Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking

[Twilight Flyer]

If they think you're old...imagine what category I would fall in?

Ancient?

Decrepit?

Archaic?

A relic?

Spokesperson for the AARP?



Just trying to even out the fossil abuse.

:P

[Ironturkey]

In the spring of 97' I was pullin for Boise cascade I was hooked to a set rocky mountain doubles headin for Boise Id. I didnt check the pass reports before I left the yard, why? cause it was May.
Anyway I get to the cold springs coop and met another bct driver that said the hill (cabbage) was a mess an that it might be cleared up by the time I got there. It wasnt there were trucks lined up back past the arrowhead.
I pulled into the chain up area an started to sort out my chains come to find the driver I'd been slip seating with didnt like three railers, and had takin them off the truck an put 4 singles in their place. We carried 4 three railers and 6 singles on most of the trucks. Well I put 4 singles on the drives and three drag chains on the trailers, I was set (I dont care for singles prefer three railers on the drives) or so I thought.
I was pokin along keepin my momentum up, there were crete, swift, shnieder, JB, and a plethera of other rigs spun out up there it was a mess damn it was a mess. The truck I was followin spun out causing me to loose what forward momentom I had left, and I ended up spun out with those datgum worthless singles.
Along comes Mr. DOT and he asks me why are you sittin here? I said cause its kinda pretty up here with the snow an all. He asks cant you move? I said if I could move I'd be in La grande drinkin coffee right now.
He then says I think you can move, and he gits up in front of me and waves me forward. The truck starts to move, he slips lands on his face and slides towards the truck. I set the brakes agin get out and he's layin there his eyes as big as saucers lookin at my left steer bout an inch from his face. He got up pointed his finger at me then pointed it at the ground and said stay here dont move till you can, jumped in his car an took off up the hill. I'm thinkin to clean out his bloomers.

[Doctor Who]

If they think you're old...imagine what category I would fall in?

Ancient?

Decrepit?

Archaic?

A relic?

Spokesperson for the AARP?



Just trying to even out the fossil abuse.

:P

Damn, he's cold... How so ever, he may be describing himself also!!!
Let the tales flow......................

TF you forgot older than Methuselah. :P

[magician_73]

Doc, I'm beginning to wonder about these guys picking on us. Guess the Cape Cruisader hides behind the cape which obviously covers his diaper stains???? I know compared to you and I, he's got to be a 'rookie' so to speak?

Seriously, am really glad to see others beginning to post here. I know Doc is relieved. He carried the ball since the forum's inception way back when. Thanks Doc. Thanks ya'all!

More later

And by the way, no one has tackled the trivia question regarding how 'cabbage' got it's nickname?

[Doctor Who]

Where have I seen this before or,
In the words of the Immortal Yogi Berra; It's Deja Vu all over again!

I was rolling slow through a construction zone northbound on US 1 hauling 20.5 tons of rocks and proceeded to ease back into the right lane so a dump wagon owner operator could get around me since, he was riding my ass through the zone, when the steering wheel got stuck and the truck was heading for a guard rail and a very deep drop off. It was like Georgia...W900...right front tyre... See page one for the rest of the story!!!

My first thought was "Oh ****!!"
My second thought. "God this is going to hurt!!"

I managed to "armstrong" the wheel to the left and the truck bounced off the guard rail but the truck leaned real hard to the right, I thought for sure the thing was going to go over...
I sat in the seat for a bit asking myself why I wanted to be a driver in the first place.

The O/O stopped in front of me and walked back to survey the damage. I told him I blew a right front tyre and he said I didn't and come look at his truck. The front of his Freightliner was covered in oil and then I looked back at the Mack and saw a huge puddle under the left side. I pulled the hood open and found the power steering pump had let go. I got so angry I kicked the truck, punched and spit at it when a LEO drove up and asked who was going to clean up the oil and I told him he was!!

All in all the only damge, other than the guard rail was the bumper was bent. Well the mechanic had found during his survey that I had broken the center bolt when I yanked the wheel. He asked me if I was able to bench press 1,000lbs, I told him. "No but it is amazing how much strength a person can muster up in a time of panic!!!"

PAGE 24

[dodgeman]

And by the way, no one has tackled the trivia question regarding how 'cabbage' got it's nickname?

Ever wonder where Cabbage got it's name? It drove me crazy until I found out.

http://gesswhoto.com/um-city-links.html

Just defending her honor while she's on the road!

[Twilight Flyer]

I think the correct phrase is...

"I'm getting too old for this ****."

Said in best Danny Glover voice.

Glad you're OK, Doc.

Doc have you ever had the thought that maybe your 4 leaf clover has dried up and blew away? :shock:

[Doctor Who]

I think the correct phrase is...

"I'm getting too old for this ****."

Said in best Danny Glover voice.

