what happened?

As long as time has gone on, there has always been someone talking about how much better it was in the "good old days". Usually, it wasn't any better and was actually much worse, but the person reminiscing had their now departed youth. Frankly, the brotherhood probably only existed in the minds of the people that were there. In actuality, they were actively undercutting each other's rates, ignoring each other when they broke down, and going on about their business, much as they do today. I seem to get along with everyone I meet on the highway or along my travels, regardless of whethe or not i consider them "brothers".

And I have a brother, and that's not a big winning ticket in life's lottery anyhow....

 

Time. As time goes on, it will get worse.

I remember back in the late 80s my mom, siter, and I took a trip up to New York from Flordia in the winter months. Mom had a CB in the car and late night in snowy Pennsylvania, she(we) and a trucker got to talking for a good bit. We stopped for fuel and to eat, and the trucker joined us. He seemed like a good man, and all I really remember about us meeting was he gave me a big box of baseball cards.
That reminds me of the 'Smokey and the Bandit' days.
Now a days, something like that happening is when you hear of robberies and murders.

 

We had camaraderie at Key Line Freight in the 1970s. This was a family owned LTL outfit that also operated reefer, steel and TL van divisions. There was no employee turnover, everyone had found a home at Keyline. Keyline had a Teamster contract. The average age of the drivers was older than the typical company hiring many school grads today. The company had hotels and motels on contract near their terminals. At 4 p.m. each day, loads were dispatched by phone to the drivers either in the motel lounge or to each driver in his room. We typically ate together before dispatch in the afternoon. There were no cell phones or Qualcom in those days. If we were not dispatched, we often went to baseball games, movies, etc. until the next afternoon. In winter blizzards, we ran in convoys. Many of the owner-operators had enough tools and spare parts to help others who had a breakdown. That was in the days before electronic engine controls, etc.

We were on percentage at Keyline, so it was also cutthroat. Racing to destination to sign the board ahead of the other drivers affected our choice of loads the next afternoon. Yet, the most competitive drivers would help any newbie with street directions, etc. Once again, that was before Mapquest. Keyline sold their authority to Roadway in 1978.

 

There is still plenty of camaradarie out there, it just takes some effort to find it. It might mean that you have to help someone say, slide their tandems, or fix something minor. And that gets you talking, next thing you know, you have a new friend to roll down the road with.

Yes, there are plenty of times where there is no friendship, no help for others out there, but that will happen too. It's all just part of the business.

 

Drivers did work together much more years ago.

On my first trip as an O/O in 1976, I didn't have a CB, and my truck broke down beside I-59 in Ala. I had the cab raised and was repairing a fuel line when I heard air brakes apply.

Three trucks had stopped to help me. One of the drivers insisted upon repairing the line himself, as he was a mechanic also, while the others handed him tools.

They told me that a north bound truck had told them there was a broke down truck south of them, and they wanted to make sure I was all right.

Another time I had a driver carry me home after my truck had blown an engine. It was after dark, and I was calling on the CB for a ride northbound to the next truck stop. He drove me from Georgia to NC, and let me out at my front door (home).

I have had drivers stop and take me to garages to get parts, and not leave until I had a ride back to my truck.

I have also stopped and helped as many drivers as possible through the years.

I came upon a wreck in Kentucky. I reconized the truck as a company from the same general area as I was from. I stopped to see if I could help. The truck had to be left there, so when the police released him to go, I drove him to my terminal, got into my car, and drove him home.

We looked out for each other more in the 70's. I could tell many more times of such things happening then. We didn't have cell phones or Quallcom, so we had to help each other out. I didn't drive in the 60's, but I am sure it was like that back then too.

Times are much different today, drivers are much different today. It is dangerous to stop for anyone beside the road, truckers included.

It is sad things are the way they are.

 

When I started driving almost 28 yrs ago I know that we all helped each other. Even though a lot of the men thought I should be home tending babies and such they were rarely rude to me and if I got brave enough to say anything on the CB back then which was rare, I wasn't greeted with Hey Baby show me... You get the picture. We had more respect for each other, pride in getting the job done, and common sense back then and so did law enforcement. I'm not saying that we didn't break the laws and that everything was perfect, it wasn't but drivers were the heroes back then. Now we are viewed in most cases as a drugged up, mass murderers due to the advancements in communications and technology and most of all the all mighty dollar. I don't say that changes weren't needed, but the media, lawyers and public have made most situations involving a trucker into a media event followed by huge pay outs in money because just like any other profession we do have a few bad apples and unfortunately people focus on the bad way more than the good.
Yea I miss the "good old days"