a documentary about trucking in the 70's

Very cool. I can't believe I missed it after being tagged in it. Thanks Rank.

 

There's a nostalgia for cabovers today. Being on the west coast, we had our w9s and 359s. The company my dad drove for had both cabovers and conventionals. How excited I was one summer when he got a w9 to drive!

 

Thanks RubyEagle, but you know, at the time, it was just another busy day in the tin can. We broke every rule that would bend ( thank-you Bob Seeger) and probably more responsible for the way things are today than anyone, because of it.( sorry all, but we were just doing our job) It was a fun time to be a trucker, for sure.

 

Thanks for the link.

 

I don't think I will ever be the quality of hand that built the trucking industry. I don't feel they had anything to do with current rule changes. They are about revenue not safety. Yes they/y'all did what you had to do to get the job done. No doubt at times it was more outta pride in what you do instead of money. That in my opinion is missing in the industry today.

 

Hi rank, well, I don't think that's entirely true, I think there are lot's of driver's that would/could do what we did. It's just not necessary ( or allowed) nowadays. I think your example of "clearing woods by hand" is a little much, if you are comparing what truckers my age did, like homesteaders, it was drivers before me that did that, I had it pretty cushy compared to them. In a more accurate comparison, could you imagine driving an open cab dump truck, and cranking the bed up BY HAND, or filling an "ice bunker" BY HAND, running 2 lanes with 180 hp motors and no power ANYTHING (including the motor), that was always something I admired about truckers years ago.

 

When you put so many safeguards in place that Darwin cannot thin the herd effectively, we have progressing evolution. Just too bad its only the stupid ones that are reproducing now.