This fourth edition updates the basic truck engineering data from previous editions and introduces the latest advancements in electronic applications to truck power trains and operations, assuring optimum performance and economy with a safer and cleaner environment. Useful data from official government tests on anti-lock brakes and traction enhance this edition. Likewise, environmental concerns are addressed through the use of non-polluting vehicles using alternative fuels and electrical energy.

The Clydesdale Motor Truck Company existed in Clyde, Ohio, from 1917 until 1939. As veterans of the early auto industry, Clydesdale engineers worked closely with the London General Omnibus Company to develop what they described as the "perfect" truck chassis. Shipped from Clyde, Ohio, Clydesdale trucks became internationally famous during World War I. The truck's patented "Driver Under the Hood" engine governor wowed drivers and industry leaders alike. Following the war, Clydesdale took center stage at national motor truck shows and motor truck tours, and later, pioneered diesel technology. The story of the Clydesdale company provides a window into early truck manufacturing and the international trucking landscape, just as the modern industry we recognize today was beginning to develop.