Dads B67 Mack Recently Reacquired

[Shawn Barrett]

I'm Shawn Barrett a new member as of today and my truck is a 1964 B67 Mack. This truck used to belong to my father James Barrett. He ran his own trucking company here in eastern Pennsylvania for many years starting in the mid 50s. His truck of choice?....Mack.

My father was born in 1919 in Scranton Pennsylvania. In his youth he started driving for local milk and bread companies making deliveries in Scranton and then eventually operating trolleys and buses for Scranton Transit. During World War 2 he was drafted into the service and served with the 99th infantry batallion in Normandy, France, the Ardennes etc. Wounded in battle and awarded a purple heart medal they then patched him up.... and threw him back in the war!! After the war was finally over and he could return home he sold his boots on the way home to buy his son a toy truck. He began driving trucks again for Eastern Light and Electric in Allentown Pa and then for General Electric. By the mid to late 50s he started tooling around with his own trucking outfit and the rest is history. He started Barrett Trucking in the late 50s servicing Pennsylvania and most of the surrounding states. And continued on until semi retiring in the late 80s. I was born in 1988 and grew up in the trucks and learned everything i know from my father and mother who were truckers all of my life. My father had an expert understanding of trucks what made them tick and how to handle them he tried to teach me as much as possible at a very young age. My father... the greatest man in my life passed away in 1997.

In the heyday of my fathers company he had a fleet of single axle B-model Macks they were all "Omaha orange" had Barrett painted on the doors....and were the greatest trucks ever built as i had heard all of my life growing up.

Fast forward to today.

I always wanted to get hold of one of my fathers old glorious B model Macks And just last month I did just that.

I knew three of my fathers trucks still existed at a local junkyard. Two of them were in bad disrepair and didnt have much left of themselves, however there was one... a B67 that had been kept in very good shape for many years. It was repainted a forest green and had the fifth wheel removed and a dump body installed, but it was still my dads old Mack. Well a few years go by and unbeknownst to me there is an auction held at this junkyard. And my worst fear came into being, My fathers last surviving Mack....was sold to the highest bidder.

A few more years go by and for 2 or 3 years I asked around and got leads on the old truck and i went hunting from time to time searching for it. Until one day. At another scrap yard up north a buddy and i went looking for parts for his car and as soon as I got through the front gates, there it was just as i had always remembered it. I immediately jumped the first person i could find for info on the truck. Turns out it was for sale. A few days later and a phone call to a long time friend of my fathers with a BIG WRECKER,the Mack was back in the hands of the Barretts.

And now with a recently acquired class A CDL of my own and my fathers faithful old iron. It is my intention to return this truck to its former tractor status, paint it Omaha Orange, paint Barrett on the doors and restore it in loving memory of my father James Barrett.

Edited February 15, 2012 by B67 BullDog

[rhasler]

Great story. Looks to be in good shape. My dad was given a B by one of our customers that was all torn up. It was brought to our shop and sat for a bit. I was suprised at all the people that recognized it immediately. One day my Proto tool salesman came to drop something off and he says "Hey, that's my dads truck.". He hated the truck though because his dad made him wash and polish it all the time when he was a kid. Good to see that you got it back home. A good way to remeber him on Father's Day.

[bullhusk]

Old Macks Fathers Day & memories thats what makes this the greatest Country in the world !!! GOOD STORY ! BULLHUSK

[vision386]

Thats a great story, nice to see one come "full circle" once in a while! especially one with some family history! looks to be in pretty good shape as well,best of luck with the project,and of course,welcome to the site!...........Mark

[Shawn Barrett]

Thats a great story, nice to see one come "full circle" once in a while! especially one with some family history! looks to be in pretty good shape as well,best of luck with the project,and of course,welcome to the site!...........Mark

Thanks for the replies fellas, glad i could share our story with you guys who can appreciate it. And thanks for the warm welcome.