The History of Semi Trucks

07/21/2015 — Matt Nagel

Semi trucks didn't take over our highways overnight. Like everything else, semis have a long and detailed history all starting with their invention in 1898 (more on that later in the post). We recently came across a video that goes through the entire history of semi trucks step-by-step to show you how we got to where we're at today. The video, put together by TruckertoTrucker.com, also goes into some interesting stats as well as top selling brands in the trucking industry. All-in-all the video does a great job of walking you through the history and pointing out the innovations and inventions that make freight shipping by truck one of the most popular and efficient ways to transport your goods from point A to point B.


Now that you've seen the history of the semi, it's our duty, as Clevelanders, to provide you with Cleveland's contribution to trucking. As you saw in the video above, Alexander Winton is credited with the invention of the semi truck in 1898, and Winton Motor Company was located in.....you guessed it - Cleveland, Ohio! Which means that PartnerShip calls the oldest, and most experienced, trucking city in the world it's home. We came across a slightly older video than the one above that highlights the Winton Motor Company's innovations in yet another trucking staple - the diesel engine.


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