Trucks connect the wheels to the skateboard deck that you stand on, and also serve as the axles of your skateboard. As such, they are crucial for maneuverability. Skateboard trucks started out closely following roller skate design -- in fact, the first trucks came from the skates themselves -- but as technology and the sport's popularity progressed, designs changed to promote skateboarders' ability to turn, jump and perform other tricks.
Origins
Skateboards started out as homemade scooters with metal roller skate trucks nailed to two-by-fours. The scooters had pushbars or milk crates atop for steering. Skateboarding lore has it that the first skateboards were created by accident when the steering mechanisms were broken off.
Sidewalk Surfing
Skateboarding had an initial surge of popularity in the 1950s, when the surfing craze was hot and people realized that they could get the feeling of riding waves on land with skateboards. Modifications to the trucks that made the "sidewalk surfing" boards easier to steer came as boarding gained popularity. The so-called Chicago trucks are double-action-adjustable trucks. Metal wheels were replaced with clay, which also made the boards easier to steer. However, the wheels were slick and many crashes resulted, leading safety experts to warn parents against them and some cities and states to ban skateboarding. Manufacturers who were barely able to keep up with demand saw the fad die out.
1970s Popularity Surge
The next evolution of skateboard trucks came in the early 1970s when skater Frank Nasworthy realized that urethane wheels, already used for roller skates, could revolutionize skateboarding. Precision bearing wheels were introduced as well. The traction gained from the wheels allowed skaters to go onto vertical surfaces like the sides of pools. Nasworthy's company began to produce boards with these wheels. New trucks that promoted maneuverability soon followed. The trucks also were designed to be more durable. In the early 1970s, trucks were still derived from roller skate design, but became more skateboard-specific as the decade progressed. Wider, more modern style trucks made of aluminum alloy and steel axles were produced by the mid 1970s. Commercial skateboard parks were opened, but as skateboarders began to try more and more complex tricks, liability soared and many of the parks closed.
Innovations Continue
Though commercial skateboard parks closed, riders continued developing innovations that allowed them to do more and more complex tricks, often creating their own half-pipes and ramps. Riders also formed their own companies and made changes to the boards, including to the trucks, to achieve better tricks. The late 1970s saw many innovations, such as trucks that were lighter in weight and devices to modify skateboard trucks. Lappers, for example, prevented a boarder's rear truck from getting caught on a wall edge, and copers clipped onto a board's truck hanger to decrease wear. Today, you can purchase a variety of custom skateboard trucks and add-ons, and innovations continue. As of January 2011, trucks come in a variety of sizes, from those made for a traditional size skateboard to those made for the much larger "longboards."
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