a documentary about trucking in the 70's

Yep, used them too. Can't remember the name but we had those rods that set on the throttle pedal and jammed up under the dash. My very first truck to drive was a 1973 K100, 335 Cummins / 9spd "power nothing". It had one in it when I jumped in it the first time. They worked fine in the flat ground but you know how it is in hilly country.....

 

At least you weren't delivering Pepsi in a truck that was clearly a former coca cola truck. White and red and you could still make out the Diet Coke labels.

That was like sacrilegious.

 

I was leased to All-States PIE,and then Consolidated Freightways,and TIME DC back in the days,Teamster Contracts,was an O/O for 42 years.Finished up with Landstar/Inway Heavy Haul.This is how good it was,guys now a days won't believe you.Just retired last year,and am collecting my Teamster pension.

 

I started in "73" with Time-DC. Drove for a small fleet owner as Time-DC's employee. He bought a loaded short hood Pete for $30K brand new. I do not know where $80k comes in. The thing to remember Rank is that we were being paid using the same Tariffs as the freight division used. There were some rate cutters around but nothing like today. I bought my own truck and leased on to Branch Motor Express running Cleveland,Oh. to Chicago. It was not that hard to put $1000 - 1400 together to go 300 miles. Many of these guys today do not have a clue what we once had.

 

Yeah I heard that too. You know how those truck drivers are.

 

@The Admiral I drove for an o/o in April of 73 haulin "hot freight" from LA to Ohio. My main rest stop was in Nara Visa, NM. On my first trip there had just been a head on between a Time-DC and a Stanley Dilley truck on US54 between Nara Visa & Dalhart. I still have a set of polaroids from that wreck. There was packaged meat & freight scattered for acres. I didnt take the pics but they were left in the truck by the owner. Time-DC trucks were everywhere, as were PIE, Little Audreys, Willis Shaw, C/F. etc. Great days back then. Also, I have shown a 1972 Pete 359 on TTR several times & I know that it's price tag was new was $23,000.

 

The copyright on the video was 1979, and that's what they claimed in Smokey and the Bandit was $80,000. My uncle bought a new White Freightliner in 1970 (goes without saying it was a cabover, they didn't make conventionals yet). He paid $24,000. It had ac and an 8 track radio.