Amusing factual stories - real life experiences in trucking
 

(As a public service and due to many requests, I have stickied this post. The original poster was Harpo, a login ID from the old board. I had to change the user name to Guest to make it a sticky, though. -- TF)

:D :aktion057:

Do you have a humorous, strange or witty true experience
related to trucking, or the trucking industry?? Share it with
us....we can always use a smile or good laugh.....

I'll throw in the first one.....A few years back ....won't say
exactly how many, I was sitting in Oak Grove, Mo...
contemplating the best way around the infamous "Odessa"
scales, since I was slightly over gross....about 2800 lbs (more
or less)....I got to talking to an older hand....and was asking
him the best way around "Odessa"...."Well," he said, "If you'll
pay for this coffee" and follow me right to the scale, I will
guarantee you safe passage across the scale.." I asked him
what he'd been 'smoking'.....because I didn't see how he
could possibly guarantee I'd get across "Odessa" without any
problems, being 2800 lbs over gross....

Well, being the 'game' ole nut that I am - I said, "you got a
deal".....(note: this was back in the days when you could
take a driver at his word).....I paid for his coffee - followed
him out to the parking lot....he told me to watch for him...he
would be driving a 'belly-dump' - white Corn-binder..... In
about five minutes, he pulled in front and motioned 'lets go' -
I fell in behind him and followed him right to the scales, and
wondering all the time - am I really stupid, or what? Anyway,
he pulled on the "Odessa" scales and proceeded to 'kill' the
engine....I found out later he had a 'kill' switch on the dash
and as long as it was flipped, the engine wouldn't start. Well,
after about 5 minutes, the scale master came out, talked with
him, went back inside....another 5 minutes, scale-master came
back out and started motioning the rest of us to 'go around'
the 'belly-dump' stalled on the scale......So there I went -
right through "Odessa", 2800 lbs over gross...and they never
knew it....


Went down to Concordia, waited for my new-found driver
friend, and about 15 minutes later he pulled in...we went in
and I treated him to lunch....during the course of which I
was told about the 'kill switch', and how they can't do any-
thing except 'chew' him out for stalling on a scale....He told
me it came in handy over the years....for friends of his running
together.....A cup of coffee and lunch well spent......
:alien: :D :p :p :p



Edited By Harpo on July 27 2002 at 3:08

It couldn't have been that long ago :p

Now it's my turn. Yes this is an excerpt from the book!

I once had a co-driver named Ed and we were forced together by the boss to take a load to California. We used a cabover Freightliner. We hadn't gotten through Pennsylvania when Ed decided to try my patience. He was driving for about 2 hours, when he decided to park at some rest area and nose the truck near a drop off. He jacked the cab up and yelled "We're going over!!!!" I woke with a start and rolled out of the sleeper into the windshield! Needless to say I was not happy.

I didn't say anything to him about it, but was he in for a big surprise. Somewhere west of Oklahoma City it was raining a ton so I pulled off on to the shoulder, got out and tossed a smoke bomb into the cab and yelled "Oh sh1t the cab is on fire!" Ed jumped out of the sleeper and dove out the passenger door and right into a huge mud puddle.
A highway patrolman had stopped and asked what had happened and I said my co-driver had Swine flu and one of the symptoms is a craving for mud puddles!

After that we got along fine!!

:aktion064.gif:



Edited By Groucho on July 27 2002 at 4:35

Not too sure about skunk p*ss, but I know something that comes close.

Sit back and let me tell you about the most awful smelling load a tanker yanker can pull.

Dateline 1995, picked up a load of Ethyl Acyrlate from GATX in Carteret NJ. This sh*t smells awful, you can be driving down the highway at warp 2 and with a strong headwind and still smell it inside the cab with the windows rolled up! This chemical is used for tear gas and certain types of glue.

