Experienced FNG

That's right on the weight and length. That's what it was in Missouri for quite some time. When I bought my first cabover Freightliner I put a drome plate on it and licensed it as a truck/tractor and was allowed 60' or 65', I can't remember.

Back in those days there wasn't a one of us who hadn't layed one over or knew someone who had, running as hard as you could. It happened to me with 12 hours sleep in 6 days going East trying to finish a round and make it home for Christmas. We learned real fast what the limits were. The limits were what you could handle and you learned fast.

There were alot of Outlaw/Wildcat operations around my area in the 70's and early 80's. We had the 100/100 club. That was pulling at least 100,000 pounds at least 100 MPH. Those were the days. You could get pulled over doing 85 with no logbook grossing over 100,000 pounds and joke with the State Trooper about having two gears left. You showed respect, admited fault, got your ticket, went on your way and payed it when it was due. We never had jake brakes either. You had to know how to decend a 6% 6 mile grade. You ran at night and slept during the day.

I know alot of drivers will chime in about how stupid this all was and maybe it was. But the experienced hands back then were as safe, or safer than, the seat warmers today. Even with today's regulations you see trucks on their side. It was a different time and has no place in today's climate of regulation and liability, except for in our stories and our memories. ####, there was no better time on earth.

 

I'm looking to get back in too. Been out more than 10 years, had my CDL for 35 years. After much research I have found that what you are talking about is about the best chance there is short of buying your own truck and trailer and getting your own authority. If you go that route insurance will cost about 40% or $2000. more than an experienced driver is paying. If you shop around you can get something without the 500 - 700 mile radius limitation.

 

Thanks for some more of the memories I sometimes forget, thats sure the way it was. I used to joke that I would like to have a truck so fast that it would blow the windshield back in my lap.

 

What he said X2

have a friend that got stopped a while back for going 105
He said to the cop "how bout a break". Cop said ive been chasing you for the last three miles at over a hundred, you aint getting a break. That was a big one...

 

Sorry to be running off at the mouth but its all coming back now.


I used to haul meat and the co. trucks (Peck) would cross the scales in Lincoln Neb. empty every day on our way to Gibbon to load hanging meat back to Wi. so the guys in the scale-house were used to seeing us empty westbound. The mt trucks always bypassed the scale platform next to the loaded trucks and waved at the weighmaster inside and he would wave you on. If we were overweight we would act like we were mt and hope to pull off the ruse. I never got caught (just lucky).

 

Space Cowboy mentioned running Las Cruces NM port. I was taught you never stop at NM ports they just charged too much. I always blew every one of them at about 80 MPH, and after a while, honked and waved. Almost hit a scale man in a state car merging onto the big road at Albuquerque port as he came strait out instead of merging. I figured my luck had finally run out and I was going to jail. Best I remember it was 17 miles to the truck stop. He didn't come after me. Whew.

Arizona never weighted then but you had to stop and bring in your papers. There were lots of trucks coming and going. We learned you could pull in, lay over in your seat, wait five minutes and haul ###. Never got caught there either.

In California you bought a three day temporary permit that you filled out and stuck in the window. We always kept one and barely attached it, without dating it, while in the state so they could see you had it. If you got stopped or had to scale you just dated it real quick, licked and stuck it in the window.

We never stopped at Kansas ports either and best I recall they had no scales, at least the routes I ran. They did have big portables on a trailer behind a van. I was pulling out of the truck stop at Goodland one morning about 0800. Cabover with Michelins, fifth wheel slid all the way back and grossing about 103,000. You didn't have to be the brightest bulb in the pack to know I was overweight, if you were a weight and measure guy. My tractor was almost completely in the road when I saw them coming. They stopped right in the middle of the road. I threw it in reverse and went back and parked. Private property was well private in those days. Those guys hung out around and drove by the truck stop all day but went home in the evening. I left about dark.

 

It was certainly a different time. You could get away with almost anything you had the balls to do. Once you got further East though, you had to go around the scales. I never drove up close to a scale and went around. I was taught if you planned to go around scales in states like Missouri, Illinois and Indiana you started 50 to 100 miles away. Besides the heavy loads paid $2400 - $3000 and overweight tickets in those states ran from $2400 - $3200.

I saw more miles on two lane roads, over gross and top-heavy than I did on the big road. Jerk the wheel and you could watch the trailer wheels come off the ground. You became a good driver quick or a dead driver just as quick. As crazy as it is we have passed stuff from truck to truck running 75 - 80 too.

 

I only ever passed stuff between me and a team, so that puts me in the junior league.