They lent themselves to streamlining better than any other
kind of truck. They were more intimately tied to the fortunes of the auto
industry than any other kind of truck. Beginning as an outgrowth of horse-drawn
wagons and sleds, tank trucks progressed from primitive and ungainly fuel
haulers to sleek, slick vehicles which promoted as well as delivered an oil
company's products.
Tanks on early trucks were riveted and placed on cradles
either above the truck's frame or sometimes even on an existing flatbed. At the
rear of the cylinder tank was a rectangular bucket box, with doors opening to
the rear. Inside the box would be faucets for emptying the tank, funnels, a
shelf for wrenches, and empty buckets used for measuring small sales. Containers
for axle grease, another big-selling item in motoring's pioneer days, might
also be stored there. At the top of the tank would be a manhole cover used for
filling.
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