So, you pull a semi-trailer. Have you ever thought about how the semi-trailer came about? Here are some interesting facts about the creation of semi-trailers.
The Trailer’s Origins
Alexander Winton, a Scottish-American, is credited with inventing the semi-trailer in 1898 with his trailer, which he called an “Automobile Hauler.”
- As the founder of the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1896, located in Cleveland, OH, he needed something to deliver his “horseless carriages.”
- He wanted these vehicles delivered to his customers without any miles or damage, as most of his customers were located hundreds of miles away.
- His version of the trailer was a type of cart that a “touring car” could pull behind it.
- From this, he created the car hauler that his company could use for deliveries and started manufacturing them to sell to other companies by 1899.
The Name We All Know
Another person credited with creating semi-trailers close to the same time was August Charles Fruehauf. He was a blacksmith and carriage builder from Detriot, MI, and he is the one credited with creating the term “semi-trailer.” Fruehauf had a local Michigan lumber tycoon, Frederic Sibley Sr., request that he make him a trailer that he could use to haul his boat to Lake Michigan. He needed to be able to tow it behind his Ford Model T.
The trailer was so successful that Sibley had Fruehauf build trailers for use around his lumber yard. In 1918, the Fruehauf Trailer Company emerged from this collaboration and is still in business today, building dry van trailers.
Next time you look at a trailer, imagine what semi-trailers of old looked like and how far technology has come. Need help with a semi-trailer rental or repair? Contact us today!
