The Peterbilt Journals

Rating:
Summary: Straightshooting Tales
Review: This book is not about Peterbilts or or Peterbilt drivers per se. Rather, it is a [personal collection of road experiences .

I mention this because the Peterbilt culture/legend is known to stand alone from the pack. There is even a driving style /seating position associated with Peterbilt drivers.

The reader is left to wonder if Haworth lives the Peterbilt legend/cult to the hilt, complete with the 'appropriate clothes, driving style, chicken lights, etc, because this is not revealed.

Apart from teaching the correct spelling of the word Peterbilt, this book will teach the reader litle else about the workings of the machinery itself. However,the book offers uncensored entry into the life of one particular trucker and the associatd loneliness, stress, discomfort, hardship and folly that goes with it.

The author also provides an insight on how and why some products get shipped from one side of the country to another, and explains a few examples to both interest and intrigue.

One of things about being alone on the road for long periods of time is that otherwise trivial events can become trip highlights. This in itself demonstrates how mundane this romanticised life can actually be. I think that Haworth portrays this rather well.

The author manages to keep the reader entertained throughout the book and provides a diverse collage of life amongst drivers, dispatchers, roadhouses, dock workers and "lot lizards".

Homophobics will wince at some of the tales and puritans will not enjoy the sex, drugs and alcohol references. I hope that this does not put you off, because the book has much to offer, if the reader can put aside their own judgements and prejudices.

Alan Haworth tells it how it is from his perspective... an honest and open perspective that is also shared by some other truckers.

I really liked this book, even if I wasn't comfortable at all times. What good is a book if it doesn't stretch and test you a little and provide an insight into different aspects of life?

Rating:
Summary: Straightshooting Tales
Review: This book is not about Peterbilts per se, or Peterbilt drivers per se. Rather, it is about snippets of road experience as an interstate trucker.

I mention this because the Peterbilt culture/legend is known to stand alone from the pack. There is even a particular driving style /seating position associated with Peterbilt drivers.

The reader is left to wonder if Haworth lives the Peterbilt legend/cult to the hilt, complete with the 'appropriate clothes, driving style, chicken lights, etc etc, because this is not mentioned.

Apart from teaching the correct spelling of the word Peterbilt, this book will teach the reader litle else about the workings of the machinery, however,the book offers uncensored entry into the life of a particular trucker and the associatd loneliness, stress, discomfort, hardship and folly that goes with it.
The author also provides an insight on how and why some products get shipped from one side of the country to another, and explains a few examples to interest and intrigue.

One of things about being alone on the road for long periods of time is that otherwise trivial events can become trip highlights. This in itself demonstrates how mundane this romanticised life can actually be. I think that Haworth portrays this very well.

The author manages to keep the reader entertained and provides a diverse collation of life with drivers,dispatchers, roadhouses,dock workers and lot lizards.

Homophobics will wince at some of the tales and puritans will not enjoy the sex, drugs and alcohol references. I hope that this does not put you off, because the book has much to offer, if the reader can put aside judgements and prejudices.

Alan Haworth tells it how it is from his perspective... an honest and open perspective that is lived by other truckers. Alan also provides an insight on how and why some products get shipped from one side of the country to another, and has a few examples to interest and intrigue.

Overall, I really liked this book, even if I wasn't comfortable at times. Afterall, what good is a book if it doesn't stretch and test you a little and provide an insight into different aspects of life?

Rating:
Summary: Cheap wine
Review: Want a read about a salty old man and his life (tales) on the road?

Don't buy this book.

Want to read about a kid just out of truck school and his drug use and sexual confusion?

BUY THIS BOOK !

This book has NOTHING to do with Peterbuilt and the pride that follows that name. (or the roads they travel on)

To summarize his "Tales".
He graduates from college then goes to truck school. (im still not sure why)
Drives down a steep hill
Goes home to do drugs and basically relive the college life.
Meets a gay dock worker.
Drives up and down the East coast.
And for the grand finally. Goes home again, does more drugs and goes into a bit to much detail about his emotions when putting his hands down another guys pants.

This was an impulse buy. I liked the title. His (tales) are odd and have little to do with trucking. He could of just as well drove around in an RV, making stops at truck stops and a couple warehouses with a note pad.

There is a pecking order on the road. Peterbuilt is the Harley Davidson of American made trucks. Are they the best? That is up to the driver. Never-the-less they carry a lot of history and pride with them.

Iv'e been driving 11yrs. (Im 35) The more i drive the more the noise, the road, the movement... It just satisfies something in me. The same way people can ramble on about fine wine and its intricacies - I can ramble on about the road.

The author drinks very cheap wine, and it doesn't matter what bottle (truck) it comes out of.

The drugs, the prostitutes, the sex - you can find that in the church, the government.. ANY job.