The History of Heavy Duty Trucking

In 1919, a transcontinental truck convoy that included then-Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower drove more than 3,000 miles from Washington, D.C., to Oakland, California, to test the mobility of the military during wartime. That two-month trip is widely believed to have been the beginnings of Eisenhower’s later support of the Interstate Highway System.  

Of course, it wasn’t just the military that was exploring truck transport. Businesses were starting to discover that advancements such as paved roads and air-filled tires allowed trucks to haul loads faster and more efficiently than horse and wagon. 

So, it’s not surprising that in 1922, a magazine called Western Drayman & Warehouseman changed its name to Western Truck Owner. A subscription was $2.50 a year and a single issue cost 25 cents.  

That magazine would go through a few more name changes before becoming Heavy Duty Trucking and expanding its reach to a national audience in the 1960s. 

As Heavy Duty Trucking celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, we will be taking a look back at the last 100 years of trucking and how HDT covered it, both in print and online at Truckinginfo.com.  Click through the interactive timeline below to learn more. (You may have to wait for the embeded timeline to load.)