Attention! Attention! The Empire State Antique Truck Association is holding it’s 25th annual show at the fair grounds in Batavia, NY this weekend, August 6 and 7th. For the fans of White trucks this is always a good show to attend. Make no mistake, many other name plates will be on display, from Brockway to Mack, even Hayes! Enjoy a selection of photos from years past.
The trucks of Hunts Point, it has a nice ring to it, almost sounds like TV show title. Below you will find a few of the many, many trucks that deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to A & J Produce located at the NYC Produce Terminal Market in the Bronx.
You may recall I posted a story at the start of July about Kurt Luthy and his near cross country trip with a White 3000. New details have emerged regarding this epic journey of man and machine. There have been reports of a leaky petcock and battery trouble in Illinois. But perhaps the biggest shocker is the arrival of another White 3000. Yes, Kurt appears to be towing another truck behind him! Simply amazing. From the landscape in the photos it looks Kurt may be approaching his destination. You’ll never know if you can do it unless you try.
Check out this ATHS thread for recent photos. The forum over at Hanks Truck Pictures also has a thread full of details, click here.
The high desert of California. A double lane highway of twisting mountain roads through hot, arid, undeveloped land. It’s just you and your trusty Plymouth on a routine business trip. Your only connection to outside world is the yamar of the radio which soon gives way to static as you trek deeper into the desert. Heading up a step mountain grade you approach a old semi truck laboring with its’ load. There are no visible markings on the old, filthy truck. Nothing but rust and grime from years of use. Black smoke poors from the stack as the driver down shifts to gain more power. You move to the left hand side of the road to pass. Your car has the advantage and soon the truck is fading away in your rear view mirror and your mind. It won’t be long until you cross paths with the truck again but under completely different circumstances that will change your life forever.
The events are a loose interpretation of the opening scenes from the movie Duel starring Denis Weaver and a 1960 Peterbilt 281. Steven Spielberg’s directorial debut featured a man (Weaver) fighting a never seen trucker and his rig in a bid for survival. Two trucks, maybe four, were built for the movie and one survived the fiery climatic end. Spielberg himself picked the truck from the Universal back lot from a collection of cabovers. In his eyes the Peterbilt was the only truck that had the right look, the one of raw, dangerous, mechanical terror. Originally a made for TV special Duel eventually made it to the big screen around the U.S. and the world and met with critical praise.
You can read more about this old monster here.
And of course, here is the trailer for the movie.
For us truck obsessed fools this movie is near perfection as the Peterbilt has top billing. No where else will you see an old truck put through the paces like that of scenes form Duel. There is also plenty of vintage iron through out the movie with a heavy showing of light line International trucks. Not to mention the performance by Weaver is fantastic and of course Spielberg delivers on the camera shots and direction. I also need to point out there would be no movie if it was not for the short story of Richard Matheson from which the screen play was adapted. RENT OR BUY THIS FILM TODAY!
Running a truck down the highway requires the knowledge of many numbers. Numbers like miles per gallon, truck weight, trailer length, and how many miles you can go before that 7-11 big gulp catches up with you. But what else is there to consider? Too many variables to keep track of it would seem. Don’t despair, Henry Albert with Truckinomics has you covered. How many dollars do you think you can save per year but just moving your trailer license plate? Watch the video below and you might just be surprised by the answer.
If you recall from last week Hugh had a problem with his trailer striking the wheels of his truck, eventually causing him to loose traction and become stuck. The fix was to increase the air in his tractor’s suspension to rise the trailer just enough to get moving again. However, success would be short lived. The cursed trailer would eventually loose three tires in dramatic fashion. The tires just didn’t pop, they exploded into tiny scraps of metal and rubber. No limping to town for Hugh, he is forced to sit on the road and wait for help…whenever and whatever that might be. Needless to say he is pissed. Hugh blames the old and overworked trailer. “Nothing wrong with our iron!” he yells in frustration before telling the camera crew to “GTFO, it’s time for sleep.” The next morning Rick continues on to town to drop his load and return with assistance. The rescue will take hours if not the entire day during which Hugh will be left to his own devices. Good thing he brought entertainment in the form of a 1953 SKS with bayonet. Several moldy oranges and can of soup fall victim to his boredom. Later in the evening Rick returns with a loader and crew to help transfer the load to his truck and trailer. Three long hours pass and the swap is complete. An exhausted Ricks heads back to town. This road really makes both man and machine earn their paychecks.
