Old timers, was it really better before technology?

I remember being bored on long straight stretches...like I-5 when it first opened... and trying to synchronize the wipers just to have something to do.
I remember trucks with no music radio. You could get a pretty good A.M. for fifteen bucks at Radio Shack. A coat hangar worked for an antenna if it was grounded right.
I still have my pet 9/16th wrench for adjusting brakes. Some of the trucks I drove back in the "good old days" didn't have Jakes and you either got real good at brake adjustment or you learned about brake fires.
If I was driving one of the old trucks that still had a big water tank for the brakes it was always a constant battle chasing leaks and keeping the algae out of the lines. If the lines plugged... usually the trailer lines...you'd fight it for the rest of the day and try to get it fixed that night.
Old worn out brownies. When you took the truck out for the first time and another driver or maybe one of the mechanics that hadn't turned into a total sadist yet would yell at you "Shift that brownie square." And you would, until you forgot. Then you'd jump out and try to bar the linkage loose before the next truck in line sacked you.
I don't miss changing tires by hand but usually the next truck behind you would stop and help. Same thing if you broke a bunk log and had to build a false bunk with borrowed rigging. Nobody even hesitated to loan you rigging or chains because you'd leave it at their shop or the mill scales for them...and probably get the coffee the next time you were stopped somewhere.
The machinery was worse but the people were better in those days.

 

Amen on the people were better.

 

If them old gals could talk, eh? 1st truck I drove any distance, was a '77 W900, BC350, 13, single "coffin", ( although as I age, I don't care for that term), and "torture bar " suspension and manual steering, with a close friend as a supposedly team operation in the late 70s. He leased on to a guy in Iowa, we made 2 trips from Storm Lake to JAX, Fl. and that was enough for me. I learned a lot on those 2 trips. Someone down the block from me has a W900 Aerodyne( '79?) that I'd love to drive. Maybe next time around, if any.

 

Yes folks tended to be more helpful then. Lot of us still try to be helpful today on the road, but my personal experience has been the other people at times had no interest in my experience, so you just walk away.


I was in my 20’s heading to Boston in Pop’s 78 A with the old torsion bar suspension. Stopped in a Truckstop down in Connecticut to let my eyes rest from fighting the snowstorm at that time.

Walked out of the Truckstop to head on up the road and my brakes wouldn’t release. Man beside me seen I had a problem and ask what the problem was, brakes won’t release I said.

He ask if I had any air brake antifreeze, no Sir I sure don’t. He walked to his truck and came back with a bottle 1/2 full and handed it to me.

He told me to shut it down and pour some in the discharge line coming from the compressor, and pour some in the glad hands. In just a few minutes I was rolling up the highway.

We spoke for a few minutes on the CB before he turned off, never forget him, he went by Rooster…..

 

Yes Sir, if they could only talk. I look at trucks I see still in their original work clothes and try to see what stands out that gives me a glimpse into its past.

Pop had an A model with that torsion bar suspension, odd setup for sure lol.

Was setting in Georgia at a Truckstop in that rig, woke up that morning and stuck my head out of the bunk to see the side kit on the truck to my left slowly moving. I jumped in the seat and nearly pulled the steering wheel off trying to push the brake pedal, turns out the guy was idling out of his parking spot.

Always liked the look of the top of an A model hood when you were driving it…

 

I know

I know I was a lot better then! Lol

 

Ha! Radio Shack, that's another blast from the past, we got all our electronics there. They did? When? 2015? and Eddie Rabbit sang about those wipers. "Got the windshield wipers slapping outta the tempo, keeping perfect rhythm to the song on the radio", oh I loved that song. Matter of fact, by golly it's been a while, in memory of him, got us 5 more minutes down the road. Clearly written before HOS restrictions,,

 

When I read that I had to tell y'all this one. Went to bed in the rest area below Whites, dog tired parked nothing close to me. I woke up saw a trailer right in front of my truck, dove out of the sleeper buck naked hit the brakes pulled the trolly then I realized I was parked tried to slink back to the sleeper but the driver parked across the driveway from me saw it all! He was laughing his butt off. I slithered into the sleeper put my clothes on an eased out of there. I'll never forget that.

 

Radio Shack lol, yea that brings back memories.

In 1976 uncle Lester bought a new C20 pickup for his drilling business. He went to Radio Shack not long after and bought this CB to put in it. He died in 83, I’ve kept it in my stuff since. He went by Clearwater and uncle Herman went by Hardrock, both water well drillers….

 

Lol..!!!! Sometimes maybe we need coffee before looking out of our bunks lol….