Fast forward: Somewhere in Virginia I was getting sleepy so I pulled into a rest area, only to find it full with trucks and motorhomes well I finally wiggled into a spot between two motorhomes and drifted off to sleep.
About three or four hours later there was a banging on the door. I came out of the sleeper and saw a highway patrol person with a gas mask on. I rolled down the window and asked what was wrong. All he said was "Get this f**kin truck out of here!!"
While he was venting, I looked around the rest area I noticed it was empty. I turned back to the officer and said "Wow, I cleared the whole place out, cool!!!!!"
He was not amused! I left forth with!

A skunk smells better than this crap.
Everytime I had a load and I stopped at a truck stop I had to park way out in the back 40. If I didn't like the service at the stop, before I left I'd make sure to stop at the restaurant entrance and rock the wagon a little.

I kept a small jar of this chemical and if someone pissed me off, I'd take a small dose and drop it on the car seat.
It worked great on a hot day!

Next episode: Xylene and the fun things it can be used for!!

Saw on the news last night,

A truck was hauling pizza dough and the heat caused the dough to start rising. It was coming out of the back of the truck while he was driving down the road. I would have hated to have been following him too close :p

Had a driver have an accident which messed up the cab pretty good, luckily he wasn't hurt and unbeknown to anybody put a hole in the top of the trailer. They pulled the trailer which still had the load on it to the yard and let it sit until the next day when the shag driver showed up ot pick up the trailer. When he arrived the trailer was on the ground and had collapsed around the wheels.

It seems that it had started to rain the afternoon before and continue to rain through the night and into the next morning. Total rain fall was around 5 inches. This was a several years ago. The rain had gotten into the load and the weight had caused the trailer to collapse.

Oh by the way, the load that was on the trailer.......

I am gonna get shot for this....front deflector shields on full power.....

Seems the driver had a load of tampons on board....

:aktion069.gif:

Extra absorbent??

Not bad....Let's see
Back in the last century, my brother and I ran as a team for a chemical tank line. We were on a secret mission going to Tampico, Mexico to pick up a load of DiMethylTerphthalate, or DMT for short.
On a sunny Thursday I pulled into the Port of Entry in Louisiana and was in my usual evil mood so I bounced the wagon across the scale and proceeded back on to the highway!
15 minutes or so later I kept hearing someone calling me on the CB "*******(name withheld) what you got in the tank?"
A brief description is in order, the DMT wagons are specially built to haul the chemical has two vent pipes running up the back of the wagon, has one dome towards the rear and is triple insulated.
Well, I kept telling the mystery voice it was none of his d*mn business. This went on for quite a few miles. Finally I got really agitated with the guy and I told him it was a load of beer. It seemed to quiet the guy down until I hit a real large bump in the interstate. The voice comes back on the radio and says what kind of beer. I said calmly, light beer.
That was the final straw. A whole lot of expletives exploded from the speaker and in the final sentance "Pull over when it's safe and have your logbook and paperwork ready!!!!!!!"
I then looked in the mirror and saw one of the scale cops behind me. I turned to my brother and said "I guess I upset his day!"
The officer gave me a semi-severe talking to and he did climb up on the wagon to see what was really in it!

I didn't get a ticket and as the officer was leaving he went to say something else to me and I asked if he was disappointed that there was no beer in the wagon! He stared at me for the longest time, then he smiled and said "get the h3ll out of here!"

Here's a short ditty. If anyone is running team pulling tank wagons and the partner won't wake up at their designated time to drive, pull into a safe area and make sure you tap the brakes enough to get the load moving when the load hits the front of the tank the partner will be out of the sleeper and ready to........

omg!!i was getting teary eyed from laughing my ass off readin all this here!!somebody hasta to get a book together for such stories like what ive read here!!

A book is already in the works...

This dates way back into the last century!!!

