Brickman's First Rooster Cruiser

I usually read these forums without much comment, but sometimes a post or thread gets me going. This is one of 'em. I'm always amazed at how many hands have never driven a
REAL TRUCK like that Freightshaker Once Upon A Time, when men were men and sheep were afraid, that was a pretty nice ride! Running team with NO air ride cabs, #### Few air ride suspensions, NO fridges, usually NO A/C, often NO power steering, a BIG engine was a 350, an air ride seat was a really nice option...

Try a KW COE a 44000lb spring/beam suspension, NO P/S, NO A/C, spoke wheels all the way around with steel 10x20's... running team from FL to Canada 5 or 6 trips a month. We carried spare tires and changed our own flats. We didn't cry and whine over every little thing that our company did. We just did the job. BUT - we made nearly the same money 25-30 years ago that's made today! Ever wonder if there's a corolation between the quality of today's drivers and today's relatively low wages???

 

1974, I bought the truck I was driving while working for my dad, a 1971 White Freightliner, 36" sleeper. Originally came from North Dakota, NO A.C.! NO POWER STEERING! (Steering wheel looked like it measured four feet across)
170" wheelbase, BEEFED UP spring suspension, 270 Cummins, with two straights (Huh, What did you say?, I have this loud roaring in my ears!) 9513 tranny, 4.44 rears on 1000 x 20" spoke wheels. Also bought the 38' Wilson flat floor grain trailer I pulled when working for him. Shortly after purchase, had to replace the engine, oil pressure dropped, and crank was ruined. Bought another 270 out of a wrecked truck. About 120,000mi. later, broke a liner, and we overhauled it at the rice mill where I hauled- Dust everywhere!
The Good Ole Days!

 

I spent two weeks hauling wheat with an old 2-axle White-Freightliner cabover with a 8v71 detroit on a 10 speed and no power steering or a/c and it looked about 3 feet long. that truck wouldn't have rode worse if the wheels were square, but it might have rode better if the seat was still a seat. it looked like someone had chainsawed it.

 

My dream truck was a B61 Mack 1965,5x4 190 HP at least it got good fuel milage I bought it sitting on blocks $1500 Got a parts truck for $500.Man it was fun had to take fuel inj.pump apart soak it in diesel to free it up.

 

I used to haul Super B's of fuel and other bulk liquids in one of those at 64,000 kg (140,000 lbs). I had the steering box freeze up on one late-night haul in the mountains ... that got "interesting", especially without power steering. (we used to have to switch to lighter weight grease for winter operations and the mechanics missed mine).

 

I rode with my hubby for 10 days the seat was bolted to the floor no air ride it wasn't fun

 

Yep could be and Companys too.

 

For the last three years I ran that 88 White/Volvo. It had a nice air ride seat and 2 bags at the back of the 36" sleeper but that was it. All spring suspension, tractor and trailer both. After a while, I didn't even notice the bumps and rattles any more, but when the wife would ride with me, she'd tell me where each one was.....repeatedly!!

 

Before I drove the White/Volvo, I drove an '84 Freightshaker with spring susp. Drivers seat was a poor excuse for an air seat but the passenger seat kinda resembled an old school bus seat, only smaller and directly bolted to the floor. The wife rode in that truck for one day and said that she'd had enough!