What Was the Very First Truck Ever Made?

The first purpose-built truck is widely credited to Gottlieb Daimler’s 1896 “Motor-Lastwagen” (motorized goods wagon), built by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in Cannstatt, Germany. Conceived specifically to haul cargo and powered by a small gasoline engine, it marked the starting point of the modern truck industry.

Why the 1896 Daimler Motor-Lastwagen Counts as the First Truck

While steam-powered road vehicles and freight-hauling wagons existed in the 19th century, Daimler’s 1896 design is broadly recognized as the first modern truck because it was purpose-built for carrying goods, employed an internal combustion engine, and adopted a layout that set the template for future commercial vehicles. Rather than being a passenger car adapted for freight, the Motor-Lastwagen was engineered from the outset for cargo work.

The Vehicle That Started It All

Design and Engineering

Gottlieb Daimler’s early commercial vehicle looked like a sturdier, motorized evolution of a horse-drawn wagon, but crucial details made it revolutionary. The company mounted a small, two-cylinder “Phoenix” gasoline engine at the rear, using belts and chains to transmit power to the axle. Leaf springs and robust wheels were selected to cope with rough roads and heavy loads, while the driver sat forward with controls adapted for commercial work. Though modest in output by today’s standards, the engine delivered enough torque for hauling, and subsequent iterations quickly evolved with stronger frames and improved drivetrains.

Early Use and Market Impact

Initial sales targeted industries that needed reliable, road-going cargo transport—an alternative to horses and steam wagons. Demand grew first in Europe, notably in markets like the United Kingdom and France, where freight-hauling needs were expanding with urbanization and industrialization. The practical success of the Daimler truck encouraged other makers to enter the field, accelerating the shift from animal and steam power to internal combustion for commercial transport.

Key Facts at a Glance

The following points summarize what historians and company archives generally agree upon regarding the first modern truck and its immediate context.

• Maker and year: Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), 1896.
• Name and purpose: “Motor-Lastwagen,” designed expressly to carry cargo rather than passengers.
• Powertrain: A small, twin-cylinder gasoline engine (the Daimler “Phoenix”) mounted at the rear, driving the axle via belts/chains.
• Layout legacy: Established the fundamental idea of a motorized goods vehicle distinct from cars and horse-drawn wagons.
• Immediate contemporaries: Karl Benz also developed early delivery trucks around 1896, reflecting a broader pivot toward motorized freight.

Taken together, these points explain why the 1896 Daimler is the standard reference for “first truck,” even as parallel experiments by other pioneers rapidly followed.

Did Anyone Build a “Truck” Earlier?

Earlier self-propelled vehicles did carry loads—most famously Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot’s 1769 steam “fardier” for moving artillery, as well as 19th-century steam lorries in Britain. However, historians generally distinguish those steam road locomotives from the gasoline-powered, purpose-built trucks that directly shaped the automotive freight industry. On that modern definition, Daimler’s 1896 Motor-Lastwagen is the landmark first.

Common Confusions and Related Firsts

Several milestones are often mistaken for the first truck or are related “firsts” in the truck family. Here are the most frequent points of confusion and how they fit into the historical timeline.

• First pickup truck (mass-market, factory-built in the U.S.): Ford’s 1925 Model T Runabout with Pickup Body, which popularized the light-duty pickup segment decades after the first truck.
• Early competitors: Karl Benz’s delivery vehicles in the late 1890s demonstrate that multiple inventors converged on motorized freight at roughly the same time.
• Steam vs. gasoline: Steam lorries predate 1896 but are typically grouped under “steam road vehicles,” not the gasoline truck lineage that evolved into today’s commercial vehicles.

Understanding these related milestones helps separate broader road-vehicle history from the specific lineage of the modern, gasoline (and later diesel and electric) truck.

Why It Matters Today

The leap from horse and steam to a purpose-built, internal combustion cargo vehicle enabled longer ranges, higher payloads, and more dependable logistics. That foundation led to the global freight networks we rely on today, and it set the stage for subsequent shifts to diesel and, now, electric trucks, which keep the core idea—dedicated goods movement—while transforming the technology.

