OCTOBER 2003 WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO...
| Integral Sleepers - Nothing New Story and Photo by Truck Historian/Author Stan Holtzman
Pictured here in this 1956 photo is Ernie Gardner’s 1940s Autocar with an integral sleeper. Ernie’s A-Car is seen here, parked at Trucker’s Paradise near Montebello, California. This rig hauled powdered cement all over Southern California. Many folks think that integral sleepers on conventional trucks and tractors came about within the last 20 years, however, as early as the 1930s, GMC, Federal, White and International were making integral sleeper cabs as an option for truckers that were running long distance. Granted, these sleepers afforded little in the way of room or amenities, they were, nonetheless, a place for truckers to get their much-needed sleep. And don’t forget, truck routes in the 1930s and 1940s were a far cry from today’s super highways and Interstates. Any one knowing the whereabouts of Ernie Gardner or his dark green Autocar can reach me through the magazine by calling 1-888-440-4104. |
