Trucking before and now

Here we go! In order to get ICC numbers you had to get one or more shippers to support your application. ICC no.s were valued in the millions of dollars. If you applied for authority and say Yellow was servicing the business. All they had to do was file a protest and your chances of being granted authority were slim to none. Authority was point to point. This meant you may be able to legally deliver to Dallas from Cleveland,Oh. but not to Ft. Worth. You would have to interline with another carrier to make that point. Everyone had to have published rates filed with the ICC. I worked for Time-DC Special Commodities back in the 70's and to be able to deliver all points within Tx. we would interline with Edwards Transfer of Dallas,Tx. They had the Tx. Railroad Commission rights (authority) to make(deliver) all points within the State of Tx. Time-DC gave Edwards a flat fee for the interline. Time-DC was a general freight co. and us guys in Special Commodities pulled flats and stepdecks ect. They called us brokers. I drove for a small fleet operator, but I was not his employee. I was Time-Dc's employee. We were Teamsters. The set up was called the 2 check system. As a driver I was paid 29% of the gross revenue. For every 1000.00 I hauled I got 290.00 paid to me by Time-DC. A regular payroll check with all the deductions. Plus all my benefits were paid by Time-DC. The work we hauled were rated at the same rates that freightside got. How would you like to be getting the same money for your loads as YRC or ABF, Plus hospitalization and a pension fund. Getting back to the 2 Check system the small fleet owner who owned the truck was paid 46% of whatever the truck grossed. They later changed the contract to 26% for the driver and 49% for the truck. After a while I bought my own truck and leased on to Branch Motor Express another great Co. I may get chastised for this but we got what we got because we represented by the Teamsters. And the only time we made significant gains was when we went on strike. Big business was behind deregulation and they are loving it. If you are leased to a carrier and you are not making it. If they are not giving you enough quality work, then my suggestion is to move on. This business has changed since I got in. It is not as easy as it once was, but there are still ways to do reasonably well in the business. There is no one size fits all whether it be as a leased contractor or an O/O with your own authority.

 

Some things were better then and some things are better today. The industry did change with deregulation. Prior to deregulation rates were published and authority was much more difficult to obtain. After deregulation authority was much easier to obtain, but competition also increased. We have more regulations today than ever. In some respects it is easier to do business than before deregulation. Few otr drivers were union, but the Teamsters were much stronger during the 70's, prior to the shut down. There were a lot of triple digit trucks that ran the left coast from the east. Weigh stations were not as prevalent and were small. We probably were more likely to see portables set up than a permanent weigh station. We had to have fuel stamps and stop in each state then. Today, we have IFTA. Trucks are much more comfortable today. My first truck didn't have a sleeper. You had to be creative to sleep in your truck. Some put a board across the seats, but the gear shift could be a challenge sleeping. If you were lucky enough to have a sleeper it was usually about 36". Some sleepers were not accessible from the cab. You had to exit the cab and enter the sleeper from the outside. Air conditioning was non existent and we didn't have cruise control or power steering.

If you broke down on the side of the road, you were more likely going to repair it yourself and often with the assistance from other truckers who would stop and help. It was not uncommon for drivers to repair a tire on the side of the road. We didn't have road service so easily accessible then as today. The only way to get someone out was to call out on the CB or hitch a ride. We hadn't heard of cell phones. Most truck stops were independently owned and had good food. Most would fill your truck for you, check the oil and fluids, wash the windshield and park it for you while you went into the truck stop and received a FREE steak dinner. None locked our doors. We never shut down the trucks from the time we left until we returned. Fuel was $0.17-0.25/gallon. Fuel mileage was 4.5-5 mpg. Some of the triple digit trucks may only get about 2 mpg. Ahhhh, the good old days. Engines had to be rebuilt much more frequently. It was rare for a truck to not need an overhaul with 200,000-400,000 miles. It is not uncommon for many of today's trucks to last for 1 million miles or more before needing an overhaul. Trucks are much more comfortable today than in the 70's. There were probably as many trucks that burned gas as diesel. Trailers were 40-45' long. If you traveled the left coast, you probably drove a cabover instead of a conventional, depending on the length of your trailer. Some companies would hand you your bills in one hand and a handful of pills with the other. You won't find that today. Showers were free at most truck stops, whether you purchased fuel or not. There were many truck stops with rooms you could rent for the night.

There was much more commeraderie in the old days. You could have a good conversation on the CB without all the BS. Few even bother to turn on their CB today. You had to possess a license to legally use a CB in the old days and had to sign on and off. If you used foul language, you could be ticketed. Drivers were much more courteous then than today. Everyone would flash their lights or wave to fellow drivers. Few belonged to the Teamsters, but the union did have a much higher percentage of drivers than today. The strike (around the 70's) sealed their fate with truckers. Membership and power has steadily declined since.

Truckers were much more respected and were respectful in the old days. We had more 2 lane highways than interstates. The first time I went to California I traveled route 66 most of the way. I-40 was not completed. Truckers were more independent thinking in the old days. Many had more than one log book and drivers license. It is rare to find a driver who has more than a single log book today and next to impossible to have more than one drivers license. We didn't have changes in the hos every other year in the old days. We didn't have reset. But, we could stop our clock, which made much more sense. We could drive 10 hours and then would need to take an 8 hour break, but we could split our break.

Pay was less than today, but went further. When I started most single or solo drivers were paid $0.10/mile and teams $0.14/mile. Taxes were lower and we had fewer of them, so our money went further. Of course, everything else cost less then. Our money had greater value. Prior to 1972 (I believe) our money was more stable due to our using gold to back up our currency. Our money is little more than a promissory note with nothing to back it up.

You could buy a new truck for $25,000-32,000. I think it was easier to finance a truck in the 70's. It was more like financing an automobile. There were few carriers who offered lease purchase programs.

We didn't have fuel cards. Most of us used cash to pay for fuel. If you needed more money you would need to have money wired through Western Union and most truck stops could send and receive Western Union. We also didn't have ATM's. Most truck stops had phone banks where you could make phone calls. You either paid for the call yourself, called collect or had an 800 number to call. Most truck stops also had phones in their restaurants. Later they had wireless phones and now you don't even see any of those at most truck stops. You didn't call home often since you had to usually call collect and it was expensive. Some of us would sent post cards or write letters. Doing business is much easier and convenient today than in the old days. Most everyone has a cell phone or computer. That makes it easier and less expensive to do business on the road. We did our accounting with a pencil and ledger sheet or binder. We didn't have computers or software. Neither existed.

For the most part, I prefer things today than in the old days. I do miss some things, such as the commeraderie among drivers the the respect we had for one another. But, I prefer the trucks of today and being able to get in the internet to find loads and the convenience of calling, faxing and doing business from my truck. So, are things better today or in the old days? I guess it is a matter of perspective and what you choose to remember.