I love old union freight haulers.

Ran into a guy yesterday at grocery store he had on one of those nylon jackets with union awards safe driving awards in who he worked for.
One patch that stood out was P.I.E. Pacific inter mountain express long gone like a lot of good freight outfits.
And him and i worked for one of those carriers he was sporting safe driving miles patch Preston 151 yet we worked out different freight barns as drivers.

We knew some of same dudes characters most of them he hung it up after Preston went out now he just dairy farms with his sons.

Yet that jacket with those safe driving awards tell the tale lots long nights drinking coffee smoking cigarettes maybe beat taking 20 minute nap over steering wheel.

Never no decent sleep especially if you are on extra board two hour work calls.

Or storms especially snow trying drag set of trailers across I-80 keeping eye on that rear pup making sure it’s tracking thinking this gets any worse I’m finding hotel en route shut it down fuck this shit my license and don’t wanna kill anybody or yourself and I’ve done that using company credit card.

Call in central dispatch going to bed en route letting them know where you are at and equipment and central crying they need that freight I’d just laugh sure call you when I’m rolling hang up.

Or just making foreign terminals and saying I’m done weather going hotel call the hotel cab.

Even memories of running metro drop hooks we got paid for all of it on top miles. Every time you pull a pin .25 clock and breaking down sets and hooking them 8 pins at .25 pin that’s two hours do two or three those night 4-6 hours clock only takes maybe 30 minutes tops to cut em hook em and say 500 miles mileage pay.

I even mentioned that old saying in talking with this man us union freight haulers used ( open up your pockets and company stuff them full cash)

And they did you made your self available to work you were making decent coin.

I told him story maybe two months after I got safe driving award from an outfit after Preston went out I tore spot mirror off tractor slid a bit to right hit another trailer backing up yard backing dolly up to hook it to lead box yard was all ice got new one mirror replaced at foreign barn.

I reported it then to foreign barn management and next morning getting in line-haul my terminal manager cool dude we laughed about it as management at foreign barn said in report they sent I should be given at least couple days on street.

He showed me fax on wanting in giving me days on street he wouldn’t yet try it will go grievance hearing he knew.

I then said you want that safe driving patch back jokingly sarcasm.

He knew as we all knew shit happens yet we always as union drivers had exceptional industry leading safety standards.

Glad I’m close to hanging it up and I never wore a coat showing those patches always thought not in me to brag or show off.

And I figured by doing so you’re just tempting fate.