On a stormy summer night I was waiting on a load at the Chemical Leaman terminal in Matawan NJ(Aka Nappi Trucking)

I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard what sounded like a war chant. I came out of the sleeper and saw one of the guys from the tank wash dancing on top of a tank wagon. I rolled down the window and heard him chant "I hope lightening comes down and hit *******(name long forgotten) in the ass. No sooner than he finished the sentance a bolt of lightening hit the back of the wagon blowing out all the tyres. The guy jumped off the tank and I would swear he hit the ground at least 30 feet away.

The other tank wash employees and I got into the company pickup and we chased after him. We finally caught up to him in the town, which was about 5 miles from the terminal!
His only comment was "I'll never do another war dance again!!"

I think it's about time this thread was resurrected..

Now that my other brother Zeppo has some miles under his ass, I just bet he has a tale or two to tell!!!

This also applies to all the members and visitors to this forum, come on there has to be more than two drivers amongst the membership who has a funny or factual or science fiction tale to tell....It should deal with life on the highway or close to it



Edited By Doctor Who on Oct. 14 2002 at 6:59

Well, I guess I'll be the one to start this.

This is not so funny, but it is true.

This dates back to 1977, my boss had purchased a 77 Kenworth W-900 and it was given to me, it was my first large car. The tractor was painted exactly like the KW in the first "Smokey and the Bandit" film. Needless to say it was the talk of the highway, especially around Georgia!

About 5 months later I was running he11 bent for election west bound on I 20. The speedometer was showing the truck was doing about 75 or so, when the right steer tyre let go. I fought to keep the truck under control, but started to panic when I saw I was heading for a bridge abutment. I thought for sure I had bought it, I kept imagining the headlines in the newspaper with a photgraph of this KW smashed like an aluminum can against the bridge.

I did get the truck stopped about 5 feet from the overpass. I sat in the seat shaking. Then a voice made me jump, a Georgia highway patrol officer was standing by the drivers side. He asked me if I was OK. I told him I was. He then told me he was planning on pulling me over and giving me a ticket for speeding, but when the tyre blew, he didn't have the heart to. He stayed with me until the wrecker got there. Before the patrol officer left, he turned to me and asked "You going to slow down now?" I told him YES!!

That is one experience I don't want to ever go through again!

Another tanker story from the "Chemical Brothers" archives.
No this isn't[b:post_uid4]PUBLIC DOMAIN[/b:post_uid4]

A nice warm July morning in Baltimore, and the promise to go home. Well, not quite, all such hopes were dashed when the travel agent came running out of his cave acting like a wildman and yelling at my dear brother and I to hook up to a tank and come back and see him. With all the hooking and pretripping completed, I wandered back into the dispatch office, where the travel agent threw a packet with blank paperwork at me and told me to take my brother and the truck and head out to interstate 95 north. I tried to ask him what was the big deal, but got a response that I can't repeat here! I love secret missions!

Well, we got out on 95 and headed north. We drove for about 15 minutes when traffic came to a stop, nothing new for Baltimore. We sat for about 5 minutes, when a voice came over the CB "*******, are you empty??" I answered him and I looked in the mirror and saw a Maryland Highway patrolperson behind us. "Good, I'm giving you an escort!"
I looked at my brother and all he asked was "What did you do now??" I shrugged my shoulders "I swear I didn't do a thing, I was just conveniently located at the scene of the crime!!"

The officer gave us an escort around the backup and led us to the cause of all the trouble, another ******* tank wagon had split open and was leaking. I didn't pay much attention to the broken tank, I was more interested in the placard. The skull and cross bones definetly stood out! My brother and I looked at each other and at the same time said "Phosphoric Acid!"

We had to unload that tank into ours, everything was going fine. That was until I got a cold refreshing Coke out of the cooler and stood by the tractor drinking it. A Haz-Mat cop saw me and absolutley went crazy. This young lady started yelling and screaming at me. Everyone within twenty feet of the site heard her! I asked what her problem was. She just kept yelling at me "Don't you know that is dangerous!!!!"
I told her it wasn't, but she just went right on yelling. Finally her supervisor came over to bring some peace to this somewhat one sided confrontation. He asked me why I was drinking the Coke and I told him I was thirsty. He then asked me wasn't I aware of the chemical and I told him I was.
This went on for five minutes, when I showed the supervisor the Coke bottle and asked him to read the ingredients and would he please read them out loud. He did, until he got down
towards the bottom of the label "Phosphoric Acid!" I took the bottle back and said "Yes, people drink the sh*t!!" "Now, would kindly get your subordinate out of my way so we can finish?!?!?!?"

