10-4 Magazine March 2022

September 18. The event and location was planned by Donnie Austin. He said the hotel has an amazing and accommodating staff who love the ITA group. Their third reunion is already planned for 2022. As some of you may know, not all the stories can be told. With the knowledge of the big rides, bigger horsepower, and the unmentionable ways drivers ran hard and made deliveries from coast to coast, you can understand why. The stories I can share are reminiscent of the trucking days gone by and how, for most, the family on the road was more important than the family back home. Donnie said, “All of the good stories were good, and the bad stories, well those were pretty good, too.” There were so many great stories I heard from Carol “Chestnut” Jones, Dave Hollingsworth, Gary Medford, Phil “Real McCoy” Hatfield, and Clifton Whitley that I could go on and on. Some of these fun trucking stories would’ve been great additions to this feature, but the colorful words that would’ve been needed to accompany them couldn’t be typed up. I listened in at one of the round tables where Mike “Timekeeper” Mann was talking about how their travels went. On one trip, 16-18 trucks left out on a Sunday, then they the group. The board members against the additions felt new members couldn’t compare to what the original members were because what was done, could never be done again. The current board consists of Donnie “Hollywood” Austin, Carol “Brat” Webb, Tim “ScatterBrain” Sawyer (one of the original board members), Artie “Dollar Bill” Daniel, and Dave “Runnin Late” Hollingsworth. There are some members still being searched for, like Georgia Red, but there is uncertainty if these members are still around. Over the years, due to drugs, violence, suicide and sickness, the ITA has lost several members, and those losses are felt throughout the entire group. There is a system the board put into place when selecting new members to add. It starts with a driver actually showing interest or a current member suggesting a driver. The candidate then fills out an application and, if they are to proceed further, one of the board members needs to be willing to sponsor that candidate. A background check so-to-speak is conducted to ensure the candidate is a good fit. The qualities they look for are if the individual is a good person, if they work hard, and how well they take care of their equipment. The majority of these members chased produce from coast to coast or up the east coast, with home bases in states like Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Alabama, South Dakota, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. Back then, many of the carriers promised 48-hour service, from coast to coast, and it wasn’t team drivers meeting these timelines. Some of the CB handles of these men and women were taken from nicknames they had growing up, and some were given their handles while out on the road. Gary “Shade Tree” Medford obtained his at 13 years old while he was mowing a lawn, and someone yelled out “Shade Tree” to him. Donnie “Hollywood” Austin got his nickname back in the 70s when he owned a Pontiac Grand Prix and wore mirrored aviator sunglasses. Benny “Chevy II” Gray used to drag race Chevy IIs. Carol “Brat” Webb dubbed herself as such because that was the best way she could describe herself. Clifton “Broomstick” Whitely got his handle because his wife Margie’s folks had a broom handle plant. Larry “Midnight Rider” Webb (Carol’s husband) received his handle because he used to be a third shift police officer. Due to the article on Nick Black, I had the opportunity to speak with Clifton Whitley and Donnie Austin. These two gentlemen became the ones that I would communicate with from time to time. After noticing the group had their first reunion, where most hadn’t seen each other in 30 years or more, Donnie thought it would be a good idea for me to attend their second annual reunion. After checking with the rest of the board prior to my attendance, they okayed my invitation. This was a real honor, as they don’t allow outside people to this event, just the drivers and their husbands/wives. The 2021 reunion was held at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Lavonia, GA on Friday, September 17 to Saturday, 10-4 Magazine / March 2022 69 THE CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS Scatter Brain Brat Hollywood Dollar Bill Runnin Late The Phenix City Kid