My grandfather owned one of those "essentiual" businesses. They delivered coal and ice in a large area of Nashville, and owned a small fleet of trucks. The local ration board checked their gasoline and tire purchase records for several years, and issued ration stamps accordingly for the whole fleet. Since some of the older trucks were only used seasonally, Grandma ended up with far more ration stamps than they needed. No, she DID NOT sell them on the black market! Grandpa convinced the ration board that Dad's motorcycle would be a good way to do the mandatory weekly inventory of the dynamite storage magazines in remote areas around Nashville, so as a high school student in 1941 and 42 before he was old enough to enlist, his 80 cubic inch Harley Davidson had brand new tires and a Class A gas ration decal!
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!