My brother and I ended up making the delivery and didn't get home for another three weeks!
Such the life of a professional driver

Yet another tale from the [b:post_uid0]Chemical Brothers[/b:post_uid0] archives!

My brother paid a visit yesterday and he told me that he was writing his memoirs. His son has something to do with this. So in honour of the memoir, I post this..Yes, it's in the book!

After 2 years of running team, the company decided to split my brother and I up. The logic to this was why have two good drivers in the same truck, when they each can have a truck, can't argue with warped logic.
I had to give up the Freightliner and was given a new Volvo, what a let down!
The first dispatch out as seperate drivers we loaded at the same chemical plant with the exact same load going to Newark, NJ. I went to Sherwin Williams and he went to Benjamin Moore, which were next to each other. We really didn't think much of it at the time. When the trucks were empty we headed to the terminal in Carteret,NJ laid over that night and received our dispatches in the AM. Again, we loaded at the same Chemical plant, had the same type of chemical going to the same place in Illinois! I asked my brother if he noticed something odd, all he could say was "Don't try to figure them out!" Good logic!
After we had loaded we hauled ass across I-80 conversing on our ham radios. When we got to the plant in Illinois, the guard at the gate was not amuzed when we signed in. This gentleman thought we were messing with his head. After a long conversation with the NJ dispatcher he let us in the gate.
Unloading completed, we drove to Joliet and checked in with dispatch. We couldn't get a load out that evening, so we headed to the motel.
Next morning the dispatcher called the motel, talked to my brother and after a long breakfast we went back to the terminal. Barbara, the very lovely dispatcher, gave us our loads, you guessed, it same customer same load going to the same place Baton Rouge,La. My brother and I looked at each other and I asked Barbara what was going on and she said that since we came in together we might as well leave together. I looked at my brother and said "We're a TEAM in seperate trucks!" Remember what I said about logic!

We chased each other to Baton Rouge and that is where we split up. I went to Gulf,La and loaded some nasty looking blue chemical and took off for NC. I didn't find out where my brother was going.
After unloading I drove back to the Wilmington,NC terminal, which was my domicile. I was talking to a couple of friends on my ham radio, when I heard a voice say "You just never know who's listenin'!" My brother got a load back to Wilmington, so we had come full circle.

It didn't take long before the entire company knew about the [b:post_uid0]CHEMICAL BROTHERS[/b:post_uid0] the team in seperate trucks!

This is for you brother

Dr. Who, I gotta tell ya, I really enjoy reading your stories. I can't wait til the book comes out.

Thank you Silver Bullet, Now I know at least one person is reading them...If I keep posting the stories I may not have a book to publish :0

Thanx again

These two date back before the [b:post_uid0]CHEMICAL BROTHERS[/b:post_uid0]

The first: Going to Brooklyn just to get a hotdog!
My dear brother called me on a Sunday afternoon in a state of panic. He had to go to Brooklyn to make a delivery, he had never been to the "big" city in a truck! He told me that dad couldn't go. I agreed to go with him since I really didn't have much planned for Monday.
Monday morning and I'm standing on Woodbridge Ave with a cup of coffee in my hand waiting for the brother to arrive. I had waited about a hour when I saw his truck, a long nose Peterbilt and 48 ft trailer. I thought about it for minute or so and just shook my head. The name on the truck also got my curiousity up. "Glass Container Transport?" " Are you hauling glass?"
He said no and that he had auto parts in the trailer and the load was going to A warehouse off of Metropolitan Ave in Brooklyn. I didn't say a word!
The ride in was rather uneventful, that was until we got to the warehouse. One way street the wrong way, got to blind side it. Brother had never done it, I told him to go up the street turn around and come back down the wrong way.
Three hours later he was unloaded and we were on our way. He asked me to drive out. As we were rolling down the Avenue he made a comment about how much he wanted to try a New York hotdog. Well, I locked the brakes up and steered the truck towards the curb stopping in front of a hotdog vendor. The vendor just shook his head and my brother just stared at me. I told him I wanted mine with mustard and kraut and a Coke!

