history of the pickup

[rdln]

People, I have been trying to find info on pickup trucks specifically the boxes and even more specifically the origination of the 4 x 8 foot dimension of the the box. Was this dimension used because common 4x8 plywood already existed? Or was it based on a cord of firewood being 4x4x8?

Anybody?

TIA

 

[Rara Avis]

People, I have been trying to find info on pickup trucks specifically the boxes and even more specifically the origination of the 4 x 8 foot dimension of the the box. Was this dimension used because common 4x8 plywood already existed? Or was it based on a cord of firewood being 4x4x8?

Anybody?

TIA

The first factory-assembled pickup debuted in 1925 and sold for $281. Henry Ford billed it as the "Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body." The 34,000 built that first year featured a cargo box, adjustable tailgate, four stake pockets and heavy-duty rear springs.

In 1928, the Model A replaced Model T - becoming the first closed-cab pickup and sporting innovations like a safety glass windshield, roll-up side windows and three-speed transmission. It was powered by a four-cylinder, L-head engine capable of 40 horsepower.

1931 was the first year for a factory-built Chevrolet pickup, known as the "Independence Series".

 

[ultrarunner]

The Bed in my Model A is not very large... much smaller than a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood...

 

[WilliamBos]

GMC (General Motors division - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

[Rara Avis]

The Bed in my Model A is not very large... much smaller than a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood...

No, I was giving him the start of pickup trucks...

The larger pickup beds were to carry plywood sheets and drywall sheets...which is why the Suburban was designed the way it was to be able to handle those two particular sheets...

And now the NEW drywall sheets won't fit in a fullsize pickup truck bed...

 

[rdln]

The title of the post was more of an attention grabber, I have done a bit of prior research online and found pickup history data and such but nothing specific to the box dimensions. I have found boxes on 40's dodges that were nine feet long!

There must be a chronological corollary between construction materials and pickup box specs.

My parents house was built about '65 with 2x8 wallboard backed plaster, 4x8 plywood subflooring, i am not sure on outside wall sheathing. And the 60's trucks seemed to begining of 4x8 and 4x6.5 beds.

My logic tells me the the 4x8 plywood came first but....

 

[herringchoker]

I don't know about the relation to building material sizes, but here's a brief history of Ford's pickup boxes as gleaned form a very well researched and written history of Ford trucks ("Ford Trucks Since 1905" by James K. Wagner):
1925 - first Ford pickup box (an optional body for the Runabout car chassis), 56" long.
1931 - new pickup box, 59.4" long.
1938 - new 1/2 ton pickup box, 77.7" long (not quite 6.5'!).
- new 1 ton express (pickup) box, 96" long x 54" wide.
1939 - new 3/4 ton chassis gets the 96" box.
1948 - completely new F-series chasses, but all with carryover pickup/express boxes with restyled fenders to match the new cabs. F-1 has the 6.5' (not quite!) box, F-2 and F-3 get the 8 footer.
1951 - pickup boxes are redesigned, but still have the 1948 fenders.
1953 - completely new series of trucks, including the pickup/express bodies:
-F100 (1/2 ton) has 6.5' box,
-F250 (3/4 ton) has 8 footer, and
-F350 (1 ton) has 9 footer.
1956 - in response to Chevrolet 3200 series 1/2 ton long wheelbase, the F100 is available with either the 6.5' or the 8' box.
1957 - full-width (Styleside) or regular width (Flareside) bodies available in all 3 lengths.
1973 - F350 gets 8' box, the 9 footer is now history.