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PSAI Association Insight, August 4, 2021 I 3 Daimler and Steinway worked together until 1907. Then in 1926, Daimler and Karl Benz formed a company, Daimler- Benz, which is well known today for one of its subsidiary brands, Mercedes- Benz. The main corporation, Daimler AG, as it is now known officially, has gone on making all sorts of vehicles and expanding its reach around the world. American automobile and truck manufacturer, Chrysler, was purchased by Daimler in 1998 and today trucks formerly associated with that brand are Daimler products. Tank Trucks As motorized vehicles began to gain popularity in the early 1900s, gasoline became a much-needed commodity. Fuel obtained from the oil wells of Pump Trucks: The Workhorses of Our Industry (continued from page 1) Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and California needed to be transported throughout the country. The first fuel tank truck was invented in 1905 by a company called Anglo-American, a subsidiary of Standard Oil, and in 1910, Standard Oil began using motorized tankers exclusively. The early tank trucks were either round or rectangular and were slightly tilted toward the rear of the truck. Without pumps, gravity was the only force to unload the tank at the desired location. Tanks were very small by today's standards since these early trucks had small engines. However, these early tankers were far superior to horse drawn wagons and much faster—15 miles per hour in the early 1910s! World War I saw the creation of the cylindrical tank shape that is familiar today. This design allowed for both trucks and railroad train cars to transport fuel tanks. Research shows that in 1921, Standard Oil had developed a tank truck that could transport 1200 gallons of petroleum. Fuel production and transportation developed and changed rapidly during World War II as crude oil was transported overseas to meet the requirements of trucks, jeeps, planes, and ships used in the war effort. Tank trucks became crucial to winning the war, and vacuum pumps became commonplace during this time. Honey Wagons Prior to motorized trucks, a horse-drawn wagon would travel to locations and collect waste. Indoor sanitation in those days consisted of chamber pots that were then emptied into oak half-barrels on the service wagon. In other locations, the route service driver (of horses) would open the hatch door of an outhouse and slide out a pail filled with waste, emptying it into the wagon. The honey-colored liquid that filled the collection barrels on the wagon gave rise to the slang terms of "honey wagon" and "honey bucket." Motorized Trucks Several names that are commonplace today were involved in the early development and evolution of trucks over 100 years ago. From an historical perspective, the first truck was invented in 1896 by German engineer Gottlieb Daimler. In 1898, Daimler and his partner William Steinway founded Daimler Manufacturing. Here's a fun fact: Daimler's partner in the truck manufacturing was the same William Steinway known for Steinway & Sons pianos, and both companies are still producing their products—trucks and pianos—125 years later! (continued on page 5) Horse drawn honey wagon The first truck in the world, built by Daimler circa 1896 Tank truck circa 1926