--- title: "There’s a Vintage U-Haul Truck That’s Been Sitting on a Building in Downtown Tulsa for 46 Years" description: "For nearly half a century, the U-Haul box truck has been a fixture of the Tulsa skyline. Here's the story of how it got up there, and why it's still standing." date: "2024-12-16" modified: "2024-12-16" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-u-haul-truck-joined-the-tulsa-skyline-in-1978-and-its-been-there-ever-since" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "News" --- # There’s a Vintage U-Haul Truck That’s Been Sitting on a Building in Downtown Tulsa for 46 Years ![U-Haul atop building in Tulsa, OK.]() *\Tulsa Foundation for Architecture via Facebook\* Tulsa, Oklahoma is known for its museums, riverside views, and tours of historical sites. Oh, and a [U-Haul]() truck that's been sitting atop a building for 46 years. In the 1970s, U-Haul was putting trailers on top of buildings throughout the country, as part of its advertising campaign. But in 1978, U-Haul placed an actual truck on the roof of a building in Tulsa and it's been there ever since. According to the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, this was the first instance of a U-Haul *truck* being placed on a building, rather than a trailer. There's another truck of similar vintage [that resides on a building in Oklahoma City](), but it seems Tulsa's was first. The building is located at 504 E Archer Street and was constructed for the National Supply Company in 1930, already making it a local landmark of sorts. But for the last half-century, it's been known for having a box truck on its roof. ![]() **Tulsa Foundation for Architecture** To keep it looking spiffy, in 2011 the truck was given a clean and wrapped in a more modern orange-and-white U-Haul livery. It's even fitted with spotlights, so locals can marvel at its magnificence at all hours of the night. That might seem silly—it did to me at first—but commenters on the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture's [Facebook post]() seem nostalgic about seeing the truck all lit up. I'm more impressed that the roof has managed to hold the truck over so many decades. Flat commercial roofs aren't typically built to support concentrated loads in small areas; the concern is more about broad loads, like accumulated snow. I'm not sure how much a box truck weighed in 1978, but a modern [15-foot U-Haul]() has an empty weight of 8,115 pounds. So the roof may have required quite a bit of reinforcement to handle that much weight for almost 50 years without sagging or breaking. And hopefully, it lasts many more years, lighting the night sky like a creamsicle-colored [Bat Signal](). *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()