Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking

[magician_73]

10,000 coming our way. Only 249 to go Doc!

Well, way back when was heading south on I-5, just crossed over Shasta Lake. Right behind me was a flatbed and he stayed right on my back door. Just a few miles north of the old Redding '76 truckstop, we hit one doozy of a thunderstorm and rain it did. I pulled into the '76 and stopped under the fuel canopy and the flatbedder did the same. As I got out of the truck, I glanced over and seen what he was hauling......not tarped.....a whole load of bag cement and it was indeed soaked. After I fueled, I ran into the driver in the restaurant and he casually took it in stride. Seems he was told to tarp it by the shipper, but his boss pushed him to get to down to Corning where they needed it ASAP. His boss apparently told him to 'run with it' and not to waste the time tarping....I would imagine his boss ate those words when he had to tell the shipper, etc...about the soaked bags of cement.

[magician_73]

Well the clock is most certainly ticking....can't believe it's gotten this far. Anyway, have to keep 'life' in the thread, so here's another tale.

Years ago, in the household industry it was quite common for a shipper to request a particular driver to move him, if his previous move was 'extra special'. The carrier would make arrangements, preplan the move so the shipper's request would be honored. This was particularly so with national accounts.

The first move for this particular shipper, a VIP with Hewlett Packard, entailed moving him from Atlanta to Los Angeles. I arrived at the shippers, along with my help and proceeded to load his household goods in the van. Also going on the van was the shipper's brand spankin new Mercedes. It is common for household carriers (most of them) to move cars along with the shipper's goods. I loaded his Mercedes and made arrangements to meet him in Los Angeles on a particular date. We did everything over and above expectations and at destination the shipper was extremely pleased and accordingly gave us a generous tip. About two years later, I received word that this shipper had requested I move him from Los Angeles to Dallas and they scheduled me accordingly. I arrived at the shippers and proceeded to load his household goods and new Mercedes(he traded every year, or leased one). When I arrived at destination, I had the help prep the house while I proceeded to off load his Mercedes. Well, while backing down the walkboards (spread to accomodate the car)..one of the fiberglass boards broke and off I went. Damage to the Mercedes - $3300.....needless to say the shipper at first was a little upset, but in a few minutes realized 'accidents' do happen and since the walkboard had broken, there was no negligence on my part in off loading his car. Several years later, once again the carrier notified me that this shipper had again requested I move him. I once more arrived at his residence and after a few minutes of socializing, was told that his 'new' Mercedes was not going with me, but on a 'car carrier'....'no problem' I assured him and loaded his goods once more. When I arrived at destination, the shipper met me and I immediately asked if his car had arrived yet. 'It's due today' came the reply. We proceeded to off load his household goods and about an hour prior to finishing, in drove the car carrier. The driver came up to me and asked me how the shipper was and I asked 'why'...'His car got a little bit of hail damage' came the reply. The shipper came out in a few minutes and needless to say, when the driver of the car carrier offloaded his 'Mercedes', he was a little upset. But once more, it was not the driver's fault, but an act of nature. Well, to make this long story short, about three years later, once again I was requested to move this shipper. I arrived at residence and socialized for a few minutes and he casually informed me that he was driving his car this time. Another new Mercedes. I loaded his good, made arrangements to meet him at destination....San Francisco....A day out of San Francisco, I tried to call the shipper to confirm the delivery time but couldn't reach him. I notified dispatch and asked them to see if they could locate him. The day of delivery, I pulled up in front of his residence and no one was there. I called dispatch and they informed me that the shipper had had an accident and would be a few hours late. Several hours later, the shipper arrived, arm in a cast, limping and bruises obvious on his forehead. I asked him what had happened and he had a blowout and lost control of the car, rolled it and totalled it out. He looked at me and with a grin that had to hurt, said, 'I'm not meant to move my cars', 'from now on I'll sell the damn thing before leaving and buy a new one on the other end'.........And yes, several years later, I once more move him and he did indeed sell the car before moving and bought a new one at his new residence....

[magician_73]

OMG Doc, 9800 :!: Only 200to go! :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :P

[Doctor Who]

No, you're wrong......


