American Truck Historical Society

Metro Jersey Chapter Chartered 1983

Volume No. 5, Issue No. 3

THE STACKTALK April, 2013

Arnold Block, President; John Suckoe, Vice President Scott Baker, Treasurer; Bill Wagner, Secretary Tim Day, Membership Chairman; Dave Read, Historian; Media Committee, Jim and Helen Veevers Past Presidents serving on the Executive Board: Tom Mulligan, Bill Wagner, Hunt Jones, Stanley Chciuk National Officers serving on the Executive Board: Tom Amaducci, National Past President; George Petrask, Regional Vice President Volunteer Stacktalk Editor: Caity Chciuk

President's Message:

It is hard to believe that we are in April already. I just got my two trucks started after the long winter break. What I want to do is thank all our members that attended the March meeting spent their time getting our show fliers mailed out. Starting with this issue of our newsletter, we will be listing the names of members who attend each meeting. This is a way for you to see who comes to meetings and to renew old friendships and make new ones. (Editor's note: This is listed on page 3.) With our Automatic Switch Show coming up faster than Id like, we are still short on filling our volunteer list. Please step up and volunteer to help out. As a group of over 200 members, its interesting to see that it is the same handful who get things done. Help, and join that group, make new friends and have fun doing it. I'm asking for 20 members that haven't been involved with the mailing of fliers to give me a call on my cell phone (973-332-3771) so that I can meet with and give them each 20 fliers to hang up at their local food store, barber shop, gas station, corner deli and auto parts store. With just a few more hands out there doing this, we are going to break all our show records. A reminder about the Parsippany Memorial Day Parade. Please drop me a note or call my cell to let me know who and the number of trucks that you will be showing. I have to give this information to the town as early as we can. Keep in mind that our April meeting is at BEYER FORD on Ridgedale Ave in Morristown. The Beyer family is supplying food and a guest speaker for us. The time is from 6:30 until 9:30. Please try to attend. Thanks again, Arnold Block

Deadline for Stacktalk Submissions

To get an article into Stacktalk, it must be received before the tenth of the month in which it is to be published. Send it directly to volunteer editor Caitlin Chciuk at this email address: StacktalkNews@gmail.com.

Looking for Six 7:50 X 20 Tube Type Tires. Please call Sam at (518) 695-3604. -1-

Calendar of Upcoming Metro Chapter Events:

April 25, 2013 May 22, 2013 June 9, 2013 June 27, 2013 July 25, 2013 Sept. 26, 2013 Thurs. Beyer Bros. 170 Ridgedale Ave in Morristown; visit they facility. Weds. VFW Final preparation for our June 9th show. (NOTE DAY.) Sunday ASCSO in Florham Park, Metro Jersey Truck Show Thurs. VFW Recap truck shows, Metro Jersey and National Thurs. VFW Hot Dog night; bring your trucks to the meeting Thurs. Frank Malatesta 61 Iowa Ave. Paterson; Visit Franks collections.

Report of the March 28, 2013 Business Meeting

President Arnold Block opened the 295th meeting of the Metro Jersey chapter on Thursday, March 28th at 8:00 p.m., with a salute to the American flag followed by a moment of silence for our troops and deceased friends. Minutes of the February 2013 meeting were approved as distributed in Stack Talk with one correction on the name of the 50/50 winner. Treasurers Report: balance of $3821.33 Membership Report: we have 29 unpaid members at this time. (Editor's note: The names of the unpaid members are listed on page 3.) National Report by George Petrask: we are listed in the Hemmings News. The National Archives Section is now open. There is also a new license plate frame available from national. Items needed for the Automatic Switch show will be decided at the April meeting. So far, we need tables, chairs, and signs for the show. Want to purchase 12 dozen shirts. Automatic Switch vendors have been contacted. Vote for the National elections. Ballot arrived with the last Wheels of Time. Possible activities for participation include: Memorial Day Parade in Parsippany NJ May 27th, 2013 Pine Island show in Warwick NY (Mid Summer) TBA Whippany Birchwood Manor show (August ?) TBA Parsippany Troy Hills Fire & Rescue show August 18th, 2013 Towing demonstration in Landisville NJ in September We received a thank you letter for our $150.00 donation to the Gov. Sandy Fund. 50/50 was won by Walter Parker and was donated back to the club. Meeting adjourned at 8:30PM so we could finish the mailing for our June Show. Minutes submitted by Bill Wagner, Secretary -2-

