Old751 - The Rebirth

The trip seemed to take forever. The Black Beast didn't argue in the least when I slowed to take the exit. I noticed that there was still a marked increase in truck traffic on the old highway and hoped it was because the Lost Café was being given a new life. I hadn't taken the time to install my CB radio in the Black Beast so I couldn't ask.

Near Smithville I knew that Old751's magic was still working. I noticed that there were also more cars in the lot as well. I found a place to park the Black Beast, I need to quit calling her that. I will change it to The Beast. I could see through the window that even at this time of night they were busy. I heard a loud whistle when I walked in the door, it was Jack from over by the truck stop. I walked over and he reached out his hand, I shook it happily. He said that he didn't see my truck but saw me crossing the lot. I told him that Old751 had been retired on me and pointed to the Beast on the edge of the lot, there's my ride now.

He said that he hoped she brought me as much luck as my last one did and I said that I hoped so too. Then he admitted that he was stalling me because Julie had run home for a break, and she was on her way back now. I thanked him for being honest. He told me that he stopped covering for her a long time ago, then he said that he wanted to also thank me for a couple of things, one for whatever I did that saved the truck stop and Café, and then for making his sister happier than he had seen her in years.

I told him that one was purely a shot in the dark, literally, and the other was purely intentional, and I hoped that her being happy went on for a long time. He slapped me on the shoulder and said that he had to get back to work and headed back to the truck stop.

I turned just in time to see Julie running in the door. I let her search for me before clearing my throat, making her turn. I was hoping you would stop in tonight, but I didn't know when you would. Of course, you waited until I ran home to rest for a few minutes. I have to keep you on your toes, I told her, and that she owed me some cherry pie for getting the brother treatment. She laughed and said that it was a small price to pay.

We sat at one of the booths and a new waitress, Gayle, according to her hand printed name tag. I asked Julie if things were still going well. She said amazingly so and that she had found out the secondary reason. One of the truckers that came in after that first call out that I had made from Old751 had posted a rave review on every social media platform there was along with several truckers' chat groups. The Lost café and Truck Stop was now the number one restaurant, place to visit and thing to do within 60 miles of Smithville.

I said that couldn't be possible, it had only been a couple of weeks since I sent out that late-night call for people to give the Café a try. Julie pulled out her phone and showed me the Trip Advisor score. The only under 5-star review was from some poor trucker that couldn't get peach pie because they were out and had to settle for cherry, that he gave 5 stars to.

I had to laugh, I have never been big on social media, and it never occurred to me to use that. I just went old school and used a CB radio, how 70's of me. I finished my pie and coffee then asked Julie if she would like to meet the Beast, and of course she said yes. She told one of the waitresses that she would be back in a few and we headed out across the lot with her holding my hand.

I unlocked the door and helped her up into the truck. Yes, she could have gotten in all by herself, but I got to touch her butt by helping her. I went around to the other side and got into the driver's seat. Julie was oh-ing and ah-ing over the bright shiny inside and the new truck smell from the upholstery. I turned the key, and the Beast came to life without any big belch of black smoke, just a deep rumble from the exhaust. Julie said that the Beast had a much more pleasant vibrator setting than Old751 did, but I reminded her that Old751 was trying to impress her.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the small sleeper area and down on top of her. Our lips met and we kissed deeply. Mouth and hands roamed over each other, touching each other in places that we had been respectfully avoiding so far. Our tongues darted around each other as we French kissed. My hands stroked the sides of her breast and down toward her stomach. She ran her hands over my body hungrily too. After several minutes we both needed to come up for air.

I told her that I had been wanting to do this since the first night we met. Julie told me that she had too and that night I had stayed in her spare room she had gotten out of bed twice and almost came to join me.

I told her that as much as I would love to continue this, the Beast hadn't earned to right and I still had a run to finish. Julie asked if I was stopping on the way back and I told her I was, but I didn't know exactly when that would be. I had some things I needed to do up on the other end and had no idea how long it might take. She told me that she was still closing the Café at midnight, for now, and if I was after that, I should come by the house.

