And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I grew up around trucking. My father and grandfather were owner-operator truckers.
Back in the day when I was a child around 1970 the trucks were closer in appearance and configuration to that photo than to the modern rigs on the road today.
Used to be you had to be pretty strong, knew how to run a complicated non-synchronized transmission and put up with awful environmentals. No power steering or comfy interiors.
Nowadays most of the "drivers" are what dad used to call "Meat on the seat".
A friend used to be a trainer for several trucking firms. He would constantly complain that it was anyone's guess if a student could safely back to a dock. They would incessantly complain about having to do the work to drop and pick up a load. He said a lot more too, none of it good. These were students with often one year experience. Not just foreigners either. He was glad when he finally quit. But it fulfilled his goal in paying for his EE degree.
In the mid '80s I was hauling logs into Oroville, CA in a 1965 Kenworth log truck. Armstrong power steering (as in none), 5+4 transmissions (that would be two of them) and no A/C (the hottest day I recall was 115°). 15 to 17 hours a day, 5 days a week. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
That picture looks like northbound on the I-15 about mid-way on the El Cajon grade, north of the 138 interchange. The El Cajon pass is the western terminus of the Santa Fe trail.
only the first of many
ReplyDeleteI grew up around trucking. My father and grandfather were owner-operator truckers.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day when I was a child around 1970 the trucks were closer in appearance and configuration to that photo than to the modern rigs on the road today.
Used to be you had to be pretty strong, knew how to run a complicated non-synchronized transmission and put up with awful environmentals. No power steering or comfy interiors.
Nowadays most of the "drivers" are what dad used to call "Meat on the seat".
Like so many things over the millennia: a lot of the skill is now in the machine, and not the operator.
DeleteIF you say "DOUBLE CLUTCH" to today's steering wheel holders they would say WUT? MOST couldn't drive nail.
DeleteA friend used to be a trainer for several trucking firms. He would constantly complain that it was anyone's guess if a student could safely back to a dock. They would incessantly complain about having to do the work to drop and pick up a load. He said a lot more too, none of it good. These were students with often one year experience. Not just foreigners either. He was glad when he finally quit. But it fulfilled his goal in paying for his EE degree.
DeleteIn the mid '80s I was hauling logs into Oroville, CA in a 1965 Kenworth log truck. Armstrong power steering (as in none), 5+4 transmissions (that would be two of them) and no A/C (the hottest day I recall was 115°). 15 to 17 hours a day, 5 days a week.
DeleteWhat doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
That picture looks like northbound on the I-15 about mid-way on the El Cajon grade, north of the 138 interchange. The El Cajon pass is the western terminus of the Santa Fe trail.
ReplyDelete