Big Green Truck – Stroud, Oklahoma
2012.12.22
When we lived in Cushing and made the trek to my grandparents’ house in Holdenville, we passed through Stroud along the way. We always had to stop so I could see the Big Green Truck. It has stood motionless in this spot since at least the mid-1970’s. There is a security fence around the property now, but back then we could climb the farm gate and get up close.
The Euclid Company was founded in 1933 to build haul trucks (off-highway dump trucks). In 1953 it was purchased by General Motors. In 1968 a federal anti-trust ruling forced GM to divest Euclid. They then chose the name Terex for their remaining construction equipment, and after the court-ordered four year hiatus, returned to off-highway haulers with the Terex 33 series. GM sold, bought back, and sold Terex again through the 1980’s. It still exists today, and also owns other brand names that are familiar to the heavy construction industry.
To the best of my knowledge, this is an example of the original configuration of the Terex 33–15, a 150-ton capacity haul truck with a 16-cylinder diesel-electric engine. The later 33–15B and 33–15C models have inclined ladders rather than vertical foot holes to access the cab, among other changes. Much of what very little information I’ve been able to find comes from this page.
Oh how I wish I was one of these kids…
Round Barn