Have you ever wondered how those old timers shifted those two stick transmissions? Well here’s your chance to get a front row seat and a lesson in old school truckin’ at its finest!
FANTASTIC Video, Mike!! Makes me want to move back to New England…. so great to see a younger O/O who truly appreciates the great trucks we had back in the "Golden Years" of trucking…. and drivers who knew how to work, drive and yes…. even do roadside repairs and change tires, to! Back when Most Hwy Patrol Officers & truckers got along together and had a real mutual respect for one another.
I grew up in Mass. and after 3 tours in VN… drove (dumps & low beds) for outfits in the "outer Beantown" area… Waltham, Woburn, etc… for guys like George Littlewood, Trio-Equipment, Billy Fitzpatrick (one of Joe LeBruns "A" Cars after he got out of trucking), Eddie Perkins.. out of his original yard in Sudbury, Dexter & Harpell on the Acton/Maynard line after I moved back to the area for a while in 1984.
I hauled on jobs with others like Billy French, Cardillo (your outfit), "Jimmy" Flett's trucks from Belmont, Center Trucking, and so many others around in the early 70's. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when Ben mentioned (at about the 25 min. mark) about having the "brownie" (Aux) floating in neutral (because you missed the shift)…. and keeping the throttle "up" and waving to those who know you, and trying to look like you know what you're doing… That was priceless!!… and Ohhh, the memories, that comment brought back for me, personally. ; )
I miss the "sticks" and the old "needle nose" 351 (and other models) Pete's (even though Ben's started out as a 251), but I confess… I really miss the "2 strokes"…. my first OTR truck was a 1969 Ext. hood Pete (359) w/V12 (which I removed and "built" to 743hp on the dyno at 2,480 rpm under load), followed by 2 W900 Ext. hood KW's also with V12's and "built" (from new) to 800+ hp, and all three with "sticks" – the first with a Spicer 8616 compound 4×4, changed to a 5×4, the two KW's had the same setup as Ben's Pete with the Dbl O 6×4…. was my favorite setup as I was doing quite a bit of OTR Heavy Haul in the western US, Canada, NWT & Alaska at the time.
I've always been a "stickler" for clean (inside & out, top to bottom including the underside from front to back) sharp looking trucks, as well as maintaining them in top condition. It appears that Ben prefers clean, good looking trucks as well. I officially retired from OTR in 2011 and logged just over 6.5M miles… Accident Free, though.. I did have a few "High Speed Driving Awards" from different points in my career, my last one back in the late 1990's.
I still drive, hauling corn & grain (hopper bottom), but stay within a 150 mile radius of the yard… running a 2006 – 379 Pete w/Cat C15 (the compound turbo version, Not the single turbo C-15), with an Eaton 18518 speed behind it…. and 3.o8:1 rears on 24.5 rubber… was originally set up for a "Bull Hauler"… hence, the "slow" rears. ; )
I love your channel… subscribed a few years ago when I happened to notice a video with "Boston Trucker" as the "poster"… so thought I would have a look…. glad I did. Your videos bring back Lots of memories for me… keep up the good work, I.. for one, Greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into it, to turn out great videos. Thank You, Mike!
Best Youtube I've seen in awhile. I've been retired for 20 years but ran the same setup except a 5×4. I believe some of that diesel smoke came through my PC, cause I wanted to take a spin.
having the truck for asuper long time, means you better know how to drive it. I learned to drive a 3 stick , that was a ball. Mostly an ego thing for me to show off.
For the uninitiated how about an explanation of each shifter?
Which gears which position etc etc…. I get that it's probably a shifting version of a hi/lo switch but explanation would be awesome. That right stick seemed to only have 3 positions … Up/left down/left down/right
I learned on my Dad's 1957 923 KW, with a 335 Cummins, 5 speed main box and a 4 speed Brownie. My favorite truck to drive was for a gentleman that built a 1950 LTL Mack with a big cam IV 400 Cummins with a 15 speed over and a 4 progressive brownie. Both sticks against the dash, full of logs, across I-40 going to the pulp mill at a high rate of fuel consumption. Nothing like it! Oh I never used two hands to shift though.
took me forever to figure out my 74 kenworth with a 5 and 4 but enventually i got it. But for ease of usability I dont regret the 18 speed fuller I swapped in a yr ago, it makes my life and the job easier.
