smokeywren

Trivia...Ford, who made the first pick-up trucks, shipped them to dealers in crates that the new owners had to assemble using the crates as the beds of the trucks. The new owners had to go to the dealers to get them, thus they had to "pick-up" the trucks.

idrive

iTrader: (3)

And/or - The new owners of all vehicles have to go the dealer to pick them up; it's not as though dealers deliver family cars and heavy goods vehicles, but insist on customers collecting pickups.
Plus, of course, the first pickups were built on the Model 'T' chassis. And, famously, the Model 'T' was not assembled by dealers (or purchasers); Ford is notable for pioneering the mass-production assembly line.

Possibly - Dodge made the first factory-finished pickup trucks. Also, reported.

Anyone know of a relative using the crate to finish the build of his "pick up?"

clm65

Huh. And I thought they got their name because chicks love a guy with a pickup truck. Hence, they are great for "picking up" girls. 😋

acdii

Could have been taken from the railroads too. They had pickup trains that would pickup empty cars and truck them around the yards. When they put a bed on a Model T and used it the pickup things, maybe that is when the term stuck.

Cwprotek

My wife's a fancy car type of girl. She hates my truck, good for me because that means she won't want to drive it..

acdii

Actually it's because of my old F350 that I am married now. I met her over a discussion of my truck.

gone postal

Had an uncle who delivered cars for a living. He had a delivery plate and a metal briefcase he'd attach the plate to after making delivery. He'd hitchhike home after making delivery, and people knew he was safe because he was carrying the plate with him.

They were also delivered completely assembled to dealers.