Question:
Driving lesson
Ok, here is a driving lesson that would be typical of back in the 60's. Just for you newbies that have never witnessed this and wondered what it was actually like to drive a truck from the 50-60's.
I made this short clip in my '59 B model Mack, working the triplex(15 spd) twin stick tranny.

Answer:
Nice driving man! Could you show us how is the the shifting pattern of the Mack?

Answer:
Ok, on a Mack triplex:.....................................................................over
The left shifter, nearest leg(compound box) is:...................lo........direct
On a quad box, there is an additional lo/lo above lo. Giving 20 gears(basically).
On a duplex there is only lo and direct on compound(but up/down, not beside to each other).
The right stick (main box) is std 5 spd with reverse being left/up and the remaining standard H pattern. You split each main gear with compound box. Depending on load and such you can skip any gears you want. Bobtailing I usually start 3 lo, and skip along to 5th.
It's not a "high" power motor, so it needs some gears to pull any kind of load. Like I usuallly tell anyone........I may not be the first to the top of the hill, but even after 46 yrs it STILL makes it!!!

Answer:
Hey thats cool! Fun stuff indeed.
I actually learned on a Mack dump truck, though much later model, late 70's I guess, and I wanna say they were "D" models? Not sure, its been so long. Hauling raw ore out of open pit mine in Georgia.
The tranny was different though. Hi, Lo, and reverse on the outside stick, 1 - 5 on the inside, you could back up and shift five times!
The trucks had 6 cylinders, hardly any a$$ at all. On soft earth hauling 24-25 tons, they would lose speed and rpm so quick, just had to stab the clutch, grab a gear and nail the throttle again, at least until you got on solid ground.
Later on the company leased 2 brand new ( 98 ) Macks with Fuller 9 spd. and better power.

Answer:
DM or DMM model maybe?? Did it have diamond plate type front fenders?? Usually pretty typical of the HD units for that kind of work. Depending on what year it might have been either 237 or 285 hp motors. Both would have had the "mud stick" 5 or 6 spd (two stick). I've got three gears in reverse.
Those style motors were "lug" motors. They would pull down to low rpm(like 1000) where my little 673 is only good to 1500 rpm. That is the reason they only had 5-6 gears(instead of 15+). They were not quick at all, but they would pull forever! And last as long too!! There again, not the quickest to the top of the hill, but ALWAYS gets there.

Answer:
Now that you mention it, DM sounds right. They had 6 trucks running at different times, all Macks, all had fiberglass tilt front end with the old type metal, spring loaded hood latchs.
I dunno, maybe the trucks weren't as old as I thought. I started work there in 1986 and the trucks were old then. A couple of them had manual tailgate latch, you know, where you hang your arm out the window and grab the handle as the bed comes down. Later they were upgraded to air operated latchs.
You're right about the lugging. Even with so little HP they were amazing pullers. On soft ground with really heavy loads, of course you had to be gentle on take off. I snapped my first and last axle when I first started driving, but I saw, and heard, many axles popped over the years from over zelous drivers.
Those old Macks endured so much abuse and kept on going, and relatively simple rigs too. I always said if I ever bought my own truck it would be a Mack. I wonder if they are still as tough as they used to be....
In 98 they leased the 2 new trucks and retired a couple of the oldest ones. By that time I had been equipment operator for several years but still had occasion to drive the haul trucks sometimes. That same year they began contracting the mining operations and were completely contracted by the following year which left me disappointed. I loved the mining, working outside with trucks and heavy equipment. I was "relocated" inside one of the manufacturing facilities where I worked until 2001 when I quit to move to TX.
Anyway, there is alot of BS that no one asked to hear.

Answer:
Trucking history is OK! You might actually give someone some insight on a job that they might enjoy getting into. That is what this forum is for, right?
I'm surprised the "arm chair quarterbacks" around here are not out in full force to tell me how wrong I was doing something . Guess they only post to things that they know can put the person down for or tell them how worthless they are for asking a question!!