i was out on the west coast tryin to make a buck things didn t work out i was down on my luck got tired of roamin and bummin around so i started thumbing back east toward my home town made a lot of miles the first two days i figured i d be home in a week if my luck held this way but the third night i got stranded way out of town at a cold lonely crossroad rain was pouring down i was hungry and freezin done caught a chill when the lights of a big rig semi topped the hill lord i was sure glad to hear them air brakes come on and i climbed in that cab where i knew it would be warm at the wheel sat a big man he weighed bout two ten he stuck out his hand and said with a grin big joe s the name i told him mine he said the name of my rig s 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 runnin any line that s seen nothin but tail lights from phantom 309 we rode and talked the best 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 another turn just up the road 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 i went inside and ordered me a cup told the waiter big joe was settin me up you coulda heard a pin drop it got deathly quiet and the waiter s face turned kinda white did i say somethin wrong i said with a half way grin he said no this happens every now and then every driver in here knows big joe but son let me tell you what happened bout ten years ago at the crossroads tonight where you flagged him down there was a bus load of kids acoming from town they were right in the middle when joe topped the hill it could have been slaughter but he turned his wheels joe lost control went into a skid gave his own 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 ll come by and like you big joe ll give em a ride here have another cup and forget about the dime keep it as a souvenir from big joe and phantom 309