In the early 1900s, tipper trucks, or as we know them today — dump trucks, were first invented for farms in western Europe. John Isaac Thornycroft was a British Naval Engineer that created the dust cart. Thornycroft’s dust cart had the idea of a tipper, to empty its own content, which eventually lead to modernized dump trucks.
Thorncroft’s design was simple with a cart attached to the back of carriages. When the dump detached, it tilted backward to release materials inside. He went on to create a modified version in 1896 that added 6 cubic yard tipper body that manually detached from the hitch.
John Isaac Thornycroft
Galion Buggy Co.
A U.S. company, Galion Buggy Company based in Galion, Ohio, developed the first motorized dump truck back in the early 1900s. They made a machine similar to Thorncroft’s design, however, Galion’s contained a motor. Soon after, hydraulic beds were introduced by Wood Hoist Company. This revolutionized the automotive industry to this day. In 1910, Galion Buggy Company changed their name to Galion Allsteel Body Company.
During the company’s growth, they built all the bodies offered by Ford on heavy duty AA and BB chassis during the 1930s.
To this day, Galion is the oldest company that manufactures dump trucks within the United States.
Mid-century companies in the industry increased payload, horsepower and other features such as tight turning circles.
World War I & II
Word War I created a significant demand for heavy hauling equipment as the war efforts increased. During the time of the war, automotive manufacturers flourished in their businesses. After the war, automotive companies grew more. Dump Trucks offered no limits on usage. Many variations were made to dumps, such as size. Larger trucks were beneficial to the military.
For World War II, hydraulic trucks were designed with anti-aircraft machine guns. Later, side boards and seats were introduced to transform the truck’s design furthermore. Winches and lift gates were made hydraulic.
Galion Buggy Co. Started offering smaller bodies that were easier to install.
After the War
In 1956, President Eisenhower signed into law the Interstate Highway Act. This legislation built the national highway system. During the construction of this project, dump truck sales kept increasing and soon became the truck that developed the American industry.
R. G. LeTourneau
Modern Day
The first articulated truck was accepted much later, in the 1970s, dating back to Thornycroft’s roots.
R. G. LeTourneau designed the truck. He designed a rear dump wagon that was dumped by taking the trailer axle toward the tractor, causing the front of the dump to tilt upwards. The largest truck LeTourneau designed could carry as much as 50 tons.
Today, some of the most common types of dump trucks include standard dumps, transfer dumps, side sumps, highway tractors, winter service vehicle dumps, roll offs.
Here at Custom Truck One Source, we offer Load King dumps, Roll offs, and Rotary Dump trucks. If you are interested in renting or purchasing a dump truck, please contact us today to speak to a member of our team.
Sources:
Construction Equipment
Wikipedia
Galion Godwin