Back in my day...

Kenworth t600 cabover and 48 ft trailer .
The guy is a little mixed up, I remember seeing my first 48 ft trailer and I started in 82 , and that kw was probably a k100

 

Where is Mt Eagle ??

 

got it!

 

There's mostly truth to what this old timer is saying and why he's going to call it quits and its not about elogs its about the many steering wheel holders on our highways.

 

Okay, the guy maybe full of crap but I think he said that 40 years ago there were no truck driving schools, not that there was no training or cdl.

There has been commercial drivers licenses for far longer than 40 years, to get one you had to convince a trucking company that you were worth investing in and they would train you; the dmv basically just did a short driving skills test and a written test and you were trucking.

No nose is a reference to cabovers, they were NEVER the only type of cab on the road and back then most of the guys I knew much preferred conventionals; including me.

Nobody who brags about how many hours they took to "turn" wherever they are claiming to have run ever ran extreme hours for very long, those that have run those hours over a sustained period of time are still doing it and they keep there mouth shut about it.

Learning from a genuine veteran on a real job was a far better a system than what is done today, a lot of very important stuff is not taught at all now and much of what is taught is downright hazardous; 40 years ago just about every truck was driven by a professional and as such was very predictable in how they handled things that develop in traffic; today you have no idea what truck drivers are doing or thinking most of the time but the decision making process is not at all "professional" in most cases.

Regulations and schools have not made trucking safer or more professional, the opposite is true and the numbers prove that; there used to be tremendous respect for truck drivers from everyone, now the vocation only inspires cursing from most people who have to drive much.

That is what I miss, I used to be proud of my vocation and the skills it required to do it right; I am mostly just ashamed of the image that is conjured up today when someone mentions "Truck Drivers".

 

Because the brakes back then SUCKED. That is why. And they redesigned the road.

 

Same with Pendleton...

 

I can say no more, or I will be banned, the old timer was spot on. Enough said.

 

I was gonna say,if he did it with a 48',he ain't been around that long.When I started it was 35's,38's,and some 40's.Then later,42's. 55' length law overall,front to back.Was with Daily Express in the early 70's,they had some double drops that were 40',19' in the well.
We had chauffeurs license back then to drive a truck,before all the CDL and class licenses.

 

I started with a 40' in late 80's