I asked if that was an open invitation and she said yes it was. I kissed her again and we fell right back into a heavy make-out session for another 20 minutes. Her phone burring with a text that broke us from going any further. It was Gayle, the new gal and she had a problem.

I helped Julie put herself together enough to make it look like we hadn't been acting like a couple of teenagers and helped her out of the cab. I told her that I would see her in a couple of days. She gave me a kiss and headed in to take care of whatever it was that Gayle couldn't manage. I stopped her and said that I needed to pay for my pie and coffee, and she scoffed at me and told me that my money didn't work at the Lost Café and if I ever figured out who the Lone Wrangler was, to make sure he came in so she could tell him that too.

I watched her walk back to the Café, when she realized that I was still watching, she added extra swivel in her hips seductively. I wanted to tell her that I didn't think seduction was needed anymore. Once she was inside, I climbed back into the Beast and rolled out for my delivery. I knew I was going to be early to talk with the manager, but I would wait. I knew what my new future was going to be, and it included Old751 and Julie and the Lost Café and Truck Stop. I really wished I had my CB. I wanted to find The Lone Wrangler and thank him too.

I rolled into the depot just as they were getting opened. The dock supervisor pointed to a bay way down at the end not recognizing the truck. Instead of driving down there I backed into my regular spot and waited for him to come start yelling at me, it didn't take long either. I opened the door and climbed out and he calmed down. I told him that Old751 had other plans, and this was my new ride. He laughed; he had forgotten that Old751 was retiring. He pointed to the bright white number painted on the Peterbilt's snout and said that it was a nice touch.

We went inside. I told him that there wasn't a big hurry to unload, I needed to talk to him and the boss when the boss showed up. He looked at me and asked if I was going to take the job with their shipper finally. They had been after me for 2 years to take a job with Thomson Trucking, but they wanted owner/operators which I was not. I just told him that was what I wanted to talk about. He said the boss won't be in for a couple of hours, but he could call him if I wanted him to. I told him no, Old751 set all this in motion, and I was willing to play on her terms. He told me you truckers are sure a strange lot. I just agreed with him. I did ask the dock guys if any of them had ever heard of a trucker that went by The Lone Wrangler and none had.

I grabbed a cup of black stuff they had in an old, stained pot that they said was coffee and dropped a quarter in the cup beside it. I was halfway through the cup when the supervisor came strolling in with the boss. I told him that I had said not to call him, and the boss told me that one of the kids had been sick all night and he was escaping the carnage.

We all three headed into the front office. The boss, Joe, had been dock supervisor when I made my first delivery there. The current supervisor, Bud, was his number 2 on the dock so when Joe moved up nothing much changed on the dock. They had both mentioned in passing that the shipper that they contracted with was always having trouble keeping drivers because they were out in the middle of nowhere and sometimes there were long hauls involved. None of the younger drivers wanted to stay, they got experience and made some decent money then moved on.

I told them that I had some opportunities come up very recently and wanted to be near Smithville. Thomson was right in the middle, and it would work out for me if everything fell into place, I could live in Smithville and still drive for Thomson making their deliveries. Joe asked some questions about driving, and longer hauling. I told him that I would be okay with that if the time off was comparable.

Finally, it was Bud who asked where I was going to get a truck and why in hell would I want to move to Smithville. I told him that Old751 was heading to the auction in a couple of months. I thought that a respectable mechanic could easily get her into great shape, and she would have a lot more miles in her and I thought that Steve would sell her to me at a decent price. Bud said that takes care of the truck, what about Smithville. I asked if either of them had heard of The Lost Café and Truck Stop. They both laughed and said that years ago, before the state screwed the town with the interstate, it was one of the best places around to eat but neither had been there since they were kids.