It's....................193

I put a new battery in the clock and adjusted it to the Atomic Clock in the desert and it's glowing rather nicely... Who knew Atomic radiation glowed bright GREEN

[magician_73]

186 to go Doc. and at the current rate it's growing, it'll probably hit 10000 by mid-week and I'll miss the celebration, street dancing, partying, lap-dancing and all around fanfare! :!: :evil:

[Doctor Who]

it'll probably hit 10000 by mid-week and I'll miss the celebration, street dancing, partying, lap-dancing and all around fanfare!

Well with the exception of the Lap Dancing I'll be around for the festivities since I'm not going anywhere for quite sometime, hmm just think I won't have to deal with the trash at truckstops or piss bottles littering a rest area. Oh wrong topic, anyway I hope there will be a bit more excitement than what transpired at the 2 year anniversary, maybe I can arrange for Nickleback to play... :rock: May be not!!! It'll probably be more like two old geezers with kazoos and a two string banjo!!! :shock:

I'm going to start baking a cake for this occasion, yes I do bake as well as cook and am pretty damn good at it!!!

I'm still rummaging through the vault of Zebulon (NC) to find the "Fly Inspector" tale but with the heated debate up the page I'm rather wary of posting it when I do find the bloody thing!!

I found fragments of "Fun watching RVers" I've got the Elmers glue and Scotch tape at the ready, notice the blatent referal to "Name Brands", hopefully I can piece enough of it together to make a complete story, ala Rod Serling.... Another blatent attempt at name dropping!! :shock:

Oh by the way did you know tomorrow is International Indigenous Peoples Day???? Aug 9
I wonder if Hallmark has a card for this lesser known holiday???

[Doctor Who]

And now for this:

This topic has gone over 10,000

And the Boston Creme Pie is ready, let the balloons fly arty: Still no Lap Dancing... but the band is playing :rock:

A record has been broken for Class A Drivers.. The first topic to reach the 5 figure mark!!!

Magician; the topic made 10,000 before Labour Day! What's the next stop?

While I'm typing this I'm still gluing and taping the RV tale nothing like having a beginning, an end and nothing in the middle, hmm sounds like some recruiters I've dealt with lately...

Oh by the way Magician, the song Clocks is done by Cold Play!!!

[Doctor Who]

Another tale from the Magician 73 archives!!!!

Calif DOT Inspection sheds...actually two of them:

I loaded in Grants Pass and after my morning coffee, decided to head south into California. Well, as any person in their right mind knows, when you hit the California line, your paperwork, logs, etc. are always 'legal?. Well, thinking (one of my faults) I had as I approached Shasta (Dunsmuir Inspection Shed) I suddenly remembered I was going to bring my log up to date, but got sidetracked and never did. Well, guess I'll be brave and take the proverbial chance. Sure enough, the scale master pulled me around for an 'inspection'. The cute little chubby blonde 'Inspector' walked over to the door, and asked for the usual, 'logbook, license, medical card, registration and insurance'....I handed her everything except the logbook. She looked up and said, 'driver, I would like your log book'...I smiled, and jokingly said, 'nah, I don't think you want to see it just now, do you?' She promptly responded, 'driver, I need your log book'...I quipped back, 'Are you certain you need it right this minute?' 'I just don't think you ought to see it right now'...She looked at me and smiled, 'driver, I am going to the restroom, and when I return, YOU WILL give me your logbook'....with that she headed inside. Needless to say, I immediately brought it current. When she returned, 'driver, where's your log?' I handed it out the window to her. She smiled and asked, 'just how far out was it'? I said, oh it was current, I was just joking with you...She smiled and said, 'oh sure you were'. After the inspection (which I passed) she again asked, as she handed back all my paperwork, 'just curious, how far behind were you anyway?' I looked at her and smiled, 'well, if you must know - I just forgot to start it this morning at Grants Pass.'
She smiled back, 'have a nice day and be safe out there'.

Here you go Magician, bet you thought I forgot about this topic didn't you!!

Somewhere down the road "DUMp Trucking for fun and....."

Stay tuned....

[magician_73]

11,000 Doc!!!!Well, how far is this thread going? Can't believe we've achieved this record!! :!:

Not certain, but this one may also be in the archives?

