I
t’s funny sometimes how things work out, how you can lose track of something and then find it again when you least expect it. That’s what happened to the late Rodney Anderson of Rochester, Vermont, and his Mack LJT. Way back in March 1950, A & J Giambartolomei purchased this Mack new from Mack Trucks of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Equipped with an integral sleeper, the truck was powered by a 200 Cummins with a 5+3 transmission and 5.11 double-reduction rears. Of course, its color was Mack Red. Giambartolomei leased the Mack to the Middle Atlantic Transportation Company, which was based in New York City and had terminals in New Britain and Milford, Connecticut, Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. However, the truck was based in Ridgefield, Connecticut, thus the name it was given (Miss Ridgefield). Americo Giambartolomei was the driver, and because Rodney was a Giambartolomei employee, he got to drive the truck when it was new. In later years, he drove it during the latter part of the week, running double with its regular driver, Gordon Hickok. In 1958, the 
Mack was taken off the Middle Atlantic run and put in service pulling a dump trailer with a day cab configuration. Then, it was sold to a road contractor Rodney was working for where it pulled a 35-ton lowboy moving equipment. So, he got to drive it for another four years, until 1966. After that, he saw it around on the roads until 1979, but then lost track of the truck. Nearly twenty years later, Rodney saw an LJT rust bucket go by on a trailer owned by Matt Pfhal, a restoration specialist from Bethlehem, Connecticut, who had found the truck in a collector’s yard in Pawling, NY. Next, it went to Over the Hill Trucks in Pittsford, Vermont, where Rodney followed up on it and was able to match the serial number. It turned out to be the same Mack LJT he’d driven years before, so he very happily brought it back to Connecticut and spent more than five years doing a total restoration. The Mack was Rodney’s prized possession, and he loved showing it off at truck shows.
Previous ArticleThe Exception
Next Article The Spirit of the American Trucker – February 2016
John & Shirley Sponholtz
John & Shirley Sponholtz have been involved with old trucks for over 20 years. Shirley was editor at Wheels of Time for 12 years before going out on her own and starting Old Time Trucks magazine in 2004. John is an avid photographer who enjoys taking pictures of odd and/or rare trucks (he provides most of the pictures for this article and their magazine). John & Shirley, who are from Richmond, Indiana, have been regular contributors to 10-4 Magazine since 2006.
