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You heard sirens the other day and dutifully pulled over to allow a long fire truck to pass you. But as it went around a tight corner you noticed something odd: A tiny cab at the very back of the truck holding just one fireman. No, he’s not up there for the view. He’s actually steering the rear axle.

A “tiller truck” is a ladder truck so long that it needs someone to steer the rear axle. And this “tiller man” job is an especially demanding one for a couple reasons.

First of all, why does the truck need more wheels that steer? So it can complete tighter corners–both going forward and backward. While racing to the fire, the main driving can take a tight corner through an intersection. Normally, this would run the middle of the trailer up over the curb, hurting bystanders. But with a tiller truck, the tiller man can steer in the opposite direction, cutting wide around the same corner.

Fireman sitting in the steering cab of a tiller truck ladder truck.
Tiller truck driver | Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

You read that right. When the cab of the truck turns left, the tiller man cranks his wheel to the right. It’s a difficult, counter-intuitive job. That’s one reason the tiller man is up so high, so he can see the surroundings and navigate tight intersections packed with traffic. But the problem with the little one-man cab he sits in is that it almost never has no creature comforts such as A/C. So it’s not a very comfortable place to hang out in full firefighting gear.

So what about when the ladder truck needs to back up some narrow alley to reach a building on fire. In this case, the tiller man must turn around and navigate the trailer to avoid obstacles. And of course, he still must steer the wheels in the opposite direction from where he needs to go.

Finally, when the fire department reaches the disaster scene, it is usually the tiller man who is the first firefighter up the long ladder. Talk about a tough gig!

That said, tiller trucks can be invaluable tools for certain departments. Vernon, California Fire Department captain, Todd Schoenig told Motor Trend, “The beauty of this truck is you can really maneuver it well…It goes through traffic easily, we can back it down small alleys to ladder, and we can do a lot of things that you wouldn’t be able to do unless you had that tiller in the back.”

Next, learn why some semi trucks have a tiny window by the passenger’s feet, or see the tiller man’s view in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.