Deregulation specifics

Funny you mention inflation.

Our row home in Baltimore in the early 20's mint built was 1100 or so. Then sold much later in life into my generation. 45000 I think it was. Today it's 70000.

I bet if they go back 100 years that 70000 would be very close to 1100 in original dollar value in today's money.

 

There was a dot guy in my area that would do that with all the local wood/stone haulers back in the 80s. Good luck trying that one today

 

Here you go, according to this calculator.

Inflation Calculator

 

Fairly accurate. My 77 4300 Eagle I bought new, the day it came home from the dealer, cost me $39,000 back then. By the calculator, that's around 175k now.

 

Deregulation was to makes shipping for customers cheaper & easier. CUSTOMERS, not drivers or trucking companies. Before deregulation trucking companies needed permission from feds to haul freight. The feds also set rates. It was a stupid system that protected some trucking companies and blocked other trucking companies.

 

Extremely easy truck to work on. One of threasons I had the 4300's. NTC 350 Cummins, easy access to everything engine related.
Never was a high mileage widget hauler. Big year for me was 70k miles, sometimes a little more, some times less. Always like to think that I got a little smarter each year, working the mileage down, getting the revenue up. Anyone can crank the miles, and make money. The problem is the increased cost to do that. Bottom line at the end of the year was important. Money in, money out %. When I ran cross country ltl, usually 8,9 maybe 10 rounds a year to the coast and back. Made a decent living, never killed myself.
When I bought that 77 it was 200" wb. As length laws slowly relaxed, I decided to stretch the frame, put air ride suspension under it, and add a 60" walk in. I stretched it to 235" wb, added New Way air ride and a set of SQHD 4.11's.Was at the local IH dealer one day in 1984, and they had just got a new black 4300 Eagle glider in, nice specs, already had a 60" Bentz raised roof sleeper on it. Ended up buying it, and building it in 1985, using the drivetrain from my 77. Ran the black glider truck till 96, bought my 9300 Eagle. When I sold the black truck,the 77 NTC 350 and RTO 12513 was still in it, probably had a million and a half or so on it. Great engine, in framed it a few times, never had the crank out of the block. Good old simple money making setup.

 

That was a unbeatable running gear combination that every manufacture used cause they knew they couldn't lose with it.