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In 1894 Paul Kleiber emigrated to the United States from Alsace Lorraine, Germany. He was born in 1869, one year before the Franco-Prussian war, when Alsace Lorraine was part of France. He started a blacksmithing and wagon company in San Francisco around 1896.  In the immediate aftermath of the 1906 earthquake,  there was  a shortage of wagons to transport various goods around, so Kleiber lent the wagons he intended to sell and gained the reputation of being an "honest blacksmith."

His own business was destroyed in the ensuing fire.  In the early 1910’s  along with his wagons he began selling Gramm motor trucks. According to one article, he was also distributor for Brockway trucks, though it is unlikely that more than a few, if any, were sold. Being a commercial vehicle dealer inspired him to manufacture his own truck.  The Kleiber Motor Truck Company was incorporated in December, 1913, with $100,000 capital.  Production of trucks began shortly after that.  These trucks were manufactured at 10th and Folsom Streets In San Francisco.  Later in 1916, a brick building on 11th and Folsom Streets in San Francisco was constructed and motor truck production was shifted there.

The Building constructed in 1916 still stands and is now a Mercedes Benz Repair Facility.  He is noteworthy as one of the few and most successful truck makers in the city.  Besides Kleiber,  there was Doane, DeMartini, MacDonald, Hewitt-Ludlow, Lewis, and several others .  Kleiber was successful because he filled a niche, by supplying trucks to local business people for various work projects.  There was a great need for trucks on the west coast and in San Francisco at this time.

The City was becoming a transportation hub and the ports of San Francisco and Oakland were moving lots of cargo to the burgeoning west coast. The growing population required trucked goods such as food, clothing, furniture and building materials for the growing towns.

Kleiber was installing diesels as standard equipment in 1934, though there might have been a few custom installations as early as 1932, (I’m guessing around August of that year). In 1931 the prototype Cummins Model H (the first one ever made) was installed by the Cummins Engine Company in an Indiana truck. The first production Model H was installed in a Citroen military truck in May 1932. Although Citroen ordered the first two production model H’s, Purity Stores received a White truck equipped with a model H in April of 1932. This was the first truck to be installed with a production model H.

Manufactured automobiles in small numbers from 1924 to 1929.

Is known to have a plant in Los Angeles. There is evidence that a plant in Atlanta existed. Production numbers and dates of operation for these two facilities is unknown and it is unlikely that any vehicles from Los Angeles or Atlanta exist today.

Kleiber never made cabover trucks. They used standard units. He supplied something that was needed.

The company does not appear to have been killed off by the depression.

The Gramm trucks he sold were engine-under-seat.

Gramm, Staver, Brockway

Was more of a salesman rather than a builder.

The earliest trucks were chain-driven. They were powered by four cylinder, headless Continental engines of varying sizes.