Founded in 1928 as Hayes-Anderson, Hayes developed custom trucks and off-road vehicles to expanded with the local forestry industry in Vancouver.

Before World War II, Hayes had diversified into streamliner buses, while afterwards they expanded into on-highway semi-trailer trucks.

In 1969, Mack Trucks acquired a majority stake in Hayes before ultimately being sold off to Paccar five years later.

[2] Three employees – Vic Barclay, Mac Billingsley and Claude Thick – left the management division of Hayes to start Pacific Truck & Trailer Co. in 1947.

[1] In 1975, Signal sold the company to Gearmatic Co., a subsidiary of Paccar, which closed the Hayes plants and stopped production.