Seven decades

For many an owner-operator, the dream rig has been a Peterbilt. It’s evident on the highway, where more than a quarter of owner-operator trucks sport the red oval, according to Overdrive research. It’s been evident from the earliest days of the show truck scene, where Petes have far outweighed other brands as the truck of choice for showing off chrome and graphics.

“From the first logging trucks of the ’30s and revolutionary cabover vehicles in the ’40s to the birth of an industry icon – the Model 359 in the ’60s – Peterbilts have set the pace,” Peterbilt General Manager Bill Jackson said during the company’s recent 70th anniversary celebration. “In the ’70s and ’80s, the workhorses that built America were Peterbilt Models 348, 362 and the legendary Model 379.”

The company continued to innovate in recent years with a series of aerodynamic, fuel-efficient trucks, starting with the Model 387 in the ’90s.

“Since our first truck was produced in 1939, Peterbilt has become one of the most widely recognized and respected brands in the world,” Jackson said. “It’s a universal symbol of pride, quality and class.”