The trucking community has always had its own language, or lingo. Some phrases, such as the 10-codes, are more universally used, but many other phrases were born in the trucking community. Phrases like, “The coops are open,” or “There’s a full-grown (bear) sittin’ in the comedian, shootin’ ya in the back.” Most of us know and comprehend these phrases. Another phrase, which has all but gone the way of the buffalo, is when someone refers to the left lane as the “Monfort Lane”. This nickname came from a time when Monfort of Colorado was a fleet of recognizable orange, yellow and white rigs (A.K.A. Circus Wagons). Monfort had a reputation for having fast trucks, and drivers who weren’t afraid to mash on it. Making back-to-back trips from Colorado to New York couldn’t have been an easy Sunday drive, so these trucks were often seen in a blur of paint and chrome, making tracks in the left lane. There were other fleets that were known to run, too, but, somehow, Monfort has the honors of carrying that left lane nickname to their grave. I would make a politically-correct disclaimer about not condoning excess speed on the highways, but I think that should be obvious. Remember when trucks looked like trucks and driving them was a great, big, fun, pain-in-the-back? I guess time flies, faster than a circus wagon in the Monfort Lane! Thanks go out to Harry Patterson of New Jersey for allowing us to use his great photo of the old Monfort KW from way back in the day!
THE MONFORT LANE
By Trevor Hardwick
I can still remember in my younger days,
My daddy teaching me about the proper ways.
He taught me nearly everything I’d need to know,
Like rollin’ nice ‘n easy on the ice and snow.
If you’re the kind who’s terrified of driving rain,
Then what-n-the-heck ya’ doing in the Monfort Lane?
As I recall the fancy fleets of yesterday,
Pounding down the interstates, every night and day.
It seems there were a few, that were notorious,
For having trucks much faster a Greyhound bus.
If you ain’t any faster than an old freight train,
Then move that clunker over from the Monfort Lane.
Little Audrey’s Trucking, and DC Trans,
Even Tigator, out of Lou-z-anne.
National Carriers was an “Elite” fleet,
Pirkle Freightlines, and good ol’ Circle-C.
These are just a few of the familiar names,
That I recall rolling, in the Monfort Lane.
These days the big fleets play a different game,
Streamline and fleet-white, they all look the same.
I sure miss the days, when tractors were distinct,
Now I fear the glory days have all but gone extinct.
Back when rubbing alcohol made a sweet blue flame,
And granted you access, to the Monfort Lane.
Out in California or the “Buckeye” state,
You better be careful, if you’re runnin’ kinda late.
The hammer lane in Oregon’s gonna cost you money,
And Virginia state troopers, think it ain’t that funny.
So if you’re not a major fan of cost and pain,
Then you ain’t got no business, in the Monfort Lane!
26 Comments
I drove for LiL Audreys back in the early 70s, I’m really familiar with that left lane across the great plains. I also new to move over and let those monfort guys have their lane. god bless them and those GOOD OLD TRUCKING DAYS,
I positively love the stories of the Monfort Lane.
I don’t remember where I heard the first one, just recall an old timer in a truck stop stated talking and I was hooked.
Awesome article, Keep ‘em coming
Who can remember Curtis based out of ” Fort Israel ” ( Denver Colo ) . ?
They were dedicated hanging Kosher meat haulers to the East Coast Markets .
Darwin the head Dispatcher , Abe the Safety Officer , or Daisy ( the checks in
the Mail or not signed yet ) or Phil at the Carlstatdt NJ turnaround?
I drove for Sioux City Curtis, which was independently-owned but run under Curtis Authority. I remember Phil and the Carlstadt terminal well.
I drove for R. A. Yancy, Patio Farm lines, Fat Equipment in the 70’s. That’s how I received the Paperhanger handle. Used to get so many tickets and just threw them in the sleeper and carried on. Those days when your license was suspended, you just got another in another name or state.
I remember even with a triple digit truck being in Texas a few times. You’d see lights flickering in your mirror, then your radio would come to life. A voice would say boys you may want to move over for a second. Next thing you know there’s 3-4 Bull Haulers go by like you were tied to a post. Or going across Arizona and have a couple Carolina Western trucks come and go in the blink of an eye… Those were the good old days. I’ve done 48 years of wheel time, 6 million accident free miles. Two more and I’ll leave it to what’s out here today. God Speed all my brothers and sister keep the shiny side up.
Goin for the big Five-O huh? I’m at 44 years behind the wheel and I’m hoping to be able to hang it up at 45. Good luck on the 50, I hope you make it out with a 6 million mile record intact. It’s getting harder and harder to keep the idiots from dragging you into their shit, I hope I can keep them off of me for another year. Keep the rubber on the road and your nose in the wind.
