1950's historical promotional documentary made by P.I.E. (Pacific Intermountain Express) a defunct trucking company now, PIE was once a significant motor carrier. Wheels of Progress. Enjoy
All these 50s documentaries have this air of optimism about them. It must have been nice to feel our country was on top and it was getting better. How much changed in 10-15 years after this was filmed.
@@TobiasHinz1992😂 I'd make you cower like a little b-itch if you tried to speak to me like that in real life. But you wouldn't. You'.scummy little degenerate p-ussy. Merry Christmas
Back when America kept it's people working. The maintenance thing really impressed me. Too many small outfits now who don't want to spend the money and leave the driver with a huge ticket if DOT finds something non compliant.
How far we've fallen from the standards and pride we once expected of each other on the highways. Such a shame. Wish I could have been around in the good ol' days.
That was about the peak of the industry. Back in the early early days, to describe an OTR truck driver as meat would have been a compliment. Their abhorrent treatment is what gave rise to the Teamsters Union. Now that they have long since been reduced to a presence in a few LTL operations, the industry is falling back to the days of drive till you drop, get up and drive some more.
And nowadays the "fresh meat" to which you refer comes from south of the border, an illegal that will work for pennies on the dollar compared to his American counterpart. Build the damn wall.
darknin A while back the good ol days subject came up with my folks (in their 70s) and my mom made an interesting comment. The gas station attendant could support a family at his job back then. Now you can’t get a car fixed there but you can buy plenty of twinkees!
whoever did this voice over, must have been, a busy man, back in the 50s, everything from national defence, to trucking, and everything in between, lol
I believe he was also doing home act wasn't e back in the day and along with that travel stuff to it voice sounds familiar for vacation cities back in the day 2
Don't be sure it was one man. I guarantee you've heard a Robert Rhodes James speech recording, but you, like me like everyone thought it was Winston Churchill. He even did Churchill voice over for different adverts for war bonds. Some say he also did Churchill's speeches when he was too drunk.
By the mid 1960s P.I.E. extended service to the east coast through more acquisitions, having 67 terminals in 29 states. In 1973 the company was purchased by IU International, and in 1983 merged with Ryder Truck Lines, forming Ryder/P.I.E Nationwide. In 1985 the company was sold again, with the name shortened to P.I.E. Nationwide. By 1989 loses were staggering, and the company was sold again, absorbing Transcon Lines. Loses continued, and in 1990 P.I.E. filed Chapter XI bankruptcy. An attempt to scale back operations failed, with one of America’s most famous common carriers closing their doors forever, but leaving many fond memories.
Wow. I remember when I was a kid in the early 70's. My dad's car broke down on side of highway east of El Paso, a trucker pulled over and put engine fire out for us, then gave us ride to nearest town. Them days are gone.
This documentary doesn't describe most of the drivers today. Some of us (even though I'm new) try to keep the pride of driving trucks alive. Love talking to old timers and looking at their cool rigs.
I was introduced to trucking in the early 1970s, riding along with my uncle at the age of 10. Trucking back then was considered a professional trade. I got my class 1 in 1988, and have watched the trucking industry continuously denigrate with every passing year. Pretty damn sad considering it's the MOST important industry in North America
I got my CDL in 2000 and had an ear-to-ear grin. Didn't take long for THAT to disappear. NOW I can't even stand up for drivers, because they aren't even "steering wheel holders", as past generations called them, but clowns disguised as drivers. It's Flip-Flop Nation now, and it's disgusting.
@@feez357 It started going downhill with Deregulation in 1980. Before that, companies were largely Union and drivers made decent wages and lived middle class lives. Deregulation turned the industry into a cutthroat world where trucking companies, shippers and customers are now out to make the biggest pile of money. So they take folks from everywhere, who generally know next to nothing about trucking and tell them about the way of life it's supposed to represent. They promise high pay and all kinds of perks. But there's a thousand ways to cut corners and get out of paying drivers these perks and miles. It doesn't take long to wear down the morale of both new and older drivers, and when you're basically treated like a kicked-about stray, you quickly learn not to care. And there's schools and trainers who reflect or instill this in greenhorns. Some schools/trainers actually tell new guys to ride the bumper of the vehicles in front of them in every attempt to make traffic get out of their way. I could tell you much about what goes on out there, but all I can say is that I wish I had the time.
