10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

SEPTEMBER 2004 WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO...

RUNNING ON REFRIED BEANS

Story and Photo by Truck Historian/Author Stan Holtzman

(Click on image for larger photo)

Rosarita Mexican Foods Products, to most of us, conjures up the best tasting refried beans made. Rosarita, now part of Beatrice Foods of Mesa, Arizona, ran this early 1960s Model DFR 8000 series GMC, which hauled the famous refried beans, as well as other Mexican food products for which Rosarita is known for, all over the Southwest. This “Crackerbox” Jimmy replaced the butterfly hood KW that Rosarita had, and their driver (known only as “Ace”) delivered products into the Los Angeles area on a weekly basis. I don’t know what this white GMC had for power, but for sure it was running either a 6V71 or an 8V71 Detroit Diesel. The trailer seen here was a 35’ Utility trailer with an undermount reefer unit, which meant that it probably returned to Arizona with a load of California produce. This picture was taken around 1965 behind the K-Mart store on Whittier Blvd. in East Los Angeles. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of either this GMC or “Ace” the driver can contact me through the magazine by calling 1-888-440-4104. If you’d like to see more neat truck stuff, check out my website at www.linerigs.com today.