Trucks Explained - A Brief History of Trucks

Although the first truck ever made is credited to England in 1885, Ford Motor Company is best known for taking the truck to the next level of mass production in the early 1900's. Fords third vehicle produced in 1900 was a pickup type truck and in 1917 Ford introduced the Model-T One Ton truck chassis. In 1925 the first mass produced pickup truck came off the Ford assembly line. It featured a cargo box, tailgate, stake pockets and a heavy-duty rear suspension. Since the main purpose of the truck is to move cargo, trucks quickly started gaining in popularity as an efficient and economical way to transport products. As the versatility of the truck grew in popularity, along with improved roads, the truck today is the primary method for transporting goods.

Types of Trucks

The first trucks were unable to transport large and heavy loads. As the industrial revolution of agriculture and manufactured goods continued to increase in the twentieth century, the need for larger trucks that could handle larger and heavier loads increased. Today, trucks generally have 3 major classifications, light duty, medium duty and heavy duty.

Light duty trucks are normally your typical pick up type trucks and are generally under a maximum GVW (gross vehicle weight) of 14,000 lbs or less. The greater majority of pick up trucks utilize gas engines and their drive trains are more similar to passenger cars then other classifications of trucks. When selling a used truck, pick up trucks tend to hold their value better than passenger vehicles because of their versatility.

Medium duty trucks are generally between 14,001 and 26,000 lbs GVW (gross vehicle weight). Even though there are some gas engines in medium trucks, the greatest majority are diesels because of the lower fuel costs and the life expectancy is generally three times greater than a gasoline engine. If you're looking for trucks for sale or used trucks for sale in the medium category, you should always look for trucks with diesel engines. Medium trucks are often used in local deliveries, so when looking for trucks for sale, it's better to find a truck that was used for longer hauls. Stop and go traffic with local routes is much harder on the drive train.

Heavy duty trucks are over 26,000 lbs GVW (gross vehicle weight) and are generally always diesel engines because of the higher torque, low fuel costs and durability. When purchasing a used truck for sale, look for trucks for sale that have lower mileage. The cost of replacing an engine or transmission could run into the "tens" of thousands of dollars. Heavy duty trucks are cab only and pull one to three trailers at a time. Heavy duty trucks are almost always long distance haulers due to their ability to transport large and heavy payloads.

In summary when looking for a truck for sale, look for a truck with a diesel engine because of fuel costs, durability and the ability to handle heavier loads and towing. If your looking for a used trucks for sale, look for trucks for sale that have low mileage and trucks for sale that have more highway miles than local miles. Following these guides could save you thousand of dollars in the long run.