On the Road with Dick McCorkle

Hi folks!
I just sitting here thinking how good 2009 has been for me. Driving a great truck I wish all my frends new and old could be driving a CASCADIA with a DD15.I have met so many nice people. With Freightliner at truck shows at truck stopsjust about every week I meet someone new.I am looking forward to 2010 knowing it will be as good or evan better.
Untill next time be safe
mDick

Hi folks!
This past weekend was a good one I was able to meet Bob and Linda Caffee I new who they were thur Henry Albert but I hadnt met them. After talking just about everything from soup to nuts we had a good time,I was glad I got to meet them. And looking forward to our next meeting.And after I went to pick up my load I had a phone call from a old friend who I had worked with John Du Bois a good friend who I dont get to see much of so it was a good weekend.
Untill next time be safe.
Dick
P/S Remember the price of a friend comes high

Hi folks!
This has been a bad week for weather,it started a week ago today in Virginia and didnt get any better. As I delivered in the DC area and started to Columbus, Oh. I ran into snow on I68 in Maryland and the snow and wind stayed with me all week. I guess the worst of weather was Tuesday with all that wind I had to park in northern Indiana it was so bad I saw trucks blowed over in Ohio cars off the road. You feel sorry for the folks but there is nothing you can do to help. Lets hope the weather gets a little better this week.
Untill next time be safe.
Dick

Hi folks!
Now let me tell you its very windy.Before I put the Cascadia in the ditch I parked. I went thur a blizzard in 1976 there was more snow thin but the wind is about the same. I loaded in Michigan and made it to Fremont, In. The Cascadia was doing a good job but I thought it would be best to stop till the wind slows a bit.
Untill next time be safe
Dick

Hi folks!
Its always nice to meet new drivers, just today I met Kelly Bridenstine. We were loading in a little town in northern Ohio,he came over and ask are you one of the S.O.T.L. drivers. We had a good talk about the program and also about the truck driving championships. Kelly also inquired about the CASCADIA and the DD15 he liked the CASCADIA and would like to own one.
Untill next time be safe
Dick

Hi folks!
I have a little more on old school.I drove for a freight company in the early sixtys thru the early eightys. In the early days we had B model Macks, In the winter you had to put your feet in a card board box to keep your feet warm. In the summer with both windows down it would be so hot most drivers would open the doors a little just to let some air in. You had to do a lot of repair because there just wasnt repair shops as plentyfull as today. I remember two shops in the Indianapolis In. area Blue And White, And Hoosier Pete.Some more came in later but as I remember you had to take the truck in they didnt make service calls.I am not certain when service calls started. most of our terminals had fuel, but you would still have to fuel on the road. No plastic cards back then, you called for a p. o. or in some places your company might have a charge account. The roads were two lanes in most cases norrow with no birm. The job was hard but you enjoyed it,the truck driver had a lot of respect in The Old School
Untill next time be safe
Dick

Hi folks!
I was just remembering the early days of my trucking experiences. Wnen the cold wind blew and snow was falling,that meant the trucks would not start.In the early 1960, we didnt have eletric hot water plug in on trucks nor did we have water separators nor did we have air dryers.To warm the motor we used charcoal in a 15 gallon barrel cut off you would lite it and put it under the oil pan,it would take a long time for the oil to heat up. And oh yes sometimes it would catch on fire we used bottle of coke to put out the fire.Shaqke up the bottle with your thumb on top of the bottle. And the traler brakes would freeze up so you would have to take a flair light it and hold it on the air tanks this would take forever,and the hole time you are laying on the ground on your back. In the early days most of air lines were steel not plastic. And later on we would take a tarp and make a tent around the truck to keep it as warm as possible, and sometimes this didnt work. It was very cold, you would get wet but thru it all we made it. That is just one or two reasons why I really enjoy the CASCADIA and the DD15.
Untill next time be safe
Dick

Hi folks!
Delivering in small towns sometimes isnt easy, some of these older towns the roads were made for horse and bugy not 71foot big trucks.I delivered in El Dorado Ar. this morning. Now here is a nice little town with a lot of history, but its not for big trucks.The CASCADIA made it a l ot easier with the Rack and Pinion steering but you had to be extra carefull not to run over something.I made it ok thanks to the CASCADIA.
Untill next time be safe
Dick

Hi folks!
Well I ran into my first snow last night,rain and snow mix.The roadway was just wet the grass started getting snow covered.I was in Indiana and Illinoisafter taking my rest,in Ill.the weather was just great today.It was very nice to turn the park-smart on low and be very comfortable.The park-smart is a very good tool, in the Cascadia.
Untill next time be safe
Dick

Hi folks!
Well as far as winter goes its been a super nice fall and winter.No snow this far as to the places I have been. Usually around Thanksgiving we have snow here in Indiana, but not tis year. The weather has been great, but anything can happen at this time of year.
Untill next time be safe
Dick