What a great video. I found it funny that the trucker and highway patrol man waving with their hands as opposed to the middle finger. Such a shame what this great industry has become. its just sad anymore.
The terrible industry you know nothing about, is responsible for delivering everything that makes your life what it is. The food on your table, the table, the material they built the house with, your car, the pavement you drive on, the gas in your car. And they do it in spite of car drivers who don't know or care how hard it can be to keep from killing drivers who do stupid things in front of trucks, that commonly weigh 80.000 lbs, some more. They work day and night, in all kinds of weather delivering that pair of socks you just bought on sale at Walmart.
I love the attitude portrayed in this video; of the dedication to doing a job well. I wonder how long PIE held to the policy of having their drivers stop to give aid to other motorists. I'm sad to say that it would be very naïve to have such a policy today.
That policy probably ended about the 60s, when the interstates started popping up everywhere? I started in the late 60s and never seen them stopping much on the 4 lanes that existed. By the 70s they, like many of the older megas began to vanish or merge. Last I can remember seeing P.I.E., they had somehow merged with Ryder to form Ryder/P.I.E.? New Companies like JB Hunt and Schneider and others began to change the rules in trucking. I still have one of my first Road Atlases from the 60s/70s. There were very few completed interstates in that atlas of the U.S. and Canada.
As nice as it is to look at, this is just propaganda. All of this order, is not natural. It was not motivated by mutual benefit, but rather as the result of unending, and draconian amounts of force. The technocratic nature of 20th century government, in addition to the collectivist ethos, that had by the time of this video completely replaced the Liberty ethos of early America, resulted in MASSIVE expansions of government. By necessity this also increased the amount of force the government could exert, both overtly and covertly, upon its citizens. Today, stagnation has allowed nepotism to take hold, degrading the technocratic aspects of our government and it's technocratic allies. To the point of it losing all functionality. All that remains is the unremitting force said government has accumulated. Authority figures built this system by sweet talking the lower classes about "honor" and "respect" and other things that carry no monetary value or authority, but none the less have done the job of convincing citizens to surrender their autonomy and liberty in exchange for reassurances and order. But these are not tangible goods, they are just promises: True one day, gone the next. Without the threat of reprisal, the technocrats and government officials can renege on their obligations at any point. The citizens and workers by contrast, having surrendered any autonomy they once had, are economically trapped by regulation. When financial assurances are taken away, and when order breaks down, you and I are left with nothing but nostalgia, for a time when things were "better". But you should know, it was never better. Everything you see in these chipper optimistic documentaries is exactly that: idealistic fantasy. The only reason anyone did anything described in these videos is because someone else was standing over them threatening them. This system built entirely on coercion was not only morally abhorrent and dangerous, it was fragile and unsustainable. It's no wonder it didn't last.
Technology is great. But your right.All of the 3rd world SCUM brought in& JAMMED DOWN OUR THROATS!. Thats what happened,LBJ killed Kennedy then passed laws that ruined America!.
Thanks for the great memories. I'm a retired otr owner /operator. I sure do miss it. Your video brought a tear to my eyes. I don't know about now but it was the BEST industry in America. Thanks again. Take care my friend.
I don't think we made much progress.I am a long haul trucker and my father is a retired one who starts driving in the early fifty's and he won't trade whit me regardless the state of the art trucks we drive now.They had something that we lost and never get back, pride freedom and much much less time pressure
Johan Hardenbol Yep. I've been driving 20 yrs, the hours have expanded 30% at least. Far less personal time, no pride in the equipment, its all throw away cheap junk the company doesn't want repair nor service it properly. As a mid 90's era trucker, very disappointing to see my career take such a down turn as result of inexperienced, college educated, pencil pushing number crunchers.
