After eating the big ole hairy steak in Del Rio, Butch crawled back in the sleeper for some much needed rest. He had been on the road for several days straight.

We were in his Cabover Kenworth that was powered by a 335 HP Cummins engine that was turn to something like an additional 100 HP. This truck was equipped with 4 x 4 transmission. Meaning it had 2 – 4 speed transmissions. To shift those transmissions you stuck your left arm through the steering wheel and shifted the front transmission while shifting the back one with your right hand.

With the power and gears, 8 track tape playing loudly over the noise of the engine directly below, heading west to California, I was living a dream. Butch had calculated that we would need fuel in El Paso and to wake him up then. We got to El Paso and stopped at a truck stop to regroup, get fuel and eat.

I thought maybe Butch would want to drive from there, with going into different states but he got back in the sleeper for another snooze. He said if I hadn’t heard from him by the time we got into California to stop and let him know before we headed down the steep mountain called Tehachapi Pass.

When Butch came out of the sleeper we were half down Tehachapi grade going toward Bakersfield, Ca. There wasn’t exactly a place to pull off so I continued to drive with him setting up in the the edge of the seat, scared half to death. I knew he was annoyed with me.

When we got to a place to pull off he took over and drove the rest of the way to Marysville, which was north of Sacramento. We unloaded and headed back to Texas. He continued to drive until we were almost out of California. At that point he turn the wheel over to me and I drove back to Mason, Texas before I heard from Butch again.

A rough few days but a lot of experience crammed into those days.

Fond memories that have never left me. Not much over a year later I married Butch’s niece and the rest is history as they say.