[2][3] The Hull Truck Theatre Company was founded in 1971 by actor musician Mike Bradwell when he could not find work.

[9][10] John Godber became artistic director in 1984 although at first he was unaware of how much the Hull Truck Theatre was struggling financially.

The launch included poetry from Mario Petrucci, a performance from the band All What Jazz (named after Philip Larkin's 1985 book[16]) and provided the setting for the annual Philip Larkin Society Distinguished Guest Lecture, given that year by actor and dramatist Barrie Rutter.

[17] The following month, following a review of Hull Truck's management structure, Paul Marshall became operations director and Andrew Smaje was appointed to fill the newly created role of chief executive to develop the theatre's programme and to entice new audiences.

This year's production included a revival of the play Once Upon a Time in Wigan starring Craige Els, the premiere of Matt Hartley's Sixty Five Miles with Ian Bleasdale, a new production of Krapp's Last Tape by Samuel Beckett and a UK tour of DNA by Dennis Kelly, starring James Alexandrou Mike Bradwell, who had gone on to be Artistic Director at the Bush Theatre (1996–2007), returned to Hull Truck in March 2012 to perform excerpts from the early Hull Truck shows in celebration the 40th anniversary of the company's formation.

He was joined by fellow performers from those days – the original Truckers – John Lee, Steve Halliwell, Dave Greaves, Alan Williams, Cass Patton, Rachel Bell, Mary East, Pete Nicholson, David Ambrose, Steve Marshall and David Hatton.

[6] Later that year the company received a TMA nomination for The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre.

Touring productions that year included The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett, DNA by Dennis Kelly and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde adapted by Nick Lane.

[28] In May 2018, the company hit the headlines when a local affiliated artist cancelled their production of Ununited Kingdom.