Years ago, I was coming south from Salt Lake - down 6, 191 and then over to Shiprock and 666. I had heard the DOT was checking paperwork at Shiprock, so between Monticello and Shiprock (a narrow two lane at the time) there was a picnic area pulloff. I pulled in there and proceeded to rework the 'funnybook'. I noticed there was a 4 wheeler sitting at the back as I pulled in, occupied by what appeared to be a little ole lady. Anyway, I discovered I had to either rework the logbook (at that time we were still required to have 30 days in our possession) or just start another one showing previous seven days off. That was simplier, so just outside the jumpseat window was a garbage can, so down came the window and out went the 'old' logbook. I then proceeded to make a new one look right and after a few minutes, pulled out and headed for Shiprock. The scalemaster had me pull around and so I grabbed my paperwork, log included and headed inside. Just as I neared the entrance, I spotted what appeared to be, the 4 wheeler that had been sitting in the picnic area. I walked in, scalemaster started scanning my paperwork and about the time he got to the log, in walked this little old lady and she came up to me, 'were you the one parked in the picnic area just a few minutes back'? I acknowledged that I was, and she said, 'well, this fell out of your truck and I thought it might be important'.....and handed me the 'log' I had thrown out the passenger window towards the garbage can. The scale master asked to see it, and upon examination, he looked at me and said, 'well, well, which one of these should I believe"? 'I just looked at him, smiled, 'no comment'....he laughed and said, 'driver, with your luck I would suggest you get out the next time and make certain it goes into the garbage can'....I laughed, 'you're right, and believe me I will'! The little old lady was standing there, I thanked her with a grimace...and she departed. The scalemaster reminded me that he could nail me to the cross, read me the riot act for a few minutes, then gave me back the 'new log' book, saying he was going to discard the old one. I smiled, said, 'that's fine'. However, since it was one of those 'rare' unbelievable moments...he just gave me a warning ticket and told me to have a good day.....Moral of story, anytime you throw out old logbooks, make certain they are 'gone' in every sense of the word.......

[magician_73]

11,123 Doc and still climbing!!!!!
Do you think it will reach 20,000?

[magician_73]

Hey, I almost forgot Doc - while you are out chasing storms, I happened to run into another driver who talked with the illustrious 'Carolina Shaker' (B. Gant) and apparently (logical since he spoke with him) he is alive and well. Seems he is running locally and still has the ole bright red 81 W900. So if in your travels, you happen to spot the ole 81 red W900, introduce yourself and have coffee over some wild tales which he can surely relate.

[magician_73]

As the good Doctor would say, YAAAA HOOOO PAGE 19 How about them thar apples? :?:

[Doctor Who]

Well Looky here!!!!
The Magic guy pushed this thread to Drum Roll Please:

PAGE 19

I'll have to look for Shaker as I'm bouncing around in a "R" model dump truck and try to get him to write a tale or two, I have also noticed there is another veteren trucker who just signed on to CAD, maybe if we talk nice to him he can come up with some tales from his CF days!!!!

Now to answer the question on page 18 I have no idea when it'll hit 20,000 but I sure hope the wave of hateful winds subsides so I can keep up with the demands of posting Tales from Beyond Sanity!!!!


As always there will be more to come!!!

[magician_73]

I have also noticed there is another veteren trucker who just signed on to CAD, maybe if we talk nice to him he can come up with some tales from his CF days!!!!

Okay, I give in - where did you come up with that bit of info? I think I must have missed him?

[Doctor Who]

Okay, I give in - where did you come up with that bit of info? I think I must have missed him?

Oh really????

Well the gentleman's screen name is Sundance 222 and he has just about the same amount of wear and tear mileage and years wise as we do!!! :shock:

Maybe he'll wander into the Twilight Zone and get that sudden urge to post a tale or two...

And now for the next installment of: As the Flood Waters Rise!!!
Wrong topic, sorry got a little ahead of myself!!!

Hurricane Floyd and the Water Run!!!

Back in 1999 during the attack of hurricane Floyd I had just returned from a frozen food run for Winn Dixie. I walked into the dispatch office and was immediately handed bills for a load of water to deliver to the coastal Winn Dixie stores in NC and SC. I never refuse a load, so I dropped the empty trailer and hooked up the loaded trailer and headed off to the beach. Before I headed down U.S. 70 I checked with the Sky Warn folks and was asked if I was insane for undertaking such a mission, I told them I wasn?t normal to begin with, so why would this time be any different. Anyway, I was informed that Floyd was going to tear Hell into Wilmington and all points south and was predicted to travel up I-40. Just what I wanted to hear!!!

