We’ve had a few Vintage Trucks posts shot by Joe Wanchura, a truck driver whose passion was photographing trucks. He started in the early 1940s, and his photos are a splendid documentary of the times. Sometime in the 1950s, he took a (car) road trip out West, which allowed him to shot trucks on the go.
Here’s a sampler of four of them, all Mack LTs, starting with this splendid shot of one at a Chevron station.
These really speak to me. Among other things, these remind me of the big trucks we’d see on our early vacation trips to Colorado, on old highways 30 and 6. You’d run into a line of cars, and at the head, one could see the plume of smoke from a big truck, lumbering along at 40-45 mph, the typical speed for them. And then the challenge of passing them…and when it finally happened, looking back to check out the brand of truck.
It’s pretty cool that they all have silver sleepers scabbed on the back and stacks that look to be at least 10ft tall. What a time to be a driver!
There was a trucking outfit three doors down from my grandma’s house, so I recall growing up during the summer with the windows open, and hearing those trucks roll down the road shifting from first to second gear. It could wake the dead, which meant my mother holding her breath as my younger siblings were taking their afternoon naps. Those Mack trucks were part of my pre-school life in industrial Southside Chicago.
I believe the first shot is taken on the Salt Flats between Utah and Nevada. There is a sign that reads, “Bonneville Service”, which could place it on the major east-west trucking route which is now I-80.
Yes, I’m sure that’s about it – just east of the Salt Flats. I think that’s the Stansbury Mountains in the background.
I think this was the location, since the mountains in the background appear to match. It’s on I-80 (which would have been US-40 then) about 35 mi. west of Salt Lake City. The buildings themselves are long gone:
https://goo.gl/maps/u55t2A3tQvbXeyoy8
These are some awesome throwback pics!
These shots (especially the first one) remind me of the classic movie “Duel”. Steven Spielberg’s first movie, starring Dennis Weaver and a Homicidal Semi.
You beat me to the punch, came here to say the EXACT same thing, LOL!! 🙂
Great photos…
Great find. That first shot looks like a model.
It appears that the photo was taken from a car that had the add-on exterior bug screen. Can’t remember the last time I saw one of those. Also remember the canvas water bag hanging off the front bumper of many cars and trucks.
Last photo with the rag top trailer brings back memories of my dad’s truck driving days. He worked his entire career for one trucking company. Started hauling milk and expanded to freight.
The company had many rag top trailers. Dad had his tarp repair kit with him and also a big foot pedal drive sewing machine at home for fixing tarps. Getting the tarp tied down on those rag top trailers was no easy task.
I remember the progress of size as the years passed by. Started with gas single axle tractors and single axle trailer, probably around 30 foot long.
First tandem tractor – still as gasser – Ford Super Duty with a 477 engine
First diesel – GMC Toro-Flow – Ouch! – Although dad did drive it for several years and his did not blow up, one of the few that was trouble free. Little did I know at the time my career would include a 9 year run with the GMC Truck and Coach Division.
My dad eventually became the senior driver. The company would buy two new tractors every two or three years. Senior drivers got the new trucks, their trucks were given a thorough overhaul and then passed on to the next drivers.
I also remember the first 40 foot trailer, 13’6″ tall and no more rag top.
Notable tractors later on. A “White” Mustang – red in color. Always a family Joke.
His last tractor was his first Mack, high torque rise Mack, 5 speed and it was his best pulling tractor ever. By now he was pulling 53 foot trailers.
Traffic was getting worse to deal with so his final years was spent on a night run. Minneapolis, MN to Sioux Falls, SD. Take a load down and bring a load back.
Minnesota Driver of the year in 1981, at that time he had already logged over 3 million miles driving truck, never had a chargeable accident. I think he drove until 1987-88.