Smokey and the Bandit

Some might consider Smokey and The Bandit to be a car movie but for me it falls solidly into the trucking genre thanks to Jerry Red and his Kenworth W900A. After all, there would be no hope in getting any significant amount of beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in the back of a TransAm! This year marks the 40th anniversary of the film and to celebrate TCM is bringing the Bandit back to the silver screen. If you’re lucky you might be able to see the second highest grossing film of 1977, second only to Star Wars, at a theater near year. Click here for more details.

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The Season is Spring

Folks keep telling me it’s spring but I don’t believe them by looking out the window. The only true to way to know for sure is by looking at the truck show calendar and seeing that spring time events are actually taking place. Last week we some great photos of the International Watch Fob Show courtesy of Dan. Today, thanks to Matt, we’ll take a glimpse of the action from the annual spring show held at Gerhart Machinery. I guess it must be true the seasons have changed!

You know you’re at the right place for heavy equipment when you come across a Terex 33-09 for sale. A Detroit Diesel 16V-71T rated at 625 HP is just waiting to roar to life. With a 44 cubic yard capacity you’ll have your backyard filled in with just one pass or two.

And once the low spots are full you can start to play around with your Northwest 50D Series II track mounted crane capable of lifting 50 tons.

But for more road legal fun this steel nose Mack DM with Maxidyne diesel engine and 10 yard Cook mixer should fit the bill. You can become the ultimate Sunday driver with traffic piling up behind you for miles.

Over the years more than a few people have sent in shots from this fine show and the “Mack Days” events held in early October. You’d think by now I would have made the trip down but I haven’t…yet. Thanks again Matt!

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Roadside Attractions

If you’re planning a road trip this summer you might want to check out the website RoadSideAmerica.com for advice in planning your route so you don’t miss all those great oddities like the world’s largest giant wooden nickel or supersized kaleidoscope. While entertaining as they are I’d rather stop and look at old trucks on the side of the road like this Mack. From the curbside the truck seems solid enough for an old rig. The registration sticker tells us it has been of the road for two years now which makes me wonder if the price is too high or is there a mechanical problem souring the deal.

Next door this old Ford 8000 also waits for a new owner. I like this truck solely because of the hub mounted backup alarm.

As you travel this summer remember to take a break from the interstates and cruise the back roads for a bit. You never know what you might find.

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Autocar Mondays – Springfield Surplus

It just a little over two weeks the ATHS National Show will take place in Des Moines, Iowa. Hundreds upon of hundreds of classic trucks will be on display and I plan to be on hand to see each and every one of them. Rest assured that any Autocars making it to the show will receive complete coverage in both film and video formats. Would you expect anything else? To get yourself geared up let’s take a look a back at some of the trucks from the 2012 national convention held in Springfield, Massachusetts.

And some awesome Autocar footage.

Do you have an Autocar Truck that you would like to see featured on Autocar Mondays? Email eric@dailydieseldose.com today!

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Freightliner! Freightliner! Freightliner!

Besides looking good in that sharp red paint this Freightliner 114SD is already a social media star…and that was before it was on this site! If you’re on Facebook and you like trucks you should following the J and J Truck Bodies page. That’s where I first saw this truck and realized I had to get over to Tracey Road Equipment and check out this new ride for T.H. Kinsella

As a matter of fact it was one of two trucks heading off to the Kinsella quarries.

Plenty of other cool looking trucks have been at the dealer over the past few weeks including an ex-military M1078 now in the employ of the state fire service.

Spring time is new truck time.

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International Watch Fob Show

When Dan told me he was heading to the International Watch Fob Association show in Mantua, Ohio I could only produce a blank stare. It just didn’t sound like my kind of thing. As it turns out the show is much more than just watch fobs with antique heavy equipment, trucks, tractors and boatloads of memorabilia on hand making for a jam packed weekend.

Check out this combo. I’m not even sure what the truck is? A Reo maybe? Either way, I have never seen one before.

And then there was more heavy equipment than you can shake a stick at.

And with all that heavy equipment you better have a prime mover on hand. This twin engine (6-71 Detroit) Euclid should do nicely.

I guess next year I’ll wise up and make the journey out to this show! Thanks for the great photos Dan.

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Autocar Mondays – The Barn

The scenic byways of America have much to offer. Before the interstates they were the main routes of travel across this great country. These roads cut through small towns that haven’t changed much over the years. Instead of chain restaurants and stores you’ll find locally run shops with their own unique charm. If you are ever passing through Greigsville, NY make sure you look up The Barn Restaurant. Along with great food there is an interesting collection of trucks out back. If you ask nicely you might just be able to take a look around. The collection spans the golden era of trucking with Brockway, Diamond-T, Ford, and of course Autocar all making an appearance. When was the last time you saw a U-Model Autocar much less one with a mixer? I can’t image the top speed of the truck was very fast and that is probably a good thing. Slow and steady wins the race.

Thanks for the share David!

Do you have an Autocar you would like to see featured on Autocar Mondays? Email eric@dailydieseldose.com today!

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The Color of Danger

My how I do love these vintage training films. In the same vein as the classic Shake Hands With Danger and The Roll of Drums welcome to the training family The Color of Danger. While not as large as a dozer or a grader the humble forklift can still do plenty of damage when not operated safely. Didn’t put the forks down? There goes an eye. Forgot to check your brakes? There goes that freshly painted wall. There has to be better way. There has to be a way to stop the madness. Through this film your eye will be trained to recognize the color of danger (spoiler, it’s red) so you can make it home safe each day.

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Brockway Class of 2017 – Photos

I don’t know how you feel when you look in the mirror but it’s a safe bet that most of these trucks are aging better than you or me.

Some great looking trucks came and went this past Saturday. If you haven’t stopped by the museum hopefully these photos will convince you to make the journey.

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Brockway Class of 2017

It’s hard to believe but another year has come and gone at the Brockway Truck Museum and that means it’s time for the annual change of display trucks. This year over a dozen Brockways are on display (a record high) with models ranging from nearly every year of production.

As the video shows plenty of volunteers were on hand along with the truck owners of the arriving and departing class. None of this would be possible if it was not for these dedicated individuals. 

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