vision386

Jim,you're exactly right! if any of the major carriers ever decide to "break into" LTL furniture/store fixtures i'm screwed! i charge what i do based on dependability,service,and experience,not the fact that i can do it cheaper,or cover more loads. If i did'nt get the rates i do,in this market i'd sell my truck and hang it up! and i remember having a fit when fuel went up to $2.00 a gallon! just not many people willing to do what i do,thats seems to be my "ace in the hole" LOL!..........................Mark

Chippewa Falls WI ? home to my SECOND favorite brand of beer! Leinies red!..............................................................Mark

Guy in South Jersey Ed Wisnewski (sp?) went by "Wiski" he did all my dads trucks,and later on all mine,he did a whole lot of dumptrucks in SJ too,really beautiful work,all done by hand,long before "vinyl" or computers came out! sadly he's been gone for a long time,hand lettering and free-hand pinstiping are becoming a "lost art" like "real" gold-leaf on fire trucks.......................................Mark

In my opinion,we have deregulation to thank for Werner,J.B.Hunt,Schneider,Swift,U.S.Express and all the other "super carriers" that forced small to mid-size carriers out of business for lack of being able to compete with poverty freight rates. And for the new breed of "super truckers" driving school wonders,and why pay rates (for drivers) have'nt made any noticeable increase in 4 decades. Trucking USED to be considered a profession,now just seem to be a "stepping stone" till something in their field opens up (good luck in this economy)but yet and still the big carriers are still crying about a so-called "driver shortage",no such thing,there is however a PAY shortage,which is why many leave the industry,but while people are complacent,not willing to do anything about it,it will stay as is..It gets tougher everyday for a small operator (such as myself) to make any headway,especially with all the new laws,regulations (EPA etc.) CVSA "points" black boxes,and any other BS the gvt,wants to jam down our throats! its a wonder anyone is in a truck anymore!.................................Mark

Very nice pictures,thanks for posting them! i saw the "beast" up at Port Elizabeth,NJ a while ago hooked up to a trailer loaded with an ENOURMOUS wooden crate,i was too far away,and on the wrong side of the fence to get a decent picture,always wondered what it looked like up close!................................Mark

I tried to find pictures of that myself,but was'nt able to find anything at all,i sure looks sharp the little i seen it!..................Mark

Running out of room myself,i don't collect any specific maker,but most of my collection is First Gear,but i also have many other makers,Corgi,Matchbox,Winross,Tonka,Buddy-L etc. i really just buy what i like,i dont have any DCP trucks,but prolly would if they do come out with more Macks. I just recently got an A-N-D Corgi B-Model wrecker,and now have my heart set on a Colonial Sand & Gravel Mack AK from First Gear. I too have tried to replace a lot of the trucks i had as a kid,just wish i had more money then time! LOL!..........Mark

Gotta agree with that! LOL! my wife says the same thing,i don't understand how you've spent most of your life in a truck,but STILL find time to go look at more!....................................Mark

Way to go Bob! been lucky so-far this year,i have'nt had to hang my iron ONE TIME!...............................................Mark

Rob,best wishes for a Happy Birthday!..........................................Mark

Triangle Bar and Grill, Swissvale i'm pretty sure,i deliver to a warehouse nearby fairly frequently,damn good sammiches,just not "Jersey Good" sorry guys! LOL!..........................................................Mark

Here are a couple (actually the same truck) later updated with a sleeper,more fuel tanks,etc. Jan Packaging Inc. Specialized Haulers, Dover,NJ taken once again at Englishtown........................................................Mark

Thats some neat picture and story Al ! be interested to see what else you come up with,wish i could buy a pair of ANYTHING for five grand LOL!............................................Mark

Man o Man! Primanti's makes some great sammich! i sure miss going to the Pittsburgh Market with may dad! Best wishes for a Happy Birthday!.................................Mark

Diesel Smoke and a Mack truck! what could be better?....................................Mark

Nice R ! man that thing shines like a new penny!............................................Mark

They were there for a long time!...................................Mark

Tough couple days for sure! i could'nt get out of the city any which way i tried! at first, like most people,i thought it was just some sort of accident,i was watching TV in the truck,trying to find out what had happened,when one of the guys at the Coke plant told me about the 2nd plane,then i knew something was really wrong! i was still leased to Atlas Van Lines at the time,and was put on "standby" in case specialized transport was needed ( i pulled a 51' drop-frame moving van,with temp. control and a liftgate) was introduced to Greek food,as a family let me eat,and shower above their restaurant! nice people.Not something i would want to do over for sure,i did'nt end up doing anything recovery-wise,but really saw a lot of people come together and help in a time of need...........................Mark

Another sight i miss seeing is the Mary Murray,the abandoned Staten Island ferry just visible Northeast of exit 9 in the Raritan river,sat for YEARS alongside an abandoned yacht supposedly once owned by the shah of iran.................................Mark

Nice pictures,thanks for posting them! i wish i had taken more pictures earlier in my career,being from Jersey,and in the moving & storage business,i was in NYC/LI all the time! to this day it is still strange for me to run the NJTPK north,look over and not see the twin towers. Just so happened i was in Long Island City at the Coca-Cola bottling plant delivering a machine on 911.......................................Mark

Thats a neat looking wrecker,have only ever seen a handful of Hendricksons in person,somewhat of a rarity on the east coast!............................................Mark

Bout' had enough damn snow this year myself! older i get,the less i like driving in it,its not so much me,but the other assholes that can't seem to summon up some degree of common sense! worst part is there are just as many idiots in trucks as there are cars!...........Mark

Real SS convertible? dig the Redlines on the Goat too! not very often you see a pair like this on the GSP!.................................Mark

Do them drawers say "seat" on them? as if i did'nt already know!........................................Mark

Damn! that ol'girl sure sounds good! looks like he gave it a pretty good work-out as well! gotta admit,i'm liking the "automatic landing gear"!......................................................Mark