Classic Truck Drivers From LIFE Magazine

At CDL Life, we always try and represent positive images of truck drivers. These days, it’s not easy to make a living driving a truck, but as these classic images of truck drivers shows, it wasn’t that easy in the past either. Truckers had to deal with harsh road conditions, over-zealous law enforcement, and failing equipment. Would they trade their jobs for anything – we aren’t sure. We know they loved their lifestyles and the freedom of the open road. It just got a bit sticky once they hit cities.

From what we gather, the best times to be a truck driver was in the 70s. Our Facebook group, which is more than 25,000 strong, told us that truck drivers were making more money, had to deal with less regulation, and were able to negotiate with carriers to their advantage back then. Having said that, we wonder if the best era that offered the most actual freedom on the road was during the post-WWII era after the federal highway system was completed and not just anyone could get behind the wheel of a semi truck.

What do you think? Meanwhile, enjoy these classic truck driver pics from the past, courtesy of Life Magazine.

If you can’t see the image gallery below, just visit it directly on our Flickr page.