Classic Style. Classic Comfort?
Hardly what you'd call standard dash cluster, with most of the guages in the header panel. Photo by Jim Park
This 1960 Peterbilt, owned by Cathart Transport at the time the photo was taken, featured a gull-wing hood. Photo by Jim Park
This 1984 R-Model, and other like them, would be in my Top 5 trucks of all time, not necessarily for the driver comfort. The 48-in. sleeper was an aftermarket add-on. Photo by Jim Park
The driving position was just right, but you knees rubbed agains the air conditioner vents and the A-pillar was periously close to the steering wheel. Other than that it had everything the trucker of the day could ask for. Photo by Jim Park
GMC called this truck the DF-Series. The one shown is probably a DF7000 from 1961. Truckers called them "crackerbox" or slab-cabs. Photo by Jim Park
This 1983 K100 was once owned by American Truck Driving School in Elm Mott, Texas. Then it had a 354-in. wheel base and 134-in. drom box. It was paintend brown then and used by the school to recruit potential student drivers. Photo by Jim Park
This one goes back a few years. It's a 1957 Mack H63 highway truck, owned by the Tackaberry Collection in Athens, Ont. It had a rudementary sleeper, which something in its day. Photo by Jim Park
That's a rebuilt drivers seat; the original would not have been quite so well padded. Photo by Jim Park
The cab was typical for White Motors based trucks in that day. The blue brake valve was for the tractor alone. The big steering wheel was necessary for the heavy front end, but was typical of trucks of that time. Photo by Jim Park.
This 1961 RDF 411 International "West Coaster" has 11,000 miles on it, accumulated haulung rocket boosters around the Utah desert for Morton Thiokol Aerospace & Industrial Technologies. It's now part of the Tackaberry Collection in Athens, Ont. Photo by Jim Park
It was a highway truck so driver comfort was a priority. It has a Cummins 262 engine and 5 X 4 transmission, 18,000-lb front end, 65,000-lb rears, and a 239-in. wheelbase. Photo by Jim Park
Not many luxuries in this 1963 Hayes COE. With a 6V-72 Detroit and a 4x3 transmission, the driver would have done better to get paid by the gear shift rather than the mile. Photo by Jim Park
The low-back seat had a mechanical suspension. The cab is chock full of sharp angle and hard metal surfaces. It probably didn't go fast enough to hurt the driver in a crash. Photo by Jim Park
This 1977 W900A is still on the job, working for WD Potato Co. out of Bolton Ont. What the W-9s lacked inside them made up fo on the outside. Photo by Jim Park
Interior amenities included a fake woodgrain dash, plenty of guages, switches that light up at night in different colors and the obligatory custon gear-shifter knob. Photo by Jim Park
The dash doesn't look much like today's Peterbilts. The red knob to the right of the steering column was a throttle lock, which sometimes doubled as a cruise control -- probably an add-on. Photo by Jim Park
Not much in the way of driver comfort item up here, but the front axle of this truck was on air suspension. Photo by Jim Park
This was a luxury ride in its time, and isn't too shabby by today's standards. Very quiet inside and you could stand up in the Aerodyne sleeper. Photo by Jim Park
Here's another shot of the sleeper compartment, which is barely more than a rear deck in a big car. Photo by Jim Park.
This 1976 Autocar DC9364B has just 228 miles on it, and it has never been registerd. Owned now by the Tackaberry Collection, it's a heavy hauler with 350 NTC Cummins and 5x4 transmission. Photo by Jim Park.