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Hauling milk years ago. (Pic)
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Illinois John
Posted 9/30/2014 22:51 (#4102222 - in reply to #4101830)
Subject: RE: Questions for a Veteran Milk Truck Driver


Crawford County, Robinson, Illinois

Robert W Greif - 9/30/2014 19:27 Joh. Did you do it seven days a week? What would happen if you were just plain too sick to do the job? . Were there sub drivers? Were there ever storms that you just could not get the milk picked up?

Were there sub drivers?

I was the sub driver, drove every Saturday and Sunday, and two weeks or more during summer when the owner of the route was on vacation. 

What would happen if you were just plain too sick to do the job?

That happened to me when the boss was on vacation, broke my back and took lots of pain pills and Dad was good enough to do most of the heavy lifting.  It was a real problem, as nobody knew the route except me and the boss, and he was several states away.  I don't believe I ever even told him I was in a lot of pain that week, and Dad lifted cans for me with no pay. 

Were there ever storms that you just could not get the milk picked up?

We went through lots of snow and ice, on a few occasions we could call guys that had the capacity to hold off for a day due to low production and re-arrange the route.  One year it seemed all the heavy ice storms happened on the weekend when I had to haul.  Don't know how many times I put the double dual chains on to run in the gravel roads, one the short highway stretches had to take them off, then put them back on when we got to the gravel.  Had to have chains to get in many driveways during that heavy ice.  Needed chains for my boots sometimes, carrying two cans to the truck over heavy ice was not fun.

I was involved in a car wreck and broke my wrist, causing me to quit the job, really missed it.  Boss had sold his route, but on recommendation from him, another driver hired me.  Before I started I had to tell him I couldn't haul cans with a broken wrist.  From then on it was factory work, much easier than hauling cans.  Still, that milk truck experience helped make a man out of me, and I am proud of the experience. 

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