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1972 Mack U685ST


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First time I ever  drove a U-not ideal situation.  In '70/71?, the major oil company employees in metro  NY were represented by a very powerful union and the industry always  caved  to demands as they could not stand taking the hit of losing sales due to a walk out.  Up to a point!  So my company had any mgt employee who had ever driven ready to jump in and we were going to run. Negotiations were underway last day of contract and  mgt employees were scattered around the area waiting to see if a deal was reached-or not!  I'm with a bunch of guys at Inwood NY terminal and around midnite negotiations fail.  So my group's assignment to take units (5 axle, 8000 gal tks) out of terminal to another outside distributor terminal at Oyster Bay LI.  My unit- not an R-600 as were most but a U-600!  So  driving out through the gate, the strikers by now had their signs, and were not wishing you well as we drove out.  And to make matters worse, no clue as to where Oyster Bay was- so follow the leader or you were screwed.

Get to location and wait in street while one truck at a time went through gate, guys came out with decals that went over company name, "rebranding " the trucks- then you backed down a lane into  a back lot and parked them.  We then piled in a van and were driven back to our motel in Newburgh.

Paul would probably know Oyster Bay location- Commander Oil-now a Global facility-and much bigger I'm sure than it was 50 years ago!

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9 hours ago, navypoppop said:

 You had to learn to drive them like a COE by hugging the left center line in the highway or risk being on the shoulder or worse. 

Correct.  I used to bounce back and forth between a DM and an R and there was always a short adjustment period.  All things being equal, I preferred the R but the offset cab had a look all its own...a good look.  

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On 3/29/2020 at 2:34 PM, Red Horse said:

Right Jim ..Like this old  dude.. Currently residing in the woods on Rt. 62 Sterling, MA

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that must have been quite the workhorse and a challenge to drive back in the day. by looks of the neck  the trailer hooked to it  not  to skimpy either.  a number of steel haulers had straight jobs with off set cabs .allowed for carrying  longer pieces of steel. 

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