As the times moved forward the vehicles became better, but they needed improvements. One such improvement came when a Detroit blacksmith, August Charles Fruehauf, was commissioned to build a ‘carriage’ to haul a customer’s boat.
This semi trailer, as he called it, was hooked to a Ford. This core design went on to be used for many other semi-trailer trucks and since 1918 they have been built by the Fruehauf Trailer Company.
The Ford Model T was one of the main trucks used originally, as they were cheap and reliable. Throughout the years though engines designs and trailer modifications made the semi-trailer trucks the beast it is today.
People who originally had experience building horse carriages soon found new work in designing motorized versions, and trailers.
Trailmobile is one such company that came from such humble beginnings. Originally it took several people to hookup and unhook a trailer from their old jalopy.
But the Trailmobile changed all that. This made it so that the vehicle operator was the only one needed to handle the trailer.
A Few Other Key Advances in the Development of Semi-Trailer Trucks
Of course, there have been numerous key moments in the designs of the semi-trailer trucks. Perhaps one of the more recognizable ones came from Mack Trucks. You should be surprised they have been around for almost 120 years. So what did they do?
