Back in the day . . .

Running team in a C





Running team in a COE Freightshaker with a 36" bunk, short wheelbase, spring suspension. 315 Cummins. Phone rooms. Communal showers. Doing my logs once a week or so. Bingo cards.

 

I went past Ontario 76 one evening, in the late 70's and I thought a plane had crashed from the airport in the lot! I had never seen so many flashing law enforcement lights. I talked to another driver the next day, and he said they went thru and arrested everybody that wasn't the driver of a truck, had to use busses to haul them all off. I always stayed at Zimmers up in City of Industry, under the power lines back then.

 

Late 70's when I called in, I used to have to make a person to person call to myself. When the operator asked my dispatcher if I was there, he would either say I was on my way home and will be home tomorrow, That meant come home, or I was in Elko Nev which meant head to Elko.

 

Then they switched to the recorded system for collect calls. That was great. I would call home and instead of a name record the number I was at so that my wife could refuse that call and call me back from the home number and save money on long distance.

 

I used to do the same thing. Couldn't afford to pay them high collect call bills.

 

Lets see wet T-shirt contests for the ladies on mty. flatbed trls.
Having cookouts, With NO FIGHTS.
non air ride seats. remeber the ones you you kinda rachet up or down?
The Rebel bar in Youngstown, before it moved to the other side of the building.
Yes the hitch hikers. Girl allways needing a ride somewhere.
Roof mount a/c system that when you hit a bump the water would land on your shoulder or lap if the drain plug was blocked

Rube's trkstp in Nj. Where the rats were bigger than the cats..

Bobtail drag races on the back row of the trkstp in Jessup,Md.

Wildwood,Fl. was called Wildweed for a reason. Party every day no matter what.

Going down the mountains with no jake because that was a luxury then?

Interstates that were still 2 lane roads in some parts.

Am radio and an 8 track player if you were lucky
Could never hear it if you had a detroit in those days.

#### am I getting old or what?

 

The W Va turnpike from Charleston to Beckley, still 2 lane and you had to pay to drive on it.

The poem about the 76 truck stops - "If you want some grass,
Or a pice of a--
Go to the big orange ball,
They've got it all."

The old Ft. Myers truck stop in Ft. Wayne.
Bud's in Indianapolis,
Gay Johnson's truck stop in Rawlins Wyoming.

 

Thanks to all that have posted. I love reading about the old days. It is unfortunate that those days are long gone.
Growing up in West Hebron, New York a very rural area 60 miles Northeast of Albany, New York. About 5 miles or so from my house lived the Shaw family, The father (Frank Sr.)(O/O) drove a white (color) International COE and had a "Truck one" sign on the door. Anyway, I seemed to always be outside playing with my trucks at the base of the tree next to the road when he would be driving by headed home or away. Seeing that truck would always make me stop playing to watch it go by. If I was lucky he would be talking on the CB as he passed. To me Frank was the definition of a "Trucker". He wore blue jeans, pocket T-shirt, work boots, a hat and would always have a cigarette going.
You all can bust on me for being a newbie and that's fine. But, I will always remember 25 years ago and that feeling of amazement and envy I had as a child.

 

Anybody remember running water on the brakes in the days before jakes?

Anybody remember when the spring brake was a chamber bolted to the frame with a cable or piece of chain going back to the slack adjuster? And you only had them on one axle of the tractor.

Remember when you could go into the 76 in Ontario or Jubitz in Portland with $20 and get some quality female companionship and enough crosstop whites to make it to Denver?

Anybody ever see a Hall-Scott gas engine in a truck, running on propane, putting a foot of flame out the top of the straight stack as it pulled a hill?

I'm glad I grew up when I did.

 

A 6V92 Detroit with a 10 double over in a White COE.

359 Petes and W900's with no sound insulation on the fire wall! Not only was it loud as hello, your feet almost felt warn in the winter but roasted in the summer.

Tying rags around every single thing that came through the floor boards to keep the cold air from freezing your legs or feet off!

The kick out air vent on the wall at your feet that when you opened it all the dirt on the floor flew up into your face and coke can in the cup holder!

Yep, the water pouring down you neck in a turn on a hot day not only woke your arse up but felt good!

32 inch bunk's that even my small arse had trouble turning over in and was an experience if you picked up that actually pretty hitch hiker OR that $20 coin operated baby doll!

Roasting your butt off in the winter as trying to adjust those old heaters was a trial!

No heat if you didn't put a sheet of cardboard in front of the radiator.

Parking for the weekend at home and when I started the truck up on Sunday nights to head out, all the swallow nests built in the stacks would catch on fire as I drove down the road freaking other drivers out on the CB!

The Flying J also sold red fuel!

Free steaks at the Big Orange Balls with an oil change then the Borons also did it.

Then Boron and TA merged together.

The Blue and White dinner specials

The 3 veggies, 1 meat, tea or coffee lunches for $3.25! WITH DESSERT!

Putting a phone to your ear only to get a wad of chewing gum in it.

or

Picking the phone up only to find out a hand has pulled it out of the phone after talking to his dispatcher or soon to be ex.

Yes, the dances held at truck stops in the summer!

Party row was actually a party.

Hitch hikers were actually pretty and not mental cases and could actually answer the question truthfully when asked if they were pretty and not answer "well I've been TOLD I'm pretty"! Truckers will tell a woman anything to get what they want...ROFLMAO!

The term no arse, grass, gas, no ride meant what it meant!

I'm ahead of schedule LOLOLOLOL