Evening star., 1952-12-27

INAUGURATION BOUND-Rid
of the contingents in the inaug
officers of the Long Beach Polit
few turnoffs and no cross traffic
we can hold a good, steady pace.
AS he pulls up to the bridge ap
proach, the rear of another bi,
trailer stares back into his cab
Explosives" is plastered all. owe
the truck in large letters.
THAT looks dangerous" h,
smiles. "but it really isn't-that is
unless you pile up. Then it doesn'
make much difference anyway"
Mr.. Stitz stops at the toll gat,
entrance to the Jersey Turnpike
He receives a card with the toll
cost already calculated for hin
and he'll pay when he leaves tn,
road south of Jersey City. HI
settles back and stretches a bit.
This sure is lonely country
along these mudflats," he says. "1
don't like to think of breakdown.
out here. You'd have to walk II
miles to the nearest telephone tt
iget help"
BE time to eat soon," he says
after a glance at his watch. wei
pull into the next restaurant. Yol
know, a truck driver just about
lives on coffee and sandwiches al
might"
Mr.. Stitz may not know it, bu
he has exploded a myth abou
truck drivers. According to mos
tourists. the food is always gooc
where truck drivers stop. DOM
look now, but most of these drivers
are merely slipping coffee or eat
ing a hamburger and doughnut
They don't have time to sample
the finer cuisine of the roadside
diners. ..,,,.,.,s,s,.,,... ...,.......
The roar Of the diesel begin.
to pound in the cab as Mr.. Slit;
resumes his run.
"Once in a while," he says, ii
really puts you to sleep. Ther
you just have to pull over, catcl
40 winks across the wheel ant
move on again.
Identifying Lights.
"See those lights on that traile
meeting us?" he asks. That
one of our trucks and the on
behind him is a Mclean job ou
of Carolina. We can tell by tn
arrangement of the lights on tn
cab and trailer"
While Mr.. Stitz won't admit ii
the thought of accident and deatl
is always riding with him.
"There's a stretch of route
we call a death trap" he says
Seven drivers piled up there owe
a period of a few months. an.
most of them burned to death II
their wrecks. In almost ever,
case, they were trying to avoi'
collision with some speeder.
It'll be good to hit the sacl
this morning" he continues, a
the eastern sky begins to brighter
with the lights of Railway, Eliz
abeth and Newark ahead. 9Th
company just built a nice bunk
house for us at the Jersey Cit,
terminal. We do our own cooking
Some of the fellows lie around il
bed all day up there, just resting
A lot Of them have back trouble
Iafter driving several years.
guess the steady vibration final.
gets to their insides. but so fa
I've missed it."
At Goal in s Hours.
At S am, exactly five hour
after leaving the Baltimore termi
nal, Mr.. Stitz pulls into Jerse!
City. He checks out with tn
traffic dispatcher and yaWns, "let'
Iget some sleep. It's a long dral
back to Baltimore tonight"
Mr.. Stitz has been driving TO
IA years, and the truck business
has changed a lot since he started
In 1880 there were about 200, ,00t
|intercity trucks on the highways
According to the American Truck
ing Associations more than 500,
900 highway giants are operating
now.
In 1880, about 2.5 million per.
sons were employed in the truck
ing industry. Today, Mr.. Slit,
and Mr.. Chambers are among
more than 6 million workers il
the business.
Limited on Routes.
Because of Interstate Commerct
Commission regulations, a truck
line must stick to certain routes
when it obtains a franchise. ON
line may have permission to make
pickup and deliveries along a par
ticular route, while another mus
go through without unloading.
The opening Of the new Chesa'
peake Bay Bridge hasn't mad,
much difference in truck traffic
through Washington for that rea'
son. Most lines are satisfied with
their regular routes and, in man.
cases, find them better than th'
newer ones. According to the Dis
trict Highway Department, ther'
has been no decline in truck traf
fic here. ;.
/ Meanwhile, Mr.. Stitz and Mr.
Chambers eat, sleep and drive
They're not interested in nev
highways, unless it will make theil
jobs safer.
Find some way to keep tn
drunks and reckless drivers awas
from us and we'll be satisfied.
they astee.