There's still a few of us old head's out here, but not for much longer, I'm coming up on 50yrs, in August and am pulling the pin, it's been good up till mid 90s and has really went to being a real dog's breakfast from 2000 on, and I never ever thought I would say this, but most of these (alleged) drivers out here really need to clean up their act! Take some PRIDE in your appearance! Clean up your language a little, every other word really doesn't have to be an f-bomb. Anyway, stay safe brothers and sisters, and take care, IRONSKINNER, I'm on the side.
@@kellypenrod2979 Between local, peddle runs and OTR, 38 years was enough for me. Feb 4, 2017 I stepped out of one for the last time & don't even think about it anymore.
@@muffs55mercury61 Well Mark I wish you well on whatever you end up doing. Had I not owned my own truck, I likely would have retired a while back. Now, I'm planning to take my pickup and travel trailer and go see some of the thing's that I've been flying by all these years that I was wishful of seeing. Good luck brother, take it easy, and stay safe out there!
Mainly due to a better synthetic lubricants, alloys, seals and car manufacturing/construction engineering tolerances using modern CNC machines and robots... Other than emission and electric sensors modern trucks are way more durable than they were in the early 50's
Pride, professionalism, courtesy, and common sense was held in high regard and respect back then. Good luck, trying to find any of that nowadays. One thing I love about these old documentaries is that you don’t see sweatpants, T-shirts, baggy, jeans, flip-flops, sandals, and crocs. I bet even the old-school truckstops were hell of a lot better than the ones we have today. A different era, different life, and a different feeling all together back then.
Thank You for the vintage industry film. seem like people took pride in work. Like the Trucks Trailers and traffic scenes.10: 17 look at that Peter built neat !
Upon further research, you will discover every era has it's good and bad aspects. Remember that this was a promotional film meant to show how wonderful the P.I.E. trucking company was at the time. Trucking is still one of the most important industries in the world. Most of what makes your life happen got delivered by some truck at some time. Today's trucks are faster, safer, cleaner, more efficient, easier to drive, and can haul more weight. Some of people's attitudes have changed for the better, some for the worse. Each era is what you make of it.
You are 100% correct, God I'm glad someone has a brain. The motor carriers act of 1980, signed by Jimmy Carter, deregulated the trucking industry, busted the unions down to nothing, created nothing but havoc, slashed everyones throats on freight rates, created nothing but unsafe trucks and unqualified drivers. Look at trucking today , it's nothing like it was , it's in shambles and it was all created by the government! I was lucky , got in 34 years with a really nice pension, I wish all the drivers today could have the same. Old school truckin was hard work but alot of fun and rewarding
Besides climbing hills very slow (most trucks then had no more than 200 hp) they were low geared and weren't geared to do 70 MPH until the interstates came along.
Makes me feel old.. I used to drive up and down California with a Tachograph mounted on the dash.. There were ways around it but that's another story.. lol..
Top speed of 50 mph, helping motorists, & stopping for a break every 50 miles. Geez it must have taken FOREVER to get freight to it's destination back then
correct that's why when what normally takes like from Chicago to California and 70 to 75 mile-an-hour speed limits even in a 68 mile an hour truck if your company governs you that with the high horsepower you can pretty much make it in a little over three days legally now but back then it took you almost a week when you had the transverse old us 30 or us 66 Route 66 they didn't have any interstates hardly at all so yeah you're riding through small towns everywhere think about all the towns you bypass on highways now think about having to travel through them stoplight school zones and these are towns that are thousands of miles away from your home a coast to coast run from Maine to Frisco will take you a little over a week
The reason that its not of this today is OUR government they distory. Truck ing by letting delegation.hapen 80s motor..carrier act. It's.of all good jobs they have done so. In So fuck you Uncle Sam.
OMG!!video brings back so many memories. I worked for Transcon so many years what a great company. The good ones all gone now, I loved driving. Thanks for the video.
@@cowboykody6775 I have seen photos recently of PIE trucks in Europe running to the Middle East. Until I got onto the Internet, I was suprised to find PIE had an European operation.