The following members have unpaid dues as of April 11, 2013:

John Ball Andrew Bater Todd Bertolini Leonard Bogert William Brewster David Burns William DeRobbio Donald Covart Lorenz Fischer Volker Fuertges Don Haynes Raymond Horner Kenneth Lear Dave Lounsbury David Mellusi Scott Morley Frank Nagle Terrence O'Connell John Pearson Bill Peaslee John Raia Mark Recchia Ken Saviet Brian Spell Dennis Spence Arthur Zimmerman

Please get your dues to Tim Day as soon as possible!

Tim Day C/O ATHS Metro Jersey Chapter 20 Teabo Road Wharton, NJ 07885

List of those in attendance at the March 28th meeting:

Arnold Block Robert Krygoski Don Slate Jim Veevers J. Camisa Joe Wajszczuk John Suckoe Vincent Whittaker Fred Gaudert Milton Krivak Tom Amaducci George Petrask Lou Rebecchi Tim Day Scott Baker Ron Hutchins Caity Chciuk Stan Chciuk Walter Parker Joseph Sharkey Bill Wagner

Insurance Matters:

Submitted by George Petrask

One of the things brought up at this past winters national board meeting was the availability of antique truck insurance. This past year, a couple of our board members were refused coverage on trucks they wanted to add to their policies. You may wonder if this is a local or state issue, but one of the members was from the east coast the other from the west coast, both with different companies. So the next question is, are they isolated cases? We are trying to gather information from you, the members; if you have been refused coverage recently, please let us know from what company, what kind of truck were you trying to get coverage on, and what state are you from. I know most of you reading this are from New Jersey but we do have local members outside of New Jersey. Contact me via email at oldirongarage@embarqmail.com (providing your name is optional). On another insurance note, I just had the pleasure of sitting down with a local agent who is a car nut who owns several collector cars and is heavily involved in the hobby. He carries several lines of insurance, and if youre having trouble getting coverage, be sure to contact him. He will be at our show (and have a booth) this June in Florham Park if you have any questions or if you want him to review your policy. He is licensed in 5 states: NJ, NY, CT, Mass. and PA. What I like is that he is a former underwriter, so he knows the pit falls of a poorly written policy. After Superstorm Sandy a lot of policy holders found that their vehicles were not covered or were lacking in real value, so be sure to check your coverage.

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Did you know...?

The first year that the United States produced more than one million trucks was 1941. Most of the trucks were for the military, as the U.S. placed more than $5 billion orders for trucks because of WWII.
(From http://www.funtrivia.com/en/World/Trucks16445.html)
Have a fun fact you'd like to share? Email it to Caity at Stacktalknews@gmail.com!

