Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking

[Inkytruck]

Originally Posted by yoopr

ok-you're right but I didn't think you could haul that much explosives at once but then again I'm not a DOT regulator.
Saw it on my Dish Network last nite on KTLA in Los Angeles-Man-that was one MASSIVE hole in the ground.

Wow. :shock:

Originally Posted by beaner

was on the news to nite
page 42

You have to do it like this:

page 42

[Doctor Who]

Simply Indigestible

Back in the early '90's the boss landed a contract with BFI to haul medical waste from hospitals in NC, SC and Tenn.
During this short stint I had to give up my W-900, the Freightliner had yet to arrive so, I was blessed with a Mack Superliner, a Canadien Mack at that with the spread drive axles, double frame and HUGE, triple insulated, sleeper. Really not a bad ride just a bit bigger than most of the places I had to pick up at. What else is new in the world of trucking?

On one Friday I was heading to the hazardous waste incinerator, I was running a lot earlier than normal. I had picked up the loaded trailer in New Bern, NC at about 0100 so, my arrival time at the incinerator would have made me wait until 0700 to drop and hook and boogie on to the next stop plus, the late shift foreperson was a ***** and I didn't want to deal with the guy what so ever. (More on this dude sometime later!)

I wheeled off I-85 onto exit 150, yes where the "J" is and the exit for the incinerator. I pulled up to the fuel island, fueled and actually found a space to park near the building. What a shock, usual fare was, park in the lower 40 and hike about 20 minutes to reach the door.

After paying for the fuel I wandered in to the restaurant and ordered breakfast. I figured no-one could screw up an order of "French" toast. I was wrong.
I then realized I had made a grave error in my seating choice as a driver in the booth in front of me started complaining about the "J", the food, the coffee and just about everything else under the moon, since the sun had yet to make an appearance.
The waitress person asked if I wanted to move and I told her no, I was going to have a bit of fun at this whiners expense.

After I choked down the burnt breakfast and 60 weight coffee I heard the guy make a comment about where the food came from. Wrong thing to ask.
I told him I could show him where the food was processed as I got up to pay the check. Yes, I paid for him also. We went out into the parking lot and there was just enough light to point out two columns of smoke rising above the trees. He then followed me to my truck and I pointed out the name on the side of the trailer "BFI MEDICAL WASTE" and the "Bio-hazard"
placard and I told him I had just made a delivery to the restaurant. The drivers jaw dropped, he turned the whitest shade of pale I had seen in a while then, he bolted back towards the fuel desk.
The driver in the truck next to mine got out and asked what had happened. I told him what I had done and he laughed and said something about being cruel.
I corrected him, "Not cruel" I replied. "Just wanted to set the drivers mind at ease is all."

[Dipdngold]

Originally Posted by Doctor Who

"Not with my truck you don't!!" I told him and quickly called the company mechanic back.

i can just imagine the look on your face when he wanted to try this.

[Doctor Who]

i can just imagine the look on your face when he wanted to try this.

Yeah me too!!!

It didn't help the General Anxiety Disorder I'm experiencing either....

Oh there will be another Lightning and the Gas Wagon tale shortly as soon as my nerves gather themselves together!!

[Doctor Who]

Some one called the law on me for making too much noise...

More to come...

[trckndadsangel]

Hey Doc,
I went out this past month with my husband. I finally got to see NC. I was impressed it is sure pretty over there and the people are sure nice. Our daughter is out this month in the truck and now she is hoping that they get a load to NC as she wants to see it.

I will post about the CHP officer who ticked off the young guy in the motor home. Some of you are going to love this one.

[trckndadsangel]

As most of you know there is a CHP officer that drives the white Camero in Northern California. Well this past month we were headed north bound when he came on the radio needing a truckers help. There was some young kids that had over heated and he needed some empty jugs to put water in. So we got on the radio and told him we had some to meet us at the rest area. The officer pulled in just seconds after us and stopped in front of our truck. Well this guy gets out of his motor home that we had parked next to. The guy tells the officer that he needs to tell us to turn our truck off that the noise from our truck is bothering him and for us to also turn our trailer off too that it was to loud and that there is no need to run the motor on our trailer. The officer looked at him and said. "Sir No I am not going to make this driver or any other drivers turn their trucks off its over 100 degrees out here and the temp inside their trucks are 20 to 50 degrees higher inside the cabs of their trucks than outside. Not only that these trucks are the homes for weeks sometimes months at a time for these drivers. Without these men and women out here hauling freight for people like you this county would stop they need to be safe and kept healthy so if that means running their trucks to keep them cool then they will run them." The officer also added the following to him "Sir if you like any foods or beverages that must me kept cold then you best thank this driver he just might be hauling something that you drink or eat on a daily basis" Since we both had to use the rest rooms we turned our truck off we no more than walk away from our truck when the reefer kicked into high gear LMAO.

Thought some of you would get a kick out of this. Also wanted to add a thankyou to the officer for standing up for all the drivers out there on something like this and for helping the young teenage kids that broke down.

