The trucks had wooden bodies with rear tailgates that swung to open. The drivers sat behind the blunt fronts and were protected during inclement weather by windshields that were made of flexible ising glass that could be rolled up and down. In size, the trucks ranged from two tons to five tons and in each were two or three storage batteries, and these usually supplied enough power for one day¹s work. The smaller trucks were used in center city and in Camden and the neighboring South Jersey communities.  Loads of freight were picked up at and delivered to the central terminal from where it was routed to distant points

The batteries in those days were not what our car batteries are today, and the cold weather was hard on them. Their power failure was a way of life. After unloading at the terminal at the end of the day, the driver was required to take his van to 41st and Woodland Avenue and leave it overnight to have the batteries recharged for the next day¹s work.

Often that trip to the garage was often too much for those tired, exhausted batteries. The truck would begin to groan and moan and finally stop. Not being allowed to leave the truck, the driver would have to wait for a fellow truck to pass, see his predicament, and report it to the garage. This often added an hour or two to the driver¹s workday. A truck averaged 25 miles for a day¹s run and the top speed was approximately eighteen miles per hour. A special state license was required to operate an electric vehicle.

A large flat metal key had to be inserted into a slot by the driver¹s seat. This engaged the ignition. A regular 18 inch steering wheel had under it, about eight inches, a small wheel. A clockwise turn of the wheel started the motor and the truck moved forward. The farther the wheel was turned, the faster the speed became. Reverse was achieved by turning the small wheel counter clockwise. A foot pedal on the floor was the means of braking.

Eventually more gasoline trucks were being used and storage batteries were retired and their place was taken by gasoline.