Muck Boots 'n' Slickers - Life of a Livestock Hauler

It doesn’t ring a bell, but my memory isn’t the greatest with names on the trailer anymore........however I can still spot a truck I know at a mile lol.



I don’t blame a guy for staying with a good job, they are hard to find. There have been a lot of changes with more coming I fear. I wouldn’t advise anyone to buy a truck and get under a pot right now. I hope I’m wrong....

 

Two trailers the DOT man won't crawl under to inspect, if it's mooing or oinking, or a container dripping salt water. Many times early on, used to haul container loads of wet hides, man was that stinky, nasty, don't get that water on exposed metal, and the smell will never go away. There are spots of dried salt at the ramps that still stink when it rains, and no one has hauled dripping wet hides into that place in 10 yrs. Most of the places we'd load out of, were right next to the holding pens, you learned real quick to not think about those cows, either that or learn to make jokes about them.

 

How Doc? Workin you hard?

 

He is still ridin around at my feet lol. He is getting some gray on his chin but still active as ever.

 

As to hauling bills they will ALL do to watch. Having hauled alot of killers cows and bulls on average the ladies are more of a real threat than the bulls. One easy way you can get in a mess with bulls is if you have to mix bulls that haven't been turned in together a while before you load or from more than one stop. 80% of the time +or- they have to establish who is boss. That usually requires a good scrappin'. You can get yourself hurt or worse real easy if you happen to be near when they have at it. They can crush you and never know you were around. Seems like dairy bulls are the most unpredictable to me as far as wanting to take you out. Cows on the otherhand... many have been mistreated or out in the brush all their life and they have a vendetta against humans. And some are darn fast and hard to escape from so you need to have a plan. My granddad always said a bull will close his eyes before he plows you but a cow doesn't. I am pretty sure that is about right. WOMEN........

 

My father used to haul pigs out west in Canada from Ontario.

I was a young kid then.

I still do stop in at those livestock places every now and then. Last time was to have my freightliner looked at for engine issues.

 

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This is my favorite picture of the truck. Reason being is because it’s sitting in my driveway. A place it doesn’t see near enough.[/QUOTE]

Man I thought you ran an ole red 359?

 

Man I thought you ran an ole red 359?[/QUOTE]
I did/do. I had a decision to make Oct 2 of 2016....I made it. I can live with it but my lil red truck didn’t survive the ride. Myself and my Doc walked out without a scratch so she did her job. I thought about fixing it but by the time I got back together very little of it would be from my truck, it was time I guess. So I put it in the back of the shop where I gotta look it every time I’m home. I came up with this ol 91 after that. I have my uncles red 86 ext hood too, I run it some out y’all a way to keep it limbered up. I just can’t drive it everyday.

 

Same here.