I told them the story of Old751 forcing me to stop there late one night and how I had done a solid for a struggling little Café and gas station and what had happened since. Then I showed them a picture of Julie and told them that I had fallen head over heels and really wanted to make it work. Living where I was and stopping every couple of weeks wasn't going to do that.

Joe picked up the phone and called Thomson Trucking. The way he was selling me almost sounded like if they didn't hire me and do me right, he would dump them as his shipping company. Before he hung up, he told them to expect me to stop in in a few hours. He asked if I had the means to buy Old751. I told him that for the last 8 years the only big purchase I had made was my pickup that was now going on four years old, I thought my banker would take care of me. He told me that if they didn't, his bank would, so just let him know.

One of the dock workers knocked on the door and asked if we were about to finish that they needed the Beast moved. I shook Joe and Buds hands, thanked them, and said that I hoped to be seeing a lot more of them, then told them to load the family up some Sunday and drive to Smithville for the best fried chicken and cherry pie they ever had. They looked at each other and in unison said, that boy has it bad.

I rolled out and pointed the Beast toward Thomson and Thomson Trucking to seal down the next part of my plan.

Thomson Trucking was really nothing more than a large fenced in lot, a three-bay mechanic shop, and an old farmhouse that served as an office. Since all they did was deliver products from one place to another, they didn't need much more than that. There were some old relics of their past sitting around the lot. Right at the gated entrance was a well-kept model T with a flatbed mounted on it. On the door was painted - Thomson Delivery Service - Established 1923. There were a few rusting semis sitting around, a couple of newer looking trailers, and four cabovers that were about the same age as Old751. I swung the Beast around in the yard, so I was pointing toward the gate and parked. There were more cars and pickups sitting around than I was expecting.

I stepped up on the porch and stomped the gravel dust off my boot like I was going in grandma's house, it had that kind of feel. Inside, two guys were laughing over something they found funny. I shut the door behind me and introduced myself. They both stood and said that they were Bill and Rick Thomson. I asked if I had walked in on a joke. They laughed again; we can always tell what kind of person is about to walk in the door by what they do on that porch.

The young guys who are just here to get started just walk right in. The older guys who are hard working and respectful walk in like they expect to see granny sitting in her rocker knitting and ready to yell at them for not wiping their boot before coming in. I asked how long it took them to figure that out and they said that they hadn't, their grandad taught them that when they were snotnosed kids running around while their dad was out making runs.

I shook their hands; I think I might like working at this place. They asked about my work and driving history, if that was my truck or my companies; I told them that I didn't have a truck yet but if we could work out a deal, I could have one in a couple days that would fit right in with theirs, as long as I could find a real good mechanic to take off the bubble gum and baling wire to fix what really needed fixed.

We discussed how they ran their business. They had 8 semis that they owned and hired drivers for. They currently had 10 owner/operators that they contracted with. Milage and hourly rate. Hours off were equal to hours on a run. Some of them were as long as a seven-day round trip. Loads went out on a first come first serve basis. Bill organized the loads and Rick assigned the drivers. They told me that it wasn't the same trip every time and the length would vary as well.

I asked if I needed my own trailer, they said yes, but they had a couple I could use until I found a good one to buy if I needed. Maintenance, licensing, and insurance were all up to me. I asked about loading and unloading; would all be done by shipper and receiver. All I had to do was get stuff from point A to point B. Mandatory breaks and logs, which would be checked, were a must. I wasn't going to lose loads or extra money by rushing and cutting corners, and if I did, I would be looking for a new place to work. I asked if they had an estimate on what I would be making, it was a new way of working for me. Rick hollered into the back room, hey hon, can you give me a rough average that our OwnOp contractors are making? Hon, a female voice hollered back, most are clearing 7 to 8 grand a month. Hon came out from the back. Obviously, she had been listening to us the whole time. Rick said meet my wife Ann. If you come to work for us, she will be your favorite; she hands out paychecks and fresh baked cookies. I stood and shook her hand.

