On the Road with Dick McCorkle

Hi folks!
Well folks it is a beautiful day here in Statesville, NC. I had a layover here last nite waiting on a load, its not often I have to layover. This is a nice part of the country,flowers in full bloom trees are beautiful. I guess I dont stop and smell the roses often enough. With the sun shinning on the hood of the CASCADIA it just dont get any better than this.
Until next tim be safe.
Dick
Remember-”It wasnt raining when Noah built the ark.”

Hi folks!
Well it was a good day today, I was able to meet a friend and slice of trucker life driver Henry Albert at a little truck stop just west of Baton Rogue, La. We had a good visit talking about the new trucks and the program. Both of us are going to be busy these comming months with truck shows and other events.And both of us are looking forward to doing these.Its not often we are able to run across each other so when you do its like seeing part of your family.Was great seeing you Henry.
Until next time be safe.
Remember-”See everything,overlook a great deal; correct a little.”
Dick

Hi folks!
Pre trip inspection, this story was told to me at the Louisville Truck Show. A driver was dispatched to a dealership shop to pick up a tractor that had been in the shop for repair. When the driver arrived he asked for the keys to the truck, after looking for a while the lady found and gave the keys to the driver. Trying to start the truck, it would not start, the driver got upset. So he went back to the service desk saying a few bad words,getting the lady upset after awhile the service manger came out, whats going on here trying to keep his cool , the driver told him trying to pick up a truck and it will not start. Well driver did you do a pre trip inspection, yes the driver said well if you did you would have found that the motor has been taken out for a out of frame overhaul. DID YOU PRE TRIP?.
Until next time be safe.
Dick
Remember-”Youve got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and your not smiling, try another choice.”

Hi folks!
Just left the truck stop and the talk was, better fuel mileage with the cruise on or with it off. Me I dont use the cruise a lot I get better mileage with it off. The DD15 does better for me on the foot control, give me some feed back .What do you think.
Until next time be safe.
Dick
Remember-”Youve achieved success in your field when you dont know whether what youre doing is work or play.”

Hi folks!
Thought I should give my tires a plug. When something does a good job for you, I think a person should brag on the item or thing, just a little. I am running Michelin tires, sterring Michelins xza3 drive tires are Michelins xza-ht. The tires have 160,000 miles on them the sters have 12/ 1000 left on them. And the drive tires have the same miles with 18/ 1000 on them. There are two winters on them and two summers,I think the tires on the sterring will go well over 200,000 miles and the drive tires will probably go well over 350,000 I went through Feburary on the east coast in all that snow with not much trouble. The Michelins have done a great job for me.
Until next time be safe.
Dick
Remember-”Every googby makes the next hello closer.”

Hi folks!
Just a beautiful week sunshine all week, the truck wash lasted more than a day the CASCADIA looks new.I started in Indianapolis, IN. On up thru Michigan reloaded on to Mobile, AL. Ending up at Stennis Space Center, MS. This is a first time at the N.A.S.A. field for me very nice place.
Until next time be safe.
Dick
Remember-”Everyday is a gift,that is why they call it the present.”

Hi folks!
Well folks with all the nice weather it was time to give the CASCADIA a good cleaning.Try to get all the winters grime off, it takes a lot of elbow grease.Well it looks almost new, Remember with spring there is a lot more to be on the look out for children playing, wild animals,and a lot more traffic.
Till next time be safe.
Dick
Remember-”Great players are willing to give up thier own personal achievement for the achievement of the group.”

The truck stops of yesterday were a whole lot different than they are today.

When a truck pulled onto a fuel island, an attendant would run out to pump your fuel, bump your tires, and after he was done fueling your truck and making sure everything was okay, he would wash the windows.After all of that, he would park your truck. As a rule, the parking lot was gravel (not paved) with no yellow lines.

As a young man I worked at a truck stop in Knightstown, IN. (This was in the early 1960′s.) Knightstown resides on US 40. Every town from Richmond, IN to Terre Haute, IN on US 40 had a truck stop like this. There was a restaurant, a small shop, and fuel stations. The shops usually had a mechanic 24 hours a day, and the restaurant was open likewise. In the restaurant, the trucker was always served first with a home-cooked meal.

In the Indianapolis area, Blue and White was a popular one. Hoosier Pete was another. George’s Truckstop in Amity, IN was a local mom-and-pop truckstop.

I remember all of these places well, but when the interstate system came in it seemed as though the mom-and-pops faded away. They are now just a fond memory.

Until next time, be safe,
Dick

Remember-”No matter how busy you are, you have to take time to make the other person feel important.”

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Originally uploaded by dick.mccorkle

Hi folks!
I had a beautiful week in the 80s, and now back in Indiana its in the 50s. Well I guess it’s that time of year, but I love spring. I had stops in Nashville,TN and Chattanooga,TN. When I arrived at my stop in Chattanooga I noticed an old white straight truck so I asked the receiver if I could take a look at the old truck. This old white was a 1949 or 1950 (He wasnt sure). I remembered that my uncle drove one just like it for C.C.A. (a paper mill in Carthage, IN) when I was a little boy and it would have been around that time. The only thing I hate about this is that I never got to ride in the truck. My other uncle did got ride in it. He would wait, and when the white would top the hill headed for Louisville, KY he climb on. This is the first time I’ve seen one in years. This made my day.
Until next time be safe.
Dick
Remember-”The small act of paying attention can take you a long way.”

Hi everybody!

This one is all about me.

When I worked with my previous company, Mason-Dixon Line, we had a dress code made up of the uniform of the day. We wore an Eisenhower jacket, clean dress shirt (blue), a dark necktie, pressed dark blue dress pants, and shined black boots with a watchband cap.

Back then, all companies had uniforms. All drivers went to truck stops, and they seemed to always sit at a round table, where we could talk about the events of the day (how much weight we had, road conditions, how the truck was doing, or how our loads were). It was really something I enjoyed.

I don’t really know what happened to these procedures. It seemed to change in the ’80′s, but I do believe that it helps to be well-groomed and clean. I think this gives your company a more respectable reputation and appearance, and that the people you deal with respond to you in a better way.

This is a piece of what I remember about our old school ways.

Until next time, be safe.
Dick

Remember- “If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, why do we keep score?”