Yeah, I did say that also when the LEO surveyed the damage to the truck and rail...

Doc have you ever had the thought that maybe your 4 leaf clover has dried up and blew away?

Yeah and the rabbit died plus, someone stole the salt shaker and my luck would have the ****ing horseshoe fall on my head!

Oh, by the way, it's now over 16,000

[magician_73]

16,000 and 24 pages

Who would have thought we would reach these milestones, Doc?

By the way, sending you a necklace of 'garlic' and a dozen silver bullets, plus three dozen fourleaf clovers to help ward off the evil spirits which seem to have befallen you......

Good to see others posting here, isn't it? This thread may take off yet! :moose:

Dont forget the couple of dozen rabbits feet!

GEEZ........ :shock:

I'm glad I'm not the one cleaning your shorts!!!!!


Glad you're ok..

[Doctor Who]

I'm glad I'm not the one cleaning your shorts!!!!!

Hmmmm, actually I would make someone one Hell of a husband I do my own laundry!!

The guardrail is fixed, the truck has been repaired and a new driver is on it as I got my POS back so, all is right in the rock hauling universe as a new highway takes form...

More fun to come as another week approaches... Oh, by the way, tomorrow Oct. 11 is Indigenous Peoples Day in the USA, I've sent my Hallmark cards out, have you???

[chacha]

Ok, I'll contribute a story... dumb but true...

I had just loaded out of Minute Maid in Paw Paw, MI and was headed back to I-94 Westbound. It was late, pouring rain and I was tired after sitting at Minute Maid forever. I made my right turn, thinking I was turning onto the interstate ramp, but it was actually a service road. Bummer.

I knew right away I'd done wrong, but backing back out wasn't going to happen in the dark and rain. Instead I pulled ahead, seeing a building and hoping I could do a three point (to the third power) turnaround in the drive... but as I drew nearer, I saw it was the highway patrol office. No thanks.

I just sat there, hoping a cop would come by and offer to help me back out on the road. Ahead of me, the road turned to gravel and narrowed way down. A cop came by, alright, but he suggested that I follow him forward. Ok, I thought, he knows this territory, maybe there's a place to turn around I can't see.

I follow him a few blocks and he turns right... onto a cow path. I sucked in a breath, still having faith that he knew the lay of the land. He made his turn... and stopped. I stopped - ok, so what did he want me to do? I got out of the truck and asked him and he thought I could back around the corner. Ummm... no, I said, not from a tiny skinny road to another tiny skinny road in the rain and dark, physical impossibility. Deep ditches on either side. I know what you're thinking - I'm a wimp - but I'm not, it just would have been the biggest bitch to try that even in the daylight.

He said okay and we continued down the cowpath. Where the hell are we going, I wondered. We ended up in some farmer's driveway. I had to make a very sharp right, pull up, back up, pull up, etc, etc, over and over again. I was driving a W900 extended hood & 48, btw. The cop had to get out in the pouring rain and help, it was so tight in there and so dark you couldn't see diddly. Amazingly enough, the farmer never came out of the house.

Finally, I was turned around and headed outta there. I was soaked to the skin and pissed as all hell, but out of there. The cop was actually very nice, but then again, he's the one who got me into all the trouble in the first place!!!!

[Doctor Who]

IT'S AN OSTRICH

A couple of days ago I was traveling along a two lane highway when one of the tag axles started making noises that caused deep concern. I wheeled over to the side of the road and checked the tag axles for any distress, as I was looking everything over I heard a noise behind me, I turned and saw a horse standing by a fence. The horse started talking in horse talk, I will state for the record I comprehend a few languages however, horse is not among them. I walked to the fence and listened to the horses tale(tail) of woe and fed it grass and an apple that I had in my cooler. All was ok until a big ugly bird like creature wandered over to investigate.
Meantime, a highway patrol officer pulled up to check on me and the truck, I explained my problem and told him about the horse. I did ask him what kind of creature was the other thing. He studied the bird carefully and said. "It's an ostrich"
I looked at the bird, then the LEO and answered.. "That's not an ostrich!"
I then explained that ostriches were bigger and had white feathers and a very bad attitude and continued that a guy, who owned a bus company, in East Brunswick NJ had exotic yard life and among them was a couple of ostriches...

While the LEO and I were discussing his determination I noticed a woman driving a golf cart towards us, she wanted to see what was happening in her front yard. I told her why I was parked there and about the conversation with the horse. The lady told me that Skittles was a very "talkative" horse and loved apples as the horse ate my second apple. I then asked her about the ugly bird, I believe she got offended, and she answered that it was an emu and her name was Maisey!
I looked at the LEO and said..."An ostrich, huh????" Then asked him if he was planning on becoming a detective...


