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Contains over 300 archival photographs describing the history of Mack Trucks from the early twentieth century to the 1960s.
The continued improvement of roadways and the dawn of the Interstate highway system in the 1950s was a boon to American industry in general and the trucking industry in particular. This marque-by-marque photo collection provides a comprehensive and nostalgic look back at the rapid development of the tractor-trailer rigs that resulted. Manufacturers like GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, White, Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Diamond T, International, Mack, Autocar, Brockway and Sterling are shown hauling everything from Cadillacs to cabbage across town, up the coast and over mountain passes. Thorough captions describe the development and history of each model as depicted in archival black-and-white and period color photography.
After WWII Americans were anxious to re-stoke the economy after a long “make-do with what you have” dry spell. By the 1950s new highways were being built, new trucking companies were being formed and old ones revived. Americans were buying newly-styled cars and the latest technologies once again. Semi-trucks helped pave the way for this huge growth spurt in America with dependable trucks built by Mack, GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, International, White Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Diamond T, Reo, Autocar, Brockway, Sterling and others, many using the increasingly popular diesel engines made by Buda, Hercules, Waukesha, and Cummins, which helped their heavy loads haul quicker. Ron Adams portrays this booming era with over 300 superb photos of trucks hauling cement, fuel, and a variety of goods to enthusiastic Americans.
In 1951, Freightliner signed an agreement with the White Motor Co. to sell Freightliner trucks through White Dealerships. The trucks became White-Freightliner, gaining momentum through the 1950s and exploding in sales through the 1960s. As you look at the photos on the pages of this book, you will see just a few of the many different customers and hauling jobs they did in the peak of their popularity. Small, medium or large hauling jobs, White-Freightliners fit right in to the needs of the trucking industry.
T. A. Peterman needed a better truck to haul logs in the northwest, so after experimenting and then acquiring Fageol Motors, he came up with a formula to create rugged, tough trucks to battle curvaceous, undependable mountain roads, earning the nickname ‘betterbuilt’ trucks. Peterman died in 1945, but management helped make Peterbilt a serious producer of heavy-duty trucks up to its sale to PACCAR in the late 1950s. In August 1960 Peterbilt moved to a new facility and became a division of PACCAR, carrying on its own tradition while retaining its product line. A western builder, Peterbilt’s popularity escalated throughout the states through the 1960s, leading the company to start a new plant in Tennessee by the end of the decade. At the height of their popularity, Peterbuilts are portrayed through large format photographs taken at the time when these heavy haulers were put to work. See them in action and read about both the trucks and owners who operated them.
From the first turn-of-the-century haulers to the 18-wheelers truckin' down the nation's highways today, ten full decades of big rigs fill the pages of this hardbound chronological retrospective. Lengthy captions accompany each of more than 500 black-and-white photographs and a special section of 75 color photos featuring major manufacturers like Mack, Peterbilt, Ford, Freightliner, International, and GMC, along with trailer manufacturers and minor truckbuilders that have gone by the wayside. The main focus is on semis built from the 1940s through the 1970s.
With worn-out trucks after World War II and plans laid out by the Federal Government to build the Interstate Highway System, truck production really took off in the 1950s. Companies and drivers who used International semi-trucks worked hard to deliver the goods. This large-picture format book shows the fine details of these trucks at work during this productive time period.
This book follows on the heels of Big Rigs of the 1950s (0-7603-0978-7), which has proven popular with vintage truck fans. This book tackles a new era, the 1960s, providing views of the trucks that traveled America's highways during that decade. Photography again comes from the enormous archive of Ron Adams, author of Big Rigs of the 1950s, Mack Trucks, and 100 Years of Semi Trucks. Each prominent manufacturer receives its own chapter, and less prominent brands are also covered. Adams provides detailed information about the truck models pictured, as well as the trailers, trucking companies, and hauling configurations seen in the photographs.
This book follows on the heels of Semi-Trucks of the 1950s. As the '50s saw new and improved models after the starved war years, the Sixties was the decade for expansion, not only for truck manufacturers with a huge selection of models, but also for the trucking companies themselves with more places to haul. Construction of the Interstate highway system helped pave the way for faster and smoother service, helping reshape the American landscape faster than ever seen before. Gear up for this outstanding selection of 1960s semi-truck photos by Ron Adams. Captions include detailed information about the trucks, trailers, and hauling configurations of a wide range of makers including Mack, Brockway, Autocar, Diamond T, Diamond Reo, Ford, White-Freightliner, GMC, International, Kenworth, and Peterbilt.
Louisa Catherine Adams was daughter-in-law and wife of presidents, assisted diplomat J. Q. Adams at three European capitals, and served as a D.C. hostess for three decades. Yet she is barely remembered today. A Traveled First Lady (with Foreword by Laura Bush) corrects this oversight, by sharing Adams's remarkable story in her own words.