Knights of the Highway

1950 Mack Truck

I don't think anyone has called them that in about 50 years, but when we were growing up in the 40's and 50's the reason those long  driving trips to Grandmas were considered reasonably "safe"...was because of them.

Our parents knew that if they had a breakdown on the highway....one of those heroic "knights" would soon be pulling up to rescue them.

There were no rules or regulations specifying such behavior.....that's just what they did.

We call them simply  "Truck Drivers" now......because......well.....that's about all  they do.

In all fairness, I guess the days of the "knights" are over....because, with cell phones, more dependable cars, better tires, etc....they're not needed in the way they once were. 
But more than that, a spokesman for the National Trucking Association says that,

"Back in the day, it was common courtesy to pull over and help a stranded motorist. Nowadays, there are a whole list of reasons why this is a bad idea. For one, if your truck is sitting on the shoulder of the highway and gets hit by a passing vehicle, you could very well be the one held accountable, your company could become the target of a lawsuit, and you could possibly lose your job. It's dangerous to passing traffic and it's risky to the truck driver to be parked on the shoulder of a highway.

On top of that, we've all heard of criminal schemes where someone will pose as a stranded motorist as a setup to rob or kill people as they stop to help. "