Trplpwr The problem was, they were losing money. It's hard to stay in business when your going broke. You can thank Jimmy Carter for deregulation of the trucking industry. A lot of companies went down the drain
@@huntermossakajunkerman9646 west bound I94 somewhere between bizmack and and Miles city, it was about 6 years ago i didnt pay much to road or county but i was on the I94 westbound right at the road you cant miss it.
OMG!! This film is hillarious!!The tales I could tell of the Drivers I used to have to represent when I was a Union Shop Steward would make an unbelievable movie.
crazy how many people worked in a shipping and receiving yard back then. now a days there's only 5 people running the yard. useally 2 drugs addicts and 3 immigrants.
Great video, thanks for uploading. How sad to read the comments how everything was better before and how bad everything hase become. Well its only YOU that can do anything about it. I am a otr driver today and I dont see any problems..and I am proud of it
Back then max weight was 73,280 lbs. No more cotton from Texas to North Carolina:( I drove 25 yrs. 2.5 million accident free. Trucks today will go a million+ miles at least the drive train.
I only started my trucking career 7 months ago, sad to see how standards have fallen significantly. The time pressures that go on while I work is unbelievable at times, and these companies only care about time schedules and the bottom line, over safety and common sense.
Nice vid from back in the day when dromedary boxes were somewhat common. I wondered how droms were loaded. Any old drom drivers out there? One trucking company also produced a video with a title something like "The Long Haul" or something that was a promotional video similar to this one; it was played one day in an after school class at my junior high school and was probably a fundamental goal of becoming a truck driver. I thought it was produced by P-I-E as well, but it showed a sleeper team on a run from California to Alaska as I recall, so it probably wasn't P-I-E. Of course, like most things in my life, I got into the business on what I consider the back side of the bell curve. While there was only one trucking school back then (that I know of, the Wally Thor School of Trucking), it was still an industry that you generally had to earn your rank in. A couple of things stand out to me in this vid: the professionalism of the drivers even to the point of wearing uniforms, trucks being completely overhauled at 150K miles, and not exceeding 50 mph on the tachograph. Thanks for posting this. Very nostalgic for me.
There were various ways droms were loaded and unloaded; Some were removable from the tractor much like a ocean container,some companies had pass through doors on the front of the trailer,I think PIE used long ramps at major terminals since droms weren't pulled east of Denver.
My Father and Grandfather used to call them Pig Iron. There were nicknames for all of the companies. NW was Nut Wagon. TransCon was Trash Can. CF was Corn Flake, etc etc. P.I.E's Denver terminal was torn down sometime in the late 80's and a Pilot was put up. That Pilot was recently torn down to make room for the I-70 expansion. I've retired after 47 years of pushing these things down the road. It looks to me like I got out just in time.
Found this Video last weekend in times of Coronavirus-Pandemia in Europe and unfortunately all over the world. Now i can't get enough of watching the real good times rolling down that are shown in this great Video.
12:05 Donner Pass. That's Highway 40 The Lincoln Highway 1-80 Donner Summit wasn't completed until 1964. That's the South Yuba River flowing on the side...it's spectacular this year with all the snow
11:02, tack o graph ,aka, "taddle tale" never exceed 50mph? And they made money, dressed good etc, NOW cheap ass freighthaulers drive 50mph thru parking lots
Cowboy Kody.. It ain't the Freight Hauler that's under paid and under trained... At least we maintain the chicken house speed.. Thanks to otr companies, truck driving schools and deregulation our industry has went to hell.. I've seen a lot of changes it seems you may have also.. "Always Broke"
I saw a driver hit his front wheels ? I asked what that was about, he said that's how they taught him to check for low or flat tires😂scary what kind of drivers are out there
Remember guys, trucking is what you make out of it, not other people. Everybody has to start somewhere too. Take pride in what you do and don't let miserable attitudes drag you down.
