Trucking Now vs. Back In The Day?

By golly... that entire post just about nailed it!

I feel like I've got a brother out there!!

That's the way it was

 

Phone banks , Cherry Master machines, groups of 4-10 trucks rolling together talking on another frequency and stopping together at the same spots to grab a cup... cabovers galore... METALLIC CLUTCHES and spring ride tractors , air powered windows and wipers... big linear amps and shootin' skip.... and last but not least , truth in the saying " what happens out here STAYS out here".

 

What I miss and I can understand why it went away is the brotherhood of trucking. Then if you had an issue or there was a major issue that needed to be resolved, it wasn't every person for themselves attitude.

Why did this happen?

Because this became more of just a job than it did a profession or career. Back when I got into a truck on my own (1979) it was a completely different world we had to deal with, there wasn't much more than simple solutions for the problems and little worry about what could happen outside of an accident.

I broke down one day out in Iowa, had not just one truck stop but three, all offered to help with the problem (it was a plugged fuel filter) and one just gave me a filter to try out. Now I broke down the other day, not only did anyone not stop, they would not move over into the next lane and a few came over the white line on the shoulder I think purposely as to play chicken.

Crap like this happens all the time, the more isolation people have, the less they care what goes on outside of the truck. See go into any truck stop and look around, not many people eating at the restaurant or at the counter. The guy who trained me always said that you have to get out of the office every day, become human and get around some others to keep your sanity, but now a few times I watched people who sit on their reset get out of the truck other than to use the facilities or get food, they play games or watch tv for hours on end.

 

No GPS. Just maps and a CB Radio. And a lot of truck stops had pay phones.
Split wheels that could blow apart if not put back together right and kill you.
Smaller trucks, your sleeper might look like a coffin pulling a 40 foot trailer.
More respect on the cb, rather than hearing some dumb cheap like get out the way, shut up stupid.
Free coffee.

 

Actually, 6wheeler, those small sleepers WERE called the "coffin". Not sure what happened. I guess it was just the evolution of trucking, breakdowns became less frequent, cell phones took care of any emergency and less interaction with people in general, not to mention, the news story that some trucker did someone harm, so now every trucker is a freak ( more so) and you can't blame people, "what if"? This site has proved to me that there still is a alliance of drivers out there, which is reassuring, just not as much, as years ago, we were all in the same boat. You helped someone, because sure as heck, you were going to need help at sometime down the road. While a little before my time, this "Mercury" sleeper was as good as it got and no hole to crawl through from the cab, you got out and climbed in the sleeper, which, I heard team drivers would do while still rolling.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i477/grenfell34/Mobile Uploads/photo_zps2f5667d1.jpg

 

Heavy cardboard box full of city maps, all alphabetized by state. Big jar of change you lug to wait your turn at the pay phone.

Seems every driver had their wallet chained to their belt, essential when you pay cash for fuel. Gosh, coast to coast could be north of $300!

 

Back when I started in 2001, I remember diesel was less than a $1.00/gal. Trucking companies like Prime,CR England,US Xpress,Tyson, and Interstate used to blow you off the road. Cat scales were 7.00,showers were 7.00 too. Like the other driver stated,if you were behind on logbook,DOT would tell you to get it caught up. I miss the 10 hr driving/8 hr breaks. And lastly I miss waking up on Saturday mornings and driving until I could t take it anymore

 

The thing I've noticed since my start in 1994, and remember from my dad's start in late 70s, is how quiet the CB is now. It makes sense. Back then there was almost nothing to listen to but AM/FM, 8-track, and CB. When I started AM radio was varied for a while. There was some overnight talk radio, not just UFO kooks and Sports Talk, Inc.

Obviously, now there is AM/FM, CDs, Satellite, ipods, and cellphones. There is much less reason to use the CB, many fewer people that COULD help on CB. 90% of lost trucks creeping around the major plant I frequent ever have their CB on. They either don't speak English or the CB isn't on/in the truck. They're on the phone trying to find the entrance, I suppose. I can drive 150 miles and not hear one person on the CB unless there is a backup somewhere. I still DX AM radio, when I have a truck that doesn't wipe out the band from electrical noise.

 

This brings up a very good point. The trucking community used to be just that: a community. We stuck together, had each other's back, helped each other, and constantly kept contact with each other by use of CB. If you broke down, got lost, needed a bear report, or just wanted to know how good the coffee was at the local truck stop, all you had to do was key up and ask. It's rare nowadays to hear this happen. Most drivers these days feel no association whatsoever with other drivers. Oh, you broke down? Sucks to be you.... You're lost? Drive around till ya find it, cuz I ain't talkin..... Need a bear report? My truck won't run the speed limit, so I'm not gonna help anyone who can.

 

One of the great jobs i had back in the early 80s was $.17 a mile motel every night up to $50 Holiday inns where $45 meals $15 a day .T
ruck stops you pull in the fuel attendent would fuel your truck wash all your windows and check your ties and oil and if you got 100 gals of fuel you got a free steak dinner and you got either green stamps or gold stamps with your fuel.
The pay was on the higher side of middle class not the bottom side .Trooper would sometime escort you to the next state boarder with there lights on if your truck could do triple .
Party row was full of drugs from pot,pills,cocaine,herion, hookers where mostly run by the truck stops.
lumper where what ever bum you could pickup out side the gate drunk,stoned it did not matter.
Scales would have you unload a case or two of what ever you had or say your 10 watermelons overwieght.
the bull hauler had them go fast toothpicks west coast turnaround.
But no i do not miss running 1500 miles straight,waiting in line for payphones in 10 degree weather,either you get there or your fired,spring leaf trucks,shiny 290s engines,duct tape and bailing wire and chewing gums to hold that freight shaker together.
No life ,no friends except ones on the road,no family ,seeing people enjoying there life fishing,hunting go to weddings,,being told your a driver they are are $.10 a dozen and there 100 waiting for your job.
Every time a factory would close they became truck drivers every time a farmer went under they became truck drivers.
Cabovers that where great ac in winter and the very best heat in the summer, noisy and lowback seats,.
I take all the tech updates of today