Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking

[Doctor Who]

Ah, I do miss the '70's but not Disco or the Village People!!!


Back in the ?70?s during the second oil embargo(?) the chemical tank line my truck was leased to had several oval shaped tanks, which, for all the world, looked like petroleum tanks both 4 hole and 5 hole types. The concept behind these was fairly straight forward a trailer could hold four or five different chemicals without fear of cross contamination plus, a driver could deliver to more than one chemical consignee. Not bad and the pay wasn?t too shabby either.

On the return ride from a very long five stop chemical load I pulled into a closed gas station in central New Jersey to catch a few hours sleep. I could have gone home but greed was driving me to go back and hook to another 5 stop load and get back with the program. When I stopped the truck I noticed the station belonged to a, not very well liked, guy who was the president of the New Jersey Gas Retailers organization and this one guy alone stood in the way of NJ getting ?Self Service? gas stations!
Anyway, I slept until daybreak; I got up, stepped out of the truck to answer the nature call and noticed a very long line of cars waiting for the station to open. I couldn?t resist playing the Devils Advocate; I walked up to the 1st car in line and asked the driver what he was doing. He told me he wanted to get the shot at getting gas for his car, which was a ?77 Cadillac Fleetwood. Now of course me being me told the guy that I was instructed to park at the abandoned station to draw a crowd then leave to deliver the load somewhere else. What I didn?t tell the guy was the trailer was empty and wasn?t designed for petroleum; I conveniently left that part out. The other part that was neglected was the fact that station was not abandoned but I didn?t see the fun in letting that piece of trivia go.
I pulled out of the station and headed back to Bayonne for the next load.

The next day I called dispatch to let them know I was still on the payroll and the boss asked me what I had done in North Brunswick and of course I told him I hadn?t done anything. He then told me a mini riot broke out at the Citgo station over a driver being told not to deliver gas to the station under strict orders. I asked the boss what made him think it was me and he just said ?Because I know you!!!?
I couldn?t argue!!!!

Till the next time.............

[crazytex]

Altho I'll honestly admit I'm still a rookie by all standards I do have a few stories about when I was driving with my first company and had to run the dumb/dumberer plan after my 'trainer' time........
I'll admit I was the dumb, but my 'co-driver' did fall into the other category (no matter how many degrees he held)......

Well we were both products of the 4weekers and then spent our 4weeks with our trainers before being forced to teamup together, but we picked up our truck outta 'Dallas' and also our first load (I was lucky and got 1st seat considering his English was barely understandable-W.African)
I decided since I grew up around the area I would drive to p/u our load and make the first leg of the run, which went fairly uneventful.....Well when it was his turn we heading up thru Little Rock and then E. on 40 towards NY for our first drop.....it was pouring down rain and since I wasn't familiar with his skills dint sleep too well and was up in the jump seat when before we had even reached Memphis we had already seen 3 trucks rolled including a fellow company truck, due to the storm.....Well as we continued thru the offramp portion of 40 there by the state line my co-driver did finally safely slow us down thru the corner but couldn't find his gears to continue outta the curve insomuch the 'check engine' light was on for the rest of his portion.....well needless to say I was a bit scared after that but during his next portion was going up 81 and when we hit the 'hills' I noticed that not only could he not uphill downshift but he 'killed' the truck and put it on the shoulder.....well not too bad until during his attempts to get going again did he roll it back before moving forwards.......needless to say that was just the beginning of a long 30days, with even more events happening thruout our mandatory time together, and of course dispatch wasn't too helpful in trying to find me an alternate co-driver........

Should I go on with some excerpts of this 30-day mandatory journey??

[Doctor Who]

Should I go on with some excerpts of this 30-day mandatory journey??

Most definitely yes!!! I need a break from posting my entire 975 pages of journal writings

I also noticed you have an Amateur Radio call sign, have you done any DX from the truck???

