Old days of trucking vs. New days?

This forum and several other sites online which are invaluable to information is my little corner. Other than that all the fancy siren calls of the mermaids that called onto Homer and his Sailing Crew at sea in the mythological times is nothing to me. I remember a life that has no computer anything in it with the exception of some very large data servers run by tape reel and punch cards. Your mouse contains more information in real time than what those things crank out in a month.

 

Never knew. Always figured it was for the radiator out in the desert

 

I sort of agree but here is the difference to me moose.

In the 1920's there wasn't any regulation that prevented a driver from driving until he dropped.

In the late 30's we ended up with HOS to protect the driver from the company abuse.

During the war, there were more drivers killed and hurt because they stretched the HOS beyond resonable and a lot of drivers were fatigued beyond belief.

In the 50's, OTR got its real start with the slooooow demise of the rail system.

In the 60's when there was an economic boom, this is where our modern era comes into existence. This is where a lot of us got exposed to trucking.

In the 70s' it still was a profession and still was respected as one. BUT the economy crapped out and we ended up with some really bright (READ ---> STUPID) ideas like deregulation.

In the 80's we were deregulated and our demise like the rail system 25 years early was on the way.

AND everything that happened with technology and improvements in comfort has ruined this industry.

 

Yes you carried water. Water is life, first. And actually a form of life against winter freezing in a dead truck. Water helps your body operate even if it's extreme heat or cold. It's what we are. Burn us in a creamtory and all you get is approximately a few pounds of calcium or residue from the bones all else in flesh burned until boiled into gas and allowed to vent into the sky. There may be a few cents in other earth chemicals harvestable from the small pile of ash that was your skeleton. 85% of you is water. Boiled off. The flesh charred and eventually just destroyed to the point of plasma or gas. The bones and very little attached to them is left. That is ground in the rollers below the burn chamber when cool enough. Your shelf with your skeleton is pulled. Poured into the hopper and grind. Bag the ash, stick it into a container attach a name to it and go find the loved one.

 

It will not seem like it unless you have drank out of one, but somehow the evaporation in that burlap makes it seem like it is almost like ice water. I still had one until just a few years ago.
I think they might have only worked well in dry climates, at least I never seen one far enough east where there was a lot of humidity.

 

There are so many different reasons this and that happened over the years that it would be a waste of bandwidth to write them all. I still think the history of trucking can be roughly divided into 4 parts where the era slowly changed between them. I also think there is a 5th part coming in about 10 years. It is going to be so bad during this time that drivers will be wired up like they did the guys that flew in space. Sensors on their body and a probe up the gazoo. I'm not kidding either. Machines to look at and measure a drivers alertness will be standard. Nod off one time, yawn more than two or three times and you can expect a call coming from safety. Jeez I am so dang glad I am done with it!

 

I miss the old days before cell phones and all this technology BS. I kind of find that funny because I made my living with technology in the IT realm for 20+ years. Now I hate it, most all of it. I do have to admit some of it is useful, like having this site to connect with people and learn things sitting in your recline you would have never had the chance to do before the internet. I guess you could argue you might have gotten information from books and magazines, but still, that's not near as good as what you find on forums such as this one.

I personally hate my cellphone. People seem to think you must answer every call and text message ASAP or within 5-10 minutes. I leave that #### thing on the counter most of the time unless I'm riding the bike and might need to make a call due to a breakdown. I've had people whine at me because I was showering, taking a dump, doing yard work, or clocking miles on the bike or driving because I didn't answer or text back right then or within their acceptable return call or text window. I've had to get ugly with a few people because I DO NOT use my phone while driving, period!

I wish they would put cell phone jammers in all vehicles that are active when the vehicle is in motion. Yea I know that is a unpopular idea.

 

Got 4 more yrs left.
Still love traveling, the scenery and interaction w most people. I'm fortunate to have 500 different customers so no two days are the same road or town. I too miss the days when you could drive, sleep and eat whenever you #### well felt like it.

 

Ive thought about it. Never mind FCC rules regarding deployment of that type of technology. If Movie theaters can do it why cannot I?

I text several people as a deaf person when necessary and all the life stuff you mentioned I don't bother with. It's just the objective yes or no and go from there.

I find myself increasingly discontent with google and the like. They have truly gotten big. And now we are filling space to get intenet anywhere in the world? I actually from IT understand the LEO (Low earth orbit) technology and so on but I cannot abide 5G. The wavelengths are harmful when backed with enough wattage. On the electromagnetic spectrum it is approaching or beyond that which gamma ray from nuclear explosions. Rips through your cells chopping your DNA. Some of which are lengths that you depend on for your very life yet to live out for years.

I hate to be a luddite. But I saw the internet, I played with it as a child played with the toy, I learned things about it and what it could cost me in money. Then I realized that it wants to be the path to taking all of your money and then be depending on it for life in everything. (I think NOT) among other things. (I better shut up...) but I find it useful still and for now tolerate it. I don't pay much for it anymore. But I sure loved to build good strong computers. And have been fairly successful with it if only for myself. One computer in my ex is approaching 12th year this year and the CPU is about 20% beyond what Intel recommended total hours accumulated (Approximately 80 some thousand hours, it's supposed to be only 50 thousand) Ive got a spare in my drawer ready to go. Something you cannot buy anywhere today.

 

I have watched people sitting in a restaurant deploy a cell jammer. In fact, you can find them on the internet. As soon as the device is activated most all calls within about 20 to 30 feet stop. Depending on the model you can stop calls for up to about an hour on a full battery. Highly illegal to be used in the US.