They Drive by Night

- How's it going, Joe?

- Okay. Fill her up.

- What are you hauling?

- Apples.

- How's your brother, Paul?

- Asleep.

Every time you come here,

he's asleep and you're driving.

- What is he, a growing boy?

- He drives as much as I do.

You run your station,

we'll take care of our rig.

I was just wondering.

This is the nearest I've had

to a bath in two weeks.

Yeah, I noticed.

Seventy gallons of gas, three quarts

of oil in your crankcase...

- I'll have to get you on the way back.

- Five quarts in your spare...

What did you say?

I can't pay till I drop off this load.

- Why didn't you say that?

- You wouldn't have given me the gas.

I'll say. I got a notion to

siphon it out of there.

You know I ain't selling gas on time.

Relax. I wouldn't gyp you. I'm honest.

I know you are. All you truckers

are honest, but you're always broke.

The finance company comes, you're out

of business, and I never see dough.

Don't worry. He's gotta catch me first.

That won't be tough, you ain't driving

any speedway special. Sign it.

- Twelve dollars and 90 cents.

- Don't overflow your tank.

On the cuff. How do you like that?

- You'll get it on the trip back.

- You didn't pay for this pop.

Put it on the bill.

- Where are we?

- Not far from Lansdale.

- You should have woke me up.

- It's okay.

We'll grab a cup of coffee at Barney's.

Then you can wheel it into Los Angeles.

How's about laying over at my house

for a couple of days? I'm knocked out.

I'd like to stay in bed for a week,

not even get up to eat.

So would I.

But that ain't the way

we get ahead.

I gotta think of Pearl.

I ain't been home for two weeks.

She might as well be

married to an explorer.

Look out, Joe!

You dirty son of a road hog!

- You should've smacked into him.

- What is that gonna get us?

What do we do now?

You watch the load, I'm gonna hop

up to Barney's and phone Williams.

And see if he'll send some

of the dough he owes us.

Thanks.

Hi, Harry.

Hello, Joe. Where's your rig?

- Down the road. Busted wheel.

- Oh, tough going. Can I help?

I'm gonna phone Williams to send

the dough he owes me.

I hope you get it.

I quit hauling for that crook.

Ran me ragged and I

hardly ever got paid.

He'll pay me now, or he won't

get his apples in L.A. On time.

You got him over a barrel,

that's different. Maybe you'll get it.

- Come on. We go.

- Yeah, he's right.

Can't make no dough drinking coffee.

Good luck, guy.

- Same to you.

- Thanks.

Oh, Harry! Write your wife.

I hear she's worried.

Okay, I will. Thanks.

- Hello, Joe.

- Hello, Jake. How's it going?

- Give me a Frisco phone book, will you?

- Yeah.

Be sure you bring back

all the pages too.

So I'm telling you, see...

...here I am with these two

beautiful dames. What equipment.

They're hanging around my neck,

begging me not to go.

I tell them, "Look, sisters,

I got a job to do".

So I push them away and leave.

After all, a guy like me with

hundreds of dames...

I'm getting out of here.

Come on, Shorty. It's too deep for me.

I'm losing my touch.

Give me some nickels, Barney.

Joe! Where you been, guy?

Been getting any good hauls?

Some. How they been for you, Irish?

I still get my check

every Saturday.

But you get ordered around

every other day. Ain't for me.

Hey, Red, this steak's tough.

You can't send it back now.

You bent it.

- I'll be back this way tonight, Red.

- Thanks for the warning.

Give me the phone, will you?

- What, you keep it in a vault?

- Don't call New York.

Another cup of java.

- You must like our coffee.

- It stinks.

You're drinking your seventh cup.

I like your sugar. Why don't you

and your brother quit wildcat trucking?

With a legitimate company,

this is a swell job.

Why don't you get smart like me

and work for Ed Carlsen?

- Give me long distance.

- Hey!

Relax, I'm reversing the charges.

There's only one guy I'd sooner

work for than Carlsen.

- Who?

- Me.

You ain't working for you,

you're working for the finance company.

Soon as your truck's paid for,

you'll need another one.

Hello? I wanna talk to Mike Williams.

Standard 7-2961, San Francisco.

Reverse the charges.

Joe Fabrini calling.

Don't worry about me.

Someday you road-skinners will say,

"Joe Fabrini's a good guy to work for".

- And I will be.

- No doubt about that, kid, but me...

...I'll take the salary and let

someone else worry.

That's the easy way.

Give me a cup of coffee.

- Anything else?

- What else you got that ain't poisonous?

I don't know. I never eat here.

- How about taking my order, Red?

- How about taking your time?

Nice new fixture, Barney.

Yeah. She'll do.

Not a bad thing to know.

Nice chassis, huh, Joe?

Classy chassis.

Yes, and it's all mine too.

I don't owe any payments on it.

I'd be glad to finance it, baby.

Who are you kidding?

You couldn't even pay for the headlights.

What? He won't accept the call?

Wait a minute. Hey, Irish.

Lend me a buck,

I wanna pay for the call.

Get a load of the big trucking operator.

I still vote for a salary.

Okay. I'll pay for it at this end.

This is 2212.

Anything else?

Yeah, but it ain't on the menu.

And it ain't gonna be.

You better settle for a hamburger.

Okay. With onions.

Hello, Mike Williams?

What's the idea of ducking

my phone call?

I never take collect calls.

Where are you?

Barney's Caf, north of Lansdale, 99.

You got a busted wheel?

Look, Fabrini, those apples have gotta

be delivered to the market tonight.

- That ain't wood you're hauling.

- Okay, I'll get the apples in...

...but send me some of that 300 bucks

you owe me so I can get a new wheel.

Yeah, wire it to me, right here.

Well, I ain't got much

cash right now, Joe.

All right, all right, don't get excited.

I'll see what I can do.

Who do those Fabrini guys

think they are, anyhow?

I've thrown more business their way

than any freight agent in town...

...and I ain't sending money.

- The apples won't get to L.A.

They will if somebody else hauls them.

Who's up there near Lansdale?

Hank Dawson. He's due there

and we don't owe him much money.

You get him on the phone

and tell him to pick up Fabrini's load.

Those Fabrinis are tough babies.

They only think they're tough.

Say, is Farnsworth still outside?

- He was a minute ago.

- Tell that loan shark I wanna see him.

But you fellas don't understand.

Everything I do is within the law.

All I can say is,

we need a lot of new laws.

Hey, the boss wants to talk to you.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

Bye-bye, buzzard.

What's the matter with the man?

Tell me, Farnsworth, do the Fabrinis

owe you any dough on that truck?

I've been trying to catch them.

They're behind three payments,

plus my interest.

I know all about your interest.

Would you like to repossess the truck?

- Yeah, certainly.

- Here's your chance.

They're stuck with a busted wheel

near Barney's Caf on 99.

- Get a tow car and haul in the rig.

- Thanks. I'll do you a favor sometime.

Just don't lend me any money.

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