The American Historical Truck Society (AHTS) exhibited the first trailer ever produced by Talbert Manufacturing at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) last month, displaying the 80-year-old gooseneck unit among the antique trucks assembled for the event.
“Talbert has been developing heavy-haul solutions for 80 years, and this event was a great way to recognize how Austin Talbert and his inventions helped shaped the industry,” noted Troy Geisler, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing, noted at the show.
Austin Talbert started the company that bears his name as a heavy haul, crane rental and construction equipment business in Lyons, IL, in 1938. He quickly became known as a pioneer in heavy-haul trailer safety when he built the first-ever trailer with removable rear suspension. The 60-ton fixed gooseneck unit featured at the MATS last month “revolutionized the way heavy equipment was loaded and unloaded,” Geisler added.
He said users could remove the rear axles, set the trailer’s back end on the ground, and maneuver equipment onto the deck of the trailer without having to hoist it over the tires and axles as with previous models.
“Our mission is to preserve the history of the trucking industry and the innovations that have brought it to where it is today,” noted Mark Schroyer, vice president of the AHTS. “It’s great to see companies like Talbert do the same and honor where this industry came from.”
