Korkeahuhta. I remember a small episode from that time that left a lasting impression. I “participated” in the work using my little wooden toy truck to help move gravel on the road construction site.

 

I even got paid for my efforts – in a sealed envelope delivered to our home, marked from “TVH”. It wasn’t until a few years later that I discovered the payment hadn’t come from TVH at all – it had come from my grandmother Edla. Naturally, I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t the real thing.

 

There’s another story from the 1950s that I forgot to include in the last article. According to my mother, I was four years old at the time. I had either overheard or was simply convinced that Dad was working at the TVH gravel crushing site in Korkeahuhta – around seven kilometers from our home. I was so eager to join him on the job that I decided to walk there myself. I simply “ran away” from home. After I’d walked just over a kilometer, one of Dad’s colleagues recognized me, pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride. Thankfully, I accepted – seven kilometers is quite a journey for a four-year-old. I made it there safely and spent the rest of the day riding along with my dad on his deliveries.

 

 

 

Ever since I was a child, I’ve always had a strong interest in society, development and even politics. That perhaps came through in my first article. It’s a lifelong interest that remains just as strong today. I’ve always had opinions on political matters, though I’ve never been actively involved in politics – I think I’d find it far too tedious.

 

Still, I have great respect for those who choose to get involved and dedicate themselves to politics.

 

Those of us born in the 1950s and 60s often feel we had the good fortune of growing up in an unusually happy time.

 

I’ve spoken to several friends about this and we’re all of the same opinion. In hindsight, we probably lived through the most positive period of social development in Finland’s history. Life may not have been particularly abundant, but it was a time of safety and optimism. It truly felt as though everything was moving in the right direction. The strong economic growth during this era brought a sense of hope and momentum to society as a whole. There was a shared foundation of values that most people stood behind – what the Finns call koti, uskonto ja isänmaa – home, religion and fatherland. Finland was deeply rooted in these values at the time, and they provided a profound sense of security.

 

The only brief period of anxiety – even for us children – was the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. That said, John F. Kennedy came to be seen as a visionary and a societal hero, particularly for his role in resolving the crisis.

 

One of the most widely recognized visions in modern history is that of John F. Kennedy:

 

He announced his ambition for the United States to land a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s in a speech to the US Congress on 25 May 1961. The speech, delivered during a joint session of Congress, went on to become one of the most famous statements in the history of the space race.

 

It marked the beginning of the Apollo program, which ultimately succeeded when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on 20 July 1969.

 

Naturally, the assassination of JFK in 1963 was a huge tragedy and a major global event. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news.

 

 

Below, I’ve gathered some general reflections on the development of Finland’s society during the 1960s.

 

Even back then, I was keenly interested in following current events, and I’ve compiled a few insights and materials from various sources to help shed light on how society evolved during that time.

 

Finland in the 1960s

 

General Societal Development

 

The 1960s was a pivotal decade in Finland’s modern history, marked by significant social, political and economic change. Below is a summary of key events and trends that helped shape Finnish society during this period: Source: Wikipedia

 

The post-war political landscape in Finland remained highly challenging throughout the 1940s and 50s. One of the greatest difficulties was the Allied Control Commission, established under the peace treaty and led by the Soviet Union. This Commission exerted influence over Finnish politics by promoting communists into key political positions.

 

Although Finland formally remained a democracy, the era was marked by political pressure and self-censorship.

 

Criticism of the Soviet Union was avoided in both media and cultural life, and what would later be known as the seed of Finlandization was sown.

 

Finlandization reached its peak during the presidency of Urho Kekkonen.

 

President Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen served as President throughout the entire 1960s – and remained in office until 1981. His policies, particularly regarding relations with the Soviet Union, played a central role in Finnish foreign policy during this period. Kekkonen’s approach became widely known as “Finlandization”, a delicate balancing act between the West and the East during the Cold War. (Wikipedia)

 

Finland and the Soviet Union – The Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance
Originally signed in 1948, the FCMA agreement continued to shape Finland’s relations with the Soviet Union throughout the 1960s. Under Kekkonen’s leadership, ties between the two countries were further strengthened. However, this deepening relationship was not without controversy. Critics argued that it risked compromising Finland’s independence in matters of foreign policy.

 

The Economy

 

📈 Economic growth and modernization

• Strong GDP Growth:
Finland’s economy experienced rapid growth throughout most of the 1960s. GDP increased in line with accelerating industrialization and rising exports – particularly in forestry products such as paper, timber and pulp, as well as metal goods.