DanaTeresa
Yeah, I use to drive for Jim Hartley Trucking leased to Safeway Trucking another “Doc” Ratner operation. I hauled a lot of swinging out of Fort Morgan Beef into either the city or Detroit mostly Detroit eventually. Drop the trailer off at the plant run off to the other side of the interstate to the motel get a shower something to eat maybe a couple beers and then run back over pick up the load and then it was nonstop until you made it back out to Colorado. Eventually ended up with my own equipment and a big root beer brown metallic Emron paint KWVIT flat top with about a 240 inch wheelbase on a 42 foot reefer. Would haul anything but mostly liquor out to the West Coast and then produce or whatever else I can get back to the east on the southern route with the big trucks.
I WAS HAULING SWINGING MEAT TO SALMON AND SONS IN NEW YORK CITY FAST TRUCKS AND GOOD PILLS, NO SLEEP AND I LOVE IT,WOULD LOVE TO DO IDO IT ALL OVER AGAIN AND I’M 74 YEARS OLD AND I MISS IT EVERYDAY 😀
I was one of those bull haulers in the late 70’s .. I was in a fleet of fast KW’s with KTA-600’s and 5×4 transmissions .. The fleet was owned by L A Campbell in Elp .. we went every where in a hurry .. I liked to go to Co and run with some of the Monfort guys .. The first one I passed got on his radio and said, “I can see hair sticking out, so I know you are loaded, but what in the hell do you have under that hood” .. We hauled 250,000 head for one customer a year, and some of those we’d haul twice .. Those cattle crossed from Mx and then we’d haul out of Fla in the summer back to Ca .. We always ran over 200,000 miles a year in those days .. It was a time in my life I was the happiest .. I’m 73 now and still wish I could do it all again, the same way, but that’s not possible now .. most of my close buddies are all gone now, and their pics are hanging on my wall .. as they say, “Those were the days”
I’m with you brother I’m 74 been out of the game for some time always had high hp fast trucks and ran hard and if I could go back to 1972 I’d love to do it all over again
RIGHT ON BROTHER TRUCKERS
I saw this Thread and thought I would share a little bit of old memories. I worked for Monfort years ago. Hauling swinging meat to the city mostly. I remember heading across I-70 and the cb would be abuzz with everyone saying here comes Monfort better get out of the Monfort Lane. It was really cool because everyone would move over and I would fly by. It was a great time to be Trucking. Now they are just memories of days gone by!
I drove 3 digits trucks back in the late 70’s. I had a radar detector on the dash (fuzz buster) and peed in a bottle. Didn’t have time to stop. I knew my way around the scales. Those were the good old days.
I drove for circle c in the 1980s you brought me to tears reminding me of the good old days. I pull a Bullrack in the Montfort lane now. But it just ain’t like it used to be.
My dad had an ’81 Pete 3seventynine. On tall rubber, 6+4, 0/0, 3.50, all guaged up. A Cat V8 with retarder, air leaf. Bridgestones and Michelins. V8 turned up to 600. 43′ great dane refer. I went with him a few times, he got that thing way out in front of him with the skin pulled back. Turbo whistle and wind hiss. It was well over 110, and dad would only run it there for a couple of minutes. Afraid the front tires might fly apart. Recall it never took llong to run from Ft. Stocton to Eagle Pass. Ran all over I-10 hauling anything and everything. As a girl I learned lots of things on those trips.
Two days ago, I wrote my older brothers Obituary & yesterday it was printed in our hometown newspaper. He was an over the road truck driver based out of Joplin, MO. for years. I’m pretty sure he was with Monfort when he retired. Periodically I’d meet him out for eats & conversation at one of the local truck stops around my state. He would always have interesting stories to share & treasures to show from his time out on the road. He dearly loved driving trucks. On occasion, he would arrange for our Mom to travel on the truck with him. That gave her her own over the road truck riding memories which she still talks about & cherishes to this very day. I never was drawn to the allure of the over the road life, but for the past 5 years or so, I have been employed driving a spotter truck at a manufacturing facility in my city. I guess, the good Lord willing, I will retire from this profession in a few more years. Truckers are a special breed. I meet some interesting people that drive trucks delivering various goods into our plant as well as those that also haul finished goods away from here & out into the real world. Most of them simply honest people, working hard to make a living & provide for their families.May God Bless us all, even more than he already has. I had no idea this website existed. I found it purely by accident. I’m glad I did because it gave me an opportunity to tell someone who may have crossed paths with my brother about his passing. Even if you didn’t know him, I’ll bet you know someone just like him. Be sure to say hello if you cross paths with him again. I know he will give you a smile & a wave in return. Well I guess I should close this thing out. My vision is getting a bit blurry. To borrow a few lines from an old Jim Croce song, “There’s something in my eyes, you know it happens every time…”
I remember the Montfort lane. But I also remember southern shaker and big honky telling those Monfort boys to move out of the way…LOL…There was nothing bigger than a Ktta twin turbo 600 with a 6 and a 4 behind it….. North Carolina, and Tennessee, those boys knew how to ride!
