[3] Headquartered in Denton, Texas, the company also manufactures trucks at PACCAR facilities in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, Canada and Mexicali, Mexico.

[8] On a 1938 business trip in San Francisco, Peterman learned that Fageol Truck and Motor Company was to be sold.

[9] For 1941, Peterbilt created the heavier-duty Model 364; initially developed for the logging industry, the 364 was re-purposed for military production for World War II.

[9] In 1945, the company resumed production of civilian vehicles; to increase payloads, Peterbilt introduced aluminum-built cabs (reducing the weight of the truck).

While externally similar (though upgrading to quad headlamps), in a major change, the new design introduced a tilting cab to allow better access to the engine.

[6]In August 1960, the first Peterbilt trucks were assembled by the Newark, California, factory; production increased to 800 vehicles for 1960.

Serving partially as a grab handle, the Peterbilt "bird" hood ornament made its debut (a feature remaining in current production nearly unchanged).

In 1969, Peterbilt expanded its production capability, opening a facility in Madison, Tennessee (suburban Nashville).

[10] Along with the ability to meet additional product demand, the location was chosen to serve customers closer to the East Coast.

[13] At the beginning of 1972, Pacific Car and Foundry, intending to exit steel manufacturing, introduced its current name, PACCAR.

Named for 1100 square inches of windshield glass, the new design was taller with redesigned doors, an all-new interior, and increased window space.

[12] In 1973, the Model 353 was introduced as a construction-oriented variant of the 359 (using its wider grille), replacing the 341 and heavy-duty versions of the 351;[3] production of the Madison facility was doubled, allowing the company to deliver 8,000 vehicles yearly.

[16] Commencing a transition of the entire Peterbilt model line, the company revised its vocational lineup, as the 378 replaced the 348/349 and the 357 served as a successor to the 353.

Replacing the long-running 359, the 379 served as the standard Class 8 highway tractor; sharing the 1100-series cab with the 359, the 379 was distinguished by its redesigned headlamp clusters and horizontally-mounted windshield wipers (also used on the 377).

Produced in Brazil using a MAN G90 cab (a wider version of the Volkswagen LT[22]), the Mid-Ranger was fitted with American drivetrain components; PACCAR marketed the vehicle through both Kenworth and Peterbilt.

[20] Sharing its doors and internal structure with the 362, the 372 was rebodied to maximize both aerodynamics and fuel economy; the three-piece windshield was replaced by a pointed-center design.

[20] Despite its COE configuration (overcoming an inherently massive frontal area), the aerodynamic enhancements of the 372 achieved over 11mpg in real-world testing.

Alongside declining overall demand for COEs, the controversial exterior design of the 372 had seen a poor market response, earning nicknames "football helmet" or "Darth Vader" (among less appropriate ones).

In 2002, to accommodate increased demand, the company temporarily added production of the 357, 378, 385 vocational trucks and the 379 to Sainte-Thérèse.

[1] In 2007, the company withdrew the 210/220 medium-duty COEs, as second-party equipment manufacturers found difficulties adapting to its European-based design.

Sharing its cab with the 2005-2007 379, the 389 was designed with a longer hood (the longest-ever Peterbilt conventional), upgraded headlamps, and aerodynamic improvements.

In 2009, Peterbilt ended production at the Madison, Tennessee facility, consolidating operations between Denton and Sainte-Thérèse.

The medium-duty line saw a slight revision; along with adoption of (Cummins-built) PACCAR engines and a redesigned interior, the 335 and 340 were dropped, replaced by the 337 and 348.

[37][38][39] Sharing its cab structure with the Kenworth T700, the 587 (the first Peterbilt with a "5" model designation) adopted a sharper-edged hood from its predecessor, achieving improvements in aerodynamics, forward visibility, and lighting.

[45] In 2014, to commemorate 75 years of production, Peterbilt released a 75th Anniversary Edition of the Model 579, which was painted with a two-tone exterior and a matching interior.

[47] In 2015, the company introduced its first medium-duty trucks fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG), offering it as an option for the 337 and 348.

While nearly visually identical to its predecessor (adding larger windshield wipers and optional LED headlamps), the refuse-collection functionality of the 520 was upgraded, allowing drivers to drive the vehicle sitting or standing from either side of the cab.

Adopting the larger cab of the 567 and 579, the Class 5-7 Model 535, 536, 537, and 548 also introduced the rebranding of several PACCAR drivetrain and suspension components.

To supplement truck production, the company opened a facility in Madison, Tennessee (suburban Nashville) in 1969.

In 1975, the company opened Peterbilt Canada in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec (Greater Montreal), dedicating production to low-cab COE vehicles (primarily for refuse applications).