Metro-Jersey CD/DVD Library

The Metro Jersey Chapter is fortunate to have access to a wonderful Antique Truck Video Library. Members are welcome to borrow these videotapes at no cost. These are professionally produced videos about old trucks, old truck companies, and also old trucker movies. This is an amazing resource! If you havent seen some of these tapes, borrow one and try it for some good entertainment! Jim Veevers has the videotapes, and if anyone wants to borrow them, they just have to contact Jim by telephone at 973-299-6764, or by e-mail at <javeevers@optonline.net>.
1. 1991 ATCA National Show 2. 1992 ATCA National Show 3. 1986 ATHS National Convention, Seattle, WA 4. 1987 ATHS Convention, Chicago, IL 5. 1988 ATHS Convention, Baltimore, MD 6. 1989 ATHS Convention, Ontario, Canada 7. 1990 National Convention, Denver, CO 8. 1991 ATHS National Convention, Marl- boro, MA 9. 1992 ATHS National Convention, Portland, OR 10. Artic Bulldog & Hoover Dam 11. Goodyear "Wingfoot" Express & They Drive By Night 12. 1986 Liberty Per-decation & Hoover Dam 13. Talbert Trailers 14. Thresherman's Reunion, Kinzers, PA 15. Trucking Industry 16. Trucks of Yesteryear 17. Trucks of Yesteryear 18. Wheels of Change 19. Mack Museum 20. Take #1 (Macungie) 21. Un-edited ATCA 1992 22. Moving History 2 Ft. Rail Returns to Maine 23. 1992 ATHS National Convention, Milwaukee, WI 24. 1994 ATHS National Convention, Buffalo, NY 25. 1993 HCEA Historical Show, Brownsville, PA 26. Trucks Wheels of Industry 27. 1994 HCEA Historical Show 28. 1994 ATCA National Show 29. International Trucks 1911-1950 30. Wheels of Progress 1954 [DVD] 31. Dodge Built Trucks 1946 32. Dodge Power Wagon 1950 33. Singing Wheels 1941 34. N.J. ATCA Historical Vehicle Show, Ledgewood, NJ 35. Desert Whipping Post 1952 in Trucks 36. Old Trucks Vol. 1 37. Old Trucks Vol. 2 38. ATHS Members Vol. 1 39. ATHS Members Vol. 2 40. ATHS Members Vol. 3 41. ATHS Members Vol. 4 42. 1998 ATHS National Convetion, Phoenix, AZ 43. 1998 ATCA National Show [DVD] 44. Old Trucks Vol. IV 45. ATHS Members Vol. VI 46. 2000 ATHS National, Valley Forge, PA 47. General Alarm: Gearhart Fire Day 48. C Grier Beam Truck Museum (Carolina Freight0 49. Mack Day, Gearhert's, Lititz, PA 50. ATHS 2000 Valley Forge 51. ATCA 13th National Show 52. ATHS 2006 National Show 53. ATHS 2007 National Show [DVD] 54. They Drive the Long Haul [DVD] 55. Man Alive [DVD]

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Over the Road

By Dave Read Chapter Historian
This month's picture is of a 1950 Mack model LJT-D. The LJ Mack was probably the best known of the great locomotives of the road in the era we recall as the age of the Iron Horses. Debuting in 1940, it was better known as a heavy duty gas powered truck or tractor; however, when the early version of the Mack Lanova Diesel was available, most were powered by the larger bore Mack gas engines, such as the 611 and the 707. As the years went by, more and more began to be configured as an over the road sleeper tractor. The availability of a large Cummins Diesel engine became more prominent, and the road horse pictured above slowly began to emerge. We refer to the post World War II years as the age of the Iron Horse, because at that time the state size and weight regulations were not so stringent and limiting. Most states in the northeast permitted an overall length of 45 feet, and a gross vehicle weight of somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 lbs. Some states had nasty little stipulations on axle weights and spread distances, such as a bridge formula, where a certain overall wheelbase was required to carry the maximum allowable weight. As time went by, a war slowly developed between the regulatory bodies, (the State Police) and the truckers. Many truckers became what we called "Outlaws," who totally disregarded the laws, and bought the biggest, heaviest, most powerful trucks that they could find. For example, contrary to the size and weight laws all around them, Pennsylvania held to a 45,000 lb. weight limit until February 1955. A casual look at a map tells you that to go from almost anywhere in the country, into the northeastern states, that you will have to cross some part of Pennsylvania. Many companies attempted to buy small lightweight tractors and trailers and tried to run legal. On the other hand, the outlaw types just loaded way beyond the limits, and drove their big iron horses right through the state, paying the fines when they got caught. In later years, truck operators and truck manufacturers would learn to engineer lighter trucks and shorter tractors to better deal with the regulations. We truckers who lived through that era remember it fondly, as we marveled at the sights of the huge iron horses such as the LJ Macks, the DC-100 Autocars, the big Browns, the western styled Internationals, the 921 Diamond T's, and the big WC-28 Whites and 900 series GMC's. The truck in the picture above, snaps me right back to that time. It's a 1950 Mack LJT-D sleeper cab truck with a 200 HP. Cummins Diesel engine and a ten speed two stick Duplex transmission. Victory White Metals was located in the Akron, Ohio area, and it's a good bet that it hauled it's share of overweight loads across Pennsylvania, and everywhere else. That tractor was a real man's truck, and the young fellow hanging on the door looks the type who could make her walk the walk, and talk the talk.

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