Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking

[yoopr]

Guess that's happened to everybody at one time or another--It's pretty freaky feeling.

I have a story that happened to 2 buddies of mine(both truckers).
They were both going to the same place and one of the guys got ahead and told the other guy "I'll meet you at such and such truck stop for Coffee"

The guy who was behind finally gets to the truck stop and sees his buddy slumped over the steering wheel so he's gonna pull a fast one of his friend.
He turns his truck and turns off his lights and creeps in on his buddy head on and gets right up to his bumper-Turns on his lights-Hits his Air horn :shock: :P

Guy wanted to kill his ***** :P
ahhhhhhh-the Good ole days of Trucking

[Doctor Who]

Just dont let it plugup DOC. Or overfill a cement bin. :P

My Hero wrote this and it jogged a bit of dusty memory:

Quite a few years ago during my 32 years of Interstate Road-running, I had the privilege of pulling a few pneumatic tanks.
On one such occasion I was dispatched to Union Carbide to pick up a tank load of plastic pellets. When I arrived at the plant I noticed three other tank lines picking up the same type load and soon discovered that we were all going to the same consignee. For the life of me I could never understand why a company would have several different truck lines deliver the same product to the same customer at the same time.

After the loading ceremony was completed I wound my way back to the interstate, pointed the KW south and hauled ass towards the destination about an hour behind a rather, green driver, from Matlack and as Mr. Murphy would have it ended up unloading after the same driver at the destination.

While I sat awaiting my turn to unload I kept watching the Matlack driver perform his unloading ritual, it soon turned into a boring ordeal. I grabbed my favourite book and started to read when I heard a muffled "POOM" and what sounded like hail falling upon the roof of the W-900. I looked out the windshield and saw a huge pile of plastic behind the Matllack tank and a very upset driver running for cover. The unloader person came running out of the control room waving his arms and yelling but I couldn't hear what the words were but suffice it to say he was extremely pissed.

When the excitement settled down and the clean up began, I wandered to a break room and called the boss, needless to say he was a bit upset, a 4 hour run was going to be an all day affair. I just took it all in stride and told him the detention time was going to look good in the pay check, he hung up on me, how rude!!!


Another trip, different company:

During the team days with my brother we were dispatched to pull another company's pneumatic tank to pull TPA from DuPont in Nashville, Tn to Cape Industries in Wilmington, NC an interesting dispatch to be sure and it did attract a lot of attention from the other company drivers. We just told them that Kenan bought Central, the reactions were priceless to say the least. One other thing to add, we outran Kenans teams which disturbed their terminal manager to the point that he asked us if we wanted to work for him, of course the answer was not appropriate to print!

The original dispatch was we drop and hook and haul ass back to Tennessee but someone at Cape demanded the trailer be unloaded, not a very wise decision, as it turned out.
Upon arrival my brother backed the trailer into the designated spot and went to unhook when a foreman came to him saying the tank was to be unloaded. The foreman was told that the tractor was not equipped with the necessary equipment to perform the task at hand. He insisted and provided the equipment despite the brothers objections. While the unloading ritual proceeded I went to the guard shack and called our dispatch person to get the matter cleared up. One quick phone call from our TM and the problem was rectified. I went back to confront the foreman when I saw a huge yellow cloud in the air. I did forget to ask the brother if he knew how to unload the tank, he didn't. The foreman came back, told us to unhook and he would see to it that we never came back. We thanked him and left forthwith but much to his dismay he was the one who didn't come back as we had found when we got back with the next load.

One thing to add here, DuPont also had Chemical Leaman hauling the same stuff which, lasted all of one round. I guess it had something to do with the CL team breaking a trailer axle leaving DuPont. The tank was quite a bit overweight...

[Doctor Who]

Before I was grounded for a health issue see the Anything and Everything topic "Don't take your health for granted."

I was asked to park the tank wagon and drive a quad axle to help out with the repaving of I-95. I couldn't object too much, I needed a good laugh.

On one of the, many trips, to the paver I had backed up and got ready to unload when the operator jumped off the machine ran up to me and asked if I had seen what was going on in the car that had rolled by. I told him I hadn't seen a thing and he proceeded to tell me about the young lady in the passenger seat and what she was doing to the driver.
"Is that all?" I asked him
He did look a bit upset. "Dude!" I continued "It didn't surprise me, it happens all the time!"