[crazytex]

Most definitely yes!!! I need a break from posting my entire 975 pages of journal writings

I also noticed you have an Amateur Radio call sign, have you done any DX from the truck???

I haven't been able to afford the gear to even go 2m/440-mobile in the rig and am just a nocode Tech
__________________________________________________ ______

Question: which rookie driver would you prefer to have running? (this is based on actual experiences during the aforementioned timeframe) a Driver that can stay up 20hrs a day but can only run from the Iowa 80 west and not make it outta Nebraska after over 11-12 hrs or one that from the same starting point on I-80 that ran 630mi(close to half thru Wy) after 10.5 hrs???? and ohh btw this was in a Covenant FLD120

[Doctor Who]

Question: which rookie driver would you prefer to have running? (this is based on actual experiences during the aforementioned timeframe) a Driver that can stay up 20hrs a day but can only run from the Iowa 80 west and not make it outta Nebraska after over 11-12 hrs or one that from the same starting point on I-80 that ran 630mi(close to half thru Wy) after 10.5 hrs???? and ohh btw this was in a Covenant FLD120

Which ever one you feel more comfortable telling about... This topic could use some new blood spinning tales from the Dark Side, oopppss I mean the highway!! :shock:

[crazytex]

well I'll say that this other driver really had his drawers in a bundle ..... another experience we had was running a load of Apples from Wash state back East(in between the Iowa 80 reference)......needless to say he was driving E-bound on 90 thru Idaho and it was a minor uphill grade thru 1-lane construction.....due to a coolant leak we had overheated a bit(or so he said) and had killed it in the one lane stretch.....there were alot of ticked off 4wheelers and largecars that drove around us thru the cones....then as he finally got it started again, had difficulty getting it to a pull-off up the 'hill' where I took over.....put some water in and turned on the 'vent' and proceeded down the road till we found a T-stop with a water hose......

More adventures of the Covenant Dumb and Dumber to come......LOL

[crazytex]

well I'm not sure about going into some of the happenings and definitely dont want to complete dog the co-driver I had, outside of the truck he probably woulda made a good friend but inside the truck well it dint help that they paired a smoker with a non-smoker at that for 30days.........


Another excerpt from the trip: Leaving outta NJ and taking the turnpike and eventually 80W to California we had a load that easily could've been given to a solo with the time allowed on it, well I was going thru Sprint PCS for my cellphone and of course my bill was due and we had just gotten paid....well we eventually pulled into a Petro and it ended up if we would've waited another 30minutes I coulda paid my bill but as it turned out I ended up wasting alot of time trying to find somewhere to pay it as the trip progressed considering there is no Sprint payment center off the turnpike or anything until we were basically in Chicago.......at one point I had just missed a place closing by about 10minutes and was really peeved about this and he poked his head out the cab (while I was on the phone with Sprint, cuz at this point it was shut off and he never allowed me the usage of his phone) to tell me that we NEEDED to get the load rolling......needless to say I was so ticked at him (lack of sleep, etc ....due to his driving and then previous events--stalls, rolling backwards on hills, etc...) and being ticked @ Sprint for giving me bad options (can't always pull a tractor trailer into a Ripoff Shack parking lot) that I just looked up at him from the ground and told him I highly suggested he leave me alone and I'll drive when I'm ready to, he was like "well I could drive" but he was outta hours from his earlier shift.....

Well personally I felt it was better I cooled down first before getting back behind the wheel than to drive all ticked off...........One Q? How many drivers feel that it is right to pull it over if t'd off or whatever than to become a 'road rage' driver????

