Haulpak and Lectra Haul: The World's Greatest Off-highway Earthmoving Trucks
Haulpak and Lectra Haul: The World's Greatest Off-highway Earthmoving Trucks
ITEM E472
By Eric C. Orlemann
In quarries and mines around the world, Haulpak and Lectra Haul off-highway haulers are legendary and are some of the largest trucks in operation today. The Haulpak truck line launched in the late 1950s and the Lectra Haul diesel-electric drive truck introduced in the early 1960s, shaped the way all modern off-highway haulers are designed even to this day. The Haulpak name was carried by such companies as LeTourneau-Westinghouse / WABCO (Westinghouse Air Brake Company), Dresser, Komatsu-Dresser, and finally Komatsu. Lectra Haul was the trademark name for trucks built by Unit Rig, which would become part of Terex, Bucyrus International, and now Caterpillar, Inc. Each truck’s designs were the templates for most future mining hauler models in use around the world. Construction Equipment author Eric Orlemann honors these off-highway marvels that carried these names, both past and present, with historic and modern photography, much of it never seen in published form before.
Softbound, 288 illustrations, 8.5”x11”, 160 pages
Were you like me? My fascination with trucks began when I was a little boy—and the bigger the better. Originally published in 2012, Eric C. Orlemann’s survey of off-highway earthmoving trucks rekindled my since-childhood passion. There is something special about having to climb a lengthy stairwell to reach the cab of a truck. Orlemann, author of more than 15 books devoted to “ultra-large earthmoving equipment,” offers a marvelous collection of 221 black-and-white and 28 color photographs supported by informative text and in-depth captions. What’s not to like about those side-by-side comparisons of cars and people set against one of these giants? As Orlemann explains, “Haulpak was the trademark name of trucks built by LeTourneau-Westinghouse, WABCO, Dresser, and Komatsu,” while “Lectra Haul was the brand name carried by haulers manufactured by Unit Rig, as part of Kendavis Industries and then Terex.” While there are some small, almost thumbnail-sized photographs, the book features primarily large images—as you would expect when showcasing large trucks—including 18 occupying a full page, with the vast majority displaying two per page. The book uses a brief foreword, followed by three chapters: LeTourneau-Westinghouse and WABCO, Dresser and Komatsu, and Unit Rig.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
