We saw last time how Kenworth came to dominate the exploration business but there were plenty of other US contenders including perhaps surprisingly Peterbilt even after 1958 when it had joined PACCAR owner of Kenworth since the end of the war.
A couple of 1965 specials from Peterbilt for the French Petroleum Co in Australia were its biggest yet. They were 35ft 6x6 models weighing 49,500lbs powered by 318bhp Detroits. They had water tanks in their cylindrical bumpers and air-conditioned cabs. The Michelin Sahara sand tyres were 63ins diameter and they worked in the Simpson Desert.
Other significant US truck firms included International Harvester, which found it such big business that in the 1960s it produced specific catalogues for Oil Field Haulage. From them, one learns that 160-262bhp diesels were from Cummins whilst IHC six and V8 petrol units spanned 175 to 257bhp, or 169 – 251 running on LPG. Chassis were single or double channel with additional fishplate reinforcement at stress points.
