Gman I know what you mean. Outlaw country music seemed to be the choice of all truckers, it didnt matter what part of the country they came from. It was a soundtrack that fit the trucking life well.
Some of the old dance halls are still there. I remember as a kid, 4 of us going down to Bakersfield doduble-datin' (haulin doubles) to the 'Lucky Spot' on Edison highway east of 99 to dance on a saturday night when Billy Mize played. The bar was filled with truckers and oil drilling roughnecks who worked for Standard Oil (now Chevron USA) But it was all changing by the late 60's.
Vietnam, the Beatles, and network television seemed to alter the national mood and the nation's entertainment tastes. By 1970, if you wanted country music on tv, they turned to Glen Campbell or Johnny Cash, or like us, went down to Bakersfield to see the greats play in those small clubs for a $2.00 bill.
The entertainment industry changed soonafter, and turned-off most of the real good old artists. Guys like Merle Haggard wouldnt go through the crap required to become a star today. Very few of todays stars write their own material, or do their own sound engineering......but ALL the old-timers did. You couldnt perform if you didn't.
Here is one more trucker song that you may like, by some unknown.
"My butt hurts, my back aches ,and my body's tired"..........LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5JK0T56XM[/url]