What are Hess trucks?

"Hess trucks" usually refers the toy trucks offered for sale around Christmas by the Hess Corporation. They are decorated with the green Hess logo and were sold at Hess gas stations for 50 years. The founder of the company insisted the toy should be affordable and complete, with batteries included.

In 1964, Hess began offering toys that were models of real trucks such as gasoline tankers. They each have some special characteristic, such as a siren or working headlights. Over time, the term "Hess truck" grew to include helicopters, rescue vehicles and the space shuttle. As of 2014, there were 44 toys and 17 mini toys in the collection. They still come with the batteries.