When someone thinks of a truck, especially a Mack truck, the Superliner is most likely the kind of design that comes to mind. Unlimited chrome, a massive grill and the famous bulldog tie it all together. Mack Produced the Superliner from 1977 to ’93. During that time the Superliner was available with a variety of engines including the famous Mack V-8 diesel with it’s unmistakable sound. Please enjoy the photos and videos below.
What was life like driving a truck before the creation of the interstate? Peter Browning shares with us a collection of stories that help illustrate the life of the early American trucker and blue collar worker. Mr. Browning spent his early years delivering trucks from Detroit to destinations on the west cost. Unlike today, where trucks are delivered in tandem by specialized haulers, the early years saw drivers showing up at the factory gates to chain vehicles together to begin their cross country trek. No training, no license and very few (if any) safety precautions. The hours were long and the pay was low. There were no truck stops, only small towns doting the expanse of the American west. Browning shares with us the stories about the early drivers and workers who toiled under the demanding hours, the low pay, and dangerous conditions.
If you enjoy stories about early America, trucks, or just tall tails buy this book. Oh, and if you need any more convincing there is a Brockway on the cover. 😉
The Silver Spade was a mechanical giant with a single purpose; move earth…lots of it. With a 105 cubic yard bucket the Silver Spade could move nearly 157 tons (US) of material in a single pass and deposit it 390 feet away, 140 feet high. Nothing about the Spade was small, so of course it’s power source was massive. With a large electric cable spooling out from the rear, fourteen AC motors provided 13,500 HP to level, or create mountains. The electric power source also allowed the machine to operate rather quietly. The only sounds typically heard were the hum of cooling fans and the crash of steel gouging the earth.
Constructed in 1965 the shovel ran continuously for nearly 65 years. In the spring of 2006, the ring circle at the base of the shovel developed a crack and was deemed beyond repair. The fate of the Silver Spade was uknown. For a short while it appeared the current owner would agree for the shovel to be saved and left complete for a future as a museum piece. Sadly, this was not to be the case. In 2007 the Silver Spade was demolished and sold for scrap. The cab and the bucket were donated to the Harrison Coal and Reclamation Park were they are currently on display.
Bucyrus-Erie manufactured two of these giant shovels, The Silver Spade and The Gem Of Egypt. Designated as model 1950-B both worked the coal fields of the Midwest for decades. Designed to last the shovels eventually succumbed to rising operating costs and a changing world. Smaller drag lines and power shovels could do the same work at the same speed for a fraction of the cost. Few of the large power shovels are left. Big Brutus lives as local attraction in West Mineral, Kansas. Not as large as the two Bucyrus twins Big Brutus is still able to produce the same level of awe when seeing for the first time. With the changes in the coal industry over the years it’s unlikely machines of these size will every be produced again. Like the dinousaurs they resemble the Spade and the Gem left their marks on the earth they once controlled, but are left to be remembered only through history books.
The Silver Spade Working in 2005
The Demolition of The Silver Spade
The title to this post is a little misleading as most Marmon trucks were unique as each one was custom built by hand. You could argue that no two were alike. This particular truck was at the ATHS National Convention in Syracuse back in 2003. As the bumper states it is “The Only One”, possibly an experimental model. Most likely this truck predates 1963 as it still carries the Marmon-Herrington name badge. Marmon trucks lived on until 1997 when the Garland, Texas plant was closed and sold to Navistar.
Has the economy recovered? Is the recession over? The answer will probably depend on who you ask. Government statistics show that the unemployment rate is slowly dropping while consumer spending is increasing. Maybe we should look to the trucking industry for more proof. Mack Trucks is hiring for positions at its Macungie factory following a surge in orders for it’s OTR rigs. Freightliner has announced it will hire nearly 600 workers for it’s Cleveland, North Carolina operations. Peterbilt and Navistar have both announced similar hiring bingies last month. Truck manufactures and trucking companies were some of the first industries hit when the economy began to slow in 2007. Their return to profitability and productivity is a welcome sign of economic healing.
New International plow truck awaiting delievery at dealer.
This International Loadstar belongs to Davis Wallbridge, Inc. A paving a contractor in Syracuse, NY. Like the rest of their fleet this old truck is well maintained and sees regular work. Manufactured from from 1962-79 the Loadstar was available with both gas and diesel engines. One of International’s most successful and versatile truck lines the Loadstar saw use in a variety of formats from garbage collection to fire fighting.
Do you know of an old truck that is still earning it’s keep? Email Me!
The ATD (American Truck Dealers) has named the Kenworth T700 the 2011 Heavy Duty Commercial truck of the year. Voters were comprised of leading industry journalists (yours truly not included) who analyzed design, innovation, ease of maintenance and driver satisfaction. Kenworth claims this is their most fuel efficient and aerodynamic truck in company history.
Source: Kenworth
A special contributor to Daily Diesel Dose snapped these photos this past week. A rather normal looking Volvo hauling a load of some very old Detroit iron. Where are the going? Are they to be scrapped? Maybe restored? We may never know. Classic Caddy’s and Buick’s and maybe some others. Enjoy!
eBay, it allows you to treasure hunt from the comfort of your home. Don’t get me wrong, I would prefer to be out digging through the junkyards or cruising the back roads looking for old trucks but a FT job and the price of gas make it difficult. Today I bring you some of the more interesting finds from the commercial trucks listings of eBay Motors. Click on the truck title to view the actual listing.
Like most old vehicles this Mack ran when parked. The owner believes it be of the 50’s and based on the looks and styling I would agree. Under the very long hood a diesel occupies every inch of usable space. The seller will place fresh batteries placed in it to make sure it still runs before the acceptance of final payment. This truck appears to be in great shape considering the work it has seen in the past century.
Ford has the King Ranch. GM has the Sierra HD Denali. Now Ram has the Long-Hauler. The luxury pickup truck market just expanded by 9,3000lbs. So how does this new Ram concept live up to it’s clever moniker? To start, the Long-Hauler can be had with three separate fuel tanks for total capacity of 170 gallons of diesel, that’s semi truck territory. The 6.7 liter Cummins turbo diesel mated to a 6 speed automatic will put those extra gallons to good use. Alcoa wheels of the 19″ variety can be found up front and on the rear dual wheels. This Ram comes equipped with the MegaCab and an 8 Foot bed complete with backup camera. Of course, Wi-Fi, DVD and electrical outlets are now standard. Now all you need is one big trailer and plenty of stuff to haul coast to coast.
Source: Chrysler
