Floor levers are the most common controls encountered on older dump trucks, not necessarily grain trucks or others but in the 40's fifties and into the 60's even those often had them. Enough on the levers, suffice it to say cables offer installation flexibility not seen with levers through the floor. location is optional.
Electric shift conversions are not adaptable to older 40's-50's PTO's as the models are special to that feature. Modern units are available in a variety of shift options but not all PTO models offer all options. There are probably 6000 possible PTO combinations available for hundreds of transmissions so going to the wrecking yard and finding a correct unit is a needle in the haystack. Being correct for the application is a lot more than matching gears...a LOT more. And if your feel inclined to buy a new one please be seated when they quote the price for that "electric" option, if available.