peterbilt Logo - History, Design, and Meaning

The company was established in 1939, originally located in Oakland, California. Since 1986, it has been headquartered in Denton, Texas. In addition to Denton, Peterbilt also manufactures its vehicles in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec.

Peterbilt has been owned by PACCAR since 1958.

The emblem that appeared on the brand's earliest vehicles closely resembles the current one. It featured the brand name in a casual, carefree script inspired by handwriting, implying a personal touch and a creative approach.

According to various sources, the so-called Red Oval logo was unveiled either in 1953 or 1954, coinciding with the introduction of Model 351, which became the longest-running model in the brand's history.

The most noticeable modification of the logo was the introduction of a dark red oval placed behind the brand name, which was now rendered in white. The oval featured white and black trim to create an imitative shading effect.

Less obvious was a slight update to the script. While the overall style remained similar, the first 'e' had an elongated end, and a space appeared between the top of the 'l' and 't' at the end of the word.

Comparing the two versions of the logotype side by side reveals that the tilt of the letters has been modified, with the tops of the letters slightly tilted to the right.

Moreover, the new design reflected the change in the company name. The original name suggested that the vehicles were 'built by Peter' (T.A. Peterman, the company founder). The new name dropped the 'u,' making the etymology less obvious, which was a natural progression as Peterman passed away in 1944.

While the previous design had some dimension due to shading, the current Peterbilt logo seen on the website has a more pronounced 3D effect.

Additionally, the shade of red has varied throughout the history of the emblem, with the current shade being bright and clear.