--------------
thought I'd give ya something to read Doc since I'm leaving in a few hours for Shifty/Swift orientation and prob wont be back on here for a few

[Doctor Who]

Careful what you say part 2:

A week or so ago I wheeled my quad dump into a convenience store to grab an ice cold refreshing beverage. I had noticed a non descript truck training school vehicle in the parking lot. I wandered in to buy my beverage and overheard one of the students making comments about dump truck drivers not being real drivers. The instructor saw me standing by the check out lady and came over to apologize. I told him not to worry there is always one "know it all" in every class. Oh I do know the instructor. Then the "mouth" told his fellow students that he'll not go to the Northeast and will tell the dispatcher so. I walked over to the guy and informed him that he was a prime candidate for East Coast running since he knew it all and he had the right frame of mind for such an adventure. His instructor agreed. I also told this potential professional that I was the one driving the quad and that I had more than 30 years on the road and if that didn't make me a real driver then I didn't know what did.

This student got real quiet real quick and left to get behind the wheel of the training truck. The cashier and I watched as the truck jerked out of parking lot and turn right crushing a sign near the driveway. The cashier laughed shook her head and said "He'll be a real gem on the highway!"
Who was I to disagree!!!


Oh by the way the thread has gone over 15,000

[trckndadsangel]

I have been out in the truck with my husband for the past two weeks. We leave again on Wednesday for another 2 to 3 weeks. This trip out has been pretty good except for the the suicidle bird. We had just pulled out of the Port of Entry on the 30 in Wyoming when a bird decided to fly straight into my window. Thankfully the window did not break. The bird flew up the side of the truck over the trailer and hit the pick up behind us. The guy in the pick up passed us and let us know we were number one. All I could do was give the guy a big smile and a wave. I think I shocked him because I would not tell him he was number one. My husband however could not stop laughing as he seen the bird out of the corner of his eye and I did not do to me having tunnel vision. I must of jumped at least a foot.

[Doctor Who]

Ah yes tis the season for suicidal birds and four legged creatures!!

The dude in the pick-up probably needs a few lessons in Highway Manners!

[Doctor Who]

Just remember attitude is everything!! Part 2

On numerous trips to the local rock quarry I had noticed one of the newer Mack Granite quads sitting by its lonesome, curiosity being an overwhelming force I stopped, looked at the truck and noticed the drive shaft was missing. When I caught up with the driver I asked about his truck and he told me his "trainee" snapped the shaft. The foreman then showed me the drive shaft, which was twisted like a French Crueller. I had never seen a drive shaft broken like that before and neither did the foreman. The driver told me that his "trainee" had an arrogant attitude and couldn't be told anything without giving a smart assed remark in return. The "trainee" had pulled the parking brake valve, waited for the loader to finish, then placed the truck in gear and popped the clutch. No wonder the shaft twisted like it did.
The driver also said the guy tried to "speed shift" the Mack, like a car, which didn't quite work.
Needless to say the new hire was relieved of duty right there and then.

Page....23

[Lady18wheels]

WOW :shock: :shock:
(I'll bet somebody felt like punching the guy!)

[Doctor Who]

Uh yeah, the driver of the quad is really a laid back sort of person and in the short time I've known him I have never seen him get torqued out of the frame at anybody until today...

[magician_73]

Good grief, leave for a while and thread hits page 23 and goes over 15,000 mercy me Doc - 20, 000 by years' end if CAD don't puke!

Two incidents yesterday of an unusual amusing nature (I guess)...one, years ago I learned never follow a bull wagon too closely...obvious reasons....yet yesterday I found myself stuck in the hammerlane behind one while we both were trying to pass one of the Redman's critters......and needless to say...them darn critters decided upon themselves it was time to relieve the bowels....yup, nice clean truck suddenly took on a new appearance.....then, also

Yesterday, westbound on I-40 in Arizona...MP 311 - damnest hailstorm even been in. Golfball size hail, when the first one hit the windshield thought it shattered. Anyway, continuing...the road became covered for about 10 miles, 4 wheelers in median, ditch...every where...one particular rental truck was pulling a new mustang convertible. As I slowly passed him, I noticed his convertible was indeed a convertible....there must have been 50 holes in the top and I would venture money he wasn't aware of it yet. Everytime I hit bad storms, I think of good ole Doc....why anyone would want to chase them....beyond me....does your vehicle have any hail damage?

