Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking

Well Doc give us stories then.PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAASE :P

[Doctor Who]

Well Doc give us stories then.PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAASE :P

Well Dude, I figured by now you would have amassed a few of your own to add to the ever growing tales of Asphalt, Concrete, Cell Phone chatting, burger eating, kid screaming sights in your career as a "Manufactured Goods Relocation Specialist"

[ZeSweetTart]

Have spent the last 10 or so hours reading this topic. All I can say is, "Hoop Hoop Hooray!".

Doc, please consider placing me on your list of future book owners. Also, am pleased to see there is someone around who knows whom "Doctor Who" actually is! Long time fan, but alas Public Telly in this area no longer airs the shows.

This is the best board I have found during my search for info on Trucking. Although the stories are humorous, they are also insightful and tell a newbie more about the biz than all of the 'complaint' boards I have read on other sites.

You should all be congratulated. I am impressed with how well behaved everyone is.

I am in the process of studying for my written portion of the CDL class A. I will be attending the SNI school in Charlotte, NC, just as soon as I can save up enough money to pay the bills for two months! Was approved last year, but needed to wait for an old ticket to clear from my MVR which happened this past February.

Now have squeaky clean 3 year MVR. It took me awhile to figure out no matter how much dispatch pushed, he wasn't going to pay any speeding tickets, and the fleet manager only notices if the insurance company starts hollering about points. Seems they get upset about that little ole thang!

I have been working for a courier company in Atlanta for the past five years as an independent contractor driver. In other words pretty much swinging in the breeze all by my lonesome. So I can relate to a lot of the stories. Mayhaps I will have a few stories of my own to share with the board, if that is permitted?

I do have a question :?: How do you go about obtaining an avatar? I didn't see a way to accomplish that on the registration page.

ZeSweetTart :wink:

[ZeSweetTart]

As you can see I figured it out. Just a matter of scrolling far enough down the screen, duh!

ZeSweetTart

[Doctor Who]

I have been working for a courier company in Atlanta for the past five years as an independent contractor driver. In other words pretty much swinging in the breeze all by my lonesome. So I can relate to a lot of the stories. Mayhaps I will have a few stories of my own to share with the board, if that is permitted?

Yes it is, I could use a break and would like to read about the trials and tribulations of Small Package Courier people. Back around page 3 or so I posted a story or two about doing a part time gig with the long DEFUNCT Purolator Courier. If I can ever find the journals from those adventures I'll post some more...

Mean while.........

[ZeSweetTart]

Had been working for about two years and was having a really bad day. Pouring down rain, hot and muggy, extremely busy day, civvys banging into each other like the bumper car ride at Six Flags, which made the always bad in the rain traffic plain miserable, lousy knockout tickets(runs that pretty much pay squat), rude receptionists, power trip security guards, long waits for parking at docks, and to top it off a huge disagreement with my dispatcher who was resorting to snide sexist remarks over the radio. We still had two ways back then.

Well yes sirree, there were things I wanted to say to that dispatcher which the fcc might frown upon if I said them over the airwaves. :evil: (am a redhead, nouf said) Besides all the other drivers were listening and despite the private call messages from some to tell the dude off, as the only female driver, I wasn't gonna do it over the airways to amuse my fellow drivers.

The fashion statement in Atlanta at the time was for young men to wear their britches falling off their butts with gowd awful looking boxers. Said boxers usually only started coverage well below where they should have been worn.

I was coming in from the South side of Atlanta on Boulevard to the office to tell off said dispatcher and was in a totally foul mood to the point of muttering to myself what I was going to tell the :arrow: :withstupid: when I got there. Bounced under that awful underpass near the cxx yard and proceeded to hit every light up to Ponce DeLeon, where of course I hit that light too. Suddenly it starts to pour again. Oh yeah, its rush hour also, 5:30 PM.

Out of the corner of my eye I notice this young guy start across the street from the Kentucky Fried just when the the gully washer hit full blast. So he's running and tries to pull his coat up over his head to keep the rain off his doo, and then it happened. His britches fall right down around his ankles in the middle of the intersection. He of course tries to grab the things and when he bent over the boxers went down to his knees and there he is in the middle of the street advertising to all the world!