NO TRUCKS IN LEFT LANE

Earlier today it seemed that someone had declared Oct 15 as DRIVE STUPID DAY.
Case in point; cruising along a four lane road a guy driving a big rig passed me, which is nothing new as I'm not in any particular hurry. There was a huge yellow sign stating "NO TRUCKS IN LEFT LANE" it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that phrase means but alas this guy totally ignored the sign and about a mile up the road he managed to wedge his 13'6' wagon under an overpass. I pulled over on the other side and walked back to check the health and welfare of the now very embarrassed driver. He did get a bit belligerent so, I asked him if he performed this act of stupidity for my benefit and proceeded to say that he failed to impress me but I did find his act a bit amusing. I did call the proper authorities to help the hapless driver, who was not a new driver, by the way!!!

Yes complacency can be damaging to an ego.
Quite a few years back I had a run in Northern NJ and I traveled the same road, which included an overpass, at least every other week. On one particular night trip I went under the bridge as I usually would do, made the delivery and started back down the road and came to the overpass and hit it. Talk about getting the **** knocked out of you. I sat in the seat for a few minutes wondering if I had taken the wrong road. Well I had to step out and check the damage, as I stepped out I fell into the opposite lane. I soon discovered that the downbound lane had been paved and was a bunch of inches higher than the upbound lane.
This one was definitely difficult to explain to the safety people!!!

[magician_73]

The horse started talking in horse talk, I will state for the record I comprehend a few languages however, horse is not among them.

Doc, my dear friend, you've left yourself wide open for this and I cannot (emphasis on cannot) resist!

At your age and after all the 'nags' you been involved with way back when, are you certain you couldn't understand the horse?

and listened to the horses tale(tail) of woe

Now that's bad.....tale(tail) of woe....woe is me!

I then asked her about the ugly bird, I believe she got offended, and she answered that it was an emu

Doc, I can't believe you didn't recognize an 'emu'......of course since you are dealing with 'winged critters' etc...here on CAD, it would be somewhat understandable.

Sorry about that Doc - I just had to do it! As 'Geraldine' used to say...'the devil made me do it'......:moose: up, up and away Charlie......

[Doctor Who]

Well, Sir Magician my weekend would not be complete until I got you're reaction.
Now of course you have realised that my writings have been sprinkled with bizarre anecdotes, not to mention, an odd writing style which used to piss off the English teachers and professors, especially the Russian English prof I had in college!!!

With all that typed and out of the way, I have come to the realization that DUMp trucking has taken on a very surreal life of its own almost to the point of the "Outer Limits" and the "Twilight Zone" rolled into one!!!

[Doctor Who]

Ah yes Hallowe'en is once again upon us and anyone who has driven for a while can appreciate all the bizarre goings on associated with this Pagen holiday....

Dateline: Friday Oct 29

First this, I was sort of promoted or, demoted, depending on the position of the observer, to a CH600 Mack tractor pulling a 30' dump trailer. Best part is I don't have to get out and wind the tarp...

OK, on one of the very many trips to the quarry I went past a Hardees, the only big time thing in a small town, and I noticed a few of the female employees sitting in front of the restaurant dressed in costume, the usual tired affair, witches, sailor, G I Jane, with the exception of one, who was dressed as a French maid complete with the fishnet stockings. This chick saw the truck and lifted her short skirt to show some more leg, then got upset since I didn't react...

A hour went by before I returned to that same intersection the French maid had her back to me so I popped the truck out of gear and eased up to the light. She was "entertaining" some old guy going by in a pick up so, I pulled on the horn cord this gal jumped and almost lost part of her costume... Her friends got a big charge out of the scene as did the old guy. All I got was the favourite one finger salute... Yes it did make my day!!!

The only thing I miss about Hallowe'en baffoonery is doing the night gas deliveries especially around Raleigh and Franklin Street in Chapel Hill!

Oct 30:

Had to work but that's nothing new.... On my way back to the yard I stopped at a convenience store for a ice cold refreshing beverage. I walked in the store and didn't see a clerk or anyone else for that matter. Blowing the emptyness off I wandered over to the fountain area filled a large cup with iced tea and headed for the counter when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I jumped and turned spilling my tea on the store manager, who, for some reason, thought it would be funny to wear a Freddie Kruger mask.
This, now very wet, manager was shocked, she asked me if I was real jumpy, I told her it came as part of the job description and that I came from the worst section of New York and getting approached from behind could get dangerous as she found out!!!
I will say this, she was pretty cool about the whole incident. I did apologize I also got my drink for free (of course after I refilled the cup).
As I was leaving, the manager said she may have to rethink her choice of costume and her Hallowe'en pranks...
Smart move!!!

If anyone hasn't already, the Raleigh Hallowe'en tale is on page 10....

Hey Doc. Everyone has to be told they are #1 every once in awhile. :P