How much better was it back in the day

I remember back probably late 60's maybe early 70's riding with my Dad, he pulled a Adore Farm wiggle wagon, From LA to San Jose, and He would run up 99 to 166 Maricopa, 33 Blackwell's Corner thru Avenal to Coalinga 198 to 101 then up to San Jose, we get a Motel 6, Id stay in the room while he would drop off the truck and trailer, then he come get me and hit the local greasy spoon. Love the memories, But the grapevine was a real slow process like you can walk faster. But those were the days would trade those away for the world.

 

They had in Chicago today, a Trucker protest, they go slow on the Interstates, real slow. To protest low wages. This is how stupid truckers are in Chicago. After all that, they go hook up and haul a Cheap load. Ha, Ha, Ha. Stop taking cheap freight. But they will never learn and serves them right to do it for free. I dont feel sorry for them at all. They complain, then haul if for peanuts. Ha, Ha, Ha

 

Even in 2000 -2002 (when they got caught by DOT) IWX used to expect us to run two sets of comic-books, there was a lot of fun things to like running convoys (hate the term but it fits sometimes ) thru the Might Mo and across to Indy, Ran fast and hard, but when I'd get to the yard in Edinburgh Id sleep sometimes for two day, I have got there on Friday Night woke up thought it was Saturday only to find out it was Monday, oppsy..... All dispatch would say was pick up something westbound for Here and head for the barn in Springfield, Steve wants to see you, when you get fuel, they will park your truck, usually it was a cash bonus, and see the logbook lady on your way back to you truck, Then he would smile and ask can you have that west bounder in Kingman by tomorrow night. and laugh about the log violations. But not anymore, now he runs a straight ship.... But back in the day...

 

Tis funny about logbooks.

Burn em and run without a care in the world. Sorta.

However there was one memorable week of logbook terror which I did once and will never ever do again....

Mark off duty 8 days and turn loads in the entire USA. 8 days of hell. Its not worth it. I think if DOT caught that, it would be so OOS stacks of fines and the company would have had it's hand in the fuel checkbook with those daming reciepts all over the cab. 300 gallons this 280 that and god only knows what else is sloshing on paper.

 

Well, kind of why I left IWX. Good equipment, liked the owner, don't know about the other drivers, seems the guys I ran with I got real good cash bonuses from the owner, but u sally had to make a token logbook fine to the log-lady on the way back to the truck. When one gloomy day in April 2003, I did my normal pull into the fuel bay, meet with Steve wants to see you. He wasn't his normal jovial self, picked up my envelope, and he said just agree with her to get you out of Springfield call me from OK City, or Amarillo. So I did and she said she wanted 6 weeks of back logbooks to match with my fueling times and BOL's. Well there was just no way, So I told her no problem and called Steve from Texas, He started off I put a little extra in your envelope to help you out, Huhhh, Well he continued that if we (meaning his hard running drivers I guess) could not provide the logbooks they need that they were going to have to let us go, but we could deliver our loads and return the trucks to the Kingman yard to give us a chance to line something up. But he claimed this was his only way to survive the DOT audit. Several of his friends company's had already been shutdown by DOT. Steve claimed that he could bring us back in 6 months, I never looked back, just thanked him as he was always straight with me... As far as I know.

Must be story time at the OK coral......... Sorry for the ramblings of a senile trucker.

 

Remember, When black as coal was a good way to describe your exhaust, and loud jake brakes were a good thing. And Sling Iron was just no big deal, actually expected. And a shoebox described a sleeper (now a condo). Heated dinner up wrapped in foil on the exhaust manifold.

 

I used to depend on the exhaust status of the rig in front during mountain work to see where he or she is in shifting. You can "Read" that stack smoke and know the story.

We usually sorted out after the first or second big pull. Fast in front door, rockers to the middle and drags in caboose work in the rear. No herds trapped at 61 either. And we all rolled.

Now and then sometimes its not worth going out at some towns or cities when row upon row of elephants roar by at 80 for a hour or two.

 

You can now move to the head of the class.

 

WOW, I started almost the exact time, 1974. Reg.for Draft, start turning the wheel.
and back in the day, NEVER have i EVER seen someone wear Flip-Flops, driving a truck. Corporate comp. see these clowns, and say to themselves, heck, we need to cut there pay. These clowns think its a picnic, going to work wearing Flip-Flops, better yet, not pay them anything, just let them live in a box. Ha, Ha, Ha

 

Back in the day, When we wanted or insisted more money, we Strike. It worked, and we made a good living Trucking. Yesterday, when the So Called Truckers, ran 94 - I55 Chicago, in protest of LOW WAGES, this is what was said on the NEWS. Right after there short so called protest, they went and hauled there cheap freight. Ha,Ha, Ha. These Clowns will never win, they just dont understand, DONT HAUL CHEAP, and then complain. This is the second time, i seen these clowns do this, and it got them NO WHERE. I think the companies should not only pay them peanuts, but start charging them rent to live in the truck. Ha,Ha,Ha