I managed to get five of the stops off and was traveling towards Myrtle Beach when a deep feeling of dread came over me and that feeling increased when I was stopped by a SC Highway Patrol Officer, who matter of factly, told me to get the Hell out of Dodge and he didn?t care how much water I had on the trailer. He also said he would escort me out of the city. I didn?t dare argue I turned the truck around and headed back to NC as fast as the day cab Volvo would take me, unfortunately Floyd caught up to me as I approached Wilmington. I also found that everything was closed as far as motels were concerned. I opted to go back I-40 and as I soon discovered it was a very bad decision.
I had just passed the Burgaw exit and all Hell broke loose and I knew I was going to lose no matter how fast I drove the 68 mph truck. I did check in with the Wilmington Sky Warn people before their power was knocked out, at least I let someone know where I was at in case a search and rescue team was sent out looking for a lost Winn Dixie truck!
I will also add that it was getting pretty late in the evening so I pulled the truck off the highway up the exit ramp then down the on ramp and parked. I settled into the passenger side of the truck, there wasn?t a passenger seat, and closed my eyes hoping I would be able to open them when the wind stopped.

The storm seemed like it lasted forever as the truck rocked back and forth and as it was slammed by all kinds of debris. At different times during the ordeal I made calls on the radio but to no avail not a single Ham operator was on. I really started to panic and had a lot of strange visions pop up in my mind. I guess I had drifted off to an uneasy sleep only to be awoken by the CADEC alarm telling me I was about to run out of hours?

I also noticed that the truck wasn?t rocking and the howling wind had subsided, it was real dark and I wasn?t sure if the storm was over or the eye was overhead, either way it was time to go and go I did. I pulled back onto I-40 and trucked as hard as I could back to Clayton. The trip back was like driving through a minefield, there were trees, signs, parts of houses, livestock, and the occasional boat littering both sides of the highway, not to mention DEEP water. There were times I had to drive on the east bound side to get around a flood.

About five hours later I finally made it back to the DC only to find it closed, I parked the truck in the outside carrier lot, went to my car and attempted to drive home which took me another three hours and is another tale for another time!!!

[Doctor Who]

This little ditty dates back to the early, or maybe, middle 80's when the speed limit was still 55 and CBs were still the rage!!!

Careful what you say on the radio!!!

After yet another of my whirlwind tours of the upper Midwest I was cruising along my favourite interstate 80 in my next favourite state Pennsylvania when I came up behind a Yellow Freight truck. On a whim I called the driver on the CB and found out it was my Dads best friend. I wasn?t in any particular hurry so I tucked in behind the slower Yellow truck and struck up a conversation with ?Howie.? He did get concerned that he was holding me up and I told him the speed limit was 55 and I didn?t have any place to be anytime soon so I was content just riding behind him reading the graffiti written in the dirt on the back door.
We traveled along for about an hour just ?BSing? back and forth about old times, Dad becoming a State Trooper and what Dad was like in the Navy. I finally got something to ?black mail? Dad with when the time was right!!!
Howie broke off the conversation by saying there was a pair of headlights coming up behind us and it looked as though they were traveling pretty fast. At first I thought it was one of Pennsylvania?s finest but as the lights got closer I noticed the clearance and other assorted lights? My first guess was a Monfort of Colorado ?circus wagon? heading towards the 11th Ave meat district in NYC.
That thought was dashed when a voice came on the radio asking why we were going so slow. The driver was promptly told that we weren?t in any big hurry. I guess the driver took offense to the response and told us we were nothing more than wastes of fuel blocking the right lane. It was about that time I noticed the truck, a disgustingly lame attempt at ?circus wagon? on a Peterbilt with the name Circle ?C? written on the door. This is not to be confused with Chemical Leaman by any stretch of the imagination.
Howie and I tended to ignore this driver until he made the one statement he should have never let leave his radio and this is a direct quote ?Damn Yellow, I make the same amount of money you do and I do more miles!!!?
My first reaction was ?What did he just say????
Howie just laughed and asked this guy just how much per mile did he get paid. Usually the response would be something profane but this guy just said $.12 per mile and I finished the sentence with ??and all the miles he can run with 4 logbooks!!?
The driver finally realized that he had inserted his foot way too deep in his mouth to mount any kind of rational come back so he left us by saying something that is truly anatomically impossible?

