A Blast From the Past 1940 s Ford and GMC Up until the 1980s GMC, Ford and International dominated the American truck market and 75 percent of all trucks sold in the U. S. were manufactured by these companies. (This included GMC trucks sold under the Chevrolet nameplate.) The Ford Motor Company had been making trucks since 1911. The first Ford trucks were delivery vans based on the Ford Model T passenger car. International trucks were a new truck line introduced during the late 1970s. Most of the early trucks were built in the Springfield, Ohio plant. An early International. 39
Experienced Truck Drivers Flat Bed Dry Van Reefer Hazmat OTR We offer: Class A & B Local & Long Haul Part-time Full-time 24/7 Client Service Center Driver turnover & shortage don t have to impact your day. (316) 945-0908 www.prodrivers.com 1950 s Kenworth. Peterbilt straight truck with pup trailer circa 1948. (Our thanks to the American Truck Historical Society for this photo.) 40
The beginnings of Kenworth go back to 1923 and to the great logging days in the Pacific Northwest. Although Kenworth remained a prime supplier of heavy trucks for the logging industry, the company quickly earned a reputation for building excellent long-distance trucks. Freightliner with open top trailer circa 1955. (Our thanks to the American Truck Historical Society for this photo.) Peterbilt traces its linage back to a famous West Coast truck and bus manufacturer named Fageol Motors Co. That company was acquired by Al Peterman, a West Coast businessman who owned a lumber mill and a few vehicles that hauled timber to the mill. Over the years Peterbilt became known for rugged trucks that could withstand the long inclines and rough climate of the western coastal states. Peterbilt later became a part of Paccar Group, a sister company of Kenworth. 41
1950 s MACK. 1950 s Cheverolet and White. GMC s aluminum tilt-cab truck models came out in the early 1960s. These trucks were very popular, and gave GMC a large piece of the heavy duty truck market. In the beginning, all MACK trucks were custom built, and buyers chose their truck from a catalog filled with options. If the buyer selected a truck with all MACK parts (MACK also built its own engines), the bulldog on Get $ 10 00 OFF on your NEW TIRE purchase or service when you present this ad. Redeem by 12/30/2010. Retail sales only. Can not be combined with other offers. See store for details Terra Tire & Wheel Leaders Nationwide Warranty Complete Auto Service Computerized Alignments Commercial Truck Tires 3 Certified Retread Plants On the Farm Tire Service Multistate Delivery Computerized Fleet Tracking System 24 hr. Road Service Tire Flat Proofing-Wheel Refinishing Complete Line of: Auto, Lt. Truck, Commercial, Farm, Industrial Tires & Wheels GOODYEAR DUNLOP KELLY TITAN ALLIANCE MASTERCRAFT ROADMASTER 42
the grill of the truck would be gold. If not, the bulldog would be chrome. The American company that manufactured White trucks went into bankruptcy in the late 1970s, and the company was purchased by the Swedish Volvo group. The Volvo White Truck Manufacturing Co. came into being in 1981. Over the years White was strong in the Western market because Freightliner had allowed White to sell Freightliners under the White-Freightliner name. Freightliner trucks were born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1939 when Consolidated Freightways of Salt Lake decided to design its own lighter trucks that would haul a bigger payload. Actual production on the Freightliner didn t start until 1947 (because of World War II), when a small plant in Portland, Oregon began building a few of the new lightweight cab-over trucks for Consolidated Freightways. (Research information was taken from the American Truck & Bus Spotters Guide 1920-1985, by Tad Burness, and Great Trucks by the editors of the Consumer Guide.) (Our sincere thanks to our friend Larry Smith at Gooch Brake, Kansas City, Missouri, for loaning us these wonderful old photographs.) 43
General Motors Truck. This Wichita, Kansas station was the very first Phillips 66 service station ever built. (Photograph from the collection of Gene Miller, the Friendly Oil Field Products, Wichita.) 44