United States of America

I was born in 1929 and raised on a small farm (100 acres) in west central Missouri (Bates County) until I finished High School.  

When I was a small boy, I used to see the milk trucks, along with grain and stock trucks traveling up and down our dirt road picking up milk for the dairy or cheese plant.  The grain and stock trucks were loading up cattle or hogs and then would travel overnight to the slaughter houses in Kansas City, Missouri. I knew right then, that's what I wanted to do someday. I kept that in mind until I was old enough to make it happen.  

I learned to drive trucks on some small 1 and 1/2 ton Chevy's and Fords that belonged to the neighbours. I hauled hay and grain. At that time they were stored in barns, cribs or bins on the farmer's home property. During the summer after High School, I got a job at a rock-quarry driving an old International dump truck, stock piling crushed rock for the graveling of the country roads, and at times, lime for the farmers fields. 

As winter rolled around I moved to Kansas City, and hired on at a lumber yard, unloading box cars of lumber and stock piling it. After that I went on to being a helper, delivering lumber, etc. While I was working there, I joined the Teamsters Union in Kansas City at local # 541 Heavy Haulers, and after that, transferred to Local # 41 which was the Freight and Car Haulers.  

I kept trying to land a job at a freight company, and I finally did at Knaus Truck Lines. I was there for quite some time while still in the Marine Corps Reserve. It was during that stint when I was activated for the Korean Police Action.

I was then offered the chance to haul airplanes. They were having trouble getting bondable drivers (as it was government loads). I passed the tests with flying colors. The down side of the airplane haul was all of the loads had a rigid time schedule, regardless of the weather, or what ever else could delay you.  

I started out hauling aircraft with a gasoline G M C, and then finally to a 4 cylinder diesel. They did a good job for there wasn't much weight, and the trailers were only 35 foot single axles. The wind was always a big factor, and the trucks were equipped with sanders for the icy roads. 

I was still looking for that "Freight Hauling Job". I finally got it with Healzer Cartage Company, later Arkansas-Best Freight Systems.   

They experimented with a turbine engine in a cab-over Ford at one time, and ran it for about a year, if I am not mistaken. A B F started moving drivers to different cities where they would open relay points as they went through their expansion program.

I retired from Teamsters # 627 in Dec. 1985. I always wanted to be a truck driver, and I feel as though I got my full share. At times when driving those old Hendrickson's across the Dakotas, I would lean my head out of the window and just listen to those tires singing in the night. I loved it.

I miss the driving and the friends that I used to meet on the C B radio. I miss the old country music stations that kept me going on long, lonely nights. There were memorable stations such as  WRVA, WSM, and many others. There were country stars like Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams, T Texas Tyler, Vernon Dalhart, Carter Family, Carson Robinson on the radio, who kept me company, making my trips easier. I've been very lucky with my health; my driving, and my family. I've been "BLESSED",  I guess you could say.  

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