AUGUST 2003 WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO...
| Murphy’s Not-So-Fancy Sterlings Story and Photo by Truck Historian/Author Stan Holtzman
The black and white Murphy Transportation rigs were a common sight around both the Los Angeles Harbor area and the Port of Long Beach. I can’t recall ever seeing a really clean or new rig that pulled for Murphy, and a lot of their equipment came in the form of older Sterlings, like the 1940s model seen here. At one time, Sterling trucks were as popular among western operators as Kenworths, Peterbilts, LT Macks and Autocars. Sterling boasted of having oak-lined frames, which made for good shock absorption. The use of oak wood in their cab construction also made Sterling a sturdy truck (there was no place for either fiberglass or aluminum in this classic). Sterling was bought out by The White Motor Co. and they phased the truck out around 1953, when the last Sterling-White was produced. Today’s Sterling is a far cry from the rugged Sterlings of the 1930s through 1950s. The contemporary Sterling looks more like a redesigned Ford. Can any of you old-timers out there tell me what happened to Murphy, and where did all of their Sterlings wind up? I can be reached through the magazine by calling 1-888-440-4104. |