[Wrongway]

While running the windy on a regular basis, one day I heard a local yelling for a redneck or a hillbilly to come back to him. After hearing this several times, I keyed up and told him to bring it on back. His 1st question was "How many times someone had to read the CDL test to me, before I passed." My reply, "None, I just came up to the Windy, and bought mine, just like everyone else did." After a couple minutes, he hollered again, and asked how I felt after I finished scr___ my sister that morning." I quickly replied I wasn't sure and wondered what his wife said after I left. Needless to say this was the last I heard from him.[/list][/quote]

[Doctor Who]

LIGHTNING AND THE GAS WAGON!

Yes the saga continues...

Pulled under the loading rack at the Citgo terminal at the same time a rapidly moving thunder storm moved in to town. I hooked all the necessary equipment up, carded in and let the product flow. The storm made a lot of racket and threw down some interesting colour lightning. I asked the driver in the next lane if Citgo would be upset if the truck was being loaded. The driver came back with some smart assed remark and bragged that he had 700 gallons to go and he was done. I ignored most of the comments and continued to let the product flow.

The driver then made a declaration that he was down to 500 gallons when a bolt of lightning struck near the terminal causing the computer in his lane to shut down but didn't affect my lane at all. Rather curious I thought but kept on loading. The driver also noticed that he couldn't card out to get his Bill Of Lading. The language was quite colourful to say the least.

After finishing up with my load I went over to help the distraught driver get his load finished. I was tempted to make a comment about "Doesn't pay to be a smart ass" but I didn't.
The driver asked me how I knew the trick to restarting the computer, I just told him that I've hauled gas for about 10 years plus, Citgo's equipment was junk and was easy to manipulate.

The driver apologized for the remarks, I just told him to forget it but he could buy me a Pepsi and call it even.....

I'm sure the terminal personnel will be upset when they review the weekend video.

One side note: The light show the entire night was nothing short of SPECTACULAR!!!

[yoopr]

Originally Posted by trckndadsangel

As most of you know there is a CHP officer that drives the white Camero in Northern California. Well this past month we were headed north bound when he came on the radio needing a truckers help. There was some young kids that had over heated and he needed some empty jugs to put water in. So we got on the radio and told him we had some to meet us at the rest area. The officer pulled in just seconds after us and stopped in front of our truck. Well this guy gets out of his motor home that we had parked next to. The guy tells the officer that he needs to tell us to turn our truck off that the noise from our truck is bothering him and for us to also turn our trailer off too that it was to loud and that there is no need to run the motor on our trailer. The officer looked at him and said. "Sir No I am not going to make this driver or any other drivers turn their trucks off its over 100 degrees out here and the temp inside their trucks are 20 to 50 degrees higher inside the cabs of their trucks than outside. Not only that these trucks are the homes for weeks sometimes months at a time for these drivers. Without these men and women out here hauling freight for people like you this county would stop they need to be safe and kept healthy so if that means running their trucks to keep them cool then they will run them." The officer also added the following to him "Sir if you like any foods or beverages that must me kept cold then you best thank this driver he just might be hauling something that you drink or eat on a daily basis" Since we both had to use the rest rooms we turned our truck off we no more than walk away from our truck when the reefer kicked into high gear LMAO.

Thought some of you would get a kick out of this. Also wanted to add a thankyou to the officer for standing up for all the drivers out there on something like this and for helping the young teenage kids that broke down.

wow-a CHP officer-they're not all bad out there but you have to look hard to find one-glad you found him

[Doctor Who]

"Dude, are you sure you want to put that in your gas tank???"

After making a delivery a few nights back, I was returning to the truck when I noticed a pair of legs beating a fast retreat from the right side of the tank. I walked around the back of the tank and saw a guy pouring something into the gas tank of a silver pick-up. It didn't take me long to figure out that the guy had taken some product out of the number 5 compartment of the trailer. I yelled to him about the action taken and was cussed at, nothing new yet, quite colourful, just the same.

I did try to tell the guy that he had just dumped diesel into his "GAS" powered ride but it was lost in the din of the loud pipes and squalling tyres. I called the local constabulary and informed the dispatch person about the theft along with a description of the truck and driver.

I pulled out of the lot and travelled about two miles when I came upon a very PISSED person looking at the engine of a silver pick-up. I honked and waved to the driver and relayed the information to the LEO's.

Never a dull moment in the Gas Hauling industry!!!


OH WOW.... Page 43

[1973W900]

It took me the better part of 3 days, but I made it through all 42 pages. I love reading all the stories, and I thought I might share a mishap my dad had while driving a gasoline tanker back in the early 1970's.

He drove a Kenworth W-900 for a small Texaco bulk plant in Ogallala, Nebraska. He was heading to Sidney to pick up a load from their bulk plant. East of there is a small town called Lodgepole on Highway 30. On the east outskirts of town there is a Conoco station on the south side of the highway, and a coffee shop straight across on the north side, and the speed limit through there is 40mph.

