2024 Facts for Drivers OCR - Copy_7-7.pdf

THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY A Brief History Early 1900s Trucks with gasoline powered internal combustion engines begin replacing horse-drawn wagons to deliver goods from railheads to markets and end users. At this time, trucking had a limite...

THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY A Brief History Early 1900s Trucks with gasoline powered internal combustion engines begin replacing horse-drawn wagons to deliver goods from railheads to markets and end users. At this time, trucking had a limited reach due to the lumitations of the trucks and roads, and thus was concentrated in urban areas. 1919 During World War I, the number of trucks in use in the United States went from 100,000 to over 1,000,000. Trucks became larger and began extending their range as innovations such as pneumatic tires were incorporated into the industry and the road network began to improve. Also in 1919, Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower led one of the first coast-to-coast truck movements. The trip went from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, CA, and involved 282 soldiers and 67 wehicles (21 of which did not complete the trip). Many of the soldiers were engineers who were needed to build and repair roads and bridges along the way. The trip took 62 days (about 2 months) and followed the path known as the Lincoln Highway (later called U.S. 30). The trip highlighted the need for a nationwide road network. 1924 The diesel engine was introduced, improving the power and efficien- cy of trucks. 1935 Congress passed the Motor Carrier Act of 1935. ‘This led to the Interstate Commerce Commission, or [CC, taking oversight over the trucking industry. The [CC regulated rates and the routes carriers were authorized to operate on, oversaw the safety regulations, and put the first hours-of-service regulations into place.