A.T.H.S.

[lazyuniondriver]

I have spent my adult life involved in the trucking industry and have belonged to the American Truck Historical Society since 1990.

If you are interested in old iron and transportation, you may be interested in ATHS.

They print a bi-monthly glossy color magazine which is always loaded with great pictures of old equipment and stories from the industry from decades back. The magazine is free to members. I have kept every issue only parting with a handful of them which I donated to the VA hospital in Cleveland.

Every year ATHS has a massive convention and truck show, 2013 in Yakima, Washington. The show moves every year to a different part of the country. The Toledo, Ohio show in the late 90's which was actually just over the state line in Michigan was the only show I've been able to attend.

A lot of flat bedders partner with farm equipment collectors for something to haul to the show so you get the best of both worlds, trucks and farm equipment to look at.

The show schedule is planned about 4 years in advance so check it out and enjoy the show if it comes to your area.

http://www.aths.org/

 

[ebax]

Every year ATHS has a massive convention and truck show, 2013 in Yakima, Washington.

Thanks for the heads up. That's only 20 minutes from here. I didn't realize until your post that it was such a major show. One of the local high school had planned to have their graduation at the venue on the same day, but they were told to find another place. (They just ASSUMED the could get the same weekend as last year without asking.) Too bad for them. I'm definitely looking forward to this show.

Ed

 

[ricky racer]

I've picked up a couple of their magazines, they are very nicely done. My grandfather on my dads side drove truck back in the day to help supplement his farming. He never owned a truck but drove several over the years. I have pictures of him with some the rigs he drove, some with solid rubber tires! My dad drove truck for 30 + years too.

 

[lazyuniondriver]

I have pictures of him with some the rigs he drove, some with solid rubber tires!

Ricky Racer: Look here: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/dfaust.htm

You may spot one of the trucks your dad or grand dad used to drive. Freight, food, car haul, most of them are here. Or you can revert to the main page for looking up trucks by specific brand.

If scanning those old photos is possible, Hank Suderman would love to copyright protect and add your grandfather to American trucking history. My cornbinder hooked to several sets of turnpike doubles are pictured on his site.

Bus Driver: Follow this link to the bus page link at the upper right if you haven't already visited it: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/

 

[lazyuniondriver]

I didn't realize until your post that it was such a major show.

The A.T.H.S. is built from individual local state chapters, some states have more chapters than others.

Each state chapter holds a variety of shows and events locally, but the annual national convention and show is the grand daddy of them all. If you like to look things over, you won't do it in one day.

I copied a run down from the last decade of the previous convention cities so you can see how they move around the country.

2002 KC Mo.
2003 Syracuse, NY.
2004 Fontana, Ca.
2005 was in Auburn, Indiana
2006 Baltimore
2007 Colorado Springs
2008 Hutchinson, KS.
2009 Salina, Ut.
2010 Pleasonton, Ca.
2011 South Bend, In.
2012 West Springfield, Mass

Future cities to include:
2013 Yakima, Wa.
2014 Springfield, Mo.
2015 York, Pa.

Every few years one is usually only a few hours or less away for most folks.

The smaller regional shows frequently partner with other antique tractor and power clubs to host joint shows since sometimes there are not enough big trucks to attract enough participation.

 

[ricky racer]

I didn't realize until your post that it was such a major show.

The A.T.H.S. is built from individual local state chapters, some states have more chapters than others.

Each state chapter holds a variety of shows and events locally, but the annual national convention and show is the grand daddy of them all. If you like to look things over, you won't do it in one day.

I copied a run down from the last decade of the previous convention cities so you can see how they move around the country.

2002 KC Mo.
2003 Syracuse, NY.
2004 Fontana, Ca.
2005 was in Auburn, Indiana
2006 Baltimore
2007 Colorado Springs
2008 Hutchinson, KS.
2009 Salina, Ut.
2010 Pleasonton, Ca.
2011 South Bend, In.
2012 West Springfield, Mass

Future cities to include:
2013 Yakima, Wa.
2014 Springfield, Mo.
2015 York, Pa.

Every few years one is usually only a few hours or less away for most folks.

If the one in South Bend was at the Greene Township Lions Club's annual Strawberry Festival, I did attend that one. The trucks were pretty cool. The show was not very big but it is neat seeing something that you don't normally see like restored big trucks.

 

[Rudi]

When I was watching American Pickers and in the same episode and the same pick that the Cub Lo-Boy was in I saw a yellow round COE that I couldn't remember the make of. So I did a search and I found it :big smile:

It was a White .. very similar to this one that I found on Curbside Classics

Now that was a gorgeous truck .. I really liked the COE's, always have. Sure brings back some cool memories from my youth. I am not sure what year the White COE is but I is curious.

 

[Bob Perry]

When I go to truck shows, I love it when people bring trucks that are still being used, with mud and grease included. The "museum pieces" are nice for some but not so much for me.

 

[lazyuniondriver]

If the one in South Bend was at the Greene Township Lions Club's annual Strawberry Festival, I did attend that one. The trucks were pretty cool. The show was not very big but it is neat seeing something that you don't normally see like restored big trucks.

