Re: 1964 Mack b61

Posted by Dennis Benson on August 28, 2008 at 10:26:38 from (64.12.117.76):

In Reply to: 1964 Mack b61 posted by Hilary Marckx on August 28, 2008 at 07:43:22:

My grandfather drove trucks from the 1920's until 1963. I'm portraying him in a book I'm writing, but here's a story that might help some ideas. In the 1950's he was an antique dealer here in Michigan. He had one and a half ton truck that he loaded up with antiques, including a sleigh. He went to Florida and sold his load, and they got their first sleigh in Florida. When he came home he had Spanish Moss hanging from his truck.

As far as DOT goes, at http://www.dot.gov/mission.htm it says, "The Department of Transportation was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, the Department’s first official day of operation was April 1, 1967." So you can figure what era you want to include for the lyrics. Before that time regulations were state by state and county by county. My grandfather was moving a household of furniture from Michigan to Chicago once, and weight restrictions were in effect in one county in Indiana that he had to pass through. On his way to Chicago he was stopped by the policeman who told him he looked overweight with his furniture pads only. The policeman knew he would be coming back with a big load, so he let him go, and waited. My grandfather had a bed spring across the back of the truck that caused it to be difficult for anyone to pass on the narrow road, and when the policeman tried to pass him he would swing over, and this went on until he was through the county and the policeman stopped chasing him.

He had a lot of Prohibition stories, too, between South Haven, Michigan and Chicago, but thise will be too old.

He did have a story where he was waiting for the fruit market to open, and was backed up to the loading dock along with the others backed up to the dock. A couple guys went out in front of the trucks and staged a fist fight. When the fruit market opened everyone's loads were gone.

My grandfather's brother in law was driving a truck load to Chicago from Michigan, and my grandfather's brother was riding with him. They came to a hill, and my grandfather's brother told my grandfather's brother in law that two guys waiting at the top of a hill were going to rob him because they knew the truck was going to be almost stopped at the top of the hill. My grandfather's brother, who worked for the Purple Gang got out and walked to the top of the hill and talked to them, and came back down and said it was OK to pass, there wouldn't be any trouble.

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