This is the most 50-est thing I've ever seen. Everything's so pretty, flawless and also naive of the future along with the radio star speaking out typed propaganda with an incredible amount of stinking Patriotism that had a strong sense-of-purpose, moral good, arrogant innocence to his voice
I remember watching films like this in school during the sixties and seventies while attending school and I knew I lived and live in the greatest country on earth.
Sweat shops on wheels. Plus not all speak English as I had to help a lost driver find his way to his destination recently (he was I think Haitian and only spoke French) Fortunately he was only about 10 miles away. I was able to draw him a map. I think he understood me. Shapes of things now.
I hate how these people now are considered "dirty and uneducated" worked transportation for almost a decade now. I love it, it's a industry that's always reliable, always there with work and it's ingenious. Shame it's been hated so much now. Look at him in a spiffy uniform! Truly a captain of his rig! Real pride right there.
Yep good observation was thinking the same its an infomercial about how great PIE is...I'm sure all the people in this videos had their own life problems
Trucks hauled a fraction of the freight the railroads handled. It was the government funded interstate highway system that caused the industry to rapidly expand in the 1960s.
Its amazing to think how much more organized and efficient people were with these primitive technologies along side the traditional pen and paper compared to our modern smart devices implemented onto the same field
back when you were truly proud to be an American. Even though this is just a small glimpse it shows the Pride we took in our jobs. Back when Men were Men an Women were women, an no confusion of what bathroom you used!
Reconditioning trucks!!! ROFL!!! Now they just use throwaway trucks. Nothing but plastic and fiberglass. Once it hits 500,000 miles? Off to the used truck dealer for some poor sucker to buy thinking it's gonna make him/her money. Little do they know it's a lemon from the day they buy it. That or it's off to the the scrap yard. What a shitty world we have made.
Love the all red paint scheme back then. y Dad drove for Mobil Oil for 36 yrs & I remember their trucks in the 50/60's were all red like that frame wheels body. I just retired 43 yrs . I do miis the old days even in the 70's there was pride.
my son ask dad what do you see ahead for me if based off your life. I had to think it over a bit. your world will get less for more,and people are getting meaner to each other.i cant really see a positive,i am sorry to say,son. maybe having a dad and guideance,your life can better than mine as I had no leader. our world seems to need a washing like clothes,but that has been done,i read.mainly live each day as your last one.tommorrow is not promised.how can you trust someone until you trust someone.hillary equals death to you..my son would be a 4th generation driver,but I taught him a better life.
Curt Ray This is why ill never have children. 37 with none. I think you're selling a child to a life that gets worse with each passing generation. I never asked to be here and if I had a choice, I wouldn't have. This world is a nightmare.
Steve Protoss well steve I understand.i moved 1000 miles from family to build my own. I have 2 children and 1st granddaughter is 2 months old. you are missing out as my brother has. trouble and hard. hell yes.randaughter melts my heart into brother. I did not know I could care about another human so much due to my own upbringing. you do need to decide soon as she wears my ass out.later and great day
Supprised how old the "Tacograph" is. We started using them in around 1978 here in the UK as far as i know, as i used them back then, Driver Logbooks before that year.
We had the "tattle tales" a long time back as well as "shaker boxes" that recorded when a trailer stopped and for how long. Roadway Express used to put them in chain boxes on the trucks too.
Yes these 0l' Tattle Tales was quite the machine in their day. I was Always Right he-he. I used to carry a "Rubber Hammer" in my travel bag.....to Wop the Heck out of it every once in awhile..That Needle would bounce half way to the moon and back. I get in and they would replace it, cause it was going goofy AGAIN!!!!
Pretty neat to see this was before they had dock plates, allowing the forklifts to go into the trailer & load it by itself. Here each trailer had a guy inside rolling skids in by hand. Boy what a time saver the dock plate became
truly amazing. 220k miles a year is still a lot. the last I saw a leaf spring little big rig of that schedule was 1988.. at 5yrs old odometer broke at 1.2 million. It had to be junked due to a nuclear event. some even wondered if it was hit by a meteor.
dav snow, I can't specifically address your exact question, but generally people were friendly, good-natured, and kind back then. Even just 30-some years ago people were much more pleasant to be around. Not to be negative, but the world has gone from bad to worse in my lifetime.
hey all you gay bashers, I happen to know lots of gay truck drivers who are more masculine-looking and acting than probably you are. I am gay myself and drove truck in Detroit. look up "gay bears" online.
