This page contains a short history of the trucking industry and a review of where trucking is today.

Trucks are the embodiment of the American way of life. Their service cannot be matched by any other form of transportation. Trucks are flexible and not limited to fixed rail ways or waterways. In fact, many times, trucks are the only link between manufacturers and the stores and homes of the consumers.

It is a fact that everything we wear, eat or use has been moved at least part way by truck. Trucking as we now know it did not start with the advent of motorized vehicles. Horse-drawn wagons were used long before trucks, railroads and airplanes for hauling freight.

In the 1800s, trains were limited to areas where track was laid. A service was still needed to take the farmer's harvest to market and to carry goods from the manufacturer to the local general store. For many, if not most areas, hauling goods over rough roads in a horse-drawn wagon was the only alternative.

Eventually, roads improved as did technology that allowed goods to be transported via self-propelled vehicles. The gasoline engine was invented in the early 1880s and the first gasoline automobiles emerged in the late 1880s. By 1890, carriages were being powered by gasoline engines and gas delivery wagons were soon developed. The diesel engine emerged shortly before the turn of the century around the same time as the invention of the carburetor. Wood-covered, or "plank roads" came into place in the early 1900s.

The first motorized wooden wagon drivers had to do without many conveniences. There was usually no windshield in the open cabs, and a tiller bar was used instead of a steering wheel. The iron rims of the wheels, which used solid rubber tires, had brake shoes attached directly to them and only on the rear brakes. There was a cone clutch and three-speed transmission as well as oil lamps for night driving. State-of-the-art at the time! Travel was slow—and hazardous. There were some early trucks powered by steam and by electricity though most had engines running on gasoline.

The first truck to travel from coast-to-coast was a Sauger, a Swiss-built truck which traveled from Los Angeles to New York in 1911. The next year a Packard truck hauled a three ton load from New York to San Fransisco--in only 46 days! At the turn of the century, merchants in large cities were still using the horse even though horses had to be fed every day and cost more per ton-mile in fuel than a truck. The horses also required special care in the winter and summer months. The public complained about the mess caused by horses and argued that trucks should replace horses. Gradually, merchants began switching over from horses to motorized transportation.

Farm crops and food supplies were common truck hauls in the decade of 1910. World War I was responsible for bringing the infant truck industry into adulthood. During the war, trucks quickly found their military usage. Generals began seeing the advantage of trucks over horses. While thousands of horses died in the war, motor trucks could often keep on trucking even after being struck by bullets. The truck didn't die when it was hit but could be back in service after some repair. General Pershing thought the truck was absolutely necessary and was rather vocal about it. During the heat of battle in Europe, he called for another 50,000 motor trucks.

The war effort required that longer hauls be performed. From factories to overseas shipping points, trucks in great numbers made long hauls. If you're wondering how many trucks were in service, consider that during 1918 alone, U.S. truck manufacturers turned out 227,250 trucks. Many of these companies such as Michigan Motor Freight, Yellow Transfer and Interstate Motor Freight, got their starts during the war years. Many veterans who piloted the trucks in WWI later transported cargo as truck-driving civilians.

Advances in technology made trucks faster and capable of greater loads and by the late 1920s trucks could carry up to six tons of cargo. Air-filled tires allowed higher speeds and safer travel. Firestone developed the "balloon" tire in the 1930s. It had the advantage of fewer blow outs as well as needing less air pressure.

In 1912, the trucks were first equipped with electric lights. In the 1920s, the "fifth wheel" was invented. It allowed for easier coupling of cab with trailer. All of a sudden, the "state-of-the-art" trucks of the early century had become dinosaurs of the industry. A few of the old-style trucks continued to roll across the countryside and in America's booming industrial centers.

During the 1920s, the federal government spent $75 million dollars on construction and improvement of rural roads. The "golden age of road construction" had begun. By the early 1930s, it was apparent that trucking was becoming an accepted and respected form of cargo transportation. By 1934, the number of new trucks registered in the U.S. totalled 329,218.

The Federal Aid Highway Program of 1921, required that state highway departments identify a system of connecting rural roads. That was the beginning of what we know today as the interstate system. The program demanded that if the federal government was to provide financial aid to build the roads, the states would have to maintain them once they were built. The federal government used the same tactics to get states to adopt uniform speed limits and drinking ages, no compliance, no highway funds. In fact, the threat of holding back federal highway funds is often used to get states to go along with some kind of desired federal policy.

As highways developed, so did the technology of the trucks themselves. In the 1930s, some semi-trailers were being used, along with fifth wheels. Closed cabs became the norm and not the exception. Better suspension, cab heaters and side mirrors also appeared on trucks. Sleeper compartments also into being in the 1930s. The first ones attempted put the bunk under the frame of the truck. The idea wasn't greeted with much enthusiasm by the drivers.

The trucks of today are not gasoline, but diesel. They have fewer parts and more fuel-efficient than their gasoline counterparts. Diesel engines were adopted by the trucking industry in the 1930s, a relationship that continues through today.

Today's trucks are streamlined, fuel-efficient and carry large payloads. The emphasis is on both comfort and appearance. Features that were often ignored in earlier years.

The advent of the computer has also affected the trucking industry. In fact, the truck you drive may have a computer on-board. As truck design, safety and comfort continues to improve, so does the technology of steering, transmission and aerodynamics. The majority of the technology used today was invented many years ago.

In addition to providing highway funds, the government has had regulatory involvement in the trucking industry for many years. State governments were the first to regulate the trucking industry. Different states had different regulations which was often confusing to the drivers. The Federal government felt it necessary to step in, which they did with the Motor Carrier Act of 1935. With the act, the Interstate Commerce Commission was created. This commission was given administrative powers over the trucking industry.

In 1954, the federal Highway Act appropriated $175 million for the development of the Interstate Highway System. In 1966, the Department of Transportation was created by an act of Congress. At that point, the ICC took more of a economic interest in the industry while the DOT became responsible for safety issues.

The Motor Carrier Act of 1980, effectively deregulated the trucking industry. The act was seen as a way easing the regulations and subsequent high costs that the large federal bureaucracies had created. It was a much-needed break for the trucking industry which has been booming ever since.

The North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994, NAFTA, is supposed to ease commerce between the Unites States, Canada and Mexico, providing "free-trade" including opening borders and the elimination of tariffs.

The interstate system was great for the trucking industry but too many state laws differed concerning weights and length. The federal Surface Transportation Act, STAA, of 1982 set uniform weight and length laws throughout the United States.

The future of the trucking industry, like the future of anything, is up to speculation. However, if today's trends are taken into account, the picture is positive. Jobs will continue to be in abundance to those qualified, and trucks and highways alike will continue to advance in safety and technology. On-board computers aiding in planning and conducting a trip are already being used. Their will likely increase dramatically in coming years. Toll stations will allow trucks to pass without slowing down and will automatically charge the toll to an electronic account. License plates may well be monitored electronically. The technology already exists for this and a whole lot more. It's only a matter of time before they become practical to implement.