Alex is heading along the same road but to a different destination. Nearly to his turnoff he comes across a pickup truck laying on it’s side with the lights on. He stops to investigate and finds at least one drunk man and a elderly woman. He offers them a ride to town which the eagerly take but not before they have a shouting and pushing match. Apparently they are aunt and nephew respectively. The eventually stumble into the cab and continue their shouting match about firewater and lost cigarettes. By this time Alex is seriously regretting his decision to rescue the two strangers. A quick prayer for both himself and his passengers helps Alex regain his composure. Arriving at town the following day Alex quickly finds a way to ditch both of his loads and hits the road never to look back.
Last week Lisa learned that she is being considered for a spot on the Carlile heavy haul team. This promotion would be recognition of her years of hard work on the haul roads. Halfway through a heavy haul convoy run with Tony we find Lisa anxious to hit the road. Eventually Tony emerges from the truck stop to find a extremely frustrated Lisa. She explains to the camera crew that if she doesn’t start the day on time she becomes frustrated and jumpy, perpetually attempting to regain the lost time. We soon see the results of this behavior on the outskirts of Prudhoe Bay when she loses the shoulder of the road and becomes stuck. Tony is able to pull her out but with minimal damage to his truck and hers. Lisa reflects on the event and realizes she was rushing and not being a team player. She vows to learn and not let it happen again. This is a strikingly different attitude from most of the other IRT’s who would have found a scapegoat and simply become angry at events.
Finally we join our favorite trainee in the Carlile yard. Ready to hit the road with a load of cable a serious problem is discovered, exhausts fumes in the cab. The potentially deadly problem is repaired at the cost of a few hours. About halfway through her run Dave makes his only appearance of the episode. He makes a few feeble jokes about Maya dragging her feet over the CB. All calls are ignored by both Maya and Phil. Dave becomes disgusted and eventually shuts up.
Another good episode is in the books. Plenty of good action and unique footage with little or no produced drama. Next week will be the 1/2 way point of the season so expect things to heat up, literally.
Fireworks, ice cream, parades. Three activities synonymous with summer. I can’t help you with the first two but I can provide a nice collection of freshly washed and polished fire trucks. Enjoy!
The travel channel has a new reality show starting this August 3rd revolving around a The Midway Truck Stop in Missouri. The name says it all, the show will cover all aspects of a typical day at the Midway as the staff serve over 1 million visitors a year. Watch as an on site tattoo shop, fireworks store and antique shop keep visitors entertained. Only one episode is currently listed and it revolves around a the sale a fishing pole and a tramp stamp for a grandmother. Hmmm, sounds…unique? Brought to you by the produces for Pawn Stars so expect plenty of colorful characters and staged events to keep the story moving. Either way, I’m sure there will be plenty of big rig eye candy which is always a plus in my book.
Check out the video below.
Source: Travel Channel
In case I didn’t sell you on attending the National Brockway Truck Show this August here is a small sample of trucks from the 2010 show. Enjoy!
Do you like Brockways and long walks on the beach? I can help you with the Brockways but you’ll have to find a travel agent if you want to hit the beach. Makes plans to visit the 12th Annual National Brockway Truck show August 11-14th. Each years the Huskies return to their birthplace to parade and show off on the streets of downtown Cortland, NY. Hundreds of Brockways will be on display from all years of production. Take time to visit the Brockway Truck Museum or enjoy a truck cruise to the Bass Pro Shop in Auburn. Don’t forget about the fireworks, auction, live music, and BBQ!
