Is it common for truck drivers to be methheads?

It took me two looks to see that thread name. I saw meatheads the first time.

 

What did the drivers soak the toothpicks in ? I heard stories back in the 80s about keeping a toothpick in your mouth to stay awake, the guy that told me said that the white crosses bothered his stomach.

 

methamphetamines very little, but amphetamines did have somewhat of a trucking culture at one time. Still only a small subset of drivers were involved, not like the stories you hear nowadays.

 

Maybe, but I answer to a higher calling, it’s my family out driving along with these guys.

 

I don't believe in the toothpick fable.

I DO absolutely believe in the long runs because Ive done a few. One in particular was about 2440 miles straight through which required about 18 hours of sleep before the final 60 miles to deliver. I will never ever forget that run plus the support night dispatcher provided over the QC in spiritual terms to keep everything together one evening when the moon got harvest big and screwed me up. Nothing was said about the lawbreaking I was doing in that run. Logs etc.

I did not write that to brag. There is a certain amount of stamina I had built up with one reefer out fit running the NE, I would rest up. Leave on sunday go into NYC, Boston and bounce around the NE all week without sleep. It was easy in those days.

Trucking is for the young. However.

When you got to where I am old and still rolling, you learned that if you ate a certain way, drank your fluids carefully and in general maintained peace of mind. The body just rolls and rolls and rolls the miles away. Especially in today's cushy palaces on airride, some of which I never had until the mid 90's

However.

There are sections of the Nation I have big trouble with in driving the hours away. I call it Narcolepsy alley. It's a section of the Big Pine Country in Texas around the area of roughly I-30 between Terrel and the Hope Arkansas. And again right about hot springs or so on 30.

I don't plan on ever understanding the problem with that section of the Interstates and some of you will think I am stupid. But that is Narcolepsy alley to me.

 

That's ROIGHT.

I don't care what you do with your body at home. It's your'n. But when you are out here with me in my car rolling with that semi, Im expecting nothing but good sober professioalism. I saw a flatbed today on US 67 near Cabot empty but everything was squared away. He was not governed though and was in somewhat of a hurry at 80. But eh we are a 75 mph state now pending signs replacement on interstates. I let it go. I did take great pleasure in seeing him with everything squared away.

 

Way back yonder I was taking a new cement readymix truck to a company up near Owings Mills Maryland. No sleeper and no wiggle room on the schedule. I picked that unit up in Houston Texas and was running hot on my logs. This happened back when the DOT was working on that east DC Beltway draw bridge. I was driving and the next thing I know the shaking of the body hitting a rut in the road woke me up. I was using all the so-called "tricks" to stay awake. After delivery, I got one of the managers there to take me to a hotel. That close call stays with me to this day. Later on, I knew my limits, I had a like issue hauling beer from Cartersville Georgia to Little Rock I think I wrote about already. that night I refused to push it. I stopped and got in the bunk.

 

Owings Mills? Or Owens Mills? There is a Owings Mills currently off I-795? State Route 140 just NE of baltimore. IS that it?

Im trying to clarify. I enjoy your posts very much, but I am not a mental heavyweight Goliath as you are so forgive me for my relatively simple questions and thoughts.