Goodyear’s success encouraged another large competitor, Firestone, to launch similar business activities. In 1919, Firestone initiated the action „Ship by Truck.”
The owner, Harvey Firestone convinced tyre dealers that the trucks could perform transports up to 150 km.
The entrepreneurs became convinced of the tyres and in 1926 Goodyear for the first time sold more pneumatics than the massifs: 235,6 thousand pneumatics compared to 208.5 thousand massifs. A few years later balloon tyres arrived and long-distance car transport, predicted by Seiberling, became a reality.
Three-axle trucks have proved their worth on muddy roads
Many roads had ground surfaces, and at best, gravel roads. When it rained, mud immediately appeared on the roads. Sometimes, even on the main roads, the trucks would get stuck in the mud up until the axles.
That’s why Goodyear together with General Motors financed the construction of three-axle trucks, which in the field were better able to cope than two-axles models. Rear axle drive was especially useful on muddy roads.
General Motors together with Goodyear built the first three-axle trucks
They ensured not only the further popularization of trucks, but also greater sales of tyres than in the case of two axle models.
In the next episode of History of transport in Trans.INFO:
The golden years of steam engines
Previous episodes:
From military surplus to civilian use, or how the bus industry was born
A half of cheese – bribes given to German customs officers 90 years ago
How the German road transport developed at the beginning of the 20th century
How buses quickly conquered the transport market
What was the difference between pre-war American buses and European ones?
How farmers contributed to the development of trucks in America
How sellers benefited from trucks
How the railway lost its orders for transport for the benefit of trucks
Why the hump yards were too expensive for the railways
How trucks broke railway monopoly
How clever company president persuaded carriers to use pneumatic tyres
Through the continent without a flat tyre