Edwin Foden began his working life at an agricultural engineering firm, Plant & Hancock. He eventually became a partner and took control of the firm, which became Hancock and Foden, during which time it began making agricultural steam engines.
In 1887, Edwin Foden formed a new company called ‘Edwin Foden Sons & Co. Ltd, and began work on developing the steam wagon, which was to set the standard for steam wagons from 1901 onwards. By 1930, Edwin's son, Edwin Richard, (1870–1950) (known to everyone as simply E.R.) could see the future lay in diesel power. In late 1932 he resigned from the Board of Directors, following several years of bitter wranglings, and subsequently retired; he was 62 and ready for retirement, having spent his entire working life at Foden's. His son Dennis could not afford to resign, but was not prepared to let things ride; however, with financial input from across the immediate family a new company was set up to design and produce diesel lorries. George Faulkener, related to Dennis by marriage, became works manager and Ernest Sherratt, both ex-Foden employees, helped to design a new diesel wagon. Edwin Richard Foden was persuaded to come out of retirement and head the new company which became known as ERF .
In 1980 Foden became a divison of PACCAR Inc, one of the world's largest and most financially stable heavy truck manufacturers. Alongside other PACCAR owned truck brands, Kenworth and Peterbilt in the USA, and DAF in Europe(from 1996), Foden continued to develop and manufacture trucks to meet the requirements of operators in the UK and New Zealand until the Foden brand was retired from new vehicle production in July 2006.