Old Atlas truck

This is an old Atlas Carriers tractor. These Kenworths were purchased new just before James started work there in 1992. I took this picture Thursday morning in Salado, TX. It looks rough but this tractor is at least 16 years old. It just goes to show what good maintenance at a company in the beginning of a truck's life can accomplish. Best Way out of Texas still runs several of Atlas' old Peterbilts and Atlas went under in 2003/2004. Best Way's truck numbers usually start out with an AJ and the drivers used to joke around that it stood for "Atlas Junk". Maybe so, but they were still maintained well enough that those old trucks are still on the road. You just don't get that kind of longevity out of Freightliners usually. In my opinion even an old ragged out Pete still looks good!! I know I'm prejudiced but some of James' best years were running Peterbilt parts out of the midwest to Denton. Peterbilt and Atlas Carriers is what enabled us to buy our house, motorcycles, and put me through 3.5 years of college so I think I have good reason to be partial. One of those Petes (unit 773) was also my first solo truck--great memories there. About a month after we'd left Atlas (they were starting the slippery slope to bankruptcy, lost the Denton Peterbilt contract, and had bounced some paychecks) I saw my old truck in Oklahoma City and the driver had torn half the bumper off and bent the wings. I just sat down and cried after seeing it.