Tony Trout

My late Father drove (and also died while driving) a white F model rig for a Georgia-based company by the name of Turpin Trucking Co. in Hiawassee, GA.  He and my Mom (who he taught to drive the truck, thank God) were on their way back from New York when my Father peacefully passed away while driving.  But, he lived just long enough to yell to my Mom that he was passing out & that he loved her & me (it was later ruled that he had suffered a massive heart attack while at the wheel).  

My Mom has never gotten over that event even now.    I was only three years old at the time.  Mom told me once that Dad hadn't been feeling very well during the entire trip and, eerily told my Mom that the trip would be his last and that he was going to get a "regular" job so he could stay home and watch me grow up and be the Dad he was supposed to be.  Unfortunately, those plans never worked out.  

I still miss him to this very day even though I've got a wonderful Stepfather whom I love very much.  He, himself, has suffered from COPD/Emphysema since the early-2000s.  

Thanks for the photos of the "F" Mack COEs.....the photos have brought back a lot of bittersweet memories for me.  But, if I were ever given the chance, I would love to ride in another one someday before it's my time to leave this world.  I'm mildly disabled with Cerebral Palsy & Hydrocephalus but I would also love to even drive an "F" COE, even though I was told a long time ago that I would never be able to get license to drive anything.  😢 

The guy that owns the only "R" model Mack from the 1978 movie, "Convoy", lives in the NE part of Georgia and I would LOVE to be able to see that truck, too!  Unfortunately, I probably won't ever be going down that way again because, to make it easier on my parents & I, he has appointed some doctors in north Georgia to oversee my heart condition (I have a 'rogue vein' that goes right across my heart that's been there since I was born.....but we didn't know it until several years ago!).

On 6/26/2013 at 8:15 PM, kscarbel said:

Hayes plant pictures

Holy guacamole!!!  What a huge plant!!!!

The only thing I don't like about that Mack is that it's a daycab.  I like the Mack F's that the long-haul and OTR drivers used back in the 1970s.