When I first saw this little farm truck, I couldn’t help but smile—and climb in for a photo! Compared to the massive pickup trucks and tractors used on farms across the United States, this vehicle looks more like a toy. But don’t let its size fool you—these scrappy one-cylinder “puppet trucks,” as I fondly call them, are absolute workhorses in rural China.
I gave them the nickname put put trucks” because every time I heard one coming down the road, it made a funny puttering sound—like a little puppet bouncing along. The sound always made me smile before I even saw the truck round the corner.
These vehicles are incredibly common in the countryside, often homemade or assembled from various parts. The engine, which resembles something off a small tractor or industrial pump, powers a simple flatbed truck that can carry crops, livestock, tools, or even the whole family to market. Farmers use them to plow fields, transport goods, and navigate rough dirt roads where larger vehicles couldn’t dream of going.
Despite their size and simplicity, these trucks are a lifeline. In a country where small-plot farming is still widespread, especially in mountainous and hilly regions, efficiency and resourcefulness rule the day. A single farmer might cultivate rice paddies or vegetable gardens on steep terraces, and these little machines make it possible to haul compost, seedlings, and harvests back and forth with ease.
I’ve always admired people who do so much with so little, and that spirit is embodied in these trucks. They may sputter and bounce along the road, but they carry the weight of generations of knowledge and labor.
So here’s to the humble put put truck—a reminder that greatness doesn’t always come with horsepower.