I was trying to do crazy math in my head. Find a place to live in Smithville, shouldn't be too much if there was anything available, sell my house, buy an old stubborn truck with attitude issues and a trailer, quit my job, tell Julie how much I have fallen in love with her, find time to be together between my hauls and her Café. I was suddenly spinning like crazy.

Bill cleared his throat to bring me back to earth. I apologized for spacing out, that I was trying to work out details on the fly. Ann said, don't decide right now. We know it is a lot and the good ones don't jump right at a job offer, especially if they have a job to leave. I thanked her for the advice and asked does that mean you guys are offering me a job? They said yes if you want to take it. Ann added, if you have someone you need to talk it over with then by all means do that too.

I thanked them and said that if I could find all my ducks and get them somewhat in a row, I wanted to take them up on their offer, would within a week be, okay? And they said that would be fine but take longer if I needed to. Don't make big decisions on the spur of the moment. I laughed; you would be amazed at the number of big decisions I am making impulsively lately.

I thanked them all for their time and told them that I was extremely interested in coming to work for them because it worked great into my future plans. I asked about all the cars in the lot. They said most of the drivers would leave their rigs on the lot when the were off and drive their cars back and forth. I liked that. I wasn't sure about parking a tractor trailer regularly around Julie's house or taking up a space on the lot at the truck stop.

I just then noticed how late it had gotten. I apologized for keeping them there that late. They didn't seem to mind at all. As I was leaving, I asked if they knew a trucker that went by the handle The Lone Wrangler. Rick looked at Bill and asked if that wasn't Charlie Parker's CB handle, Bill agreed that it was, he was on a run out east but should be back in a couple days. I asked that they give him my number and ask him to call me when he got back. They said sure but why?

I short versioned the story of the Lost Café and Truck Stop to them. They all remember eating there and not all that long ago. I told them that the Lost Café was making a resurgence, thanked them again for their time and the job offer. They would hear from me as soon as I had made my decision. Ann responded with a I will be talking with you soon. Walking out, I did peek in the corner and yes, there was an old rocking chair sitting there.

I floated into the bright shiny cab of the Beast. It was going on 6:30, it would be 3 before I was even close to Smithville. I wasn't going to wake Julie in the middle of the night and if I went home, I could start making calls before I needed sleep, I was amped up. I couldn't remember a time in my life when everything seemed so right.

I fired up the Beast, called Julie on the speaker phone and drove into my future. Julie's cheery voice informed me that I had been delegated to her voice mail and that if I wanted to talk to her that I had better give her a great reason to want to call me back. Damn, the pressure to produce something witty and clever in seconds. I was babbling something that sounded sophisticatedly stupid when she rang me back. I answered with don't listen to that voice mail - ever.

She laughed and said that now she had too. I explained that the extra errands I had to do took longer than planned and that my route would get me there at around 3 a.m. and I wasn't going to rob her of her beauty sleep to see her for an hour before she had to go to work. She sounded disappointed but understood and appreciated my consideration. She asked what I was working on, and I told her that I wasn't ready to fill her in yet, but I would be able to in a couple days if all went right. She sounded suspicious but accepted my reason.

She said that they weren't terribly busy at the moment and the other girls were handling it okay, we had time to talk. I wanted to tell her everything but kept it to how the Café and Truck Stop were doing. She told me that Jack was hiring people at the Truck Stop just to keep things stocked. She had hired four more waitresses, two for morning and two for evenings, and they were all working out great. They all seemed to get along and work together well. She was happy that Manny had a big family nearby, she had hired 2 of his nephews to bus tables and even more of his family to cook.

She had a stack of applications for waitress and was spending more time as hostess than waiting tables and actually being a boss. I told her that was great, and I sure hoped it lasted a long time. I told her that I had talked to some people who remembered if being a place to go before the interstate was there. We talked until her dinner crowd started coming in and work required her attention. Some of her new waitresses still needed extra supervision. I told her how sorry I was that this drive-by wasn't going to work out, but I wanted to come see her during my off time if I could. She told me that I had better because she really wanted to see me too.