The name “Fruehauf” is an iconic one in American transportation history.
It was 1914 when a Detroit blacksmith named August Fruehauf came up with a creative way to help lumber barons haul even more lumber and make even more money.
The result became the semi-trailer. Its descendants can be seen to this day, rumbling across the highways of the world.
Ruth Ann Fruehauf is August’s granddaughter.
She marked the 100th anniversary of Augusts’ semi-trailer with a coffee table book called "Singing Wheels: August Fruehauf & The History of the Fruehauf Trailer Company.”
Listen to our Stateside discussion with Freuhauf as she sheds light on the rise and fall of the Fruehauf company, its tempestuous relationship with the unions and its lasting impact on the world of transportation.