The second story: First trip to California!
Another phone call, but not on Sunday. My brother was going to Tracy California with a load of Indulin, a brown nasty looking goo! He asked if he should go across I-80. I told him he was crazy if he was coming from Wilmington NC. I told him to go straight across I-40 and when he got to Barstow turn right and head up California highway 58 and that will take him to California 99 and then to I-205 then go into Tracy.
About 5 days later I get a call from him and he was quite upset. I asked him what the matter was. All he said was "YOU FORGOT TO MENTION TEHACHAPI!!!"
I looked at my wife and said "oops!" To say he was a bit upset would be an understatement. I told him that I did mention that little detail.
He swears to this day I never told him!

Well, a couple of years later The Chemical Brothers ended up going to Tracy via the same route, guess who ended up driving Tehachapi??



Edited By Doctor Who on Nov. 21 2002 at 10:09

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid12]I got a call from the "older" half of the Chemical Brothers and I hate to say this, but his health has deteriorated. He has had a bad heart for sometime, but was not discovered until 2 years ago. He was having trouble staying awake while his driving I had noticed it when we were running team and on one occasion he almost ran us off a bridge. There were other signs, but I couldn't figure the problem out. This is one of the other reasons we split as a team. I left the company and he stayed on until he was dragged to a heart specialist and the heart condition was discovered. From what I understand the heart has three major vessels running over the top of it, his only has a half of one and the other two are almost non-existent! What a shock, I feel bad because I can't do a bloody thing to help him!

He's to the point now he can only sit at the computer for 30 minutes before he gets worn out, he pushes himself to drive to NC to see his children and stop by here and the trip takes its toll on him!
He is going to Charleston in January to see if he is a candidate for a heart transplant and then get put on the list.

Sorry this isn't an amusing story, but I figured it would be a good place to pay a tribute to the older brother[/color:post_uid12]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]Sorry to hear that about your brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him. Maybe he will be put on the list and won't have to wait very long.
Are you going to be with over the holidays? Sounds like you are close!!! We should all value every second we have with our love ones. We take so much for granted.
Does he ever visit us here?[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]Thank you for the kind words

Yes we have become real close in the past 30 years or so.

It's a long story, but I didn't know I had an older brother until I was about 6 or so....

As far as the Christmas holiday, the family and I are heading to NJ. The XYL is doing all the driving since I'm not supposed according to the medical professional(?)

I'm not sure if he checks this site, I've told him he should.
Who knows he may have to, just to defend himself against the Chemical Brothers stories!!! :madnoel:[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]Time for another story......

The wife and I were watching some awful talk show this afternoon dealing with Cheating and all the other "Jerry Springer" type garbage. I made a rude comment about how drinking 10 shots of Jack Daniels and 4 shots of Tequila and any woman would look good!
The wife looked at me a said "Is that what you thought about me?!?!"
I told her no, I had fallen in love with her the first day I saw her.....Story now begins

This dates back to 1980, I had a regular run back and forth to a paper plant in Spotswood NJ. Every day at 1500 I would be at a certain intersection and I would see this real cute woman with curly hair driving a red Camaro. This went on for a week or so and I told my friend about it. He suggested I step out of the truck and talk to her. I told him that she would probably run me over or shoot me. It was beginning to look like Richard Dreyfuss and Suzanne Summers in American Graffiti!

