American COE (Cab Over Engine) designs began to appear as a way to maximize loads and abide by individual U.S. state length regulations. By shortening the overall length of the truck cab the trailer size could be increased while staying within the overall length limit dictated by each state. COE trucks would help play a vital role in America’s industrial growth over the ensuing decades. All the major truck manufacturers are featured along with the many models offered throughout the decades into the 1970s, as well as a brief look at the COE models offered through the 1980s to today.

A lavishly illustrated celebration of trucks and trucking, from the first motorized wagons to the advent of electric, driverless freight vehicles. Charting decade after decade of innovation and change, The Truck Book is a beautifully illustrated history of trucks, trucking culture, and the romance of the open road. Trucks, semis, and vans share their origins in the steam wagons of the 1800s and the invention of the modern combustion engine in the 1870s. As steam power gave way to gas and diesel engines, trucks evolved and diversified according to their desired purpose - becoming everything from panel vans and pickup trucks to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), or construction trucks, such as log carriers or concrete transporters. Military forces worldwide soon realized the value in these vehicles, and so they played a defining role in the wars of the 20th century. In the meantime, they have also saved lives as ambulances and fire trucks and entertained the masses in the form of monster trucks. The Truck Book showcases the most important and iconic makes and models of every era - from the Ford TT to the Bedford TM Turbo 92 Series, to the Toyota Hilux. Along the way, it evokes the freedom and nostalgia of the open road, explores trucking culture, and shows how trucks and trucking companies, such as Mack and UPS, have won a place in fans' hearts. Weaving together stunning photographic catalogs with specially commissioned "visual tours," feature spreads on truck models, designers, and manufacturers, as well as on milestone events or technological developments over the last 200 years, The Truck Book is the most comprehensive and best-illustrated title available on the subject.

A celebration of trucks and trucking, from the first motorised wagons to the advent of driverless freight vehicles. Charting decade after decade of innovation and change, The Truck Book is a beautifully illustrated history of trucks, trucking culture, and the romance of the open road. Trucks, lorries, and vans share their origins in the steam wagons of the late 1800s and the invention of the modern combustion engine in the 1870s. As steam power gave way to petrol and diesel engines, trucks evolved and diversified according to their desired purpose - becoming everything from panel vans and pick-up trucks to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) or construction trucks like log carriers or concrete transporters. They have played a defining role in the wars of the last 100 years, saved lives as ambulances and fire engines, and even provided entertainment in the form of monster trucks. In this book, you will find: -Chapters showcasing every era's most important and iconic marques and models - from the Ford TT to the Bedford TM Turbo 92 Series to the Toyota Hilux. -Information about trucking culture, showing how trucks or trucking companies, such as UPS or Eddie Stobart, have won a place in fans' hearts. -Gallery pages providing a historical and global overview of key vehicles, from micro vans and pickups to American big rigs and earthmovers Weaving together photographic catalogues with specially commissioned "visual tours", feature pages on truck models, designers, and manufacturers, and milestone events or technological developments over the last 120 years, The Truck Book is the best-illustrated title available.

In 1938, American LaFrance pioneered the first cab-forward fire apparatus, then revolutionized the concept in 1945 with the classic 700 Series. In the 1950s, legendary names such as Ahrens Fox, Crown Firecoach, Mack, Maxim, Pirsche, and Seagrave began offering their own cab-forward versions. The cab-forward design became the glamour queen of fire apparatus. This volume traces the evolution of cab-forward fire apparatus from its fathering to today’s industry giants, with a brilliant selection of black and white and color photographs with historical commentary and technical data.

Learn about the entire history of America’s best-selling vehicle: the Ford F-Series truck. When Henry Ford first started manufacturing Model Ts more than 100 years ago, he didn’t really have any sort of pickup or truck configuration in mind. However, enterprising people and businesses were modifying those early chassis for commercial use, and it didn’t take long for Ford to figure out that there was a demand for a truck application of the Model T. Soon, Ford was making its own configurations for commercial use, first through third-party body companies and eventually by Ford itself with the Model TT. From these humble beginnings, Ford stumbled onto the basis for one of the most popular vehicles ever built: the Ford F-Series pickup truck. In Ford F-Series Trucks: 1948–Present, authors Jimmy Dinsmore and James Halderman thoroughly dissect the history of Ford F-Series pickup trucks as seen from a technical viewpoint. Fully covered are all the options, chassis specifications, running changes, and the evolution of these trucks, as they transformed from postwar utilitarian vehicles to the best-selling luxury family cruisers seen today. Not only are Ford trucks the best-selling trucks, they are the best-selling vehicle of any category, cars included. This book will thrill truck aficionados and Ford historians alike, as it covers the first F-Series models (1948–1952), the ever-popular second-generation F-Series models (1953–1956), the popular Bumpsides (1967–1972), and all the way through the remarkable technology of what is now the 14th generation of the F-Series.