I did 37years in a big truck now retired with a bad heart. I couldn’t of made it very much longer anyway.All the steering wheel holders looking to put a truck drivers pic up on YouTube in a bad spot with absolutely no context of how they got there. A Montfort truck doing the speed limit could be upside down in a ditch from dodging a church bus that pulled out in front of him and some dipstick will say it was because he was speeding or some other foolishness without knowing the facts or see a guy having a hard time backing in and instead of getting out and helping the guy. He’ll take pics and get on the radio and give the guy a hard time. Forgetting no one was born knowing how to do anything. I can get on YouTube and try to explain how a real truck driver conducts himself……Thanks for your time.
In 1971 to 1983 I ran a steady run from R.I. to Chi town every week. Ran for a company called C. Line. Lloyd Clark owned the company. I drove a company truck. 350 Pete 316” WB with a Cummins 450 13spd & 353 rears. We would top out Snowshoe Mt. westbound I-80 at 56 mph. That was pretty good till you looked in your mirror and see a Circus truck (Monfort) asking you to move over please. Then to make matters worse he shifted as he went bye you.
Anyway, great chatting with you guys. Now I’m 76yrs old and thankful that I remember all those years.
God Bless all you boys, Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.
SIDEWINDER SAID IT, IM GONE!
Steve Low
You are right about the KTA’s .. I wrote about them here earlier today, and yes they’d run .. I had the pleasure of knowing Eddy Gant, aka Southern Shaker .. I ran with Eddy some when he’d slow down to my mph range of 85 to 90 mph .. his truck was geared a lot higher than mine, and he had the backbone to drive it that fast .. we met at the Petro in Weatherford or Elp, and we’d he west about sundown trukin for shakey .. the good ole days .. Amen
Those Monfort’s were great to get behind if you had a sports car in the 1970s. The big Monford rigs with their hopped up 1000 HP motors would barrel down I80 at 80+ mph. (“Doin 80 on 80”) which enabled us sports car drivers to go 80+ mph on posted 55 mph roads as we could stay shielded from the Smokies radar guns.
My dad was one of the Montfort original legends and my mom followed right behind him.. most people remember cutty sark my dad skip with his big ship painted on the back of his bunk with what he called all his Christmas tree chicken lights.. you’d hear those big old strait pipes before you seen him coming in that left lane. Moon right behind him in hers.. Rest In Peace cutty sark and feathers miss you both.
I have ran with Montfort left lane club , when I was trucking in the 70-90 !
I ran for Monfort from 1973 for a good 10+ years. “Triple B” (“Boston Baked Bean”) and later “Silver Seal” were my handles. I ran with “Specklebird,” and “Hayshaker.” Those were memorable times with many “crazy” drivers who were the closest bunch of guys ever; they would help you out no matter what the circumstances. We were a “family” and a tight one at that. The mail carriers had nothing over us, we ran rain or shine, in fine weather, snow, sleet, hail, even tornadoes, you name it. The truck stops knew our schedules and it seemed like we had “seats saved for us Monfort drivers.” We knew every short cut around the U.S.A. to avoid all those scales if necessary. Two trips to the east coast and back a week was nothing. It has been said that if you were running late to work, go behind a Monfort and you would end up 20 minutes early. Chuck Winston AKA “Mile High” contacted us regarding a get together he wanted to form back in October of 2000. He worked together with my wife and they were able to contact 48 drivers; we met at a large hall in Greeley to eat a great meal of the best hamburgers ever made! What a time. It was amazing to see everyone and the stories told gave us many hearty laughs (and tears shed for some of those memories) as we all remembered those times past. We wished we could have seen many more drivers, but after 20+ years, many had gone to the truck stop in the sky. My wife took pictures of everyone at their tables and later of the entire group outside. I am 81 this year. I would do it over again.
I would love to hear from anyone and talk about old times (if that is allowed).
Good to hear your story. Not too many drivers still around that drove for monfort
Sitting here at the kitchen table reading comments of the past great days in trucking. I remember back in the 70’s sometimes I’d come across Nebraska starting at sunset at the Wyoming line and in 4hrs and 45 minutes later on I-80 I’d fly through Omaha and keep right on trucking all the way to Walcott before the sun rose.
In those days you knew the guy you were coming up on would see you coming and stay in his lane. It isnt like that anymore.