Every year, children and adults await with expectation the appearance of the Hess truck float at the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, and the airing of the TV commercial announcing the arrival of the newest Hess truck model. Since the early 1960s, when the first Hess trucks were produced, these endearing toys have annually gained more young fans. Their popularity has made them highly valued holiday gifts, as well as notorious collectors items.

The first Hess tanker trailer was issued in 1964. Leon Hess, founder of Amerada-Hess Oil, had them made to thank his customers for their loyalty. The first models were sold in Hess gas stations across the Unites States for a few bucks, but collectors will nowadays pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for a Hess truck preserved in mint condition. Newer models don't usually sell for quite as much, although it depends a great deal on the toy's condition.

Trucks constitute the core of the Hess collection, but several other toy vehicles have also been produced. Ships, helicopters, police cars, airplanes, and even a space shuttle and a SUV form part of the Hess collection. What's more, in recent years, boxes have contained one larger vehicle transporting smaller friction-motor vehicles, like motorcycles, race cars, or cruisers. As a signature mark, Hess vehicles traditionally feature battery-operated lights and sound effects, as well as doors that open and close.

Over the past decades, Hess trucks have gone through a number of changes. The traditional colors for the vehicles have varied. Issuing years are now included on the vehicle's license plates, and some models have been re-issued with slight modifications, like the curious coin slots that enable many vehicles to double as banks. But what has remained the same throughout more than forty years of production is the toy's quality and amazing detail, and its ability to appeal to customers of all ages. It comes as no wonder that the Hess truck has turned into a giant among classic collectible items.