10-4 Magazine May 2022

56 10-4 Magazine / May 2022 Magazine are graced with some of the most fantastic rides from years gone by, but seldom do we see the garage finds in their original form. I couldn’t help but remember all the miles, running from Detroit to Secaucus, NJ, loaded to the limit with fresh hams for the butcher. In 1982, International Trucks (or the name plate we call Navistar today) introduced a very limited edition 75th anniversary truck. As I recall, they only produced enough for each dealership to get one truck. They were all painted the same, and every one of them came with a Cummins engine. They had some different specs available, but most were 350 or 400 horsepower. We were lucky enough to get two of these trucks – one for my father-in-law to drive (my boss at the time), and one for myself. I still remember the first time I pulled out of the yard with a load – I was king of the hill. That 9670 was a big step up from the old 4077 model I had been driving. There are a lot of tall tales told about how fast those trucks could go and who was the biggest car on the street, but I can say with all honesty, that wasn’t me. My cornfield Cadillac topped out at 68 mph, and it didn’t matter if it was uphill or not, that’s all it could do. But in a 55-mph world, I still managed to leave most of my vacation funds with the local police departments along the interstate. Back in those days, very few trucks running east of the Mississippi were conventionals, due to the state length laws. Also, doing city work every day, the cabover was far better suited to maneuver through traffic. I’m not too sure why there is this trend to acquire old cabovers – they were uncomfortable to drive and a bear to climb into after you hand loaded or unloaded the trailer! Few of the trucks around our home at the time had air ride suspensions, including ours, which had a Reyco spring set up that rattled your teeth when you hit a bump and caused the seat to rebound so hard you needed to wear a hard hat to protect your head. And the big windshield on this rig gave the driver heatstroke in the summer and frostbite in winter, but hey, that was trucking, and I was young enough to withstand the punishment. Even now, as I look at it, I remember the good times, too. Like when we raced from the Detroiter Truck Stop to make last call at the Rebel in Youngstown, Ohio, and still make a dock time at 4:00AM in New Jersey. We didn’t waste any time along the way. That truck, like so many of the old diners, holds a place in my heart much the same as an old friend. I see it for what it was and not what it became after years of service and many drivers. Few rigs stay in the same family or business for over 40 years like this one. Heck, I’m not even sure if the trucks of today will last for that length of time or leave a legacy like this one has. If only this truck could talk, oh the stories it would tell. Some good, some questionable, and a few nobody would believe. If only I was younger and had the time to restore it back to its original condition. It’s not that I would want to drive it every day, but every once in a while, it would be fun to drive it to town and relive a time not so long ago when I was young, the highway played out like the Wild West, and truckin’ just seemed to be a whole lot easier. My wife and I made it home to the farm and, sure enough, my steady old horse was saddled in the shop and ready to ride come Monday morning. There is something to be said for a square hood truck with a Cat motor and wheelbase. My white a blue Just Steppin’ Peterbilt 379 may not have been my first love, but it’s my current ride, and if you see me strolling out in the country, don’t forget to wave. I sure hope this slow-moving farm tractor turns off soon, 10-4! n