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Navajo Freight Lines

Discussion in 'The Antiquated' started by winduptoy, Apr 30, 2018.

  1. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I recall looking over the fence of 'Old Town' Albuquerque into the terminal of Navajo Freight Lines.
    My mind tells me that the yard was paved with the cut out portion of the three tab asphalt shingles. The little strips were compacted by the weight of the truck wheels. I was completely taken in by the smell and rattle of the diesel engines.Trucks bound west to California and east to Illinois on US Route 66. I know not a whole lot about Navajo other than they were the 'Line of the Blue Eyed Indian'
    The Navajo was graced with blue eyes as a sign painter from Italy, gave the indian depicted, blue eyes.
    Navajo Freight lines was eventually absorbed into the modern ABF and Digby aquired Navajo trucking gallup1.jpg the rights to the name.
    Do you know any thing about Navajo Truck Lines?
    Navajo trucking gallup3.jpg
    West bound on US RT66 in a relief effort sending food to the Navajo Nation. See the snow.
    This is looking East from the top of Nine Mile Hill with Albuquerque in the valley and the Sandia Mountains in the background.
    Autocar Tractors. I can recall keeping the window of my bedroom open so I could hear the report of the exhaust from the Cummins 220 engine as they pulled the grade up the truck route thru Albuquerque. They are 'western'spec with Budd wheels. Has to have been a publicity photo with the drivers on the roadway. Navajo trucking gallup4.jpg
    Had to have been Christmas time as Gallup is decorated. That truck is just pure sex. Look at the air horn centered in the roof.. Small sleeper added.
    navajo-peterbilt-conv-01.jpg Looks to be a shot in New Mexico guessing along about Laguna
     
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  2. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  3. My wife and I pass a Navajo truck just about everyday on our commute. We always comment on the blue eyed princess on the doors!
     
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  4. MUNDSTER
    Joined: May 11, 2011
    Posts: 292

    MUNDSTER
    Member

    Pretty cool stuff, however I would try contacting the American Truck Historical Society. (aths.org) you might be a little off topic here.


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  5. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    ATHS gave up on them. Kind of like cry babies and billet in my mind. Nobody in our local chapter even owns or drives a big truck. Kind of like taking a Prowler to a Hot Rod cruise. The signs are mine, it's old shit...the trucking company is old and no longer. Deregulation of the industry did them in. Companies like Gillette, DC, Transcon, had so much invested in authorities to operate along routes that suddenly anyone could operate along. They couldn't compete and be profitable. Remember ICX no backs? The yellow and black tractors ran on US66 Illinois California eXpress. My brother's and I would try to be the first to spot one on the highway. You'd get to punch the brother on the arm and call out ICX no backs....a travel game to keep the kids occupied.
    How about Peyton's that had 'Hit me easy, I'm full of baloney' on the side of their trailers?
    APEX, a local carrier that had authority Albuquerque to Phoenix eXpress...
    All to be lost. They all have advertising, so does Navajo Truck Lines. Maybe I'm in the wrong place, maybe not. This is Ryan's experiment so unless I'm told to go, I'm staying. It's about preservation

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  6. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    IMG_20180501_080058815.jpg
    A desk top kind of thing to stick papers in. It has the blue eyed Indian theme.

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  7. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    So the story goes about a mechanic that worked in the Albuquerque terminal... as the story was told to me he was nick named 'Chief'
    He worked swing shift and did the odd jobs like 'I have a rattle in the driver door' or 'the heater motor only runs on lo'
    'the brownie box shifter rattles in direct'....you get the idea the nagging problems that the drivers complained about and were a pia to deal with....he was the go to guy.
    He'd back his pick-up up to the loading dock and drop the tail gate at the start of his shift.
    Then the big roll-a-way tool box would get pushed over on the dock, ready to be loaded in the truck.
    He would then walk into the shop foreman's office and ask
    'are you guys going to mess with me tonight or leave me alone to work'?
    'because if you are going to mess with me, I'm loading my tools and leaving right now'
    'If you are leaving me alone to do my job. I'll go get to work now'
    the answer was his work tickets were all lined out and he'd be left alone to do them.
    He would go roll his box back into the shop, put up the tailgate, and park his truck.

    True or not? Believable, yes I like this guy.

    On another note the auxiliary transmission referred to as a Brownie by the drivers was 'Brown-Lipe-Company

    BLC headlamps.... same company
     
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  8. gdaddy
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 172

    gdaddy
    Member
    from nw fl.

    thanks for the brownie tip , I have one in my 1932 ford body , on 1936 diamond t chassis
     
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  9. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Any photos?
     
