Trucks are synonymous with the USA and are perhaps more numerous here than anywhere in the world. With many massive heavy-duty trucks crossing the USA in all directions each day it is no surprise that the sight of these enormous, imposing and impressive vehicles is part and parcel of the American landscape, and they perform a necessary service in delivering goods of all types to destinations throughout the land.
They also provide business and jobs for a lot of people as seen in this resource for Heavy Truck Parts and as for the truckers, well they`re simply an American icon. Important, exciting and massively powerful, the heavy-duty truck is very much American and instantly recognizable. So, as the title asks, who makes the most reliable heavy-duty truck?
It`s difficult to answer as such a vehicle is necessarily reliable thanks to the job it must do. There are many manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks, and some with quite illustrious histories, so let`s discuss some of those makers and their reputation.
Famous Manufacturers of Heavy Trucks 100
Think heavy-duty truck and you automatically imagine a massive, towering vehicle replete with chrome, and an enormous engine. Then you begin to add a brand name to your imaginary truck, and it`s likely to be one of the following. These are among the most famous brands in the big truck world, and most have been here for many decades and more.
Mack
Responsible for a great proportion of the truck sales in the USA is Mack, a brand that is iconic as it is established. Founded in 1900 to build vehicles of various kinds, the Mack Brothers made their first truck in 1907 and a legend was born.
Mack, a New York company, made many models across the years and became famous early on for its fire tenders. Of its modern range, the mighty Titan – which was first built in 2007 -is perhaps the model that is most commonly seen, especially with its incredible 16-litre 6-cylinder engine, one of the largest of its kind in history.
Big, brash and beautiful, there`s no doubt that Mack – now owned by the Volvo Trucks company – is among the greatest of US icons of the road and will remain so with its new range of impressive vehicles.
Peterbilt
Another of the most famous of all the US truck manufacturers, Peterbilt was founded for work in the logging trade where the traditional method of floating wood down a river to the destination was taking too long. The company is now known for its immensely powerful and often rather stunning-looking trucks, which feature in many sought after die cast models.
The familiar Peterbilt 389 is as iconic a truck design as has ever been seen, distinguished by its outlandish front treatment, while the newest model – the 579 – is a true beast of the road with superb capability and a wonderfully equipped cab favoured by long-distance truckers.
The Peterbilt has formed the backbone of many of the trucking lines in the USA, but it`s worth knowing that the UK is also home famous trucking companies including the legendary Eddie Stobart, but like all things from the UK these trucks are scaled down to suit the roads!
Daimler
The Daimler company needs no introduction as it is part of the group that manufacturers Mercedes-Benz among the Daimler truck brands are the likes of Freightliner, Western Star and Sterling trucks, each of which has a long and illustrious history of manufacturing solid, powerful and reliable trucks that have a reputation for longevity and also value for money.
The Daimler brand is, it should be noted, is one of the oldest motor vehicle manufacturers in the world, having its roots in the original Daimler company founded as long ago as 1890. Nowadays the truck division produces some of the most impressive trucks in the world, and has a strong following among US hauliers.
Ford
It`s not possible to talk about anything to do with vehicles, whether cars, trucks or other, in the USA without including the Ford Motor Company. Few brands are as well known worldwide and few have such a diverse range of products, and Ford`s continues presence as a manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks is something that they can be proud of.
The current range caters for long-haul trucking outfits that swear by the brand – indeed Ford must rank very high where brand loyalty is concerned, and they have a reputation for excellent reliability as well as power, comfort and versatility.
These are just some of the major names in truck production in the USA right now and we cannot overlook the presence of Japanese makers, with Isuzu in particular having a strong footing in the heavy-duty truck market thanks to a range of always excellent vehicles at great prices.
So, what can we say to sum up this article? Have we deduced which is the most reliable heavy-duty truck in the USA?
In Summary
The market for heavy duty trucks in the USA is as strong as ever, and it remains an area of road transport that really does have a cult following. As for reliability it`s safe to say that all of those mentioned provide the opportunity to pack long mileages in with little chance of breakdown when well maintained. To finish, we`ll just say that such is the importance and relevance of the truck in US history, even the New York Times