Memories this morning was talking to old union friend yesterday on phone.
And conversation after we caught each other up on guys we knew some still around others long gone.
The conversation was memories like it usually turns how good we had it and i commented yes trucking has always been a plantation and it was always best to work under a union card on the plantation.
The old joke from union companies especially as drivers
( If you Open up your pockets and will stuff them full of cash) especially for junior men on extra board two hour work call sometimes six days even seven days week bumping hours on our log hours service recap.
Or turning metro as in North Jersey or Queens Bronx or Long Island especially on weekends when those freight terminals were closed. Example in our conference every time we pulled a pin on trailer or trailers we got paid .25 clock time 6 sets doubles dropping hooking shuttling loads to metro barns or empties.
In theory dropping and making up a set is two hours pay .25 per pin yet you could do it tops half hour with pouring coffee and bathroom break at foreign terminal.
Three via is 6 hours clock time plus your mileage and running metro from home barn and back with VIA always 500 mile night.
Example 1998 I found 151 Preston 151 pay stub awhile back mileage clock time $250 night the one trip on that pay week and today easy $400 $450.
And no brag reason is we work union when i started there was at least 30 union L.T.L. carriers that were organized nationwide.
Some of them Consolidated freight Roadway Carolina freight were huge. And smaller organized carriers refereed as me to as in we worked under same contract.
And we started talking of how especially on metro board back then we all ran radios C.B. Absolutely in no rush we’d all stop at Midway diner on I-78 inbound and outbound everyone was in there Saint Johnsbury C.F. Roadway Carolina drivers and you all knew each other.
You may hear another driver from different outfit say coming out of North Bergen as you are going in and holler at them on radio you look good to 78 or 95 long before cell phones or see a guy you worked with and I’d say hey wake me up leaving Brooklyn hey stop at first Pennsylvania exit on 78 wake me up I’m gonna take nap will run back Hagerstown together.
And we talked of the characters we worked with some of these guys they broke the mold when they were born. One guy who always comes up was a linehaul ass and trash for Preston one night I’m sitting in diner over in Jersey and this is hooker sits down at the table as I’m enjoying my spaghetti and meatballs and says you owe me $20 I’m like huh.
Now I personally never messed with these women either in army or on road just i never did the idea frightened me especially in army and H.I.V . Uncle Sam drew blood every three months and say downtown Fayetteville or Frankfurt West Germany pay day half the division is in town at red light district.
And another reason i was married im not that ignorant to expose my wife.
Yet as freight hauler for same company yet here this guy passed off a fake $20 bill at night for her services. So he took off and guilt by association we worked same outfit I looked at the fake $20 I'm like huh handed it back told her and aint happening not my debt.
Or how I’d always get a chili dog and coffee off this vendor at our Bronx barn and even there the ladies be on the stroll they’d offer services yea no thanks hey get her a hot dog and coffee on me.
I felt bad for these women fuck what a shit life they lived probably addiction was why yet it be so cold and they’re working and I’d feel for them.
A fellow driver once told me as i was buying for the ladies on the stroll.
He said you got big heart i said look Christ ate with hookers and it’s considered ok i do it and you call me a sucker fuck off mind your own business.
Or he mentioned time we both left Buffalo on Via to York maybe couple hours apart back to our home terminal they dispatch was telling guys hey he’s around three hours late out of York arriving to Hagerstown .
Reason we was snowed in Buffalo getting paid to sit and by time we rolled i was beat you can only sleep so much in hotel and on I-81 used be truck stop called Pharos exit 29 Pennsylvania.
I pulled in ordered breakfast and then stretched out in booth and went sleep in middle night and my friend who i was talking with yesterday was the one who found me hey call in they’re looking for you. I was only maybe forty five minutes away yet i needed that sleep.
Oh well best sleep than have wrecker drag you out of ditch. I told Preston hey i was beat they never said one word about it my call although I find it amusing today that the waitresses knew me didn’t wake me up I was probably 30 at time and just let me sleep they knew i wouldn’t dine and dash.
Oh here’s a great memory Hagerstown to our barn outside D.C. I had go bed got paid 8 hours clock so I’m strolling in off route 50 middle night to terminal and i look over and see these sparks flying here these idiots were using I guess mason saw to cut A.T.M. out of the wall.
I never said one word at terminal hey none my business you wanna make quick buck by all means fuck the banks long before cell phones yet I had wait on freight and I remember I was supposed to go Tennessee on that one.
Hey no big deal was on clock yet i guess on bank video police saw my tractor i was driving go by.
Anyways night time dispatch comes to me hey police on way they wanna ask you questions took the local P.D. 6 hours to come ask me questions to this day i hope they got away.
Told my friend I’m gonna go turns next bid get off running team take Monday start weekends off no rush retire as my wife is gone.
Maybe three years I told him I’ll go pull it yet it was great talking with him we have not spoken in maybe year half.
Just ramble yes bad punctuation dyslexic ramble in remembering.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Hard for me to know what with all the self-driving nonsense they are pushing.
Ty for sharing, Dunc.
Road memories, stained on the brain.
Your ramble brought back a few memories for me, used to run those areas out there... back in the day.
I was wondering how long you'd hang with the team gig, I rarely enjoyed that. Once in a while it's nice to have company but it gets old soon enough. I thing Dunc would appreciate it if you were home more, he can't take the long separations, poor guy.