He just shook his head,mumbled some odd words and climbed back up on the machine. I guess he had never been exposed to the finer scenes of interstate travel!!!

Before I was grounded for a health issue see the Anything and Everything topic "Don't take your health for granted."

Well DOC I hope all is going well with you. Are you ever going to be able to get back in the saddle? Or are you sidelined permanantly.

[Doctor Who]

I'm still grounded until Thursday the 28th, which may be a blessing for the folks in the control room. I only made one screw up, I dumped a pile of asphalt behind a truck. Pushed the wrong button!!

Been switching between the control room and helping the paving foreman out on 95 and to say it hasn't been enlightening and educational would be a falsehood!!!!

I did discover one other little fact: It is pretty damn easy to over load a truck.. :shock:

With all the time spent on the opposite side of the orange barrels, it has been rather entertaining to say the least. It looks as if another 100 pages could be written on the sights and sounds of construction traffic. Watch out Mr. Tolstoy I just may surpass your "War and Peace" novel!!!

Well doc I look forward to more stories.

[Snoozer]

After many hours of reading all I can say is WOW! You certaintly have some pretty awesome stories Doc!!! I also would like an autographed copy if you ever release these in book form! By the way, 33,796 views as I type this!

[Doctor Who]

After many hours of reading all I can say is WOW! You certaintly have some pretty awesome stories Doc!!! I also would like an autographed copy if you ever release these in book form!

OK, you're on the list.....

[Snoozer]

Doctor Who wrote:

OK, you're on the list.....

WOOHOO!!! now how bout some more stories???

[Doctor Who]

Oh COOL it's MAY DAY!!!!

I think I'll bake a cake, sing Russian drinking songs and whatever else one does on this festive day...

Oh yeah stay tuned Tales from the Interstate is coming along with.....

[yoopr]

That's a Communist holiday you know
Snowing here-May snow brings June flowers :P

[Doctor Who]

That's a Communist holiday you know

Yeah but it is so much fun poking fun at what became of the Socialists...

Just think tomorrow is Fools Fair in Wales and on Wednesday May 4 a sad day back in 1971 in Ohio....

[Doctor Who]

My truck is faster than your truck!!! Chapter one

Back in the day when the reluctant migration from CB channel 10 to 19 started. Good FM radio stations were few and far between. Trucks were not electronic and coffee was $.25 a cup.... Sorry A.D.D. set in again..

On a very tedious ride back to the East Coast I happened upon a line of trucks and also heard a voice on my Midland radio bragging about how fast his truck was. He also made the point that no one could outrun him.
This comedy scene went on for quite a few miles. I had passed two of the trucks in the parade and tucked myself in one truck behind the pontificator. A few more miles clicked by on the old "analog" odometer and the voice had become tiresome at best.
I poked the nose of my W-900 into the left lane and I saw the back end of a trailer just about to crest a rise a mile or so ahead. I eased back into line, I picked up the mic and asked the driver if he could see the truck in front of him, of course he did acknowledge the question. I then asked him why he hadn't caught me yet. As I talked to the driver I hoped he didn't notice the "S" meter on his radio and discover that the signal was slamming the needle.
I could tell by the agitation in the radio voice that I had upset him greatly. I then eased my truck into the left lane, shifted into 16th and passed the inflated ego. I then told him that I had turned around and came back up the east side to see who was talking all the trash.
I did invite him to stop at the next truck stop for a cup of coffee, he refused and pulled off the interstate. The other drivers in the parade took me up on the offer. It was rather difficult not to have a few laughs at the "fast truck" drivers expense

[Doctor Who]

More road construction fun or, Tales from the Interstate

First a disclaimer; Anyone, who, speeds through a construction zone should be chained to a post along side the zone and get the feel of other vehicles breezing by just inches away from their valued body parts!!!

While assisting the paving foreman, Jamie, a few days ago we witnessed and almost became the victims of an ******* from one of the Northern states, who, found it great sport to drive around the barrels into the lane of construction to pass other vehicles. The LEO guarding the zone pulled the guy behind the barrels just a few feet from where we were standing. The LEO jumped out of his cruiser approached the motorist and the first thing that was asked: "Do you normally drive STUPID at home!!!!"
In unison, Jamie and I just said: "DAMN!!!!"
The driver did end up being escorted off to the local concrete Hilton for much need "stress" management and a $500 fine....