Moving those non-synchro Clutch dogs into position in the primary and auxiliary gearboxes is an art that only comes with experience. It's a true treat to watch a seasoned trucker do what they do best, make it look easy. 👍
That is a sweet old needle nose! I have a 1980 cabover K100 that I'm hoping to redo some day soon! I'm in northwest Ohio. Anybody know any good shops? I'm not afraid to travel some? Keep up the great work 👍
Ben, seeing that ol truck and seeing the two sticks, hearing the rain caps clapping…. I could already smell the diesel fuel…. I learned on '72 Pete needle nose with a 250 Cummins twin stick. No a/c, no power steering, 27 inch coffin sleeper with a crank up window between the cab and sleeper. That was 42 years ago. Now retired due to medical reasons. Keep up the good work Ben and thank you for the memories.
Wow, she flies! Slocum, a famous name! Remember the one who rebuilt a boat in Boston and sailed around the world single handed ? And when you used the Jake Brake , I heard the logging trucks still here in the northwest.
Ben is very good with those sticks. Does he start the truck off without the clutch? I was taught thirty years ago how to do it on the second morning of a driving job where we made 250 stops per day. This is fully loaded. We would also come to a stop the same way.
Damn she gets up n boogies. Beautiful Rig mate👍🏻
Keep it rocking !!!! An rolling !!!!!. What a sharp rig . THANKS
FANTASTIC Video, Mike!! Makes me want to move back to New England…. so great to see a younger O/O who truly appreciates the great trucks we had back in the "Golden Years" of trucking…. and drivers who knew how to work, drive and yes…. even do roadside repairs and change tires, to! Back when Most Hwy Patrol Officers & truckers got along together and had a real mutual respect for one another.
I grew up in Mass. and after 3 tours in VN… drove (dumps & low beds) for outfits in the "outer Beantown" area… Waltham, Woburn, etc… for guys like George Littlewood, Trio-Equipment, Billy Fitzpatrick (one of Joe LeBruns "A" Cars after he got out of trucking), Eddie Perkins.. out of his original yard in Sudbury, Dexter & Harpell on the Acton/Maynard line after I moved back to the area for a while in 1984.
I hauled on jobs with others like Billy French, Cardillo (your outfit), "Jimmy" Flett's trucks from Belmont, Center Trucking, and so many others around in the early 70's. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when Ben mentioned (at about the 25 min. mark) about having the "brownie" (Aux) floating in neutral (because you missed the shift)…. and keeping the throttle "up" and waving to those who know you, and trying to look like you know what you're doing… That was priceless!!… and Ohhh, the memories, that comment brought back for me, personally. ; )
I miss the "sticks" and the old "needle nose" 351 (and other models) Pete's (even though Ben's started out as a 251), but I confess… I really miss the "2 strokes"…. my first OTR truck was a 1969 Ext. hood Pete (359) w/V12 (which I removed and "built" to 743hp on the dyno at 2,480 rpm under load), followed by 2 W900 Ext. hood KW's also with V12's and "built" (from new) to 800+ hp, and all three with "sticks" – the first with a Spicer 8616 compound 4×4, changed to a 5×4, the two KW's had the same setup as Ben's Pete with the Dbl O 6×4…. was my favorite setup as I was doing quite a bit of OTR Heavy Haul in the western US, Canada, NWT & Alaska at the time.
I've always been a "stickler" for clean (inside & out, top to bottom including the underside from front to back) sharp looking trucks, as well as maintaining them in top condition. It appears that Ben prefers clean, good looking trucks as well. I officially retired from OTR in 2011 and logged just over 6.5M miles… Accident Free, though.. I did have a few "High Speed Driving Awards" from different points in my career, my last one back in the late 1990's.
