The First Commercial Truck

America's first commercial vehicle was built by the Winton Bicycle Co. The first model was powered by a two-cylinder, 10 horse power automobile engine which had set a 33 mile per hour speed record around a horse race track in Cleveland. Alexander Winton then reincorporated his Wnton Bicycle Co. into the Winton Motor Carriage Co.
About the same time, he is reported to have passed up a chance to hire a young Detroit mechanic -- a fellow by the name of Henry Ford.
The first truck looked like a horse drawn delivery wagon -- without a horse. It was based on Winton's two cylinder auto chassis and came with wire spoke wheels, pneumatic tires and tiller steering. A Buffalo, NY medical supply company reportedly ordered 100 of the Winton wagons to give the company a good start in the business. It is not recorded how many were built or delivered.
By 1905 Winton developed a four cylinder engine and offered a truck considerably ahead of it's time, with a compressed air starter, shaft drive, wheel steering and planetary transmission.
Winton is also credited with creating the first automobile transport trailer, hitched to a car and loaded another car on the trailer.
The 5th wheel principle emerged as early as 1909 in Springfield, MA, where a Knox truck was fitted with a turntable. It was mounted on semi elliptic springs attached to the tractor's rear axle.
Despite these early innovations, the gasoline powered trucks were no an instant success. At the turn of the century, gasoline temporarily took a back seat to steam power, thanks to Clevelanders Windsor, Walter and Rollin White.
To put it bluntly, the gasoline powered truck had to earn it's place in the industry. Truck Safely out There.