Flagstaff has already seen snow, Wyoming and Colorado and Montana...so I would guess this is going to be a good ole fashion winter in the west...dig out the 'iron' guys!

By the way Doc, I agree wholeheartedly...it's refreshing to see others' begin to post in the forum...thanks guys/ladies ...

[Doctor Who]

I'm glad to see you made it back...

why anyone would want to chase them....beyond me....does your vehicle have any hail damage?

Well, as you may have surmised, I am not normal by any stretch of the imagination... As for the hail damage yes a few trucks have suffered through a few hail storms and one tanker did have big dents in it.

With all that said, I chase storms so other folks will have time to prepare for whatever comes with it... Just think when the weather service sends out a severe weather alert, tornado, severe thunderstorm, etc, someone on the ground has already seen it and reported it. That's why I take my amateur radio equipment with me...

[magician_73]

Well, as you may have surmised, I am not normal by any stretch of the imagination......

Doc, I'm not gonna touch that statement....you're too dear a friend....!!!! But the temptation is sooooooo great!! I'm just gonna get on the ole :moose: and ride on....

[Doctor Who]

You might as well, everyone else seems to think I'm fair game!! :shock:

Anyway, if it isn't storms it's furry four legged creatures that seem to have a fanaticism with any large vehicle I drive... Case in point, Thursday found me running tons of sand along some back roads in Princeton, NC and on one particular return trip to the pit an extremely "hostile" deer decided it wanted the passenger door, the thud alone scared the **** out of me, I locked up the brakes and walked back to see what hit the truck. I found the deer laying on the road with its neck broken, I felt bad for the critter but still was thinking of what I was going to tell the superintendent trying to explain the dent. Well, didn't have to wait long as he was behind me and saw the whole incident, he asked if I wanted to split the meat with him and I told him I didn't care for deer so I helped him put the critter in his pick up. He did have the night mechanic fix the dent in the door.

Oh so much fun hauling dirt and rocks!!!

[Twilight Flyer]

You might as well, everyone else seems to think I'm fair game!!

Ain't that the truth!

Well Doc if you wernt older than dirt. And didnt have those broad shoulders we might not pick on you.

Then again maybe we still would Face it Doc your just and easy target for us and the deer. :P

[magician_73]

Well Doc if you wernt older than dirt. And didnt have those broad shoulders we might not pick on you.
:P

Boy, am I glad he wrote that and not me, Doc! If they think you're old...imagine what category I would fall in?:moose:

A few years ago...actually many years ago. A friend was making a trip with me and we were heading easterly on I-84...nearing the infamous 'cabbage'.....we stopped at Pendleton and refreshed our coffee and while there we spotted a couple of 'rookies' in JB trucks about to depart.

We got back in the truck and decided we would have some fun with the JB guys. We passed them prior to cabbage....and about 1/2 up pulled over on the shoulder...my friend got out and he grabbed a loggin chain out of the side box. He hooked it to the tow hook on the front and walked ahead of the truck with the chain draped over his shoulder. I slouched down in the driver's seat...put the ole gal in 'granny' and barely had her at a crawl up the hill. About that time the JB guys came up and started to pass us.....and when they seen my friend out in front with the loggin chain draped over his shoulder, seemingly tight and the truck barely moving....they freaked out...cause they actually thought he was pulling the truck with the chain....the expression on their faces was absolutely 'priceless'.......Just as soon as they passed, he threw the chain back in the sidebox, climbed back in and I went up the hill. We caught them prior to topping 'cabbage'...and they again had that 'astonished' look on their faces......we laughed about that for weeks to come...

While on the subject of 'cabbage'....triva question for ya all......Anyone know how 'cabbage' got that nickname? 'Cabbage' is actually part of the Blue Mountain range there in Oregon....But it got the nickname 'cabbage'....and question why/how?