Truck and Roll: Origins of the semi-truck and early auto maintenance challenges

It’s no surprise that America’s economic dominance since the late 19th century coincided with the start of its trucking industry. What may be surprising is that much of the automotive and trucking industries started not in Detroit, but it’s neighbor to the south, Cleveland. This is where Alexander Winton built the first semi-tractor to haul his company’s automobiles to early customers, and also where White Motor Co. got its start. For America 250, Cleveland’s Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is hosting an exhibit called "Keep on Truckin" (a phrase coined by artist R. Crumb, who lived in Cleveland for a time) that showcases several early truck models. Fleet Maintenance's John Hitch visited the museum to discuss trucking’s past and evolution with the museum’s curator of transportation history, Aaron Warkentin. Timestamps: 01:45 — Origins of the semi-truck 04:30 — Early truck technology 07:10 — Old timey headlights 08:10 — Horsepower vs horses 10:00 — Motorless truck maintenance 11:35 — Truck design evolution 14:15 — The Crawford Museum's founding 22:50 — White Motor Company