Armored Truck Coloring Page: Free Printable PDF Sheet

Armored Trucks: History & Fun Facts

From Horse-Drawn Strongboxes to Steel Trucks

Before motor trucks, banks moved cash in strongboxes on horse-drawn wagons guarded by armed riders. Brink's, one of the best-known names in cash transport, started as a horse-and-wagon delivery company in Chicago in 1859 and switched to motorized armored trucks in the 1920s once engines could reliably carry the extra weight of steel plating. Early armored trucks looked much like ordinary delivery vans with a few steel plates bolted on, and it took decades of gradual redesign to reach the purpose-built boxy shape shown on this page.

Narrow Windows and Reinforced Panels

The small rectangular windows on this truck are set into thick steel body panels, giving the crew just enough view of the road while keeping the exposed glass area as small as possible. Modern armored trucks use multi-layer bullet-resistant glass in those windows, backed by steel plating rated to stop small arms fire along the whole body. That plating adds thousands of extra pounds compared to a regular delivery truck, which is one reason armored trucks often ride on a heavier chassis borrowed from full-size commercial trucks.

The Roof Hatch and Rear Cargo Door

The dome on the roof is a hatch some armored trucks use for ventilation or an emergency exit if the rear door ever jams shut. The heavy rear door swings open only at scheduled stops, since cash and valuables move in locked containers that a driver alone usually cannot open on the road. Many trucks split the crew compartment from the cargo area with its own reinforced wall, so even if someone reached the driver's cab, the cash itself would stay sealed off behind a second barrier.

Two-Person Crews and Cash Runs

Most armored trucks run with at least two crew members, a driver who stays with the vehicle and a guard who carries cash bags between the truck and the building. Splitting the job that way means the truck is never left unattended and unlocked at the same time, which cuts down on quick grab-and-run attempts. Larger routes sometimes add a third crew member, giving the team an extra set of eyes on the street while bags move back and forth.

Tracking Technology on the Road

Modern armored trucks carry GPS tracking, dye packs that can mark stolen cash, and time-delay locks on the cargo compartment that will not open outside a scheduled window. None of that stops every problem, but it makes a truck a much harder target than an unmarked delivery van carrying the same cash. Dispatch centers watch each truck's location in real time, so a route that suddenly stops moving or strays off its planned path triggers an alert almost immediately.

A Job That Runs on a Schedule

Armored trucks follow planned routes between banks, stores, and cash-processing centers, often making a dozen or more stops in a single shift. That routine, boxy shape rolling through a city is easy to spot, which is part of the design. A visible, sturdy truck tells everyone the cash inside is being taken seriously. Drivers also vary their exact route and timing from day to day, since a fully predictable schedule would make the job easier to plan around than the company wants.