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ABF | New tractors spontaneous breaking list

canaryinthemine said:
I worked linehaul for Gateway at the time (1977). Somewhere around here, I have a company flier that told guys not to use CB radios in the tractors as they were getting reports of CB radio "interference" with the 121 system...

Imagine! Not use a CB radio back in 1977? Yeah, Right! They were just covering their fat Liability butts in case of an accident......

CB in the wreck? Driver's Fault!
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I never ran a linear, we had guys that their's would dim the headlights when the mike was keyed.
We had 8 or 10 trucks with computers that recorded fuel milage, company claimed linears blew them out, they put a
notice to not run linears, I never knew anyone who stopped using theirs.
 
I do know it is best not to key the mic on your CB while in a thunderstorm. The antennae will create a magnetic field that will attract lightning. I have worked on several tractors that lightning ran in on the CB antennae while the driver was talking on the radio. The driver was not hurt but his radio was destroyed as well as on board computers & usually dash gauges & speedometer. Most tractors have several electronic modules that control the engine, emission equipment, ABS etc.& it usually takes out any sensitive electronic equipment. The antennae was fried so it was obvious where the lightning came in. The drivers said they were talking when the lightning struck.
 
ABFer said:
I thought you went to Hard Knocks. :confused1:
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No, no, Brother..........I said I GOT Hard Knocks...........Right upside the head......

Luckily my skull was thick enough to prevent repeated thumps from causing irreparable harm to my cognitive processes......

Now,.........where did I put that keyboard again?.......Oh....here it is.....
 
DCM_Doc said:
I do know it is best not to key the mic on your CB while in a thunderstorm. The antennae will create a magnetic field that will attract lightning. I have worked on several tractors that lightning ran in on the CB antennae while the driver was talking on the radio. The driver was not hurt but his radio was destroyed as well as on board computers & usually dash gauges & speedometer. Most tractors have several electronic modules that control the engine, emission equipment, ABS etc.& it usually takes out any sensitive electronic equipment. The antennae was fried so it was obvious where the lightning came in. The drivers said they were talking when the lightning struck.
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Hah!
I hoped they played the lottery right after the lightening strike!
They must have had something dangling under the truck just close enough to ground out.......

I’ve heard a story about that happening years ago. I was told it was a metal whip antenna. Wonder if a fiberglass whip would be as likely to attract lightening?
 
canaryinthemine said:
Hah!
I hoped they played the lottery right after the lightening strike!
They must have had something dangling under the truck just close enough to ground out.......

I’ve heard a story about that happening years ago. I was told it was a metal whip antenna. Wonder if a fiberglass whip would be as likely to attract lightening?
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I think the fiberglass antennaes have a wire coil in them also. I doubt fiberglass alone would transmit a signal. As I remember these were fiberglass antennas that the lightning ran in on. I remember one was still on the mirror arms when I went to haul in the tractor. The antenna was toasted as was the coax. I didn't see the radios. We had two in one year in the shop. One happened in Oklahoma near the Arkansas River bridge that was knocked down by the tug/barge years ago. Both of these were Mack tractors. We had a few Detroit series 60 engines that had an ECM problem controlling the engine fan that Detroit blamed on lightning strikes. That wasn't the cause but manufacturers want to blame a defect on something other than their product.
 
There's a couple of tractors I've driven over the years where I had to run a separate ground wire for my CB antenna due to rubber grommets on the mirror brackets. I never ran a linear.

Remember the old trick of taping a small flourescent tube light to your aerial, so that when you keyed up, the light would light up?

I always thought that as long as the tractor sat on rubber tires,...and there was nothing metal dangling close to the ground,...that lightning would avoid tractors in favor of a nearby more direct route to the ground.

Remember the piece of chain that used to dangle off of gasoline tankers to prevent static electricity from building up and causing sparks?
 
canaryinthemine said:
There's a couple of tractors I've driven over the years where I had to run a separate ground wire for my CB antenna due to rubber grommets on the mirror brackets. I never ran a linear.

Remember the old trick of taping a small flourescent tube light to your aerial, so that when you keyed up, the light would light up?

I always thought that as long as the tractor sat on rubber tires,...and there was nothing metal dangling close to the ground,...that lightning would avoid tractors in favor of a nearby more direct route to the ground.

