When your cruising around in your 37 Coupe and discover that you don't have passing power on that freeway hill, Think Big! The Semi has 78 HP instead of 85 HP like the passenger car. The cab & chassis weigh almost twice the coupe. Add the Fruehauf with enough parts to build 3 Coupes in it and pray for long straight stretches of road. Going up hill is a long slow process but the old Chevy has plenty of torque. To move a little faster in the coal country, Eisenhauer trucks used 2 Chevy engines and drive trains.
Go down the other side, and that's where it gets scary. 4 wheel hydraulic brakes were vastly improved in 10 years from the 2 wheel mechanical on the 1927. If you down shift, you're fine. If your an idiot who rides the brakes till the rotors glow, they'll fade long before that. Tru-Stop offered Ventilated Disc brakes but they are annoying at best. I have that option on the Superior bus. Air brakes were available on rail road locomotives but rarely on the trailers.
The 5th wheel trailer was just starting to become popular in 1937 as truckers discovered it didn't wag like a bumper hitch trailer.
Here's more photos of Chevrolets pulling semi - trailers.
