Trucking Now vs. Back In The Day?

Anyone remember watching BJ and the Bear? I'm pretty sure his truck said "Will haul anything anywhere for $1.50 a mile". That was in 1978.

Fast forward 37 years. Anyone looked at a load board lately?

 

I saw one somewhere yesterday ".88 cpm."

 

And I believe that's why you have so many "angry" people in this country today.

The way Society has financially 'structured' itself makes it hard for 1 income families to survive. You'll get by, But wont have anything. And that makes people madder than heck.....

Its a 2 income world today to have the nice things,(Assuming 1 is married with a family)
You are right semi retired....Even when I started in the workplace.......1 income was sufficient to have nicer things in life. Not Today.

 

It was a MAGICAL time back in THE DAY

 

Hi Shooter, I do remember that show. He was based out of Milwaukee, my home town. Like most trucker shows back then, Movin' On, Smokey and the Bandit, it portrayed this glamorous life with beautiful women, and not a lot of facts, however, I'm sure it persuaded many a young man, to go for it. I know I did, ( with a rude awakening, I might add) Besides, who in their right mind would take a freakin' monkey with you. Disgusting creatures. http://www.tvtruckin.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/SANY0093.JPG

 

I hear ya. No monkeys in my cab (I deal with enough of them on the roads...). And trucking sure ain't the glamorous life it is in the movies. I was just trying to point out that $1.50 a mile was a going rate way back then, and still is today, even though the cost of everything else has gone up. I didn't start trucking till '95, so I'm still a newbie, but I remember those words on the side of his KW cabover.

By the way, I'm diggin' that ole' Pete in your avatar.

 

Kinda waitin to hear this answer also...lol

 

Ever notice how BJ or MOVIN ON very seldom actually delivered a load regardless of the rate they got .

BACK IN THE DAY = A time in one's life looked back upon with great fondness. Usually invokes a memory of a particularly memorable or traumatic incident.

I am sure this guy has lots of FONDNESS and they cry about being cramped in LIGHTWEIGHT trucks today

 

This guy would be happy just to remember the OLD DAYS

 

I've only been driving for 3 years but the whole industry is pitted against each other.

When I was a fleet manager at jb hunt, there was a total "we're better than the stupid lowlife driver" attitude among my fellow fms. These are straight out of college kids who couldn't get hired anywhere else, knew squat about trucking. They'd make fun of 20 year drivers in the office in front of other drivers, truly no tact.

I know everyone groans about CA emissions but when I worked at the ports in CA it was great, I literally not once saw DOT there because everyone had to have somewhat newer trucks.

You have these foreigners driving broken down pieces of junk hauling pennies on the dollar.

In the 3 years I've been in trucking I never made less than 60k but once I finish my masters I'm getting out. I might still stay in the industry because there's still money to be made.

Truckers used to be portrayed somewhat respectfully. I was watching the man in the high castle which is a new show on amazon last night. The girl asks the guy "what's a guy like you driving a truck". My point is today's media and society has truckers to be fat inbred bottom of the barrel toothless elementary school drop outs from the oakies.