Anyone else haul asphalt?

Yeah, I hauled "schluck" for a spell, as a company driver, and was an excellent job, I just couldn't make it on UC during the winter. We had a bunch of O/Os that were crabby old farts, didn't get along with us "company " drivers( jerks, they were) and quite frankly, you'd be a fool to do anything else in trucking. Best part was, the "shovelers" would want you to help, I said, "hey, I picked my job, you picked yours",,

 

When I hauled gravel/asphalt there was always option to stay busy in winter hauling road salt which was very busy,, you’d be living in your truck depending on the weather.

 

Thing about road salt, it barely paid for the fuel to haul it, and there were always 200 trucks a waiting at the salt pile. It was better to shut it down for the winter and work at Walmart.

 

I was employee so paid by the hour.

 

I did three Wisconsin seasons driving tri-axle dumps before going into LTL. If it weren’t for the seasonal lay-off, I would have stayed.

 

I worked for the "scab" (non-union) division of Amon Bros.,, Lake Mills Asphalt. I used to cringe everytime we had to haul out of their yard in Elkhorn. Some flat refused to in there, jerks, they were. Probably the non-union status, but they created it. Some of the drivers didn't see it that way, however. I drove a Louisville Ford tandem, 3208 non-turbo boat anchor, and a 5&4. I did mostly parking lots and driveways, while the union guys did the road stuff. I then moved up to a Mack tri-axle, and did some road work, but always felt uncomfortable around them.

 

I worked for Tri-County Paving, in DeForest. From the spring of 1997 to Nov 1999.
Fleet was mostly KW’s a couple Pete’s, and a couple Fords.
I also did mostly parking lots, driveway’s(dig out crew). Occasionally would get assigned to the ‘road crew’ doing streets, and bridge decks.

 

I was hauling asphalt this day. But it was 51 years ago........