Sixteen forward gears, diesel smoke trailing in the wind; eighteen tyres checked and singin' on the pavement; 5000 miles to cover, three weeks away from home, and it's work, mister, it demands the best. And whether your run is on Interstate 70 or haulin' freight down the eastern seaboard, if you're a gearjammer, you know there ain't no easy runs.
I was sittin in the terminal waitin for my load,
When a green-horned driver came in off the road.
I heard him tell that foreman: "Get my little pink slip,
"This run is too tough and I'm gonna quit."
Now the foreman that day happened to be old Joe;
Man he was older than time.
He said: "Son, how long you been drivin' this rig?
"You know, I drove all shapes, forms, fashions and kinds,
"And here you are worried about this one little trip.
"Well I drove a million miles and then some."
He looked that greenhorn right in the eye and he said: "Boy:
"There ain't no easy runs."
"I drove for Roadway, Interstate, Hopewell, Great Lakes,
"Walford Mac, Time, Mayflower, Freightline,
"Spectre, Yellow Transit, Western and Gillete,
"Redball, Ryder, Northwestern, Dicks-Seattle.
"Wilson, Associates, got all that drivin' done,
"And I tell you boy there ain't no easy runs."
He said: "If you've got a gal in Texas, they'll send you up to Maine.
"And if you got a gal in New York, they'll send you out on the Plains.
"I know what your problem is, you got woman troubles son.
"And I tell you boy, there ain't no easy run."
"I drove for Navajo, Brake, Goose, DC,
"North American, Allied, Baltimore Freight, and Pye,
"New Mac, Curtis, Eastern and Dan X,
"Garrett, Ace, Federal and E.T. Erman.
"Neptune, Heron, Brinks and Sea Lab,
"First Dudley, Dorsey, Beacons and Billingham,
"Cooper Detroit, Jones and American too,
"Liteway and Central, Standard and Boston Sioux.
"U-Nan, Buckingham, got all that drivin' done,
"And I tell you boys there ain't no easy run.
"I drove for United, Acme, Tanksley and Shaw,
"Grammer, Atlas, Strickland and Docks,
"Atlantic, Owens, Carron and Beaumont,
"H and H, Murphy, Field and Mulhawk.
"Skill, Skaggs. got all that drivin done,
"And I tell you boy, there ain't no easy run."