  10. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  11. InstantT
    Joined: Aug 15, 2012
    Posts: 716

    InstantT
    Member
    from SoCal

    I know that they're one of my customers and they always pay their bills.

    Sent from my LGLS992 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  12. jchav62
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 1,932

    jchav62
    Member

    Very cool stuff windup! I love looking at old pics of semi's... I like old pics in New Mexico even better.
     
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  13. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The modern Navajo Express uses the name only. It is nothing of the former Navajo Freight Lines.
    I'm glad they pay their bills that is a great customer
     
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  14. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    navajo truckingdiamond t.jpg
    When was the last time you saw a Diamond T cab over. Pulling a refrigerated trailer getting fuel. Air horn centered in the cab. Ladder leaning against a pump for use cleaning windshields. Good looking B model Mack in the background.
     
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  15. imbroke
    Joined: Dec 19, 2014
    Posts: 23

    imbroke

    I grew up in the business and can remember the old Navajo freight lines. The Navajo you see today is a completely different company. I’m a driver my self and have lots of love for older trucks as well, these new trucks are really not my thing. I can try to post some pictures of my 79 white western star, it’ll actually be back on the road turning California to Arkansas pulling a reefer next week. Has a 400 big cam Cummins with a 13 speed. IMG_1960.JPG IMG_1964.JPG IMG_1880.JPG


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  16. InstantT
    Joined: Aug 15, 2012
    Posts: 716

    InstantT
    Member
    from SoCal

    I sure hope that reefer is a ThermoKing.

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  17. imbroke
    Joined: Dec 19, 2014
    Posts: 23

    imbroke

    Absolutely, I can’t get no sleep to a oil slinging carrier! Hahahaha


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  18. Can you find anyone to work on it anymore? Back in the 1990's I drove a International with that same engine trans combo pulling a low boy hauling construction equipment. Turned up, loaded over 80,000 lbs. permitted it pulled like a locomotive and never ran out of power.
     
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  19. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Sweet truck. You have a very nice office to work out of. Yes, the modern company has no connection but the name.bThe old Navajo was one of the first to use dromedary as a sleeper along like all wheel drive to navigate the likes of Loveland pass in the winter snow.
    Yes more pictures of your trucking experience.
    Larry

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  20. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    ThermoKing was one of the first in the business. They used Mercedes diesel engines. I remember more than one trailer being dropped on a belly mount unit.... maybe that's why they don't mount them there any more...

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  21. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    'oil slinging Carrier with a Deeetroit powered Cannonball tractor with a bumper sticker that reads" If you can see this I'm out of oil"...

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  22. imbroke
    Joined: Dec 19, 2014
    Posts: 23

    imbroke

    Man it’s getting harder to find folks who know what they are doing with a mechanical motor, I do as much as I possibly can on my own. In all out reality the 400 big cam Cummins is the gas equivalent of a 350 small block Chevy, as in parts for them are everywhere and cheap. But finding someone who knows what they are doing with one is a definite challenge.


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  23. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  24. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Been awhile since posting any on this thread. Was at the Lewis Antique car and toy museum in Moriarty NM yesterday and snapped a photo of this Smith-Miller model. Freightliner with a Dromedary behind the cab. Starting as a Western carrier they could haul more revenue producing freight this way and still meet the overall length requirements.

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  25. stillkruzn
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 980

    stillkruzn
    Member
    from Conway, AR

    I just run across this thread doing some other searches on Navajo Freight Lines. By grandpa was an owner/operator and had his truck leased to Navajo back in the 70s. This isn't a very good pic, but here is a pic of one of his trucks that was leased to Navajo before they shutdown.
     

    Attached Files:

  26. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,316

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That is really cool. Thanks for the photo. Any stories?
    I noticed that the photo I was referring to didn't post IMG_20180708_154419090.jpg

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  27. stillkruzn
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 980

    stillkruzn
    Member
    from Conway, AR

    I made my first trip on the truck with my grandpa in that KW to CA. I was about 6 years old, so that would have been about 1975... After he sold this truck, he bought 2 different Pete's, the last one being a 1979 Pete that I got to drive at 13 years old... pulling a 45 ft dropdeck... fun times.. good memories!
     
  28. downlojoe33
    Joined: Jul 25, 2013
    Posts: 668

    downlojoe33
    Member

    As a retired driver (42 years) I remember seeing Navajo around in my early years. Very cool logo and nearly all trucks were cabovers then. Lots of windshield time in a cabover myself, and still consider them the best overall truck. Just wish I could still climb up in one. The knees are gone from jumping out of cabs and trailers. But it was a lot of fun before all the 4 wheelers and government regulations ruined it. Time marches on.......
     

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