The Moreland Motor Truck Company of Burbank, California, was originally located in Los Angeles. The Moreland trucks were sold worldwide.

History

The Moreland Motor Truck Company started in Los Angeles in 1911. Moreland was an innovative company that produced 70% of its trucks on-site, they introduced the "Gasifier" in the early 1900s, which allowed gas engines to run on petroleum distillates, similar to kerosene. The trucks came with a one-year warranty, much better than the standard 90 day warranty of most truck companies at the time. From 1911 to 1915, 1,200 trucks were produced. By September 1915, 1,500 trucks had already been produced.

In 1917 Watt Loren Moreland was planning to move his business to Alhambra, California. When Burbank city officials heard about this news they offered Moreland of land free of cost, located on the corner of San Fernando Blvd. and Alameda Ave. The city of Burbank raised $25,000 to pay for the land, buildings were constructed and the truck company moved in, after which Moreland trucks carried the "Made in Burbank" label. The factory was still surrounded by acres of farms.

Along with Kenworth, Kleiber, and Fageol, Moreland helped build the image of the "Western Truck". Early models consisted of 1 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, and 5 ton sizes, with larger models featuring chain drive and driver-over-engine cabs. Hercules and Continental engines were paired with Brown-Lipe-Chapin transmissions. The 6 ton model was the largest in production by 1924, and in that same year they created a 6-wheeler double-decker bus chassis with a 6-cylinder Continental engine, Westinghouse air brakes, Lockheed hydraulics, and a 60-passenger body. Due to the projected cost (and the assumed low sales volume), the bus was not produced, but the 6-wheeler concept continued on in 1925 with the TX6 truck. Powered by a Continental 14H engine, it featured an equalizing rocker bogie designed by Moreland which pivoted from the middle of semi-elliptic springs. The TX6 was 10-ton rated and sold for around $7,000, with a 6-ton version introduced later that year. The 6-wheeler vehicles led to increased sales both in the United States and from other countries in Central America and South America as well as the Philippines and Australia.

Moreland also made trailers, commercial bodywork, smaller trucks such as the 4-wheeler Ace (3,800 lb, Continental engine) and the 4-ton Californian (Hercules engine). In 1929 the company had its best production year with almost 1,000 trucks, buses, and trailers delivered but less than 40 per year were sold by the mid-30s. Fageol and Moreland entered into talks of a merger in 1931 but nothing ever became of this. Moreland started to focus more on trailers and body work, with later trucks all being custom built. After 1941 the company became a parts & service corporation.

The Moreland buildings were used by the Vega Aircraft Corporation in World War II, the Weston Biscuit Company bought the plant in 1947, and in 1970 it was purchased by the Menasco Motors Company to build landing gear. The original Moreland Truck Company buildings were demolished around 1999.A History of Burbank (Burbank Unified School District, 1967)

Moreland products The pre-assigned serial numbers only indicate the maximum possible production quantity.