I couldn't help it. I swear I couldn't! I laughed out loud so hard it brought tears to my eyes which of course he couldn't help but hear. The look on his face as he finally managed to fumble his clothes into a more modest position and get out of the intersection made my mirth all the more intense.

Well, I chuckled about that all the way back to the office and never did say a word to my dispatcher.

All goes to show you, laughter can be a miracle for all most anything, even an extremely angry redheaded female!
:twisted:

Well Doc give us stories then.PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAASE :P

Well Dude, I figured by now you would have amassed a few of your own to add to the ever growing tales of Asphalt, Concrete, Cell Phone chatting, burger eating, kid screaming sights in your career as a "Manufactured Goods Relocation Specialist"

True enough. But my writing skills lack greatly.

[ZeSweetTart]

It was the middle of a day loaded with hot runs all over the metro map. Alpharetta to ATL airport, Jackson to Cartersville, Decatur to Norcorss to Marietta. A rare good $$ day after six months of KO's. Had been on the road driving for about eight hours with about three or four more til the end of the day.

Made a quick stop at the QT on Pleasantdale Rd and proceeded back on the 85 ramp to 285 west. You have to cut across about 6 lanes to actually get on 285WB. I looked in my mirrors and increased my speed with each lane change to fit into the fast moving moderately heavy traffic. Kept watching my mirrors and over my shoulder, coming over one lane at a time as usual, when all of a sudden someone right behind me hit an angry horn.

I checked to see what all the fuss was about and a little red sports car was suddenly right on my bumper. This guy had been behind me on the entrance ramp. Evidently he thought my speed of 65 joining the rest of the traffic wasn't fast enough and had tried to get into the next lane and go around me at the same time I was coming over. Apparently it ticked him off.

Now I know most of you are aware of the way everyone speeds in and around Atlanta. These folks seem to all have a death wish. Not unusual for everyone to be going 70+ in a 55. Well, I'm not one to play traffic cop, so I go back over a lane to get out of this crazy man's way.

Well he was in a rage and decided to follow me. Tried slowing down to get him to pass, but that didn't work either. So I just figured well I gotta get on 285 so I'm just gonna do it and ignore the guy.

Well this maniac proceeds to dog me when we get on the main highway. Moved to the left one lane, he follows me. Moved back to the right and slow down to 45 and he follows me and stays on my bumper. Move over a lane and he passes me, so I figure okay he's over it and going on his way. No such luck. He gets right in front of me and slams on his brakes. So I think this guy is a real nut and I pass him. He speeds up and gets back on my bumper again. I tried every little thing I could think of to get rid of this guy and nothing was working. So I figured I got to get away from this idiot and move over 3 lanes and speed up to 80 with the rest of the traffic in that lane figuring I'll lose him or he'll give up.

Does no good at all and he is taking chances cutting in and out of traffic causing all sorts of near accidents. By now I am getting very concerned about him causing a massive pileup and I don't want to be in the middle of it and spoil my clean record. Better to slow down and try to keep him away from as many others as I can. Nothing I do seems to deter this madman from acting like a two year old having a tantrum and he is scaring me by now.

We are coming up in the third from right lane with a lot of rigs bunched pretty close together in the two lanes to the right. I had noticed the trucks slowing down and bunching together and didn't think too much about it as I was way too busy watching out for my Nemesis in the little red sports car. Well those truckers must have been on the CB watching the little drama being played out around them and talking amongst themselves. As I am coming up along side the outside truck he waves me in front of him from his window.

Thankfully I pull over in front of him and much to my surprise they box me in so the nut couldn't get at me. I got a rig in front, a rig in back, a rig to my right, and a rig to my left. Believe it or not the idiot in the sports car tried to muscle his way into the pack to continue to bug me, but my heroes stood fast and wouldn't let him in. We traveled that way for a couple three miles and then the box loosed up. I couldn't see a thing being a little bitty car in the midst of the big boys, but I trusted their judgment and better vision and figured I was rid of the death angel.

