Who invented Tonka trucks?

Charles Groeschen is credited with inventing the Tonka truck in 1964. Groeschen was the vice president of manufacturing for the Tonka corporation. Visits to local construction sites served as the inspiration for many of his designs.

The iconic yellow dump truck was not the first toy sold by Tonka. Founded in 1947, the company had 17 years of modest success with other construction toys before introducing the "Mighty Dump." Millions of the sturdy trucks have been sold since then. Early models have proven to be a valuable collector's item. In 2001, the Tonka truck was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.