Just as he was coming up to the coffee shop, he saw a Chevy pickup headed toward him with a woman driving and a toddler age girl standing on the seat next to her. All of the sudden, the woman started to turn across the highway, and hit my dad right in between the drive axles. He slammed on the brakes and swerved off of the road, half on the gravel shoulder and half into the parking lot of the county road maintenance sheds next to the coffee shop. As the dust was clearing, he looked out his window in time to see his rear drive axle roll to a stop against a tree about fifty feet in front of him across the road.
He jumped from the cab and ran back to the pickup, which had come to rest in a ditch. The front end was shoved over to the point where it resembled an "L". He found the extremely dazed woman still behind the wheel, and asked her if she was alright. Amazingly, except for a nasty cut on her chin from hitting the steering wheel, she was unscathed. Even more amazing was the fact her 3 year old daughter was only shaken up after being thrown to the floor of the pickup.
By this time a sheriff's deputy had shown up, so he walked back to inspect the damage to his rig. In addition to the rear driver being torn off the tractor, the trailer had a large dent and rubber mark from the axle kicking up on its departure. The brakes had automatically locked up when he lost air, and the attendant at the Conoco told him that the trailer wheels were bouncing a good 12-18 inches off the pavement before it got onto the gravel.
He later found out from the deputy that the woman was totally distracted trying to look through the cafe windows to see if her sister was there, and just turned in upon spotting her car in the parking lot. She didn't even see the truck coming. Had she been a second sooner, my dad would have broadsided the pickup at 40mph, more than likely killing the woman's daughter.

Sorry for it not being a humerous one, but I thought it would go along with Doc's accident stories.

[Doctor Who]

Sorry for it not being a humerous one, but I thought it would go along with Doc's accident stories.

No need to apologize, the story is excellent and is a reality check showing there is danger along with the humour...

[Angel]

Doc It has taken me the better part of 3 days to read this here board and I wanna tell you I have been laughing my butt off at most of it . I would buy your book in a heart beat . Can't wait to read more adventures of trucking by you I have really enjoyed every story thank you so much for making me smile and laugh .
Angel

[Doctor Who]

Hey Scott!!!!

Keep watching more tales from the KAG will be forth coming if not last on the list of things to type and/or print!!!

Hauling ASphalt and a small Hurricane, more later

[Doctor Who]

Another HALLOWE'EN is upon us and yet another fun night delivering fuel... :shock: :shock:

Will this night be boring or, will this night bring back the horrors of Hallowe'ens past????

Stay tuned CADites only the Shadow knows along with a disgruntled dispatch person...

One minor side note: Has anyone ever met a GRUNTLED person???

See page 10 for a small sample of Hallowe'en "fun"

[Doctor Who]

It's been awhile. Hallowe'en was real boring this year even the kids at UNC-Wilmington were not in the spirit (so to speak). Although I did see a couple of folks dressed as Rush Limpwrist and one was supposed to be Michael Savage... Scary :shock: :shock:

But I digress.

Next on the agenda?
The Doctors brush with the PARANORMAL. I'm not much into the Sylvia Browne gig that Montel is on but I do believe in what I saw... More to come!

[Doctor Who]

THE PARANORMAL or was I really seeing things???

A few nights back I was pulling a load of asphalt from Wilmington NC to Oxford NC on the most boring highway ever designed, I-40. There wasn't much happening on the FM radio so it was turned off and the CB is useless.
I was still about a hour out of Oxford when I heard a voice saying "wake up, wake up!"
At that point I noticed the truck drifting towards the median, it caught my attention real quick as I eased the vehicle back into the right lane. Fortunately there wasn't anyone along side me and the thought of rolling a tank wagon loaded with 52,000 lbs of asphalt was not very pleasant.
I looked at the passenger seat and saw my Mom sitting there in her Technicolour house coat. She turned to me and smiled then faded away. I grabbed a cold can of Pepsi out of the cooler to snap me back.

I knew I wasn't tired but still I-40 is sooooo boring that it was possible I was lulled into a sleep state...

I was fine for the rest of the night...

The experience also brought back a memory of a road trip a few years back when I drove for Jevic.
I ran into a bad ice/snow storm and started to panic and started thinking all types of bad thoughts about the outcome of my stubbornness.

The panic mode grew in intensity when a very warm feeling over came me and I saw my Dad sitting in the passenger seat. He was wearing his favourite blue Cardigan sweater. He didn't say anything, just nodded his head as if to tell me that all was going to be well.
Five miles further along the Interstate I ran out of the storm and made it home in good shape...

There just may be some truth in people saying that "Spirits" walk among us..

[4roses]

Doctor Who .... your so Right ! .. Spirits do walk among us and our loved ones never leave us. They watch over us just as your parents have done for you. The love of a parent NEVER stops .. on THIS earth or a HIGHER plane . ....I loved your story, it goes to show .......... we're never alone ! ... I truly believe if you would speak out load to your parents while traveling down the hwy ... you'll more than likely feel and see their presence more often. Your Mother knew it wasn't your time to cross over yet .... Thank you for sharing this story.

Did you think to ~ thank your mother for getting your attention ?


4roses

[Doctor Who]

Did you think to ~ thank your mother for getting your attention ?

Sure did.
It made the second time she, at least I believe the first time was her influence also, saved me from disaster!