I waved to the big boys and blew them a kiss and went on my bit shaky way to my next drop.

Truckers.......Angels of the road! Thanks to all the good drivers out there who ever you may have been. You have no idea how grateful I was for your help.

[Bull Dogs Rule]

More stories DOC pleasssssssssse

[yoopr]

Had been working for about two years and was having a really bad day. Pouring down rain, hot and muggy, extremely busy day, civvys banging into each other like the bumper car ride at Six Flags, which made the always bad in the rain traffic plain miserable, lousy knockout tickets(runs that pretty much pay squat), rude receptionists, power trip security guards, long waits for parking at docks, and to top it off a huge disagreement with my dispatcher who was resorting to snide sexist remarks over the radio. We still had two ways back then.

Well yes sirree, there were things I wanted to say to that dispatcher which the fcc might frown upon if I said them over the airwaves. :evil: (am a redhead, nouf said) Besides all the other drivers were listening and despite the private call messages from some to tell the dude off, as the only female driver, I wasn't gonna do it over the airways to amuse my fellow drivers.

The fashion statement in Atlanta at the time was for young men to wear their britches falling off their butts with gowd awful looking boxers. Said boxers usually only started coverage well below where they should have been worn.

I was coming in from the South side of Atlanta on Boulevard to the office to tell off said dispatcher and was in a totally foul mood to the point of muttering to myself what I was going to tell the :arrow: :withstupid: when I got there. Bounced under that awful underpass near the cxx yard and proceeded to hit every light up to Ponce DeLeon, where of course I hit that light too. Suddenly it starts to pour again. Oh yeah, its rush hour also, 5:30 PM.

Out of the corner of my eye I notice this young guy start across the street from the Kentucky Fried just when the the gully washer hit full blast. So he's running and tries to pull his coat up over his head to keep the rain off his doo, and then it happened. His britches fall right down around his ankles in the middle of the intersection. He of course tries to grab the things and when he bent over the boxers went down to his knees and there he is in the middle of the street advertising to all the world!

I couldn't help it. I swear I couldn't! I laughed out loud so hard it brought tears to my eyes which of course he couldn't help but hear. The look on his face as he finally managed to fumble his clothes into a more modest position and get out of the intersection made my mirth all the more intense.

Well, I chuckled about that all the way back to the office and never did say a word to my dispatcher.

All goes to show you, laughter can be a miracle for all most anything, even an extremely angry redheaded female!
:twisted:

I had a problem like that with a 4 wheeler south of Green Bay coming home with some fellow Yooper Truck drivers--We boxed him in and took him all the way to where the Freeway ended and then we had to let him go. :sad: :P

[Doctor Who]

More stories DOC pleasssssssssse

Be patient neighbour to the East, I have a lot of events going on all at once and one is not so good...

I can print one happy event: The XYL and I are going to be Grandparents!!! (Careful Heavenbound!!! :P )

More stories and other tales of the twisted Two Lane will be arriving straight away!!!

Far Out: Page 39

[Crash935]

I had a problem like that with a 4 wheeler south of Green Bay coming home with some fellow Yooper Truck drivers--We boxed him in and took him all the way to where the Freeway ended and then we had to let him go.


Yooper, i can see you squeezing on off the bridge between troll world and yooper land, That probably would explain the Yugo a few years ago?


Dotor who, PLEASE more stories....

More stories DOC pleasssssssssse

Be patient neighbour to the East, I have a lot of events going on all at once and one is not so good...

I can print one happy event: The XYL and I are going to be Grandparents!!! (Careful Heavenbound!!! :P )

More stories and other tales of the twisted Two Lane will be arriving straight away!!!

Far Out: Page 39

Hmm how many people here would like to see the old granpa for real??? Just kidding Doc! Congrats on the Grand Baby :P

[Twilight Flyer]

Hmm how many people here would like to see the old granpa for real???

If Doc wears his pink hat and pink feather boa, we should probably get started on a fund for early psychiatric help for the grandchild.

[Doctor Who]

If Doc wears his pink hat and pink feather boa, we should probably get started on a fund for early psychiatric help for the grandchild.