• Industrialization:
The shift from an agricultural economy to one focused on industry and services progressed swiftly. Traditional rural life gave way to a more urbanized and industrialized society.

• Rising exports:
Finland was heavily dependent on exports, particularly to Western Europe and the Soviet Union. Trade agreements with the Soviet Union were vital to the Finnish economy – both as a key export market and as a source of affordable energy.

• Rapid urbanization:
Large numbers of people moved from the countryside to cities in search of industrial jobs. This migration fueled a more dynamic economy but also gave rise to social tensions.

• Job shortages and emigration:
Despite strong economic growth, there were not enough jobs for everyone – especially in the countryside. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Finns emigrated to Sweden during the 1960s to work in its expanding industrial sector.
________________________________________
💼 Economic policy and reforms
• State intervention:
The Finnish state played an active role in shaping the economy, particularly through investments in infrastructure, energy and education.

• Expansion of the Welfare State:
Economic growth enabled new social reforms. For example, universal sickness insurance was introduced in 1964, and the pension system was expanded.

 

I didn’t include GDP trends for the 1950s in my earlier article, but below you can now find data showing the development of Finland’s GDP per capita across both the 1950s and 1960s.

• 📊 Finland’s GDP per capita in the 1950s

 

 

These figures reflect stable economic growth over the decade, with an average annual increase of approximately 3.9%. The period was marked by industrialization, rising exports and post-war reconstruction.

 

• During the 1960s, Finland experienced significant economic expansion, which was reflected in a sharp increase in GDP per capita.

 

• 📊 GDP per capita in Finland (1960–1970)

 

 

• Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis IndexMundi+1IndexMundi+1FRED

 

📈 GDP per capita in Finland (1960–1970)

• •  Finland’s GDP per capita grew at an average annual rate of approximately 2 % during this period. The highest annual increase occurred in 1969, with growth reaching 9.66 % .IndexMundi

When looking at the figures and statistics above, one can’t help but feel at least a little disheartened. Finland has seen very limited economic growth over the past 20 years, and this has naturally had a negative impact on the country’s level of public debt.

 

• Below is a comparison showing how Finland’s national debt has developed in relation to GDP.

📈 GDP per capita in Finland (1960–1970)

 

Source: Statistics Finland

 

Year            % of GDP

1975        6,5

1980        11,2

1985        15,8

1990        13,8

1995         55,2

2000         45,1

2005         42,1

2010         50,1

2015         68,8

2020         75,3

2024         82,1

 

DEBT vs. GDP has grown significantly – from 6.5% of GDP in the first recorded year, 1975, to 82.1% in 2024.

 

The Transport and Logistics Sector in the 1960s

 

Let’s begin with the trends in technical development in the truck industry. The leading truck brands at the time were Scania-Vabis, Volvo and Mercedes, alongside Finnish manufacturers such as Sisu and Vanaja. There were also a few more unusual models on the roads – now rarely seen – such as Magirus-Deutz, Steyr, Bedford and the Russian GAZ. For truck manufacturers, the primary goal was to build vehicles that were as durable and efficient as possible – an area where Scania and Volvo were arguably leaders.

 

At that time, there was virtually no concern about the driver’s comfort or convenience. Two areas in particular were seriously lacking. The first was the noise level inside the cab. Most trucks were “long-nosed” models, with the cab positioned behind the engine. This meant there was only a single, uninsulated metal panel separating the engine compartment from the cab – and as you can imagine, the resulting noise was almost unbearable. On my time off work, I fitted my own sound insulation in an attempt to improve the conditions in the cab. The second major issue was poor heating in the cab. To cope with the cold, it was common to install an additional heater. One effective solution was using a heater core from the Russian passenger car Pobeda. That extra warmth made a huge difference – especially during the harsh winters, when temperatures could drop as low as –30°C. It wasn’t until the 1970s that manufacturers began to seriously consider driver’s comfort in the design of trucks.

 

General information on Transport

 

According to data from Autoalan Tiedotuskeskus (the Finnish Information Centre of the Automotive Sector), the total number of registered trucks in Finland at the end of each year during the 1960s was as follows:

 

• 1960: 183  409
• 1961: 219  148
• 1962: 261  041
• 1963: 303  124
• 1964: 373  052
• 1965: 451  731
• 1966: 502  578
• 1967: 547  573
• 1968: 576  917
• 1969: 638  760

 

source: aut.fi

 

🚛 Professional transport

According to a 2015 estimate, more than half of all trucks in Finland in 1965 were used for professional purposes. This means that approx. 22,000–23,000 of the registered trucks were engaged in commercial transport. This reflects a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization when the demand for efficient transport solutions was high.

 

🔧 Technical Development and Market Dynamics

During the 1960s, trucks began to grow in size and became increasingly specialized. Previously, lighter two-axle vehicles had dominated the roads, but the share of heavier vehicles with greater load capacity began to rise. For example, over 40 % of all trucks in Finland during this period fell into the 7–8-ton weight category. Popular models included Scania-Vabis, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Sisu. At the same time, diesel engines became more widespread in trucks, leading to improved fuel efficiency and performance.

 

📈 Summary

During the 1960s, the number of trucks in Finland increased from approximately 183,000 to over 638,000. A significant proportion of these were used in professional transport, reflecting the country’s economic growth and the growing need for efficient logistics solutions during this period.

 

International Transport:

 

Finland’s first international hauler was Feeliks Vallo (19 January 1895 – 22 November 1953) from Tornio.

 

In 1925, he is believed to have carried out Finland’s first international truck transport, driving from Tornio to Haparanda. At the time, there was no bridge between the two towns, but a small ferry was used to cross into Sweden.

 

As foreign trade deregulation began in the 1950s, alternative modes of transport to sea freight started to emerge. When Finland became an associate member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1961, the demand for alternative methods of export and import transport increased significantly. Already in 1958, the Finnish Truck Association began investigating, through the IRU, the possibilities of initiating international road freight transport within Europe.

 

IRU stands for International Road Transport Union. This is a global industry organization that represents and supports companies and associations operating in the road transport sector.

 

Through negotiations with the IRU (International Road Transport Union), the Finnish Truck Association was able to join the TIR customs system.

 

TIR is an international customs transit system that facilitates the movement of goods across multiple national borders without requiring customs clearance at each crossing. It is based on a standardized customs procedure system and a guarantee system that simplifies, speeds up and secures international road transport.

 

One of the first and bravest haulers was Albert Norrgård, who began transporting goods between Helsinki and Tromsø in Norway as early as 1959. On the outbound journey, Paulig’s frozen goods were delivered to shops in northern Finland, and on the return trip, the truck was loaded with deep-frozen fish.

 

The very first international transport permit was applied for and granted to hauler Nils Lindqvist from Närpiö. This initial permit covered only eight round trips to Hamburg.

 

However, the first to launch regular international line-haul operations was Eino Mikkola, in cooperation with the freight forwarding company Finnexpress Oy. Their permit covered the Helsinki–Paris route, which at that time still passed through Haparanda. With this, regular international road transport to Central Europe officially began.

 

By 1960, 27 Finnish haulage companies had been granted permits for continuous international transport operations.

 

Ahola Transport’s international operations began in 1973, and I will cover this development in the next section in the 1970s.

 

Our Company and Helge Ahola as a Sole Proprietor:

 

At the start of the 1960s, my father Helge was still operating as a sole trader and independent hauler, with a single truck. His main client at the time was Väg och Vatten (TVH). When my father bought his first truck in 1955 from Fride Nyberg, the deal also included shares in the Kokkolan Autoilijat haulage cooperative, which gave him the opportunity to take on transport jobs through the central. During quieter periods for TVH, this provided a welcome source of additional work. Dad was an entrepreneur with ambition. He had a clear vision: to one day grow the business into a fully-fledged haulage company with multiple trucks.

 

It didn’t take him long to realize that this wouldn’t happen through the haulage cooperative – the future lay in building direct customer relationships and operating independently.

 

The transition from the 1950s to the 1960s was financially successful, despite operating with just one truck. A key reason for this was the purchase of a new Scania-Vabis L-51, a reliable and economical vehicle.

 

In 1962, my father joined forces with his brother-in-law, Nils Snellman, and together they acquired both an excavator and another truck for a new company called Snellman & Ahola. The joint business took on small turnkey contracts for infrastructure projects such as road construction and similar works.

 

At the same time, Dad continued operating his own transport business as before, using his original truck for assignments with TVH.

 

His long-term goal and vision remained unchanged: to build a haulage company with a growing fleet of trucks.

 

In 1965, my father seized an opportunity to sign an agreement with the oil company Oy Union-Öljy Ab for the transport of fuel. Fuel transport would go on to become a major success factor for our business, continuing well into the 1990s.

