Differences between driving in the seventies and today

Scotty's in Wilton across from the target DC. Had a good cheese steak last time i was up there waiting for them to unload me. About a year ago.

If any of you deliver to the target up there stop and get some good grub, you gotta drop the wagon anyways

 

Another difference is you had to ask and/or watch to learn..no vids for us, no signs on how to run the grades,etc.

 

Old iron needed rebuilds sooner but some companies took that to the extream and re-did the whole truck.

Lot's of B Models and those little-single axle LTL Ford cab overs that seemed to exist from the 50's to the 70's re-furbed a few times over.

Old trucks didn't all die, they were re-purchased over and over. in 1976 I was driving a '68 R Model for a small construction company, the 'backup' was a 1947 AK white gas job...never took it more than 20 miles from the shop and it did move the D-8 cat....

Don't forget the creature comforts imposed by the older lenght limits, 150" wheel base that pounded the driver on every seam of the poorly built interstates.

When I look inside our trucks today, I think it is more car than truck!

 

This company has a handful of beautiful A models. Mostly all KW with a few gliders





Bad pic quality

 

Ain't it the truth? Now I'm the old fart talking about "back in the day...!" LOL

 

Interesting comments in here about how easy it was to get fired back in those days. Of course at the same time, there was next to no paper trail and it was probably a little easier to lie through your teeth to get a job elsewhere. No DAC, or PSP scores linked to your likeness to hold you down.

 

Guys, THANKS for a great read!

 

Almost every driver spoke English and had a CB. Both would greatly improve modern trucking.

 

I keep my dikes and stripers in the same draw. Locked because I suspect they are responsible for the missing 10mm sockets.

 

Notice how most of those who do have a CB, never turn it on, till they want to know which lane to be in at the sight of a brake check?

There’s been a bunch of BS talk on the CB for as long as I can remember during my 34 years being associated with trucking. But I never turn it off, maybe down but never off....