what is that mirror for?

I'm a patient guy. Very few enemies. But my nerves . . . .

 

Years ago, I was a company driver running Rooster Cruiser (what the used to call a largecar chicken truck complete with Christmas lights and a 48 ft spread axle dump valve stainless steel trailer...most of our trailers were Extra 53ft reefers). Fast truck, for the east coast. Strong running easy triple digit superhuman machine.
PowerAde was pretty new. Took a load of PowerAde out of Chattanooga to TempeAZ. in those days, the speed limit across Texas was 55. This was to be my first trip west of Houston. Been across from Texarkana to Dallas, and the bigroad ended at Texarkana and that was one horrific drive from Texarkana to Dallas before they finished 30. So I decided to run 40 across the panhandle.

First time through Amarillo, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff. Made the left in Flagstaff and dropped into Phoenix. Unloaded in Tempe. Bounced over to Tucson, reloaded for ATL. Always a Vampire Trucker, waited for the sun to go down. In the desert, temps would drop from 118-60 degrees at sunset, so it was much less chance for cooking the tires.
Was asleep when the sun set, AC blowing full blast...it got freakin cold! Jumped up, turned off the AC, found a jacket, hammered out of Tucson. In those days, once you left Tucson, you were part of the food chain until you couldn't make ElPaso. There was absolutely nothing out there. In fact, there used to be a sign on I10 that said, "NEXT EXIT WITH SERVICES 254 MILES" (for a semi, that's not as life threatening, but a car had better top the fuel tanks. Even so, you most certainly did not want to break down out there in a truck.)

So I'm driving. Clear night, full moon. I figured no cop would be20 miles from the nearest services, so I decided to stretch her legs. Couldn't do it out east...too much traffic. I normally ran just 85-90. (Had a kill switch wired in on the shifter for the brake lights and the trusty old bird dog....oh, I bet the fearmongers are having a conniption hissy, bunch of fat fair weathered self mutilating comfort food seeking solar powered hypocrites...put your 62 mph truck in a ditch to avoid a drunk, but cut another driver off because you are jealous that he CAN run the speed limits. Yes, my driving record has been spotless for two decades, and I still make money...so any problems you are having in the trucking industry isn't my fault.)

ANYWAY, where was I? Oh yeah, so I'm boogeying eastbound on 10. Passed a pickup that said he was rolling at a buck ten. So he jumped in behind me and we're off. Suddenly, I heard it.

Im looking around in my mirrors, "Who the heck is he calling slow?" The front truck turns his headlights on. "Holy...."
It was a pack of bullhaulers. They had to be going 20 mph faster than what I was. With no lights on. You could see the exhausts. I flashed my headlights, the last one flicked his tailights. And they were gone.

well that's what the mirrors were for. I have them on my current truck for bridge clearance with OD loads.

 

dang Trip6, those were the good old days. lol when it was fun running cross country.

 

usually in pairs,one one each mirror bracket,they are used by drivers like me that get off on watching the black smoke roll from the chimneys every time i mash the throttle or change gears. really,not much in life is more beautiful than a truck that is getting the fuel it is supposed to be getting while leaving that trail of black smoke. look at my avatar for an example.

you like minded epa lovers that call black exhaust smoke treacherous to our environment simply need to stay in that far right lane as you pilot your 62-65 mph non truck that can't get out of it's own way. i bet the majority of you have horizontal exhausts anyway so you will never understand-

edited to add that I have,infrequently, used the chimney mirrors to make sure i am clearing lower hanging whatever as i am off the road frequently.there are some mighty tight clearance overpasses out there as well that truly are 13'6".

 

I love to see a truck going down the road and the black smoke is rolling out the dual exhaust. I used to tell the mechanic at a place that I worked at that I wanted dual exhaust with the black smoke rolling out and they told me I was crazy. Just thought it was awesome to see.

 

Its there to question why

 

that's just weird popcorn.strange even.what type of individual would derive pleasure from watching black smoke roll? no wonder the general public thinks truck drivers are an odd lot. there is a difference between a truck driver and a driver-

actually my second most desirable quirk regarding a "truck" is the whine of a well tuned engine and the turbo singing.i'll roll down the windows in my car and ride beside a truck just to hear it.now who is it that is strange? ha!

 

Drivers are a breed of their own that is for sure.

 

yeah no doubt.jut another reason for a driver to get lost in thought,pondering the absurdities witnessed while behind the wheel.no wonder i am always mentally "exhausted". get it?