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Photo Set: Vintage Truck Stops

Andy | May 21, 2012 | 33 Replies

We’ve asked our loyal truck drivers on the CDL Life Facebook page many times: What was the best decade to drive a truck? The answer usually comes in the form of “Not this one, that’s for go***mn certain!” Could be, could be…

While good economic news is still eluding the trucking industry, aside from a slight upturn in active truck driver employment rates, it got us thinking about the past again. The days of non-emission controlled engines, flat-faced Macks, nickle coffee, jukeboxes that played records, creative CB chatter and an all-around life of freedom may be gone for good.

So on that note – we decided to bring you a new photoset of the old days – vintage truck stops of North America.

We think you’ll love them. If you can’t see the images in the slideshow below, just follow this link to our Flickr site.

‘Till next time, truckers!

Tags: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Photography, Truck Stop, Trucking Industry

Category: Entertainment

What's Your Opinion?

Robert Leffingwell says:

November 7, 2012 at 4:02 am

My uncle drove in the late forties. He sent postcards to my grandmother of nearly every town in the USA. That was when you had to go THROUGH every town instead of around them with a stack of road maps. All the gas stations closed at night and he frequently had to sleep in a closed station waiting for it to open in the morning. I wish I still had those postcards. He had a lot of adventures.

John Hillsbery says:

November 7, 2012 at 1:02 am

I worked at the Truck Inn in Fernley, NV as a teenager.

Marsha Miller says:

September 24, 2012 at 6:17 pm

It might cause I remember some of those to, Yep a few of them are still there, But the good ones are long gone!

Eldon Lesley says:

September 11, 2012 at 11:17 am

been to a few of these while they were open, some still are….does that make me old?

Stan Oparka says:

August 20, 2012 at 9:17 pm

Very nice pictures…

Kaye Bidwell says:

August 20, 2012 at 9:17 pm

Great vintage pictures and memories from the past!

Danny Wallace says:

July 3, 2012 at 3:38 pm

Yes,

I remember the days when I moved out to Texas in the 70′s. That short time compared to what truckers experience was like a bug biting me, (the trucking bug). I was going to be a trucker when I got out of the army. I still love the traveling part, but some of today’s truckers are on a course of self-destruction both for the industry and themselves. It’s almost impossible to get truckers to agree on anything that would help the industry image. The shutdown that never came to be would be the only way to get control, but I still don’t see this ever happening. What will happen is a shortage of drivers and companies going under due to the lack of any solidarity. It’s sad it has to go this way, and sitting in the truck stops, spilling profanity over the (cb) radio will never help us. We can sit and bad mouth the government all day; but we won’t do anything to take proper control of the situation. This is why truckers are now considered not the knights of the road as in the past but the menace with no brains or power today. This has got to change, and we can change it if we cared to, but who cares anymore; it’s a sad situation.

Clifton Bowdish says:

November 7, 2012 at 12:47 am

I agree with you 100%

Vaughn Kimball says:

November 7, 2012 at 6:47 am

Danny, I have said the same thing for years. Even now as a retiree I still feel that the plight of the driver was brought on by their own inaction and bickering among themselves.

Graham Bulley says:

November 9, 2012 at 4:47 am

hear hear i agree with you to on that mate i rember truckers use to help each other i was in tx i was havin trouble with my pins in the trl to try and move my weight in my trl drivers just watched me get frastraed with the trl

Ty Russell says:

June 27, 2012 at 7:08 pm

judy’s jn jasper mo is my fave!

Ty Russell says:

June 27, 2012 at 7:08 pm

id have ta say judy’s in jasper mo is my fave!

James Bugai says:

June 27, 2012 at 6:38 pm

I wish the pictures of the twin arrows was here also.

James Jacobs says:

Photo Set: Vintage Truck Stops

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