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Vehicles were eccentric, and the driver's lives eventful. Trucks caught fire while going down
the long western grades, or shuddered to a steaming halt while going uphill, leaving the
drivers to leap out and quickly block the wheels.
In the winter, drivers were likely to freeze, while the summer would have them roasting in their
cabs. Attempts were often made to warm up winter driving by diverting engine heat through
holes cut in the wooden floors. One common result of this was that the oil-soaked boards wold
catch fire after coming into contact with red hot manifolds.
However, the thought of driver comfort was there, and the manufacturers began to include
items such as padded seats and electric light. Later, operators were able to specify such
things as speedometers, bulb horns and rear-view mirrors. By the 1930's, most trucks were
built with proper cabs with opening doors and windows, and drivers were soon building their
own sleepers.
to visit this group at http://www.motrucking.org