The Truck Book

A celebration of trucks and trucking, from the first motorised wagons to the advent of driverless freight vehicles.Charting decade after decade of innovation and change, The Truck Book is a beautifully illustrated history of trucks, trucking culture, and the romance of the open road.Trucks, lorries, and vans share their origins in the steam wagons of the late 1800s and the invention of the modern combustion engine in the 1870s. As steam power gave way to petrol and diesel engines, trucks evolved and diversified according to their desired purpose - becoming everything from panel vans and pick-up trucks to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) or construction trucks like log carriers or concrete transporters. They have played a defining role in the wars of the last 100 years, saved lives as ambulances and fire engines, and even provided entertainment in the form of monster trucks.In this book, you will find:-Chapters showcasing every era's most important and iconic marques and models - from the Ford TT to the Bedford TM Turbo 92 Series to the Toyota Hilux.-Information about trucking culture, showing how trucks or trucking companies, such as UPS or Eddie Stobart, have won a place in fans' hearts.-Gallery pages providing a historical and global overview of key vehicles, from micro vans and pickups to American big rigs and earthmoversWeaving together photographic catalogues with specially commissioned "visual tours", feature pages on truck models, designers, and manufacturers, and milestone events or technological developments over the last 120 years, The Truck Book is the best-illustrated title available.