Al, at the wheel, his face purposeful, his whole body listening to the car, his restless eyes jumping from the road to the instrument panel. Al was one with his engine, every nerve listening for weaknesses, for the thumps or squeals, hums and chattering that indicate a change that may cause a breakdown. He had become the soul of the car.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 13. Al Joad proves a confident and skillful driver, as he takes the wheel of the family truck along Highway 66. He listens carefully to the car’s every sound for any sign that it is about to suffer a breakdown.