Once When A Company Hired Me

Back in the old days of 2013, I walked into a trucking company, filled out the app then ten minutes later told to pick up a truck at a customers and have been driving there since.

 

Went with Trailways in 1963 and during the winter months, if you did not have a bid run, you better have a part-time job. Had a friend of mine who taught me to drive a truck and went by the Preston terminal in Norfolk, Va, walked in and asked, "you need a part-time driver", the response, "can you drive a truck"?--I said, "sure can". The man took me out on the dock and pointed to a truck sitting on the yard and said, "go get in that truck and drive it around the terminal". He stood on the dock and watched me. I left that day with a part-time job with Preston, The 151 Line.

 

Sounds like my first legal driving job back in the 80's when I finally got my license, wasn't OTR, but more like regional, Massachusetts to New Hampshire to Connecticut then back to Massachusetts, home every night, talked with company, asked me if I was licensed, handed me the keys and off I went

 

Back last week, I took a load from NC to OH. Came back home 4 days later. Enjoying my time off now.

 

Those were the days. I remember them well. A test drive and a handshake and you had a job for as long as you wanted. Back when a mans word meant something.

DOT Wasnt quite as hard back then either. They had more discretionary decisions they could do. I recall many times getting a walk around safety check. Then ask me for my 'cab card' and log book. I politely say that I havent updated my log book. I'm very sorry. Officer would then tell me to have it for him next time. Tell me to be safe and ler me go.

I miss those days.

Hurst

 

Sounds like someone has selective memory, The good old days werent that great, No Ac, PWR STR, Air ride, APU, Friges, or microwaves.

People tend to frget the bad and remeber the good, I was there they werent that great, compared to todays improvements

 

Munoz had me fill out the application on Monday, had me drug test on Tuesday, assigned me a truck that day after orientation and I was rolling to Atlanta by Wednesday

 

The really old hands had to hook up the team of horses, fight outlaws, got wet when it rained and froze when it snowed and slept on the ground. They did not have to deal with much traffic, ate fresh killed food for supper, and drank water out of steams. When they hit the unload point they parked their wagon and went across the street to the saloon to chase the local barflies.

The new generation needs microwaves and ovens, sits for hours waiting to get unloaded, complains about traffic and gets upset if the coffee is too cold or too strong. They wine about the smell of diesel or the sound of a motor running in the truck next to them.

You are right, the current generation of old hands had no AC or PS but we had freedom. We had the large cars with big hoods, the big peter cars with double stacks pouring thick black smoke as we hammered down. We had bird dogs that sang to us. We gave out bear reports. We were a team in the rules of the road. We picked up each other. A driver never gave second thought to helping another driver secure a load.

Naw I'll take my old no power steering, no AC days driving through Blythe, over this generation of plastic trucks that drive themselves while a person holds onto the steering wheel.

 

Oh how true you are, I never heard drivers whine about no air or power steering, it was the way life was back then and so be it. No air? no problem, just try to park to get a breeze blowing through the cab with the windows down at night, no power steering? no problem, learn to back up the first time, driving down the road with no power steering gave a better " feel " of the road!