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It's only since VIN # have been standardized in 1981 have researchable registration records been kept by that #. Prior to that time every state had their own way of organizing ownership records, commonly by the license plate # or the owner's name. When a vehicle changed hands the previous plate # or owner was often not recorded on the new record.
Only if you have the name of the previous owner(s), they had the truck or know who owned since new, were curious enough to track previous owners or **** enough to keep the previous owner(s) name, and you can find then still alive is there much chance of tracing the truck's history.
And if states would have kept better records, we wouldn't have the mess we do with lost titles and such. Unfortunately, official records are regularly purged and all hope is lost if you're looking for help from DMV.
Due to most federal and state privacy laws it is almost impossible to get "official " help tracking past owners. States usually will not give out much info about past owners.