Phantom 309

I was out on the west coast tryin' to make a buck

And things didn't work out, I was down on my luck

Got tired of roamin' and bummin' around

So I started thumbin' back east, toward my home town

Made a lot of miles the first two days

And I figured I'd be home in a week

If my luck held out this way

But the third night I got stranded way out of town

At a cold, lonely crossroads, rain was pourin' down

I was hungry and freezin', done caught a chill

When the lights of a big semi topped the hill

Lord, I sure was glad to hear them air brakes come on

And I climbed in that cab where I knew it'd be warm

At the wheel sat a big man, he weighed about two ten

He stuck out his hand, and said with a grin

"Big Joe's the name", I told him mine

And he said "The name of my rig is Phantom 309"

I asked him why he called his rig such a name

He said "Son, this old Mack can put 'em all to shame"

"There ain't a driver, or a rig a-runnin' any line

That's seen nothin' but taillights from Phantom 309"

Well, we rode and talked the better part of the night

When the lights of a truck stop came in sight

He said "I'm sorry, son, this is far as you go

'Cause I gotta make a turn just on up the road"

Well, he tossed me a dime as he pulled her in low

And said "Have yourself a hot cup on old Big Joe"

When Joe and his rig roared out in the night

In nothin' flat, he was clean out of sight

Well, I went inside and ordered me a cup

Told the waiter "Big Joe was settin' me up"

Aw, you could have heard a pin drop, it got deathly quiet

And the waiters face turned kind of white

"Well, did I say somethin' wrong?" I said with a halfway grin

He said "Naw, this happens every now and then

Every driver in here knows Big Joe

But son, let me tell you what happened about ten years ago"

"At the crossroads tonight, where you flagged him down

There was a bus load of kids a-comin' from town

And they were right in the middle when Big Joe topped the hill

It could have been slaughter, but he turned his wheels"

"Well, Joe lost control, went into a skid

And gave his life to save that bunch of kids

And there at that crossroads was the end of the line

For Big Joe and Phantom 309"

"But every now and then, some hiker will come by

And like you, Big Joe will give 'em a ride

Here, have another cup and forget about the dime

Keep it as a souvenir from Big Joe and Phantom 309"