things didn t work out an i was down on my luck got tired of roamin and bummin around so i started thumbin back east toward my home town now i made a lotta miles the first few days i figured i d be home in a week if my luck held out this way but the third night out i got stranded way out of town at a cold lonely crossroads rain was pouring down i was hungry an freezin an 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 an i climbed in that cab where i knew it d be warm at the wheel sat a big man he weighed about 210 he stuck out his hand and said with a grin big joe s the name an i told him mine he said the name of my rig is phantom 309 well i asked him why he called his rig such a name he said son this ol mac can put em all to shame well there ain t a driver or rig 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 an said have yourself a hot cup on old big joe when joe an his rig roared out into the night iin nothing flat he was clean outta sight well i went inside an ordered me a cup an told the waiter big joe was a settin me up aw you could of heard a pin drop it got deathly quiet an the waiter s face turned kinda white well did i say somethin wrong i said with a half way grin he said naw this happened every now an then every driver in here knows big joe but son let me tell you what happened about 10 years ago at the crossroads tonight where you flagged him down there was a bus load of kids a comin from town an 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 an went into a skid gave his life to save that bunch of kids there at that crossroads was the end of the line fore big joe an phantom 309 but every now and then some hiker will come by an like you big joe will give him a ride here have another cup an forget about the dime keep it as a souvenier from big joe and phantom 309 