The 2021 Hess Toy Truck is here — and it’s not a truck

One sign that the holiday season is approaching is the annual release of the Hess Toy Truck, and this year’s edition has been released. It’s not a truck: it’s two airplanes.

The Hess toy truck cargo plane and jet are on sale now for $39.99, which includes free shipping and batteries.

Both aircraft feature the traditional Hess green and white color scheme. According to Hess, the cargo plane features:

“Free-rolling, foldable landing gear, and 32 high-visibility lights that provide an impressive glow. A quick press of the taillight will release the rear cargo bay doors to provide access to the Jet. A hidden slide out ramp makes loading and unloading the expansive, internally illuminated cargo bay a breeze. With a nearly 14-inch-long fuselage and 15-inch wingspan, the Cargo Plane is the largest Hess vehicle ever!”

The accompanying jet has retractable wings that allow it to fit inside the cargo plane.

It also has a combination of button and motion-activated sounds and lights. Three top-mounted buttons will flash the engine lights and activate realistic takeoff, flyby and landing sounds.

Tilting the jet activates the Climb/Dive, Bank, and Cruise motion sounds. The jet also has free-rolling, retractable landing gear.

The first Hess Toy Truck was released in 1964. Last year’s was an ambulance and rescue set.

The trucks used to be sold at Hess stations, but Hess was sold to Marathon and there are no more Hess stations; the toys are available exclusively online.

According to NJ.com, the trucks traditionally go on sale Nov. 1 but went on sale early this year. You can see past trucks on their website.