THE NUMBER 1 RESOURCE FOR VOCATIONAL TRUCK FLEETS
Up until the late 1990s, no corporation had a global, or even regional, fleet management reporting structure, with the possible exception of Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. parent companies. At the start of the 21st Century, managers with global fleet responsibilities began to proliferate.
From the push to “go green” to new-vehicle launches to mergers and acquisitions, the past decade has been covered in full by the No. 1 vocational truck magazine.
As we all know, General Electric (GE) has exited the fleet management industry after a three-decade presence, which started in 1984 when GE Credit Corp. purchased Kerr Leasing, a small family-owned leasing company in Englewood, Colo. What is not well known is why GE entered the fleet management industry in the first place. Here is the prologue or “back story” that was the catalyst to GE’s entry into the fleet business.
As this photo shows, work trucks in the early part of the 20th century emphasized functionality over comfort, leaving drivers such as the one shown here literally out in the cold.
The International brand stretches back more than a century and from its earliest days was a part of the fabric of American workaday life.
After more than 90 years in business, Holman Automotive also celebrates 67 years in fleet by founding ARI in 1948. Being a privately-held, family-owned business is one key to its success as well as its focus on its people and customers.
Digger derricks are used today for numerous tasks related to utility line construction. This circa 1950s Tel-E-lect International Truck is an early example of these versatile fleet tools.
If there's ever been a quintessential work truck in the history of commercial vehicles, it's probably the milk truck. As these trucks from the 1950s show, the milk truck was also a relatively sophisticated vehicle for its time.
Before the development of hydraulics, chain-driven mechanisms were the upfitting norm as this photo from the 1930s demonstrates. While it may not be as efficient as the modern technology, the evidence shows that it still got the job done.
Tow trucks are a ubiquitous part of the vehicle landscape, but this Harry H. Knaack Motors truck from around1940 must have made an impression.