Trucking lore: how we used to get paid / Comcheks

I can remember a time before fuel cards. The Carriers had credit accounts with the truck stops. I am not 100% sure but back in either the early 1970s or the late 1960s I believe it was Mercury Express (Emporia, Virginia) who was late on paying a fuel bill, they got several drivers stranded because they were not allowed to leave I think law enforcement was holding them. I can't remember the truck stop today. This started to change in the 1970s. My Father was an OTR driver with some exceptions from the 1950s until he retired in 1992. He either went by the office and got paid, or his company mailed his weekly check and my mom deposited it. I am not even going to attempt to create a timeline on this subject. I just remember drivers signing fuel receipts during the credit days.

It's important to remember the POS systems we know today started to appear in the 1960s and generally by the year 2000 were what we have today.

 

In the 70s, I recall my dad would be handed envelopes flush with cash when he was in and out bound from the company yard. Some for expenses, some for pay. I hope he wasn't money laundering. Lol

 

I heard tales of women "rolling" truck drivers for cash. They'd drink with them till the they got real drunk, and go through their wallet. Now they'd have to visit an ATM at some point.

 

I should have edited my first comment because I did leave out the expense money the drivers were given back then. In some situations, this was enough to buy fuel. Remember something critical about this. I remember my father telling me about buying fuel in New Jersey for around 5 cents a gallon decades ago. 100 gallons at 5 cents is only $5! In the case of team operation, it was the lead driver that got the expense cash. When the driver arrived home they turned in the receipts and in most cases got paid and cash (or check) for replacement expense money. I want to remember my Father was given $150 for expense money. Remember we are talking about 40+ years ago, prices were not even close to what they are today. Carriers had national accounts all over the country back then too.

Another tidbit, almost all truck stops back in those days had people who did the actual fueling. My father got paid for every time he had to fuel his truck. Different times back then! Anybody remember how drivers got S&H green stamps?

 

I remember the S&H Greenstamps, there was another I think it was Goldbond stamps.

 

The funniest #### you’ll ever see is payday at small truckin outfit. The wives would line up out side like wolves just waiting for 11am. Mom wouldn’t release them at 10:59 and every week someone was pissed. That ain’t the best part. They would make it to their ol bomb with no A/C and half a dozen yard apes hanging out the windows. Open that envelope and right back through the office door screaming as it opened. WTF Billy Bob ran his ### off last week he had 4500 miles this check for 800 ain’t gonna get y’all ain’t ####in my ol man……I heard my saint of a mother respond to that one time “Well honey you better start learning how and practice often cause here’s a list of his draws he took this week. “Oh no my man ain’t drawed no 2 grand in com checks. It got nasty several times. Casino’s and hoor houses were the rage Lmao. Sit in bunks A/C only in the cab shew I bet them bushy thangs be reekin

 

@wore out anyone ever bring one home for a while? Lolol. I didnt get to see alot of it but i heard the stories.