 

At this point, Dad sold his share in Snellman & Ahola to his brother-in-law, Nils. The company – now known as Snellmans Gräv – still exists today and is run by my cousin, Stefan.

 

This was an exciting time, and from the very beginning I had the chance to accompany Dad and the drivers on their journeys.

 

Even back then, I was deeply interested in the business and wanted everything to run smoothly.

 

That’s why I was always in a hurry to get home from school – hoping there would be time to join a delivery trip out to the countryside. As a reward, I was sometimes allowed to take the wheel for a short while – but only when Dad was with me. Some trips ran long, and we wouldn’t get home until the early hours of the morning. Even so, I always made it to school on time. There wasn’t always time for a shower or a change of clothes, so I might have turned up smelling faintly of oil. It was fun and educational, and only deepened my enthusiasm for the business. My desire to be part of it grew stronger with every trip.

 

In 1965, our company hired its very first driver. I don’t remember his name, but I do remember the wage – 3 marks per hour. I do, however, remember our second driver well: Matti Lehtimäki. With Matti, I became something of a “colleague”, as I joined him on many of his journeys. Of course, if you’re 11 years old and already interested in business, then things like driver pay are essential knowledge!

 

By the end of the 1960s, Dad’s vision had become a reality – the business had grown into a haulage company with four fuel tankers.

 

Around that time, I also began to think about the future of our company, and how we might continue to develop. Back then, there were several inspiring role models in the tanker transport sector. One was Sarpo from Seinäjoki, who operated around 50 tankers for Neste. Another was Viinikka, a company specializing in the transport of liquid chemicals. Both companies ran modern, impressive fleets, and I admired them greatly.

 

The first vehicle had no metering system, so deliveries were carried out with at least one section per drop. This vehicle could only deliver fuel to petrol stations – it wasn’t equipped for delivering heating oil to households.

 

Unfortunately, no photo remains of the full rig with a trailer. The trailer featured individual tank units mounted on a flatbed.

 

 

 

 

 

The tanker rig shown below served us well and was a solid workhorse. I went on many journeys in it with Dad and the drivers whenever I wasn’t in school. Sometimes the trips ran late, and I even got to take the wheel briefly at night – which, in hindsight, might have been part of the motivation for wanting to tag along!

 

 

 

Me, Dad, Matti Lehtimäki and colleagues from Kuortane, heading home from Helsinki. I remember this journey well – it was back in 1966. It was Midsummer week, and we had collected a load of petrol from Helsinki – an exceptional event caused by a strike.

 

My Summer Jobs

 

My own working life began at the age of 13, when I got a summer job at Nordisk Bil. Nordisk Bil sold both Scania–Vabis trucks and passenger cars such as SAAB and Wartburg. My job was that of a messenger boy, which was a common role at the time. My first monthly wage was 30 marks – not much, but I was very grateful for the opportunity to get started in working life.

 

The following summer, I got a job at AKKU-TEHO as a battery repairer and fitter. Back then, batteries were repaired by opening the cells and replacing the separators. Workwear had to be made from terylene fabric. If you wore jeans, for example, the battery acid would eat through them. And if that happened, you might have no choice but to go home in just your underwear! Terylene trousers, on the other hand, were resistant to the corrosion of the acid – so no holes.

 

The next summer, I was employed at the Union service station Hakalax & Nyblom.

 

At that time, petrol stations offered a full range of services. Today, you can barely buy engine oil at a filling station – but there are plenty of varieties of yoghurt instead.

 

We filled up vehicles with fuel, washed windscreens, checked tire pressure and much more.

Servicing and maintenance included oil changes, chassis lubrication, and car washes. Another service commonly offered at the time was rustproofing treatment.

 

After finishing comprehensive school, I continued my career as a sales and service assistant at the Union station, which was owned by my uncle, Leif Sundholm. It was an incredibly educational and formative period, where I learned just how important good customer service really is.

 

My pastimes in the 1960s

 

Outside of work, my biggest interest was probably football. The football club GBK, which was founded in the 1960s, organized a little league in Gamlakarleby and Karleby. Every district and village had its own team, and our neighborhood, Närvilä, was no exception – our team was called Närvilä Tolouse. It was a great experience, and through it I got to know other kids from nearby towns and villages.

 

Another interest of mine – of course – was washing and maintaining the trucks. The tankers always had to look clean and presentable.

 

 

I hope you’ve made it this far – and I wish you a great summer!

 

Hans Ahola,
Chairman of the Board
Ahola Group