Tex,
I'm not taking it the wrong way. I'll agree that there were guys who sometimes did what you've described even way back when....it's just that it was only a very few in STL who did it. And it wasn't the old IND guys I used to see all the time on I-44 and I-70. Ah, the good old days....when you could hardly get a seat at the table at Grandma's or Moe and Joes's....back when freight haulers all actually stopped for lunch.
Here's the thing Tex. STL has always had really good work rules compared to most terminals and 98% of everybody back then adhered to them. Sure, we had a few clowns and they were mostly shunned by all the other guys.....and for good reason. I always figured I was lucky to be from STL and to have been a part of a really tight group we had here before the retirements began in the early to middle 90's and the me attitude started to prevail. I know it'll never be the same and I can accept that. It just sucks.
I'm like you. I avoid like the plague any run which might go anywhere near 11 hours driving and I'm done at 14....well....at 13 1/2 I'll be somewhere with a vacant motel room and Yellow can make the choice on coming to get me or not.