This GM Crackerbox Was Once The World's Most Advanced Semi-Truck

General Motors is one of the leading names in modern, truck-loving America. It's not just because of its highly popular, everyday pickups like the Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra, but also its medium-duty, commercial market vehicles and chassis-cab work trucks. Despite its dominance and expertise in building trucks, GM does not, however, currently build heavy-duty semi-trucks that compete with the likes of Peterbilt or Freightliner. But it used to. 

While General Motors is not among the current list of car companies that also build semi trucks, GM big rigs were once regular sights on American highways before the company pulled out of the heavy-duty semi-truck market in the mid-1980s. These big rigs were commonly seen with GMC branding and, at times, they even introduced new features to the industry. 

During the 1960s, a GMC rig known as the Crackerbox was considered one of the world's most advanced semi-trucks, with state-of-the-art technology that helped it set new standards in lightness and performance. Those features didn't necessarily make the Crackerbox beloved by truck drivers, though, and today the truck exists as a bit of an underdog or cult favorite of semi-truck history. Let's take a quick look back at the rise and fall of the Crackerbox.

It just takes one look at one of these rigs to understand why they are called Crackerbox. The cab's thin, tall shape looks like a box of crackers (or Cracker Jack snacks) standing straight up. The formal name for the Crackerbox trucks, though, is the GMC DLR 8000 and DFR 8000, and they were introduced in 1959 as heavy-duty, Class 8-designated cabover semi-trucks. The odd-looking side profile of the trucks helped the Crackerbox name stick, but the dimensions were like that for a reason. The total length of the cab was just 48 inches, which reduced weight and left more room for longer, heavier trailers.

That emphasis on weight saving was tied to the overall engineering philosophy of the Crackerbox. It had an advanced frame design, fiberglass body panels, and other tricks that dropped its weight by half when compared to its predecessor. The truck also had other features that were state-of-the-art by late '50s standards, including independent front suspension, power steering, and air ride.

The trucks could be spec'd with either single or tandem real axles, and with either gasoline or Detroit Diesel engine power. All of this effort paid dividends for the Crackerbox, with both its speed and, more importantly, its extra payload-carrying ability welcomed by a trucking industry that wanted efficiency over everything. It wasn't necessarily loved by the people who drove it, though.

While there's always been a certain romanticism about the open highway and a stylish, smooth-rolling semi, the Crackerbox was not that truck. Beyond its odd looks, Crackerbox drivers sat in a cab that lacked both space and creature comforts. It may have performed well, but GMC's emphasis on lightness and maneuverability meant a noisy, poorly insulated, and rough-riding experience for truck drivers. As you can also imagine, the compact cab, positioned directly at the front of the truck, didn't offer much in the way of driver safety — standards for which would improve greatly in the decades that followed. 

While it might not be considered one of America's sexiest or most beloved classic rigs, nor was it ever a favorite among drivers, the Crackerbox still left its mark as a no-nonsense rig that was functional almost to a fault. In 1969, it would be replaced by GM's more streamlined, modernized GMC Astro 95 and Chevrolet Titan semi-trucks. These models would end up being GM's prime heavy-duty truck offerings throughout the 1970s and well into the '80s.

Ultimately, GM's semi-truck chapter would come to an end in 1986, when low market share pushed the company to phase out its Class 8 truck production and sell off its stake in the industry to Volvo. And while GM's old big rigs might not be as synonymous with American trucking as Kenworth's, the Crackerbox shows that the company nonetheless had a significant impact on America's trucking industry during a pivotal period.