Howie and I stopped for coffee on the Jersey side and had a real good laugh about the whole ordeal? Just another bump in the road towards retirement!!!

[magician_73]

Gee Doc, I would be willing to wager that by the end of this coming week, the thread will be over:12,000 How about them apples?

[magician_73]

Years ago when I was still in 'household', I had a 6' drom box directly behind the sleeper. Most states paid little attention to it and only occasionally would Missouri question you. Utah however was a different story. They would allow a drom provided you kept your own equipment, etc. inside the drom however, should there be anything other than your equipment, then it was a different story. You had to buy a permit for truck and trailer.
This one particular trip I had been pressed for space. I loaded the drom box with everything/anything I could squeeze inside it. I finally got the whole shipment loaded, including a tailgate. I headed through Wyoming and as I neared the Utah port it began to rain a little. I pulled on the scale and sure enough the little ole lady scalemaster redlighted me and had me pull over to the side. 'Bring in all permits, registration, insurance, logbook,etc.' was the command.
I gathered up everything and headed inside. She greeted me casually and looked at my paperwork, checked my log and just as I was gathering up everything, she asked. 'What's in the drom box driver'? My ole heart skipped a beat for a knew if she checked it, I'd get a ticket and also have to buy a permit. I glanced outside and it was raining pretty good. I looked at her and responded, 'just my equipment', 'that's why I have the tailgate'.
She looked me over, 'you mean if I were to walk out there and open it, I would find nothing but your equipment?'. I nodded and replied, 'that's right' and I reached in my pants, pulled out the keys and offered them to her. 'Here's the keys, if you want to check them'. I thought to myself, boy have I lost it or what? She glanced at me, looked outside at the rain and said, 'that's alright driver, you can go'. I gathered the papers, log and headed out that door as fast as possible, short of a run. Needless to say I didn't hesitate leaving the scale either. Sometimes you can bluff and sometimes you get caught and I was betting on her not wanting to go out in the rain and getting wet.

[Doctor Who]

Yes Magician 12,000 may just be in the realm of possibility but I doubt it'll be this weekend.

My ass is still sore from bouncing around in a raggedy 1996 R688SD Mack 14 wheel dump wagon and there's a tale or two in this latest endeavour, trust me, especially being near the Outer Banks of NC for three days...

Ah yes, rag top Mustang two young ladies and an ill fitting bikini top just about caused a three dump wagon pile-up..... Oh yeah more to come!!!
In more ways than one :wink: :P :shock:

[magician_73]

Ah yes, my dear Watson...bikini clad girls in convertibles. Shades of California in the summertime. Speaking of which, years ago, there were four of us running together and heading south on US95 from Needles to Blythe. Down towards the lower end, there are quite a few dippy doos...and a couple of curves...anyway, a convertible loaded with four girls blew by the four of us on a little straight stretch, waving and blowing kisses, etc. They were literally flying low. About six or seven miles down the road, we found them. They had taken one of the dippy doos too fast, lost control and flipped the convertible. All were thrown from the vehicle. Needless to say, we all stopped, put out flares and went to see what we could do to help.
One of the girls was just walking around in a daze, a few bruises, minor cuts, scapes, etc. but nothing serious. Lucky her. Her companions weren't so lucky. One of the other girls had both legs broken and was about to go into shock. We grabbed blankets, etc. from the trucks, tried to comfort her as much as possible. Another girl was unconscious and had a severe head wound, bleeding profusely. One of the trucks had a load of iced produce and headed for the trailer to get all the ice he could carry. We made ice packs and applied them to her wound. In the interim, a four wheeler stopped and we told him to head for the nearest phone (back before cell phones) and get help on it's way. The fourth girl had some cuts, a broken arm and also was going in shock. In short, we stayed with them til help arrived, applying the ice packs, blankets and putting pressure on wounds when needed. A highway patrolman arrived and within minutes he summoned a 'life flight' copter. About twenty minutes it arrived and landed on the highway. It carried the two most seriously injured girls off and left the other two for an ambulance which arrived about a half hour later. After all the paperwork was completed, we went on our way and about a month later, received a 'thank you' card from each of the girls (address was obtained from the CHP officer). The parents of the girls all wrote 'thank you letters' and we rec'd a letter of Commendation from the CHP for our efforts.