TRUCKS, TRUCKING AND YOU

by Hope Irvin Marston ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 23, 1979

If ""you"" happen to be female, the 15 pages depicting women now driving trucks--some solo, some in partnership with their husbands--might prove encouraging, and the brief introductions to coal hauler Gregg Irvin, owner-operator Ray Byler, etc., give some sense of the range of possibilities; but the rest is a stodgy assemblage of basic information with none of the energy or momentum that both subject and readership would seem to call for. Described and illustrated are basic truck designs and types of trucks (the latter via a picture-portfolio in which many of the examples are merely identified as manufacturers' models); the advantages of cab-over-engine vs. conventional tractors; how gasoline and diesel engines work, as well as automatic and manual transmissions. You'll also hear how to get practical experience around trucks, what to look for in a driving school, the pros and cons of working for a company or going it alone. There are tales of drivers' good deeds on the road, data about the CB radio (with a glossary of terms), and lots on the driver's ""exciting way of life"" (thanks in part to national awards and competitive ""roadeos""). And, to omit nothing, Marston identifies other jobs in the trucking industry and trucking hobbies you can start on now (like making scale models). It's all competent, giving a pre-existing interest, but it sure won't fire anyone up. Better look to the adult shelves before you add this one.

Pub Date: Oct. 23, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dodd, Mead

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1979

Categories: NONFICTION