This little comedy scene went on for about three weeks, with no end in site until, one day I had to pick my mom up from work. I wheeled my blue Camaro into the parking lot and who should pull in along side of me, but the cute woman in the red Camaro. I was shocked I couldn't say anything to her, my mom broke the silence by saying hi to the young lady and introducing her to me. On the ride home I told mom about the little scene and she said I should ask her out, but she knew I was too shy to do it!!! The parking lot meetings went on for a week or so and just before Valentines day the Camaro lady asked me when I was going to ask her out! Well, I did and 21 years later I'm still looking for another 1979 red Camaro. Would make a great anniversary gift.

She keeps saying she never noticed the bright red White 9000 with the driver hanging out the window!!

I know better though :;):

I knew I left something out. The run lasted about a month and a half until one of the senior drivers got upset that I was yanking down the "big" bucks! I thought I would never see the Camaro girl again. Well, being taken off the run was a blessing in disguise, in a way, it freed me up to help dad when he couldn't pick mom up from work!
Yes I did thank the "senior" driver for his help with my quest! He didn't have a clue, which was fine! There was a little justice after all, the run he took from me came to an end two weeks after he got it!!!!

Now you know the rest of the story!!!

Now for a news update. I read on another site that a driver from NC won 2500 for a manuscript about driving and the deplorable state trucking is in. I would like to know when this contest was?!?!?! I can't wait for the next one cause if this driver thinks the industry is deplorable, maybe I can spread a little BS to make it a little brighter..

Till the next time America[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By Doctor Who on 1041927987

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid4]Kamikaze birds and other assorted flying objects........


Way back in the dark ages of my trucking career I was driving a "R" Model Mack, yes it had 2 sticks in it, anyway I was pulling a flatbed up US 206 in northern NJ just about daybreak one fall morning when I saw a dark object heading towards me, for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was until it hit the passengers side windshield and completely shattering it. Amongst the shower of glass and other odd objects and the shock of being hit I managed to pull the truck over. After the "storm" subsided I noticed an Owl sitting in the passenger seat. It was the biggest Owl I had ever seen. "Not so smart were you???" I asked my quite dead friend.

I called for help on the CB, when CB was a good thing to have.
The nice lady who answered my call thought I was kidding her and it took about 10 minutes to convince her I was serious. She did call the police plus, she had to come out and see for herself.
When the officers arrived they weren't sure what to think, but there it was, a big old Barn Owl sitting in the seat just as if I had placed it there. The lady came up to the truck and was really surprised, she also brought me coffee, which was nice of her. One of the investigating officers asked what I was going to do with the Owl. I told him I'm keeping it as evidence so the boss don't try to charge me with an accident!

About 2 hours later the windshield repair person wasa finished and after numerous phone calls to the boss and the receiver I was on my way. I took the Owl and strapped its feet to the CB and propped it up so it could look out the windshield.
I made it to the recievers yard and pulled up to the guardshack, the female guard came out and started laughing. I asked her what was so funny and she pointed to my buddy. I told her it was a new type of radar detector, when it spotted a police officer with radar the tail feathers would go up and it would drop a present on the radio. Don't know if she believed me or not.
The Owl rode with me the entire day and when I got back to the yard I showed the evidence to the boss. He asked if I was going to keep it and I told him no, but I did know a police officer in town who collected stuffed Owls, so I called him and he came and got it.
Yes he still has that mean old bird today!

Two side notes: The incident did make the paper in the little town where the incident happened and the lady turned out to be the mother of a Amateur radio operator in Raliegh who had heard me telling someone about this a few years back!!!

Got to run, next on the agenda "Lightning and the Volvo"[/color:post_uid4]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]Hey Doc: That's a Good one, where in the world do you get these stories, I would like to look up the site and read a few myself.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000080:post_uid0]Doc, these stories are great. Keep'em coming! :bowdown:

And if I'm not mistaken, these stories are directly from Doc's own storied history.[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By Twilight Flyer on 1042105612

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-size:15pt;line-height:100%'></span><span style='font-family:times'>Thanks Flyer as I mentioned before, if I keep this up there will be nothing left to publish!!

