Trucks - USA: boeken - historie, typen en techniek (1/3)

Aux États-Unis, le poids-lourd est depuis des décennies indispensable à la vie économique du pays (sur le sol national, 80 % des biens sont transportés par la route) et, dans le même temps, le camion incarne toujours le mythe du pionnier partant à la conquête du pays.
Le camion est donc un outil et représente une histoire qui est d'autant plus partagée par bon nombre d'Américains que ceux-ci cultivent un goût immodéré pour leur patrimoine historique mécanique.

Mais le camion ne s'est pas développé de façon uniforme dans tout le pays, il a ainsi longtemps existé des particularismes locaux liés à des contraintes administratives, chaque État ayant à l'origine ses propres réglementations en matière de poids total roulant et de limites de longueur.

Par ailleurs, l'opposition entre les constructeurs de la côte Est et ceux de la côte Ouest a aussi largement contribué à façonner l'évolution du poids lourd américain. Cet ouvrage a pour vocation de vous faire découvrir le monde du camion made in USA en s'attachant à décrire son histoire générale et les principales marques qui ont contribué à l'écrire.

Prior to the 1970s, when length laws were written to allow longer configurations to run on the national interstate highway system, you would only see a lot of these trucks west of the Mississippi. Configurations such as the Rocky Mountain Double were not allowed in many states.
This is the first book to showcase the unique truck/trailer combos and companies that worked the roads in the American West from the early 1900s thru the 1970s. Trucks and companies from the following states are covered, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming and Montana.
Makes: Peterbilt semi trucks, Sterling, International, Kenworth, White, Autocar trucks, GMC semi trucks, Fruehauf trailers, Mack semi trucks, Freightliner semi trucks.

Ron Adams has pulled 375 images from his vast collection to feature companies and truck makers, such as:
- Arrowhead Freight Lines Inc.
- Big Sky Co-op of Montana
- Braswell Motor Freight Lines Inc.
- Denver-Chicago Trucking Co. Inc.
- Garrett Freight Lines, Illinois-California Express Inc.
- Garrison Fast Freight Inc.
- I.M.L. Freight Inc.,
- Los Angeles-Seattle Motor Express Inc.
- Navajo Freight Lines Inc.
- Pacific Inter-Mountain Express
- Ringsby Truck Lines Inc.
- Strickland Transportation Co.
- Transcon Lines Inc.
- United Truck Lines Inc.
- Watson Bros. Transportation Co. Inc.
- West Coast Fast Freight Inc.
- Western Truck Lines Inc.

American COE designs began to appear as a way to maximize loads to abide within individual U.S. state regulations. By shortening the overall length of the truck cab the trailer size could be increased while staying within the overall length limit dictated by each state. COE trucks would help play a vital role in America's industrial growth over the ensuing decades. All the major truck manufacturers are featured along with the many models offered throughout the decades into the 1970s, as well as a brief look at the COE models offered through the 1980s to today.

As well as historical data and specifications, all the innovative concepts and features developed as COE designs evolved are highlighted, as well as the numerous ideas that were tried, but proved to be only temporary solutions. Enjoy this lavishly illustrated, informative evolution of COE trucks, the first history ever published focusing on the history of COE trucks in America.