4th of July , Pathmark, Cross Bronx Expressway, AJ SCHMITT AND SONS.

Many of you have heard of my infamous first solo driving of one of our market trucks on the road. ( Ref : AUGUST 1974  

But , with the 4th of July holiday weekend, my mind remembers the 4th of July weekend, 1976. Pathmark supermarkets had given AJ SCHMITT and SONS a large vegetable order for the holiday weekend. 

July 2, 1976 was a Friday, and thus we could fulfill that order. Hunts Point Terminal Produce was not operational on early Saturdays or Sundays mornings. We never made trips to HPTP on Fridays or Saturdays. Thus, both trucks could be used to deliver the huge order to Pathmark warehouse, 60 miles away in Carteret NJ. And all farm workers could help harvest that order.

We had a few high school guys , my brother and I included, working on the farm that summer. One of us would take a day off, and it would be rotated among the high school guys. That Friday I had the day off.

We still had not gotten a refrigerated tractor trailer to take produce to market. The plan  was to utilize the two trucks,  and drive both over to New Jersey together. 

 The two trucks were both GMC flatbeds. The trucks had GW limits and truck size that didn't require anything more than a regular NYS driving license. The added tonnage due to the cargo wasn't a consideration. My father, Anthony Jr, took off from the yard with the larger truck, and with the larger load. The truck is to the right on bottom two photos, and the solo truck in top photo.

My brother, Peter  (right in both photos, June '76 , March '76.)  who had turned 16 three months before in April followed in the small GMC with a less heavier load. I'm sure Peter was all psyched to be able to drive the truck on the main highways and byways of New York to New Jersey. All was well until halfway across the Cross Bronx Expressway, and even before , Peter was running into engine problems with the smaller GMC. 

Peter had gotten my father's attention (no not with a cell phone LOL), and both pulled over to the shoulder of the Cross Bronx.  I don't recall what the issue was with the truck,  but my father knew that it wasn't going to make it all the way to the New Jersey warehouse without some type of fix. Time was of the essence in all of this, the Pathmark Warehouse closed at 5:00 p.m. for deliveries. Closed for the remainder of the weekend and Monday holiday. Also, the Hunts Point Market was closed for business on the next three nights due to the holiday weekend.  Crunch time to get to Carteret.

My father knew what the issue was and he knew that there was a repair shop nearby. Thus, because of the time crunch they traded trucks.  Peter took the larger and heavier load and went on to Pathmark alone. He was more than 30 miles away, but more power to him as a 16-year-old kid he knew the way without the assistance of any GPS device.

Dad had gotten the truck fixed quickly,  probably less than 45 minutes. He was back on the road and things were looking up. Peter meanwhile made it across the GW bridge and onto the Jersey Turnpike, remember he was only 16 years old , he had his junior license for less than a month. He exited the NJ Turnpike at exit 12. He was close to the Pathmark Warehouse, yet so far away.

I can still remember the final part of the trip before the gatehouse and entrance. There is a hill on the roadway , and then a traffic light at bottom of the hill, a left is made at the light and Pathmark ahead. 

Well, 16 year old Peter was approaching the light and it turned yellow, instead of stopping he tried to beat the light and took the turn too fast. Oh 😯 my..sounds familiar. Oops, the load had shifted,  but was held onto the truck by the canvas cover.  Peter knew the truck couldn't be driven into the gate ahead, and it wouldn't have been able to be unloaded in current condition in one of the truck bays. 

Peter was able to make a call to the AJ SCHMITT and SONS barn. What was needed was empty cardboard cabbage cartons, to repack some of the damaged cartons on the truck. I was at home, and I was the delivery boy. I left for NJ with a pickup , unfolded cabbage cartons, and a couple of staple guns. 

Peter said he finally saw my Dad on the top of the hill. Dad knew nothing of the mishap. My father had a habit of grimacing with his teeth showing when something upset him. Peter said he will never forget that grimace as Dad saw the mess. Dad tried to reason with Pathmark warehouse to let us deliver the partially compromised load. 

No deal.

He drove on and made his delivery. I arrived and we started to repack the truck. Remember this was in a commercial area, and we're doing this work on the side of the road. We got it completed and drove back to Melville. 

We can all blame my brother for making a grievous driving error, but remember this was a 16 year old kid, driving a fully loaded produce flatbed truck. Not many 16 year olds could find their way to NJ in a car, without the worry of a produce truck. 

I look at it again, as my father , my uncles trusting us with far too much responsibility at a very young age  without the proper training. In both instances, no one was hurt, no equipment was damaged, but there was loss of some produce resulting in financial loss. 

I think both my brother and I learned valuable driving lessons from those incidents. My grandfather, AJ SCHMITT born in 19ought2, always added a bit of levity to these events, " Where did you get your licence from ? Sears & Roebuck ?...ha ha..

Grandpa at age 64, cutting escarole with his sons. ,❤️❤️

HAPPY 4TH JULY WEEKEND!! ,🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