I still drive, hauling corn & grain (hopper bottom), but stay within a 150 mile radius of the yard… running a 2006 – 379 Pete w/Cat C15 (the compound turbo version, Not the single turbo C-15), with an Eaton 18518 speed behind it…. and 3.o8:1 rears on 24.5 rubber… was originally set up for a "Bull Hauler"… hence, the "slow" rears. ; )
I love your channel… subscribed a few years ago when I happened to notice a video with "Boston Trucker" as the "poster"… so thought I would have a look…. glad I did. Your videos bring back Lots of memories for me… keep up the good work, I.. for one, Greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into it, to turn out great videos. Thank You, Mike!
Best Youtube I've seen in awhile. I've been retired for 20 years but ran the same setup except a 5×4. I believe some of that diesel smoke came through my PC, cause I wanted to take a spin.
Really good video. Awesome truck and Ben seems like a cool dude and good boss
having the truck for asuper long time, means you better know how to drive it. I learned to drive a 3 stick , that was a ball. Mostly an ego thing for me to show off.
For the uninitiated how about an explanation of each shifter?
Which gears which position etc etc…. I get that it's probably a shifting version of a hi/lo switch but explanation would be awesome. That right stick seemed to only have 3 positions … Up/left down/left down/right
That's facts I drive 6&4 every day great video but I'm driving a 79 kw w900a 6nz cat
Both guys did a fine job awesome i pulled the shift clean out of the floor one time talk about showing off gone wrong
I learned on my Dad's 1957 923 KW, with a 335 Cummins, 5 speed main box and a 4 speed Brownie.
My favorite truck to drive was for a gentleman that built a 1950 LTL Mack with a big cam IV 400 Cummins with a 15 speed over and a 4 progressive brownie.
Both sticks against the dash, full of logs, across I-40 going to the pulp mill at a high rate of fuel consumption. Nothing like it!
Oh I never used two hands to shift though.
What a great guy Ben is. Super knowledgeable and humble. And he can run through the gears like a madman. That was one of your best videos ever!
I love it 👍FROM CADILLAC MICHIGAN
Great video Mike. Love those b model cats !!
I refer to the aux box as low, under, direct, over. So you go 1st low, under, direct, 2nd under, 2nd direct, etc…
Awesome truck and video!
Love that these trucks are still putting in work
Twin screw … am I right?
took me forever to figure out my 74 kenworth with a 5 and 4 but enventually i got it. But for ease of usability I dont regret the 18 speed fuller I swapped in a yr ago, it makes my life and the job easier.
Born trucker.
I don't know how in hell you remember the sequence
Moving those non-synchro Clutch dogs into position in the primary and auxiliary gearboxes is an art that only comes with experience. It's a true treat to watch a seasoned trucker do what they do best, make it look easy. 👍
That is a sweet old needle nose! I have a 1980 cabover K100 that I'm hoping to redo some day soon! I'm in northwest Ohio. Anybody know any good shops? I'm not afraid to travel some? Keep up the great work 👍
You can tell a many of diesels been started next to that wall. Look at all the soot on it.
Mine had a manual shutdown too! With a pto control cable. And a 349a jake
We rebuilt the 3406b about every 7or 8 hundred thousand!…by the same mechanic, three times
Ben, seeing that ol truck and seeing the two sticks, hearing the rain caps clapping…. I could already smell the diesel fuel….
I learned on '72 Pete needle nose with a 250 Cummins twin stick.
No a/c, no power steering, 27 inch coffin sleeper with a crank up window between the cab and sleeper.
That was 42 years ago.
Now retired due to medical reasons.
Keep up the good work Ben and thank you for the memories.
Wow, she flies! Slocum, a famous name! Remember the one who rebuilt a boat in Boston and sailed around the world single handed ? And when you used the Jake Brake , I heard the logging trucks still here in the northwest.
Best sounds 👍
the first truck i learned to drive was a old b model mack, hauled coal with that old truck form mine to yard, many years ago in eastern ky
thank u B.T
Ben is very good with those sticks. Does he start the truck off without the clutch? I was taught thirty years ago how to do it on the second morning of a driving job where we made 250 stops per day. This is fully loaded. We would also come to a stop the same way.
Pure art