Zodiac, with the exception of the very first post, all the stories are from my personal journal and I've been attempting to put them into book form. Not to add anymore confusion, Groucho was another screen name I was using back in the summer!!
It makes me happy that folks are enjoying a little levity in printed form, although I do have some not so amusing stories as well.</span>[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]Thanks Doc, for the Amusement of one not real sure on how to act towards these stories. But if these are your Personals I can't wait to Read the Book if you decide to print one. :aktion074:[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By ZODIAC54 on 1042137525

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'></span><span style='font-family:courier'>I was negotiating a book deal with a publisher in North Carolina, but do to some items I wouldn't agree with I'm afraid the deal has stalled. Oh well, there will be other publishers...

Now as far as how to react, well the stories are written for the enjoyment of others and it shows there is a humourous side to this profession. When you get on your own bring a notebook or laptap or voice recorder and keep your own journal, document the good and the bad you'll be amazed at how much really goes on that the general public is not aware of.
I used to carry my 35mm camara with me and tried to include photos with the stories. I had 10 books full of photos, but they were all destroyed in a house fire...My brother also had reminded me just recently there is a video tape or 2 starring the infamous Chemical Brothers, hmmm the rusty wheels are turning!!!
Enjoy the tales of a slightly demented aging trucker and I figure within a year you'll have some amusing tales of your own to tell</span>[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>Now that's as cold as a Witches.....sorry the XYL saw what I was writing...

As promised.....Lightning and the Volvo!

As I mentioned earlier, the Chemical Brothers were placed in seperate trucks, I first started out with an "Ancient" Volvo for about a month, then I was blessed with a new 1995 Volvo, #2036, nothing to rave about it still was a Volvo. It had it's shakedown run going to Chicago and then to Houston. It wasn't too bad and it was radio friendly! Fast Forward..

Around the late summer or so the Chemical Brothers were dispatched to Nashville, TN to help out with dedicated runs for Dupont out of their Old Hickory plant. One run went to Circleville, OH, one to Mt. Vernon, IN, one to Deepwater, NJ and the last went to Houston, TX.
I was on the return leg of a Circleville load, when a severe thunderstorm popped up. The lightning was really intense and quite frequent. I was, as usual, reporting everything I saw to a Sky Warn operator. I had just finished my report when there was a bright flash and then the truck DIED, I rolled to the side of the Interstate and parked under a bridge. I sat in the seat looking around for any smoke, nothing. I tried to restart the engine, again nothing!
Well, panic didn't set in, but I was getting quite concerned. I sat on the side of the road for about 30 minutes watching the rain fall dreading the inevitable walk down the highway to the next exit. Didn't really care for the walk, so I tried to crank the truck just once more and lo and behold the thing started and everything started working again. I took it to the shop when I got back and the mechanics couldn't find a thing. The conclusion was the lightning caused an overload and shut it down!! DUH!!!!!

Three weeks later I got the "privilege" of running to Houston. I was strolling along I-10 at the Louisana/Texas border and wound up in another thunderstorm and as most folks know, thunderstorms in Louisana are nothing short of spectacular. I really didn't think much about the storm until, bright flash and the sudden sensation of no power steering and no engine noise crept over me..."Not again!!!" I yelled as I rolled silently to the side of the Interstate. A Louisana Highway Patrolperson stopped and called for a wrecker. I told the officer what had transpired and he told me he knew someone that could locate the problem. "Yeah" I said "the guy up above who keeps hitting me with lighning!!!"
Help did arrive and the truck was towed to an old shop, the mechanic had to be about 100 years old pulled the hood and went right to work. 10 minutes later he tells me he found the problem and that the computer box had to be replaced. It seemed that the folks at Volvo decided that grounding was not neccesary, but it was!!!!
The mechanic went and got a new box, programmed it and I was on my way in less than 3 hours.
When I got back to Nashville, the company shop people checked the guys work and gave it their seal of approval. What they didn't check was the programming and I wasn't about to tell them. I ended up with one of the fastest "Company" Volvos. It stayed that way after I had left the company until it was wrecked in 1998 due to a roll over!