Summary

The first modern truck is widely recognized as Gottlieb Daimler’s 1896 Motor-Lastwagen, the world’s first purpose-built, gasoline-powered goods vehicle. Though steam lorries and other self-propelled haulers came earlier, Daimler’s design established the template for commercial road freight and inspired rapid development by contemporaries like Karl Benz. From that 1896 starting point, the truck evolved into the backbone of global logistics, spanning heavy-duty rigs, light pickups, and today’s emerging zero-emission models.

What was the very first truck invented?

Daimler Motor-Lastwagen
The Daimler Motor-Lastwagen is the world’s first truck, manufactured in the year 1896 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and designed by Gottlieb Daimler.

Is GM really making an $8000 truck?

No, General Motors (GM) is not currently offering a new, mass-market pickup truck for $8,000. While there’s a lot of buzz and many YouTube videos circulating about new, affordable trucks from various brands, the Chevrolet Montana is described as a budget-friendly truck, and the most affordable GM-related truck is the Wuling Zhengtu, which starts closer to $9,000, not $8,000. 
Where the confusion comes from:

• Wuling Zhengtu: Opens in new tabThis is a compact pickup truck from a joint venture between SAIC, GM, and Wuling. It’s the most affordable in this group, with prices starting around $9,000. 
• Chevrolet Montana: Opens in new tabThis is a compact truck from GM aimed at urban drivers and small businesses. It is described as affordable, but an $8,000 starting price is misleading, as its actual price point is higher. 
• YouTube Videos and Rumors: Opens in new tabMany videos and articles claim GM (or other manufacturers like Ford, Toyota, and Tesla) is releasing an $8,000 pickup. However, these are often misinterpretations of more affordable trucks, sometimes confusing the Wuling Zhengtu or creating hype around hypothetical vehicles. 

What’s the reality?

• While the idea of an $8,000 truck is exciting, it’s largely a misunderstanding of the market. 
• The Chevrolet Montana is a genuinely practical and versatile truck designed for urban settings and small businesses, but its price point is higher than $8,000. 
• The goal for GM (and other manufacturers) is to offer more affordable and dependable trucks, but the prices cited in the viral claims are not accurate for a new GM-branded pickup truck. 

Who made the first truck, Ford or Chevy?

Ford introduced the first factory-built pickup in the US with the 1925 Ford Model T Pickup Truck, while Chevrolet followed with its own one-ton truck in 1918 to compete with Ford. Ford originally offered the Model TT in 1917 as a chassis-cab, which allowed buyers to add their own cargo boxes, before introducing a factory-built pickup in 1925.
 
Ford’s Truck History

• 1917: Ford began selling the Model TT as a chassis-cab, enabling customers to attach their own cargo boxes for hauling. 
• 1925: Ford introduced the first factory-built pickup in America, featuring a steel cargo bed and priced for the everyday consumer. 

Chevrolet’s Truck History

• 1918: Chevrolet responded to Ford’s Model TT by releasing its own one-ton truck, the 1918 Chevrolet Model T. 
• 1924: Chevrolet also offered a 3/4-ton pickup with an entirely wooden cab and body. 

Key Distinction
While both companies were producing trucks in the early 20th century, Ford introduced the first factory-built pickup truck that included a dedicated cargo box in 1925, solidifying its position as a leader in the nascent pickup market.

What was the first American truck ever made?

The first motor truck in America was built by Louis Semple Clarke in 1897 and sold by the Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company, which later became Autocar. While Henry Ford’s Model TT was a significant early American truck starting in 1917 and his Model T Runabout with Pickup Body in 1925 was the first factory-assembled pickup truck, Autocar’s vehicle preceded these.
 
The First American Motor Truck

• 1897: Louis Semple Clarke created the “Autocar No. 1,” a three-wheeled motor truck powered by a single-cylinder gasoline engine. 
• Commercial Production: Clarke founded the Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company, which began building and selling this first commercially available motor truck in the United States. 
• Legacy: Autocar remains the oldest surviving motor vehicle brand in the United States, with its origins in this pioneering truck. 

Ford’s Contribution to Trucking

• 1917: Ford Model TT: Opens in new tabFord launched the Model TT, a heavier-duty truck chassis that combined with the Model T’s engine and frame, designed to support heavier loads. 
• 1925: Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body: Opens in new tabThis vehicle is considered the first factory-built pickup truck. Ford recognized the demand from farmers who were modifying their cars and offered a truck body directly from the factory.