Gracing the pages of this article is a unique and not often seen truck in service these days – a 1971 Brockway 361. The truck, belonging to Charlie Bollinger (20) of Plumstead, PA is a culmination of the love of old trucks and wanting to keep them alive. Charlie’s love of trucks began at a young age but really got going in 2019. “In 2019, my father, Craig, and I were looking for a trailer to haul our restored farm tractors around and my dad happened upon a 1962 Brockway 147 rollback,” said Charlie. His father had explained that Brockway’s were the trash trucks in his neighborhood growing up, but this old truck, with their help, found some new tricks.
A few weeks after finding the truck, that Brockway 147 made its way to their home! As Charlie put it, this really kick-started his love (or addiction) for Brockway trucks. While Craig was not a trucker, he worked for NFI as the Senior VP of Risk Management (NFI is a large trucking and logistics company in New Jersey). Charlie would tag along with Craig to work once in a while and remembers the Driver Rodeos. These events, which showcased the best skills in driving, allowed Charlie to talk with drivers and sit in the trucks.
Appreciating older trucks since he was a child and always dreaming of having his name on the door of one when he got older, Charlie’s passion for both restoring and keeping old trucks running came from he and his father restoring old farm tractors, as previously mentioned. They live by the moniker, “If it ain’t red, it belongs in the shed,” when it comes to their tractors. One of the first they restored together was a 1959 Farmall 460, which sat across from Charlie’s elementary school. Charlie was able to purchase it and load it up after several hours of yanking it out of its resting spot. The tractor ended up winning Best of Show at Middletown Grange Fair, a local fair in Bucks County, PA.
The 361 pictured here was not as it is now. The truck was purchased in Connecticut and then hauled back home to Pennsylvania. The previous owner bought the truck in 1973 and ran it until the mid-2000s when it was parked. The original specifications of the truck were a 250 Cummins and a 12-speed Road Ranger transmission, but at some point, the motor was swapped out for a 290 Cummins by the previous owner. The 290 was tired and underpowered for Charlie’s needs so a Big Cam III 400 Cummins was installed under the hood. The 12-speed Road Ranger was also swapped out for a 13-speed Eaton.
When they first got the Brockway, the frame rails were completed rotted through and even the cab had some rot. The cab rot was easily fixed, but the frame rails had to be replaced. A Peterbilt Air Trac rear suspension was installed, along with 3.90 rears, and a 20,000-lb. Peterbilt front axle. All the frame and chassis work was done by Garey’s Truck Frame & Repair located just up the road from Charlie in Kintnersville, PA. The aluminum body, which was beyond repair, was swapped out in favor of a new steel dump body. The body, a Beau Roc, was built and installed by Triad Truck Equipment in Pottstown, PA. All the paint work was done by Torodyne Rebuilders, located in Furlong, PA. The lettering was all hand done by Scottie Kania who is well-known in the area.
The main goal Charlie wanted to achieve was to keep the old truck alive while modernizing it, so it had more power, a better ride and ease of finding parts if needed. Charlie’s inspiration also stemmed from other companies in the area running older trucks with some updates. Charlie is only a few miles from RW Smith Trucking (Kevin Smith’s W900A was featured in the March 2023 issue of 10-4) and others.
The truck made its official debut at the 2024 ATCA Show in Macungie, PA. It was so fresh the pinstriping was even slightly wet! While it was basically finished at this point, Charlie ran into a coolant issue. Thankfully, Charlie was able to take it to Vanderlely’s Truck Sales & Service in Ottsville, PA. Unfortunately, the motor did have to get rebuilt. Fast forward to now and the truck is running strong, hauling aggregate and dirt around to different sites!
Since Charlie’s goal is to haul bulk materials with the truck, like aggregate, asphalt and other materials, it only made sense to shoot it in a quarry and near a crushing plant. I again turned to my employer and was allowed to use the same location that I used with another dump truck (Matt Green in the January 2023 edition of 10-4). It was a warm afternoon, but the color of the stone, pit and plant really made the truck pop.
You may hear people say that the younger generation does not seem to care about older trucks or their history, but I would have to disagree. Me and many of my friends have a massive appreciation for them and some are even lucky enough to own and restore them. Charlie is also one of the members of the younger generation who is keeping the Brockway brand alive, even though the company is no longer in existence.
At such a young age, Charlie’s collection is pretty impressive, and it includes not just the 361 and the 147, but also includes a 1947 Model 88 Stake Body, a 1957 260 tractor, a 1967 358 6-wheeler dump truck, a 1968 359 tractor, a 1970 361 wrecker, a 1973 459 cabover and a 1976 71 tractor. All these trucks are in various stages of restoration, and some will be put to work, while others will be built for shows. When the 147 came home, Charlie then knew it was only right to keep the Brockway theme moving. As he put it, he wants to keep the history of “the most rugged trucks in America going!”
Charlie would like to thank his father for kick-starting his addiction to Brockway trucks and for his help in this endeavor of being a business owner. Charlie would also like to thank all his family and friends and everyone that had a hand in the building of this truck. This is not the last you’ll hear of Charlie, as he already has a new project almost ready to hit the streets. Charlie Bollinger proves you can teach an old truck new tricks – and keep its history and memory alive, in the process!