A view of the Past, Vintage Photos

You never used a vise grip tune up ?

 

Hi s, nope. As matter of fact, my 1st trucking job, there were a bunch of old-timer drivers, and when the boss ordered 6 new IH 4300's with Cummins motors ( before that, he had all Macks) as part of the PM service, the mechanic was told to check the fuel return line.

 

Any time I see a 1970's cabover, it reminds me of the "tattlers" that were installed. They were encased in metal and you needed a key to get in to change the paper. This was well before computers, so it was a mechanical little arm with a pencil or pen attached. As the paper circle turned, the pen would track drive time, speed, and RPM's.

I remember how furious the drivers would get when they would pull in after a long haul, all dirty and sweaty from working their tail off. And then some kid in a tie would pull the paper and start lecturing them, "Here's where you over-revved. Here's where you lugged it."

We always ran older trucks, so by the time we got them, the metal box had been smashed the paper tattler was long gone.

Any of you older guys remember those tattlers?

 

I never had to run with one, but I remember seeing them.

 

Once I gave some RPM shims to a driver who told me he owned that truck. Yet two weeks later I found out he put shims in at the truck stop at Colton, and about 6 miles east of there he blew it up.

Some people do not know how to drive a turned up tuck engine.

 

I built this KW in 1970 when the kid standing was about 9 months old. In this photo he is about 3 1/2. His brother is so small Mom is hiding behind the truck holding the door so he wouldn't fall out.

 

A 'Big Truck Driver!' I would have loved to have one of those back in the late 40's or early 50's.

 

That's bad ###.

Cardboard body?