My first load 52 years ago. Trucking ain't the same, but has really changed

Well, maybe in MD. but we still have a lot of nice large cars out here. I will admit, that new Pete conv. with fake up pipes was a bit unsettling.

 

Reading through this I was thinking "You guys sound kinda old"

Then I remembered I started in 1977 in a 1974 Diamond Reo Royale and did the math.......

I'm going out to sit on the front porch now and yell at kids to get off my lawn.

 

A '74 Diamond Reo Royale? That’s some serious vintage muscle, not your average commuter. If you’re still rolling with that, respect. But if you’re stuck bragging about it without upgrades or maintenance, you’re just inviting breakdowns and rust.

 

Muscle?? LOL! it had a 318 Detroit in it and I was hauling grain from Michigan to Toledo and Maumee Ohio grossing about 120K

 

Hey, the DT Royale cabover(?) was a nice truck. It was comparable to any Pete or KWhopper at the time. Woodgrain dash, overhead console, it sure beat that IH Transtar( also a good truck) with a stick. Okay, the 318 and 120K gross leaves a bit to be desired, we didn't have big HP back then, but I knew some running V8 Detroits,,,just not for very long. I had a friend with a IH Transtar , just like in your avatar. An old Shneeder truck, he made money with that truck.

 

Yes, it was the cabover, like this one,Except the one I drove had dayton wheels and hendrickson walking beam suspension. It also had air assist steering which worked well but when backing you had to get it in on the first try or you sat while building air again. And I was grinning ear to ear at the time driving it!




The IH in my profile pic I was at the right place at the right time and got a deal on it, 1977, Big Cam 1, 13 over with IH 4 spring suspension (what an upgrade!).

It also had the Eagle package with the nice interior. I did pretty well with that truck.

 

I was born 25 years too late.

 

You were!

Every new driver should have the experience of driving across I-80 in Pa. in a spring ride cabover!

Running 48 with no AC.

Changing a flat tire on the side of the road yourself with the spare that was in the rack under your trailer.

No GPS or cell phone.

And it was to me a great time!

 

Oops, my mistake calling it a Diamond T. Buster Brown used non-sleeper Diamond Reo cabovers, and was one of the only trucks back then UPS did not take the name off. I heard many of the drivers refused to give them up when the new Astros came out. I drove a Mack R model with air assist steering, and I liked it. It had the feel of manual on the road, and some assist backing in. You're right, that air didn't last long. I think if modern drivers had to put up with spring suspension and "air" steering,, there would be an even bigger driver shortage. An asphalt Co. I worked for had a Diamond Reo conv. they used as a yard/equipment hauler, and was one mighty tired truck, but even in its dilapidated state, you could tell at one time, it was comparable to any Pete or KW.

 

Perhaps, but those still out here would be better hands for it.