It was at the St. Jo County Fairgrounds. I screwed around and waited too long before trying to get a room. ND had soccer or something going on that weekend. I didn't want to stay in Toledo!

 

[lazyuniondriver]

It was a White Curbside Classics

..

Thankfully I only spent a couple of years in cab over equipment. The spring suspension, non air cushioned cabs ride rougher than conventional tractors and I never relished the thought of being the first one to the accident.

On a side note, OSHA brought on the demise of the cab over configuration due to the epidemic number of injuries from jumping and falling out of them.

That picture you posted brings back memories for me as well. When I joined the fire department in 1980, we had an early 50's Diamond Reo tanker, similar in size and looks to the one you pictured only white in color, our first out water supply tanker. Diamond wound up as part of White Motors later in history.

There were only about a half dozen drivers for that truck as it was impossible to shift if you didn't double clutch both up and down. If it had a synchronized transmission, the synchronizers were torn out and non-functional.

The horn button was branded "American Airlines" originally serving as a fuel tanker. It held around 2000 gallons in the original tank, no pump, with a gravity fed gate valve on the back.

 

[lazyuniondriver]

When I go to truck shows, I love it when people bring trucks that are still being used...

Bob: Funny you mention that. The current issue of Wheels of Time features a six page article about a guy from here in Ohio running a 1965 Emeryville on a daily basis.

Pictured are the first 2 pages of the magazine article.

 

[Bob Perry]

That's a happy story ! Nice to see. I should send in my money. Used to love getting the magazines, in fact I never threw them away.

(But where? I just went to the attic and can't find the stack!)

 

[lazyuniondriver]

I never threw them away.

(But where? I just went to the attic and can't find the stack!)

I have that problem too. My wife mutters something about hoarding... The stack looks like this...

 

[jim turner]

I found a friend of mine truck on the site Timberline from Lathrop Mo, one of his trucks was special built just for show it has never hauled a log, he has 4 other trucks working.

 

[Barnyard]

On a side note, OSHA brought on the demise of the cab over configuration due to the epidemic number of injuries from jumping and falling out of them.

While that danger existed if you weren't careful (I drove a GMC Astro for several years in the late 70's, but never fell from it) the real reason for the disappearance was the change in the federal length law. Once we were allowed to haul longer loads the more comfortable longer trucks gained popularity and the manufacturers began phasing the COE's out.

 

[lazyuniondriver]

...the real reason for the disappearance was the change in the federal length law.

Yes, one of many reasons.

Length laws were adjusted along the STAA National Network in 1982 favoring conventional tractors yet sales of the cab over still soared almost a decade later to nationwide truckload mega carriers like J.B. Hunt and Schnieder National. Retailer Wal-Mart was also growing its distribution network during that time, all three companies loyal at the time to Navistar International.

Even with the cab over being nimble and superior in manuverability for fleet operations, before the turn of the century, fleet operators eventually fell out of love because of design flaws, poor fuel economy directly related to poor aerodynamics, the unacceptable amount of lost driver time from injuries recorded from slips and falls, and a huge issue with driver retention. Company drivers started leaving in mass exoduses for carriers' with "hoods" in their fleet.

Truckload carriers traditionally have the worst percentages of driver retention or the highest turnover rate industry wide.

Truckload carriers eventually realized fleet operators with conventional tractor fleets boasted higher driver retention rates, a key ingredient of lower operating ratios.

Price per unit eventually exceeded a conventional tractor further making the COE less desirable. This pounded the last nail into the coffin of the cab over.

With economy, safety, price, and driver retention along with the original shorter concept no longer necessary on the NN, the cabovers' fate was sealed. Navistar International ceased production of the domestically sold 9600 series in 1999.

To my knowledge, there has been no revision to STAA federal length laws along the NN since 1982, revisited in 1992 for LCV and intermodal language, reinterpreted in 1994.

 

[Barnyard]

My point exactly. These are the things that drove the COE almost out of existence. OSHA may have investigated some injuries, but they did not cause the manufactures to shut down production or lead to the end of their use.

 

[Hengy]

It's funny... Reading this thread, I hadn't realized that the cab over design is not on the road anymore! It is one of those things that you just don't notice phasing out until someone points out that they aren't there anymore!

 

[lazyuniondriver]

I drove a GMC Astro for several years...

I only had the pleasure of driving an Astro for several days on separate occasions as a spare to the fleet.

What I vividly recall about the experience were two things. One was you cooked during the day when the sun was out because the windshields were bigger than the air conditioner, and two, since the windshield started at your knees, when you reached down to scratch, the motoring public could see you do it.

It did have power steering which was a bonus.

What are your memories of the Astro 95?

 

[Barnyard]

Our Astro was only used to move our excavating equipment locally. We had a full time driver but a couple times a month my cousin or I would have to haul a load to a job site. As far as we were concerned it got the job done for us. A bigger rig would have been nice, but we really didn't need it.