It’s no surprise that America’s economic dominance since the late 19th century coincided with the start of its trucking industry and the exit from horse-drawn freight transport. (Imagine how much easier fleet logistics are when you don’t have to account for feeding and cleaning up after each asset.)
What may be surprising, though, is that much of the automotive and trucking industries started not in Detroit, but its neighbor to the southeast, Cleveland. This is where Alexander Winton built the first semi-tractor to haul his company’s automobiles to early customers, and also where White Motor Co. got its start, as well as auto/truckmakers Peerless and Sterling.
Because of Cleveland's deep trucking roots and trucks’ connection to America 250, Cleveland’s Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is hosting an exhibit called “Keep on Truckin” (a phrase coined by artist R. Crumb, who lived in Cleveland for a time) that showcases several early truck models. It’s open until Oct. 3, 2026, and anyone with even a slight affinity for automotive history should check out the vast collection.
Fleet Maintenance’s John Hitch visited the museum in May to discuss the new exhibit and trucking’s past and evolution into modern vehicles with the museum’s curator of transportation history, Aaron Warkentin.
