Back in the day . . .

You guys should get together and write a book to sell to us "rookies" as well as the general public. So many interesting stories on what you veteran drivers had to go through back then! Good stuff. Right now, I can't even begin to fathom having no jakes. Yikes!

 

I run farm equipment. Had to drop the hay baler off at home. So far, I'm happy with my s***spreader. There are a few asinine recalls out on it, but what would you expect from Mexican built equipment?

From "back in the day" though, we had a 1972 Mack tender on the fire department. There were only about three of us who could run that thing without crashing the gears. I took it up a single lane gravel logging road that had pullouts every so often so people could get past each other. The logging company was trying to get as much of their cut timber out ahead of the fire while we were trying to shuttle water up that hill...in a 3,000 gallon tank with no baffles. Those logger drivers are normally a little more aggressive than the general population on those roads, but add some urgency and see how fast they move. We played mirror tag a few times with them, but they knew those roads. Directed us to a straighter and flatter route and saved us lots of time each trip.

 

I think it would make a great documentary.

 

It was the Aladera pantyhose junction in dunnigan,ca....and if you had their sticker on your thermos they filled it for free........used to stop 4 times a week, loved the food!

 

"Back in the day". Let's see, 1982, I-10 wasn't finished through Phoenix, we took I-8 west from Casa Grande to Hwy 85 through Gila Bend to pick up I-10 just before the T/A, which wasn't there, even before it was a Rip Griffins. I-90 wasn't finished going through Couer d'Alene Idaho. Just a red light in the middle of town. I-90 wasn't complete in Seattle, it ended just past North Bend. Oh, and phone service in Wyoming only could be used with operator assistance.

 

How about when you were broke down on the side of the road another trucker would often pull over and see if he could help you?

Back in the day the day that is.

 

How about...

The Truc-a-Dero's in California...

The 'King of the Road Health Club' at the Wheeling truck stop...

Ohio's 50 mph truck speed limit on the two lanes...and Wisconsin's 45 mph truck speed limit AND no trucks on any state hwy between sundown Friday night and sundown Sunday except for those hauling food products...

California's 65 mph speed limit prior to 1974, I believe.

Skelly truck stops...

The 'Stop' truckstops in PA and Ohio...Stop 250, etc.....

The LA Truck Terminal...

Route 66 before the interstate was done...

Bingo cards... and about 7 license plates on the front of your truck...

Taping cardboard to the front of your cabover to keep the wind out of the cab in the winter...

Having a Weber charcoal grill inside the cab for heat...

Leaving the yard with 10 gallons of Delo 100 stuffed along the fuel tanks... enough for a two week trip...

18.9 cent fuel in Missouri...

Buying all the Indian jewelry you could afford at the tourist traps along old 66 in Arizona...

Seeing union 'slip seat' freight haulers with shiny boots, creased pants on the ever present 'seat cushion' ...

Buying sunglasses off those cardboard displays behind every fuel desk in America...

Having to hire a 'drayage' company to deliver you produce from the US border into Canada...

Full service diesel where they washed your windows AND parked your truck for you...

Handing a dollar bill to a fuel attendant and asking him to wake you up at 3AM...

Markel insurance guys tailing their customers trucks and pulling them over to inspect their log books...

The Chicago Stockyards...

Borrowing money from Rube...

I am that fricking old????

 

What about Chicago's South Water Market? That was a tight fit. There was a cop (with a checkered hat, of course) who guided you in as you backed into the sidewalk docks between other cars and trucks. Only problem, this guy only knew two directions "Hard to the left" and "Hard to the right". With no power steering, all you did was turn that wheel steering wheel as you crept backward, until your left leg was shaking from holding the clutch. I heard they had rats and mice there, which supposedly meant that it was extra grungy.

 

Remember that cop would tell you to watch HIM...if you didn't he gave up on you and walked... and you had to back in before, what, 5AM or you couldn't get in until 8AM...something like that.

 

lol too effing funny