Anyone with a Lilac Black Pete? or Black Lilac?

I've been involved in trucking in some shape or form since 1961. (drove dump a couple years prior but that's not trucking).

I've sold 2 trucking companies and the last one was Pipex. Today, I'm consulting for the people that bought Pipex from me. I've become UNRETIRED about 6 times now.

 

Have a look here. That's the last KW I owned. My first one was a 1972 W900 Serial Number was 87170.

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pipex.htm

 

Turn back the clock and yes, I would do exactly the same. When i first got into trucking, 96% of drivers were Professionals, today, 95 % meat in the seat it seems. Pujrchasing wasn't problem. I recall FMC giving me a line of $500,000. with only 5% down. Paccar wanted 20% down and they cost about 10 grand more. After a while they dropped the down to 7% only. I used to buy trailer and financed 100%. If the trailer was $5000. he would make up the contract at $5800. less $800. down and we were set to go.

Those people are still in business today. And last Dec 23rd, I ordered 40 new Tridems from them that will start arriving the first week of April.

By the way, in the 70's I had 22 trucks running to the North Slope of Alaska. (The Dalton of Ice Road rckers fame). Bunch of wimps, we ran that road with 318 DETROITS, 335 Cummins and 350 Cummins and the road was a lot worse than it is today yet we ran a rounder from Fairbanks to Deadhorse (North Slope) in anywhere from 31 to 34 hours if the weather stayed good and nobody ws blocking the road and pulling some dumb a zz stunt like some Ice Road Truckers you see on TV.

I used to bust my butt but soon changes to Work Smart, Not Hard.


Trucking has been a good life.

 

By the way, in the old days, no power steering, 2 transmission, no air ride seat, no AC, no sleepers, etc. etc. Todays' trucks have a lot of creature comforts that make them nice to drive.

When I first came to Alberta, I drove a Model LR Mack that had 3 trannies in it. It was a 1964 and it had POWER STEERING>

 

You'll do just fine, Work Smart, Not Hard.

 

Sara, that's a chip wagon, it's what i started on. I'm a dirty ore hauler now

 

Prairie boy is like an encyclopedia for trucking. Everytime I talk to him I learn something and i have him to thank for getting me working out here. he saved me from slave wages working for can-am west lol. Speaking of talking to him I'm sorry I haven't called you back pb! I keep working late or having dinner with people who keep me out too late to call you.