US MOTOR TRUCK

US Motor Truck Co. (1909-1914)

Cincinnati, Ohio
US Motor Truck Co., Div. Stewart Iron Works (1914-c1928)

Cincinnati, Ohio & Covington, Kentucky
US Motor Truck Co. (c1928-1930)
Cincinnati, Ohio

This is a US Motor Truck body side nameplate (c1917-1921)  lktec
Size: 203mm wide 128mm high   MM: None

The United States Motor Truck Company was located in Cincinnati, Ohio and began to build motor trucks in 1909. The first US Motor Truck models were listed at 1-ton and 1-1/2-ton capacity both powered by a 20 hp two-cylinder engine. For 1912, four-cylinder engines were available in addition to the two-cylinder models. A conventional 3-ton model was also offered.

For 1916, US Motor Truck offered two chain driven models, Models E and D rated at 2-1/2-ton and 3-ton capacity, and three worm drive models, Models H, J and K rated at 2-1/2-ton, 3-1/2-ton and 5-ton capacity. US Motor Truck was busy during the First World War with on order for about 100 Liberty trucks for the war effort.

The US Motor Truck model range by 1921 was from 1-1/2-ton to 6-ton capacity and this had increased to 1-1/4-ton to 7-ton capacity by 1922.  US Motor Truck was weakened when the Stewart Iron Works sold its financial interests in about 1928 and could not survive the Depression. 

Emblems

By 1915, the US Motor Truck had a brass radiator shell but did not appear to carry a radiator emblem. However, the "US Motor Truck" name was displayed on a brass script mounted on the radiator core, see original period photo of a US Motor Truck fire engine shown below. Original examples of this US Motor Truck radiator script would be extremely rare.

US Motor Truck fire engine (1915)     nkyviews

Close-up showing the US Motor Truck radiator script (1915)

It is possible that this US Motor Truck radiator script was used from as early as 1909 but I cannot confirm this. If you have any photos or details of US Motor Truck emblems or nameplates used before 1915, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The same US Motor Truck radiator script is seen in advertisement illustrations in late 1916, see example shown below:

US Motor Truck ad (1916)    ebay

US Motor Truck ad detail showing radiator script (1916)

The US Motor Truck radiator script is not seen in photos or illustrations after 1916 but the striking logo with the open winged eagle inscribed "Floating Power Plant" seen in the 1916 advertisement shown above was displayed on body side nameplates on US Motor Truck models from 1917. These body side nameplates were mounted on a panel at the side of the driver's seat, see illustration shown below:

US Motor Truck ad (1917)  pinterest

US Motor Truck ad detail showing body side nameplate (1917)

The first of these body side nameplates were in the form of colored decals, as shown in the following photo taken from the cover of a US Motor Truck brochure:

US Motor Truck body side decal (c1917-1918)    lktec

The US Motor Truck body side nameplate was later changed to a cast iron plate, as seen in the following US Motor Truck illustration from a Commercial Car Journal article in 1921, which is believed to have been the final year of use of this body side nameplate, see part view shown below:

US Motor Truck body side nameplate (1921)    ccj

An original cast iron US Motor Truck body side nameplate is shown below. A similar nameplate in restored condition is shown above at the top of this post. This US Motor Truck body side nameplate is very rare.

This is a US Motor Truck body side nameplate (c1917-1921) sam
Size: 203mm wide 128mm high   MM: None

From 1922, the US Motor Truck had a new and very clear emblem at the top front of the radiator, see original photo in the following US Motor Truck advertisement:

US Motor Truck advertisement (1922)   ebay

US Motor Truck advertisement illustration showing radiator emblem (1922)

This new US Motor Truck radiator emblem was cast into the top of what appears to be an aluminum radiator. This US Motor Truck radiator emblem can be most clearly seen in the following photos of a restored US Motor Truck from 1924 on display at the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Covington, Kentucky:

US Motor Truck showing radiator emblem (1924) 
behringer-crawford museum

It is believed that this US Motor Truck radiator emblem continued in use until the end of production in 1930.