Remember the piece of chain that used to dangle off of gasoline tankers to prevent static electricity from building up and causing sparks?
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Yep, I remember, those guys with a linear could light up the road like a flashbulb.
Don't know if you remember Jerry Clower, told a tale about "Marcel Ledbetter' he didn't know why they drug a chain, but if it was
good enough for Standard Oil,it was good enough for him.
We had some Whites that were positive ground, been a few that blew their CBs connecting backwards.
 
I drove for Werner-Continental just as Hall’s was taking them over. Hall’s White tractors were positive ground.

Much confusion and ruined radios..

Yeah, I remember Jerry Clower. Very funny man........Every once in a while , Big John Trimble on WRBA out of Richmond Va. would play a clip of Clower on his overnight truck show....."
 
canaryinthemine said:
I drove for Werner-Continental just as Hall’s was taking them over. Hall’s White tractors were positive ground.

Much confusion and ruined radios..

Yeah, I remember Jerry Clower. Very funny man........Every once in a while , Big John Trimble on WRBA out of Richmond Va. would play a clip of Clower on his overnight truck show....."
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I'll bet you also listened to WWVA Wheeling Va, "Lee Moore, The old Coffe Drinking Nighthawk"
 
seabreeze said:
I'll bet you also listened to WWVA Wheeling Va, "Lee Moore, The old Coffe Drinking Nighthawk"
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I could get a WWVA signal when I was in Northern Maine. WBAP also had a strong signal but I don't think it carried very far north. I could sometimes get a signal strong enough to listen at night when I was in Southern Nevada. I don't know the exact mileage from Vegas to Dallas but the signal from that station was strong. I think they advertised 50K watts of power. Bill Mack had an audience that wasn't just truckers even though he was regarded as the trucker's DJ.
 
DCM_Doc said:
I could get a WWVA signal when I was in Northern Maine. WBAP also had a strong signal but I don't think it carried very far north. I could sometimes get a signal strong enough to listen at night when I was in Southern Nevada. I don't know the exact mileage from Vegas to Dallas but the signal from that station was strong. I think they advertised 50K watts of power. Bill Mack had an audience that wasn't just truckers even though he was regarded as the trucker's DJ.
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Yep, remember Bill, also WWL New Orleans Ralph Emery, Charlie Douglas, Dave Nemo, WSM Nashville
ALL those guys helped make the miles easier
Hope I can remember things when I get old like you guys.
Bet you don't remember "Kurt Webster's Midnight Dancing Party," WBT Charlotte?
 
seabreeze said:
Yep, remember Bill, also WWL New Orleans Ralph Emery, Charlie Douglas, Dave Nemo, WSM Nashville
ALL those guys helped make the miles easier
Hope I can remember things when I get old like you guys.
Bet you don't remember "Kurt Webster's Midnight Dancing Party," WBT Charlotte?
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Wait....wait.......Who said we're old? Just because we listened to AM nighttime radio when the signal was strong and pretty much nationwide,........while we drove those old linehaul trucks with one seat, no power steering and no air conditioning..........and the only " entertainment" you had was your own radio box.....

Wait....wait......What was my point again?
 
No I don't remember Kurt Webster. I know I picked up some pretty obscure channels while scanning the AM dial around 3:00 in the morning.

I might've caught him without knowing...
 
canaryinthemine said:
No I don't remember Kurt Webster. I know I picked up some pretty obscure channels while scanning the AM dial around 3:00 in the morning.

I might've caught him without knowing...
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Don't guess much goes on the AM anymore, I never listen to radio often.
I guess the newer drivers tire of hearing about our hard times and bad equiment, but with their high h p , autos all the bells and whistles
the rules and regs. traffic, interstates, I would never consider trading places.
A cell and satelite radio would have been nice.
BTW, we did have hydramatic GMCs back in 55 before most started driving.
 
canaryinthemine said:
No I don't remember Kurt Webster. I know I picked up some pretty obscure channels while scanning the AM dial around 3:00 in the morning.

I might've caught him without knowing...
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Anybody remember Bob Dearborn on ‘Nighttime America’? This would’ve been early 80’s.
 
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