One side note: I called the safety people at Werner after following one of the big BLUE trucks as the driver found it fun to knock the barrels over as he plodded along in the "SLOW" speed zone. At first, I thought it was a depth perception problem but after a mile of dodging the orange and white plastic objects the call was placed.
I did get a return call form the safety department and was told the problem was corrected... It remains to be seen...

Another observation: Beetle person, I have to compliment one of 1CCC's drivers. This driver was the most courteous drivers I have seen in a long time...

[Doctor Who]

My truck is faster than your truck... The saga continues

In the more recent past I had a Freightliner FLD120, not a real asphalt burner, by any stretch of the imagination. I had just departed from the company's Houston facility, rolled down the ramp onto I-610 and pointed the truck East. About a mile into the trek I came upon a very slow moving truck, I eased into the passing lane, which, must have upset the slow drivers "delicate" feelings as a large plume of black smoke rolled out of the rusty stack, there was only one, and of course a long stream of mostly unintelligible sounds crackled from the CB's speaker. The only words that I could make some sense out of was: "I'm not going to let any ****** company truck pass me!!!"

I didn't respond but had made an observation as to why almost anyone, who, uses an 11 meter radio has to put on a pseudo southern accent. The observance was interrupted by a loud voice telling the "upset" driver that his 6th grade education was showing... That did bring a lot more levity to the ordeal...
While the war of the educated ensued my Bearcat BCT 7 came to life as a Texas Highway LEO called dispatch and announced he was going to pull over a truck rolling at a high rate of speed.
Yes, you guessed it, the now extremely upset driver did get pulled. I did tell him that he wouldn't shut up long enough for me to tell him that the LEO was just a mile or so in front of him..
The rest of the, mostly one sided, conversation became a blur of noise and words that were not fit to write... Don't want any trouble from the FCC...

I wonder if the driver was wearing his seat-belt????

[Snoozer]

Yay! Keep em coming Doc!!!

And by the way....page 38!

[Doctor Who]

More are on the way as soon as they get clearance from the FAA for landing!!!

There just may be another installment of the My Truck saga in the works..

There is also a snippet from the "OLDER" brother archives when he worked the "Help" desk at Builders Transport!!!

[Doctor Who]

Sorry for the delay (not Tom, either) More stories will be arriving shortly or, longly depending on the weather!!!

[Doctor Who]

...And yet another attempt at making an impression!!

About a month or, so ago, I was asked to drive one of the company quad axle dumps, I had no choice but to agree. I was blessed with the truck with stuffed animals and other female items. I asked if I could remove the items however, the answer was NO! I will add that there was a box of tissues strapped to the CB holder. Pay close attention to the "box" detail...

I loaded 20 tons of rocks and headed towards my favourite concrete plant. As I drove along the NC highway I spotted a MCE(Motor Carrier Enforcement) officer. I really had not much to worry about since I knew the truck was not over-weight but that that came to a screeching halt when the MCEO drove from the shoulder of the highway, running two vehicles off the road and pulled me over on the ramp leading to the US highway.

I took it all in stride at first, I had my license, the registration and the weight ticket ready as the officer stepped from his car and trotted up to the drivers side. I handed the items out the window but was told, rather rudely, that I was to hand the "radar detector" to the officer.
I told the officer there wasn't a detector on the truck, this only angered the officer and he insisted pointing to the box on the dash.
I told him the box contained tissues and nothing more. I could see that the conversation was going down hill quickly so, to spare myself any more grief, I took the box off the dash and handed it to the officer and asked him to find the "illegal" electronic item... Nothing was found.

The officer handed the box back to me and mumbled something semi-obscene. I know, I should have left the scene but couldn't resist a parting "shot"
"You ran two motor vehicles off the road for a box of tissues?" I asked him in a sarcastic yet, respectful way.
I was told to move on but he would be watching me...
"Great!" I said "I can use all the protection I could get."
The officer didn't smile....

[Doctor Who]

Hey, who moved the ORANGE barrels and why is the chic in the Escalade looking so PISSED???

This and other tales from the road will not be seen on Dateline or 20/20 for that matter!!!

Didn't want the topic to fall into disrepair or fall into the sludge of apathy! :nervous: