• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Memories for us old truckers

willie59

Administrator
Joined
Dec 21, 2008
Messages
13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
Occupation
Service Manager
Being born in '59, I recall many trucks on the road then that now would be considered old trucks. B Series Macks were still in use around my town, many concrete trucks were Mack B series, and if you went to coal country in SE KY, West Virginia, western Virginia, Mack DM and R model trucks dominated the coal trucks right up through the 70's into the 80's. I recall the Dodge LCF and Cabover trucks, and of course the GMC "crackerbox", many of whom were fitted with Detroit green leakers. GM had good looking COE trucks with the GMC Astro and Chevy Titan back in the 70's. And Ford built a number of models of cabover trucks, of course Ford had the built like an anvil Louisville cab trucks at the same time, and many fire trucks as well as delivery trucks used the Ford C series truck, again, built like anvil. Of course you had Pete and KW, both cabover and conventional. And I recall the I-H Emeryville COE trucks still in use before I-H produced the CO4070. And there's still a bunch of trucks of that era I haven't even mentioned, such as White, considering the first "big truck" I drove was a '62 White 4000 with Fuller 5 x 4 trannies. Wish I could turn back time and do it all over again.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,542
Location
WWW.
I knew the guy that bought and owned this truck til he passed away in the early nineties. 262 Cummins, 4X3 trans. Ran from Ellensburg, Wa. to L.A. hauling timothy hay for the track in
Santa Anita in the early years then just local only. In those day's truck/trailer rigs were pretty common. I remember him telling me stories of winter driving like going down Oakridge on
highway 58 between Chemult Flats off 97 to Eugene,Or. In those days it was very narrow and I'm sure it still has a tunnel on it. The grade steepens midway in the tunnel. I use to run
that way allot years ago. The truck is 55 Pete.

Truck Shop

1955 Pete 350.jpg
 
Last edited:

Junkyard

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
3,621
Location
Claremore, OK
Occupation
Field Mechanic
I like the "insulator" over the bale just behind the stack. I bet it would be easy to get one smoldering.....
 

RZucker

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
4,077
Location
Wherever I end up
Occupation
Mechanic/welder
I like the "insulator" over the bale just behind the stack. I bet it would be easy to get one smoldering.....

Back around 1981, I was dumb enough and strong enough to drive a truck and trailer setup hauling hay in the same area. Drove a Pete conventional with a 24' deck pulling a 32' pull. The truck had a set of tall stacks that were inches from the load... We had a very heavy tarp that we called the "Bra", it covered the front down about 4' below the top and went back about 8". Part of that was fire protection, part of that was because when you got to a horse barn there was always one woman that had to get up and SNIFF test the front bales to make sure they didn't smell of Diesel exhaust. Can't have that with those pampered pet horses.
 

gtermini

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 29, 2015
Messages
198
Location
Amity, OR
I remember him telling me stories of winter driving like going down Oakridge on
highway 58 between Chemult Flats off 97 to Eugene,Or. In those days it was very narrow and I'm sure it still has a tunnel on it. The grade steepens midway in the tunnel.

Truck Shop

They did a bunch of work on the tunnel a couple years back. The road was sluffing off the mountain on the uphill side. That tunnel is still a nightmare. The road will be clear and you get 25 yds into the tunnel and be on a 2" sheet of ice going right into the corner. There is still a Staubs fuel truck lost every year it seems like on that road. Klamath is my home away from home, but I hate driving 58/97 in the winter.

Greyson
 

d9gdon

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
1,517
Location
central texas
You are truly talented Truck Shop. That's kind of ironic that somebody with an artistic streak is a mechanic as well, usually it's either artist or mechanic. Right brain, left brain thing comes to mind.
 

Junkyard

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2016
Messages
3,621
Location
Claremore, OK
Occupation
Field Mechanic
The cabover drawing reminds me of a picture a friend had, Truck sitting on the shoulder, trooper behind him with his ticket book. Driver looking down at his watch with "I gotta go!" Look. I tried I don't know how many times to talk him out of it.
 

RZucker

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
4,077
Location
Wherever I end up
Occupation
Mechanic/welder
You are truly talented Truck Shop. That's kind of ironic that somebody with an artistic streak is a mechanic as well, usually it's either artist or mechanic. Right brain, left brain thing comes to mind.
This is going to sound weird. But almost every welder or mechanic I have known with real talent, not just running a bead or a parts changer, was left handed. Not saying its a rule... but that has been my experience. And yes... I'm a lefty.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
My dad thinks he may have been left handed naturally but the school forced him to be right handed. Making him somewhat ambidextrous. He is a good mechanic and fabricator.
 
Top