This is a picture my Grandfather took over 50 years ago, we are not sure exactly when. My Dad had found this pic in a box that had been stored for years and got it enlarged. It now hangs in his garage.
We do know its two Mack trucks, and the one on the left was the old truck, the one on the right is the new truck my grandfather was assigned. Grandpa used to haul bags of cement with those trucks, starting just before WWII through the early 50's. They would quite often pull two 20 ft trailers loaded as well.
The truck on the left did not have doors, seriously. And although this model actually has a drive shaft, the one he used prior to that, was chain driven. Seriously. The motor had a gear/sprocket where a big chain, much like a bicycle chain, was attached and the rear axle had a big sprocket. It had two forward gears and a reverse 'gear'. They also used kerosene lamps as headlights and would have to drain the radiator before going home for the night, otherwise the river water they used would freeze. Like a Model T, it used a crank to start the engine.
He then got the new truck, it had doors! and a lot of other, more modern things. You still had to have a hand for each lever to shift it, yeah.. no power steering and it was a bear to operate. I got to ride in a few different models when I was a kid. They still used that one on the right to haul trailers over to the plant to load em, it was a shunt truck.
Those old truckers had forearms of steel! I remember those old guys well. I used to sweep the shop, take out the trash and the like in the early 70's when I was a wee lad. They had a backroom to play poker with a fridge full of beer. I was errand boy and they would send me down to the store to buy cigars and a soda for myself. It was neat. Oh how times have changed.
They were tough old teamsters.
I love these old photos. Everytime I look at ones from when my grandfather was young, it makes me feel nostalgic. Sometimes I wish I could travel back in time and see what life was like and get to know another side to my family.
Posted by: Nicole | 05/20/2010 at 02:13 PM
Doors are for communists.
Posted by: Drew Beatty | 05/20/2010 at 09:56 PM
This reminded me of my grandfather as well. He had a great big dump truck named Henry. Yes. He named it Henry. Those were tough times, but in a lot of ways, really good times because at the end of the day, you *knew* that the work you did made a difference.
Posted by: David Sobkowiak | 05/21/2010 at 09:14 AM
Tough old guys. My grandfather drove truck all day and built three houses after the war. Busy times late 40's, early 50's. My other grandfather farmed and built houses as well. Tough, hard working guys.
Posted by: Patrick | 05/21/2010 at 12:55 PM
Doors are for FASCISTS, drew!
Posted by: vange | 05/21/2010 at 11:23 PM
My grandpa drove cab, which is not as cool as driving truck, but my BFFs Pop still drives truck to this day. That photo is fantastic. I love old pictures like that.
Posted by: Jenny Beans | 05/23/2010 at 10:30 AM