Trucks on Display
Below is a sampling of the many trucks on display in our Trucking Hall of Fame® Exhibit Hall. Check out our app for more information, photos, and an audio recording for each truck. Click here to download.
1929 Relay
Engine Type:
6-Cylinder
Transmission Type:
4-Speed
Truck Information:
The claim to fame for this 1929 Relay is their patented Relay drive system on the rear axle. Relay claimed superior traction, and this truck would go where others wouldn't. This is a chain-drive truck; the weight is carried by a separate tube and axle. The drive part is below, and there are gears on the outside below the wheels instead of a regular differential. It was very unusual and unfortunately for Relay, it was an idea that never caught on. There are lots of reasons why truck brands failed. Relay was more expensive than the average truck. Additionally, you would have needed to find a dealer for repairs because parts were not available anywhere else. Relay could have failed for lack of financing as well, just like a lot of truck companies did. There is no indication that truck buyers really worried about appearance of a truck back then; it was all about performance - getting the work done. Those companies that built poorly performing trucks didn't last. Sometimes having something very unique didn't turn out to be the best thing. Top Speed: 30 MPH
6-Cylinder
Transmission Type:
4-Speed
Truck Information:
The claim to fame for this 1929 Relay is their patented Relay drive system on the rear axle. Relay claimed superior traction, and this truck would go where others wouldn't. This is a chain-drive truck; the weight is carried by a separate tube and axle. The drive part is below, and there are gears on the outside below the wheels instead of a regular differential. It was very unusual and unfortunately for Relay, it was an idea that never caught on. There are lots of reasons why truck brands failed. Relay was more expensive than the average truck. Additionally, you would have needed to find a dealer for repairs because parts were not available anywhere else. Relay could have failed for lack of financing as well, just like a lot of truck companies did. There is no indication that truck buyers really worried about appearance of a truck back then; it was all about performance - getting the work done. Those companies that built poorly performing trucks didn't last. Sometimes having something very unique didn't turn out to be the best thing. Top Speed: 30 MPH
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