Central Transport linehaul

I know what your referring to. I ran a lot in the desert when I was hauling asphalt oil. Started usually around 7 pm and would run 14-16 hours. Super tough. Was local and just doing one load a day 565ish miles a day.

I’d get my load and cruise until I found a sleepy desert town in the middle of the night. I didn’t like the darkness outside of a small town because of all the crosses on those undivided highways and whoever could be lurking out there. I know those screams. I always associate them with the madness I was putting myself through trying to provide for a family. People shouldn’t work that much. Especially 12 hours of driving plus a few more on duty.

I can’t do linehaul. I want to. It’s easy money but I’m one of those people that can’t be trusted with my own wandering thoughts all night. It’s scary out there on that dark road. I miss running the desert though. Sorry to rant on this thread.

Central sucks.

 

It’s the same company, no they never pulled pups, as far as I know. I doubt they were ever a 1099 outfit either, unless you were an O/O. They had O/O who were also in the Union. I worked there In the mid 90’s. They had what we called Red Racers, After they shut down the Union Operation around 2000, they came back yellow. Headquartered in Warren Mi. Also know as Universal, Pam . Mohawk, FSS,Tennessee Steel haulers, Titan, Economy,,Mkinley-(Canadian),The list goes on. Put together they are huge. All are publicly held, with the exception of the Original, Central Transport, not sure about Universal, most operations have been consolidated under Universal. Central was started in 1964 by a mechanic who through a lawsuit acquired 4 Dodge Gassers, due to non payment for repairs. He soon had a Contract with Chrysler spotting outside Carriers Trailers, as the Chrysler Drivers refused to move them. Central had to be Unionized to get the Contract, since it was against UAW contract to outsource a Union Job to a Non Union Company.This led to more contracts with the big 3.Their sister company US Truck, also Unionized was closed down in the mid 80s. The current Owner, the son of the Original Owner, it’s said promised the Original Drivers, they would remain Unionized until the last one retired. He kept his promise.They have the freight, for those that want to work.Make one complaint, and You might as well start looking for e new Job. Lol

 

They were green different outfit.

 

yeah, i tried all sorts of google searches. i could not find any pictures of any C/T trucks that you spoke of.

but i thought, they ran a shade of green and white colors, and no, i am not talking about CF (corn flake)

 

NEMF did that......TO ME...

i had a regular bid run, from RI to NJ and back.

i was a senior driver 3rd on the list.

they wanted me to go from NJ (after i arrived) further south (forget where), then back to MA, then back to RI..

i told them i couldn't do it (i wasn't GOING to do it, as it'll put me in a motel overnight, and I DID NOT do over nighters, none of us carried an overnight bag, nor any meds that some of us need,etc, that was for the LOWER GUYS on the list to deal with, not us TOP guys)

they sent me back to RI, and i got not only wrote up, but a "few days off" as well.....by the new TM

they said i should have called in sick, BEFORE my shift ever started..

i said "how do i know i;ll be sick later in the day"?

the new TM at that time, wanted me fired. but he couldn't and that went across his butt like an ingrown hair...

the union big guy from Boston (in charge of the east coast operations of the union), as well as my union reps in RI, fought that, and since the TM basically "gave me a few days off" without union approval...i got those days back paid..!!

life was good, fighting that areshole TM.......he went against union rules.

and i never was TOLD i had to go to anyplace else ever again, UNLESS it was a simple pick up or drop off, which i had done ON MY way, not out of my way. all this as a line haul driver at NEMF.

 

There also was a central Transport out west? Maybe that ran Tankers, As I vaguely remember , they went bankrupt after a major fiery accident. They were also green tractors. Mid 90s maybe

 

Ok just so I have this straight, we are talking about the Central Transport that is yellow, they pull longboxes and mainly use 3 axle International Prostar day cabs for power right, and all their wheels are painted black, the c in the CT logo was red but is now black for the most part?

 

And yes the Central Freightlines from Waco, Tx were green and white, they shared the same paint scheme but not colors with Viking, Coles and Spartan, that was when Roadway owned all of them, Central Freight Lines is now all white with green lettering.

 

That’s right used to be redvnow yellow with cf style ct logo