Better start now

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? Part 7

On the ride home this evening we, co-worker and I, were traveling along one of the, many, back roads in eastern NC when we came upon a RED Freightliner Columbia blocking the road.
It would seem the driver "backed" out of his driveway and into the ditch on the opposite side. What a comedy scene that followed, the local LEO who, was in front of us, was explaining to the driver that he will call a wrecker if the vehicle could not crawl out on its own.

First; this was the first time I've seen an US Express truck up close and was surprised to find with the Auto drive there wasn't a differential lock on this 'Liner. As can be imagined, the driver frustration level was at a fever pitch as was the LEO's.

Finally, after about 20 minutes of getting no where I told the driver to slide over and let me have a whack at the Auto drive. What an interesting set up US Exp has. Anyway, I lowered the air suspension put the transmission in low and walked the Columbia out and back in to the dudes driveway.

As we departed, the LEO told the driver to try backing into his drive the next time. I asked the LEO if that would be such a wise move since the driver managed to fall into one ditch!!!
Never a dull moment.....

[ZeSweetTart]

I had a problem like that with a 4 wheeler south of Green Bay coming home with some fellow Yooper Truck drivers--We boxed him in and took him all the way to where the Freeway ended and then we had to let him go.

It was my first experience with that sort of help and I surely did apreciate it. That crazy beared guy had me a bit freaked out. Hadn't been but a few weeks before when some nut was shooting at someone on the interstate and caused a big accident, not only was the guy shot but other were injured in the pileup it caused. Scarey out there sometimes.

SweetTart

[ZeSweetTart]

I can print one happy event: The XYL and I are going to be Grandparents!!! (Careful Heavenbound!!! )

Congrats Doc! Lordy now I really feel old! :shock: Just saw my second great grand child the middle of May. Have 5 kids 41 down to 18 and 2 grands 17 and 21. Tis the 21 yr old who can't keep it in his pants. Love his kids thou! GreatGranDau is to be 3 in July and GreatGranSon was born April 22nd.

Was child bride, married at 16 and mom at 17. Thank god all my kids had better sense than their mother! 8)

SweetTart[/quote]

[ZeSweetTart]

Well, just like truckers, couriers have folks acting the fool also.

Friday was nuts as Friday's usually are in this biz. I was on I-85 headed up to Tully Rd for a pick up. Get off at North Druid, in the proper lane for an immediate left turn into Tully, when this chick in the lane to my right (who should have made the exit into the left thru lane on Druid) decides she needs to cut me off. Must be a first born child and thinks thats her position in life....first.

She roars on ahead of me and I let her. Not worth getting upset about, they do it all the time. Left arrow turns green and off she roars into the turn, blasts on down the road.

Hadn't picked up at the addy I was headed before, but had a general idea where it was so I wasn't in heat to get there. Am right behind the chick and she pulls into the same drive to which I am going, straight into the courier parking space right next to the front door of the print shop.

I head up the parking lot and get a regular pull in space at the other end, mosey on back to the print shop (its 91 degrees, and not running for sure), walk into the store and there's the chick at the counter.

Seems she had to wait cause they had another guy who was there before her. She give me a triumphant look with a snooty smile and I just smile back at her. Stroll right up to the counter, I do, pick up my package and waltz out the door. Her jaw musta dropped a foot!

You just gotta laugh sometimes.

SweetTart

[Doctor Who]

Quite a few pages back I posted some tales about my tenure with the American Red Cross. I found an article in the local paper about the guy I was the Special Support Person for. It makes for good reading and a good background about who I was doing the driving for and the "Seeing Eye" person for as well....

Meet the Disaster Chairperson who, taught me a lot about compassion

One more tidbit: I was informed today that I am still Shelter Manager since we are now in Hurricane season and still Disaster Relief Co-ordinator, the ARC has yet to find a replacement...

It still was the oddest driving job I have ever had!!!

Hmm how many people here would like to see the old granpa for real???

Yeah this is Granpa, Hurricane Hunter, sans the "ON/OFF" switch

This is better. Courtesy of lady18wheels.