Early road trains consisted of traction engines pulling multiple wagons. The first defined road trains operated into South Australia's Flinders Ranges from the Port Augusta region in the 19th century.  They replaced crews of oxen to transport the mines to the port, and they were replaced by railroads.

During the Crimean War, a traction motor was used to tow multiple open trucks. [4] By 1898, steam traction motor trains of up to four carriages were used for military maneuvers in England. 

In 1900, John Fowler & Co. provided armored road trains for use by the British Armed Forces in the Second Boer War. [4] [6] Lord Kitchener stated that he had about 45 road steam trains at his disposal. 

A road train designed by Captain Charles Renard of the French Engineering Corps was displayed at the 1903 Paris Salon. Daimler, who acquired the rights after his death, tried to market it in the UK. [8] [9] Four of these vehicles were successfully delivered to Queensland, Australia, before the company ceased production with the start of World War I. 

In the 1930s/40s, the Australian government operated an AEC Road Train to transport freight and supplies to the Northern Territory, replacing the Afghan camel trains that had been trekking through the deserts since the late 19th century. This truck pulled two or three 6 m (19 ft 8 in) Dyson four-axle self-following trailers. At 130 hp (97 kW), the AEC was grossly understaffed by today's standards, and drivers and offsides (partner or assistant) routinely got frozen in winter and overwhelmed in summer due to the truck's open cabin design and location of the engine radiator. with 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) cooling fan behind the seats.