Year Production figures Model Load capacity Serial number 1911 to 1912 to 1913 to 1914 59 D 0,75 to 1001 to 1059 8514 B 1,5 to1201 to 1234 and 1238 to 1288 10114 K 2,5 to1401 to 1501 22G 3 to 1701 to 1722 2 G 3,5 to 1723 to 1724 5 G4 to1725 to 1729 12 J 5 to 1901 to 1912 1915 35 15D 0,75 to2001 to 2035 61 15B1,5 to 2201 to 2261 79 15C 2,5 to 2401 to 2479 44 14G 3,5 to 1731 to 1735 and 2701 to 2739 J 5 to 2901 to 1916 28 15 D 0,75 to2036 to 2063 14N 0,75 to 2101 to 2111 and 2113 to 2115 23+16N 0,75 to2122 to and 2116 to 2138 35 NA 1 to 2065 to 2099 138 16B 1,5 to 2262 to 2399 22016C 2,5 to 2480 to 2699 13116G 4 to 2740 to 2870 916J 5 to 2902 to 2910 1917 7317N 1 to3001 to 3073 19917B 1,5 to3201 to 3399 37017C 2,5 to3401 to 3699 and 4401 to 4430 and 4450 to 4490 1,02617G 4 to2871 to 2896 and 3701 to 3899 and 4730 to 4750 1716J 5 to2911 to 2927 1918 17N 1 to↑ 17B 1,5 to↑ 17C 2,5 to↑ 17G 4 to↑ 16J 5 to↑ 1919 10 19-N 1 to5001 to 5010 15119-B 1,5 to4200 to 4350 20019-C 2,5 to4500 to 4699 100 19-G 4 to4751 to 4850 26 19-J 5 to2928 to 2943 and 4901 to 4910 1920 39 20-N 1 to5011 to 5049 191 20-B 1,5 to4351 to 4399 and 5201 to 5342 224 20-C 2,5 to5400 to 5623 12720-G 4 to4851 to 4899 and 5700 to 5777 1320-J 5 to4911 to 4923 1921 103 21-B 1,5 to6201 to 6303 121 21-C 2,5 to6401 to 6521 4621-H 3,5 to6701 to 6746 1121-J 5 to6901 to 6911 1922 165 Road Runner1 to7000 to 7164 124BX1,5 to7501 to 7624 64EX2 to8000 to 8063 160AX3 to9001 to 9160 120RX5 to10000 to 10119 1923 147 Road Runner 1 to7160 to 7306 181,25 to 184 BX1,5 to7625 to 7808 103 EX2 to8063 to 8165 270 AX3 to9161 to 9430 182 RX5 to10120 to 10301 1924 55 RR 1 to7307 to 7361 15BX1,5 to7809 to 7823 32 EX2 to8166 to 8197 55 EXX 2,5 to11001 to 11055 138AX3 to9431 to 9568 50AXX4 to12001 to 12050 87RX5 to10302 to 10388 1026 Ps Bus14001 to 14010 17 21 Ps Bus15001 to 15017 1525 Ps Bus16001 to 16015 1925 24 RR 1 to7375 to 7398 29 BX 1,5 to7826 to 7854 18EXX 2,5 to11075 to 11092 31 AX 3 to9575 to 9605 51 AXX 4 to12075 to 12125 10 RX 5 to10400 to 10409 25RR 1 to18501 to 18525 38 BX (6) 1,5 to19501 to 19538 EXX (6) 2,5 to11501 to 18 AXX (6) 4 to12751 to 12768 11 SX 6 to13251 to 13261 24 TX10 to13503 to 13526 4 16 Ps bus14025 to 14028 21 Ps bus15025 to 1926 22RC6 1 to14551 to 14572 361 RR6 1 to18551 to 18911 115BX6 1,5 to19551 to 19665 10EXX4 2,5 to11101 to 11110 11EXX6 2,5 to11515 to 11525 40AXX4 5 to12120 to 12159 90AXX6 5 to12770 to 12859 10SX4 6 to13265 to 13274 31 SX6 6 to13760 to 13790 42 TX4 10 to13530 to 13571 44TX6 10 to13665 to 13708 1927 10 RC6 1 to14576 to 14585 475 RR6 1 to21001 to 21475 105 BX6 1,5 to19676 to 19780 75 EXX6 2,5 to11526 to 11600 92AXX6 5 to12866 to 12957 16 SX66 to13801 to 13816 20TX6 10 to13711 to 13720 and 13951 to 13960 Sum 793, (772 sold) 1928 RC6 2 to14601 to RR6 2 to21501 to B6 2,5 to23001 to E6 3,5 to24001 to EX6 4 to24501 to H65 to25001 to HD6 6 to25501 to SD610 to26001 to TD6 10 to26501 to Sum (778 sold) 1929 Ace 1,25 to20011 to RC6 2 to27001 to RR6 2 to21740 to B6 2,5 to23284 to E6 3,5 to24041 to EX64 to24561 to ED6 6 to24755 to H65 to25063 to HDS6 8 to25530 to SD6 10 to26027 to TD6 10 to26520 to 1930 ED-7 6 to to BD-7 5 to 1931 B-8 3 to to BD-7 5 to 1932 Road Runner RR-8 1,5 to to Road Runner RR-10 2 to to B-13 2,5-3,5 to to B-16 4-4,5 to to E-16 4-4,5 to to E-19 5-5,5 to to H-24 5,5-6,5 to to 1933 to to 1934 B-13 3 to to 1935 to to 1936 to to 1937 to to 1938 TA 420 CD to to 1939 TA 420 CD to to 1940 TA 420 CD to to 1941 TA 420 CD to to

References

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