Before trucking was regulated, it was the wild west of the open road. Rules were subjective and often determined by the driver based on the situation at hand. Much like the famous 1977 movie, Smokey and the Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields, where the story travels between Georgia and Texas on a crazy trucking adventure, transporting bootlegged beer across the country. While this Hollywood movie may be glamorized for cinema, the parallelism to real-life trucking during that same time period – the 1970’s – is undeniably similar. But a lot changed once state and federal transportation and safety regulations were established in the following years.
Today we’ll recount driver stories from the road, what truck driving was really like in the most untamed days of the 70’s and 80’s, and how safety and compliance regulations have impacted trucking.
Paper log books, CB radios and printed maps
Paper log books, CB radios, printed maps, multiple drivers licenses and as many hours as you could get and handle – these were the ways of the 70’s and 80’s for over the road (OTR) freight trucking. And while the technology was far from the advancements we see today (ELDs, dash cameras, cell phones, GPS, AI, etc.), it was a respectable career rich with freedom, independence and a good wage, too.
For many professional CDL drivers back then, these were the “glory days of trucking.”
These were the “glory days of trucking.”
Trucking stories from the 1970’s – 1980’s (anonymous but real)
We sifted through countless driver stories dating back to 1970 to get a better understanding of what being a CDL driver was really like. Many of the stories have a common thread – things were wild and unrestricted like weight limitations, little driver oversight, and even less vehicle standards, but things were good, really good for truck drivers.
An old-time truck driver describes the typical cab-working conditions.
“The trucks were hot, poorly insulated, and slow compared to today’s equipment.”
He goes on to describe what an ordinary day looked like back when regulations were minimal and the law was having each other’s back because there was no other option.
“Drivers smack-talked each other constantly. But if you were broken down, every one of them would either stop or at least ask you over the cab if you had help coming. If you didn’t they would call someone for you (no cell phones in those days). This industry has been good to me – my kids ate, slept in warm beds, and went to college. I’d do it all over again if I could.”
A veteran OTR driver recounts the old days of trucking to a new driver trainee.
“The drugs, uppers anything you could get your hands on to run 18-20 hours.” The driver went on to inform his trainee, “The FMCSA was the greatest thing to happen to trucking and saving a lot of drivers’ lives over the years.”
Hauling coal was common practice in the 70’s – one driver explains the coal freight motto.
“Bending the weight limit rules was common practice for OTR truckers transporting heavy hauls of coal. The motto was, you haul more, you get paid more.” – Coal Bucket Outlaw
Commercial transportation safety and regulation timeline
Over the course of the next 50 years, interstate and intrastate freight commerce exploded. But with the supply chain expansion, came the obvious need for more safety, regulation and training.
One of the first safety training films was developed in 1966, and while it was helpful to get the ball moving in the right direction, there was a lot of work to be done to improve road, driver and vehicle safety. Violations, accidents, injuries and fatalities were on the rise and it was clear – it was time for more oversight.
Beginning in 1970, the National Highway Traffic Safety Act (NHTSA) was introduced, and later in 2000 one of the largest and most impactful federal organizations was established to monitor, regulate and improve road safety – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA).
Timeline – 50 years of regulation in commercial transportation
- 1970 – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 1980 – Motor Carrier Act
- 1986 – Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act
- 2000 – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- 2010 – CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)
National Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1970 – This Act established the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which focuses on reducing deaths, injuries, and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes, including those involving large commercial trucks.
Motor Carrier Act of 1980 – The Act was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter and deregulated the trucking industry, reduced government control and promoted competition by allowing carriers to set their own rates.
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 – This Act established national standards for testing, licensing, and disqualifications of interstate drivers and made usage of multiple state drivers licenses illegal.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 2000 – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established in 2000 with the primary mission to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries and improve overall road and driver safety. Safety areas of focus include but are not limited to:
- Equipment and Vehicle Safety Standards
- Hours of Service (HOS)
- Driver Qualifications
- Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
- Fuel Economy Standards
- Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)
- Route Restrictions
- Commercial Motor Vehicle Insurance Requirements
CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability), 2010 – The FMCSA launched the CSA program in December 2010. The program assigns a score from 0 to 100, indicating the safety and compliance of a driver or carrier. With a good CSA score, carriers can get lower insurance premiums and less DOT roadside inspections.
Learning from personal experiences from our predecessors, spanning 50+ years, and navigating federal / state regulations has transformed trucking operations today. But one thing remains constant – hauling freight by truck is the most convenient and widely used method of transporting goods and fuels the U.S. economy. It ensures that businesses and consumers get what they want, when they want it.
Sometimes looking back is looking ahead to remind us why we still love truckin’ so much.
