This week’s CAT Scale Rig of the Week is a glimpse into the past of the trucking industry.
Jake Iles of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, bought this 1934 GMC T-23 B truck and trailer brand new for $2,300 and used it to move cattle all over the state. Jake was the sole owner of this truck until the Iowa 80 Group acquired it from his family.
The truck is unusual in that it has a sleeper cab, which was rare in that it has a sleeper cab, which was rare in the 1930s. The doors are angled back from the narrower front end to the wider sleeper.
The trailer, which is equipped with vacuum brakes and a fifth wheel, was also manufactured by GMC. The truck has a 3-ton rating and mechanical brakes.
This truck lacks all the creature comforts of modern rigs in that it has high noise levels, and didn’t have air-ride seats, which meant drivers felt every bump in the road. After picking up a load of cattle or hogs, drivers had to get them to market at a top speed of 35 mph.
Do you use the CAT Scale app and have a rig you’d like us to feature as the CAT Scale Rig of the Week? Send photos to [email protected].
A former military public affairs specialist, Cody Graves has a journalism career that has spanned radio, television and print. For the last ten years, he produced special sections for Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper. During his time in the U.S. Army Reserves, Cody served tours in El Salvador, Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In his spare time, he plays guitar in a local band and spends time with his dogs, Lucy and Daisy.