APRIL 2008 OLD TIME TRUCKS
SERVICE STATION ON WHEELS
By John & Shirley Sponholtz
George and Lois Wacker of Manchester, MI own this 1931 Ford Model-A truck. When George was a child, there were very few service stations. George’s father worked for Standard Oil and drove a truck that brought petroleum products to the customer’s house. The truck had four separate tanks to carry four separate products. This arrangement consisted of three 100-gallon tanks and one 150-gallon tank. There was a mechanical counter on the back of the truck that kept track of the purchases in five gallon increments by pulling a chain. George often rode with his father to make the deliveries. “My job as a kid was to pull the chain on the back of the truck,” remarked George. There were also “side cars” on each side of the truck that carried a half-barrel of motor oil. Back then, farmers used thrashers that required motor oil and grease every day. “The farmers would tell my dad where they were going to be and how much oil and grease they needed. He would go daily to meet the thrashing machines, fuel the tractor and bring their motor oil and grease. It was a service station on wheels.” George wanted a truck that was a replica of the one his father drove, which was a Model-A long bed. There are a lot of short bed trucks still around, but the long beds are rare. George found one twelve years ago and then it took him ten years to find a tank. He then restored the truck based on one picture and the memories of a five-year-old. Every effort was made to ensure that every detail was accurate. The truck is a tribute to George’s father and a fascinating insight into the history of trucking. To see more weird and wonderful old trucks, visit www.oldtimetrucks.org today.