P.I,E, had a tanker division. I worked for them for a couple of years in the early 70s. Union job with a teamster's pension. Trucking was a good job in those days.
What they ain't telling you is that the speed limit was cars was 60 and trucks was 40 make time with that 10 hours from Mobile to Memphis and 5hours from Mobile to New Orleans no air-conditioned trucks until around 1968 or 69
Das wäre mein grösster Traum, einmal diese Zeit miterlebt zu haben und einen Truck zu fahren😀 eines der schönsten Zeitdokumente welches ich gesehen habe.
I remember when I started in ‘72, things were so much different then. It was fun. I used to have a saying that I’d rather drive a truck than to eat when I was hungry. Trucking made you feel like you were somebody. People waved at us, me being in my teens, got flirted with a lot. Heck today if anything you’ll get that middle finger. You break down and people would stop to help. That time is gone forever. So sad.😐
Danny I started driving in 72 also. Made good money. Had my own Narrow nose pete. Used to cruise Market street in Riverside California. Never had so much fun doing that. Lol
I remember being in my Father's gran torino , on I-91 north of Springfield, and a St. Johnsbury driver had him pull over. The driver had noticed a tire smoking on my dad's car. He pulled up behind us, so we'd be safe as we saw what was wrong. THANK YOU.
glen gerdes Oh yeah! Back then I mostly drove cab over trucks. My brother started me out riding with him in an old Emoryville. Had two sticks. Never even tried to drive it, but he bought a new cab over Pete and I learned in it. We came out of, I believe it was Scranton,Pa and he was so tired. He pulled over and asked me to drive down to the next interstate which was a couple hundred miles. I woke him up sitting in front of the house in SC. I was hooked then. lol
I loved the mystery of truck driving when just a kid,but I was too scared to drive one so when I got old enough I started driving an ice cream truck! I loved the show Cannonball and thought I'd get kids to call me that! I have bad hygiene so I lost my teef so the bigger kids called me gumball so I had to quit!
LOL! those outfits wouldn't see a hundred miles an hour if you knocked it into Georgia overdrive going down Cajon pass!!! Geared with either 4:44 or 4:56 gears!
How in the world did these guys stay alert driving at only 50 mph back in the day? My dad was a trucker but he never mentioned popping pills to stay awake. He and my uncles used to talk about how they drove on 2 lane roads before Interstates and if they saw a truck on the side of the road, they'd stop to make sure the driver was OK. This was before CB radio's became the thing too. When I worked for Big R, they had us governed down to 53-56 mph, it took everything I had to stay awake while watching the big boys passing us like we were tied to a post.
CatHouseMouse251 you couldn't hardly hear yourself think in them old trucks, not to mention the rock solid suspension...run over a pebble made you feel like you were off road lol
wearing ties? I thought driving truck was a good job choice back in early 80's. It took less than a year to figure out I was wrong. OTR...then local...all paid by mileage or %. So many hours...so many times I made less than minimum wage. F' that. Pay me by the hour
Cravin, I think you miss the point of truck driving. I have been driving for 41 years and I make just over $50,000 a year, home on the weekends, and twice during the week. I did it because I enjoyed it, now I am getting close to retirement (at 62) I plan on travelling with my lovely wife. We are going to see the country then go to the Philippines. We can do this because we had a plan, and it worked. It wasn't easy, but it pays to make a plan and stick to it. I still enjoy driving, but I don't care for the automated transmission. Guess I'm just a dinosaur
@@davehampton5498 I understand what your saying, I could have made much more, but I like my standard of life. Plus for the last few months I have been home nearly every day, with one over night run a week. It's just what you want. The biggest thing is planning for retirement.