That's all for now</span><span style='font-size:13pt;line-height:100%'></span>[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By Doctor Who on 1042913215

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>As promised....The Dreaded "BIRDDOG" Thread.....

As most drivers know anyone who drives a commercial vehicle is not, by a bogus law, permitted to have Radar Detectors. Most are also aware that a few states, Virginia, Ohio and one or two others have had a ban for quite sometime..
With that in mind sit back and imagine if you will a dark, cold evening in 1994 a slow assed Freightliner struggling to climb the hill on I-77 near the Big Walker Tunnel in Virginia. The brother was driving and I was trying to sleep. Now, as anyone who has run as a team after a while the driver in the sleeper gets to know the different sounds of the truck in their sleep, I am no exception.
I could tell the truck was having a problem climbing the hill and that my brother was getting frustrated, then I heard the two words no co-driver wants to hear "Oh Sh*t"
Then a few well placed explatives, I thought maybe the driveline let go and he'd be waking me up in a moment, so I tried to make the best of what little sleep I could get. As I drifted off I heard voices, I figured there was another driver who had stopped and was talking to my brother.
This is where it gets good..
I heard the passenger door open and then a lot of rustling, really didn't think much of it, then I heard the sleeper curtain open and felt something touching me and then a bright light was shining in my face...I jumped and I saw a figure reaching for something on their hip...I asked "What are you going to do, shoot me????" When my eyesight focused I saw a Sheriffs Deputy pointing his 9mm at me. "Just what in #### are you doing in my truck???"
The Deputy said he was looking for a radar detector. I asked him if he had found one and he said no. I told him he was violating my privacy and he needed to get out. Then he tried to defend his actions by claiming his radar detector detector alerted him to the fact that the slowassed Freightliner had a radar detector. That agitated me more, I came out of the sleeper and told him if that was true than he needed to get his equipment checked or trash it. He got really defensive, but I didn't back off. I pointed to the dash board and told him the equipment stacked up was Amateur radio equipment and the frequencies were nowhere near the X or K bands that radar is on, which meant that his equipment was faulty and if he kept insisting I would take the time to come up to his county file a complaint and drag his ass into court.
Then there was a pregnant pause. After a minute I told the Deputy to get out of my truck, he didn't argue he got out and walked over to the drivers side and told my brother to "Get the piece of sh*t out of here!!!"

My brother got back in the truck and looked at me and swore that he didn't think the cop would actually get in the truck. I wouldn't look at him, I just told him the next time, if there is one, he don't let anyone in the truck, or you inform who ever it is your co-driver is sleeping, that'll end any argument before it starts!!!!!
I also told him I was telling Mom on him!!!!

Next, the Kentucky Scale Cop and the Scanner</span>[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By Doctor Who on 1043405173

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>The Kentucky Scale Cop and The Scanner

Before 1995, a few states had a ban on police scanners in POVs, Kentucky and New Jersey were among these states.
After unloading and reloading at GE in Mt. Vernon, IN June 30 1995, the Chemical Brothers headed back towards Kentucky and the Pennyrile Parkway. Just before we crossd the state line I pulled over. My brother asked what I was doing, I told him I was waiting for Midnight. He asked why and I told him to sit back and watch.
When my watch showed all zeros I proceeded across the line into Kentucky knowing the Port of Entry was open. I pulled onto the scale and waited for the stuff to quit rocking, the scale cop told me to park it and bring my paperwork, logbook and the scanner into the scalehouse, we weren't over weight, but I took the papers and the logbook in. The cop asked me where the scanner was and I told him I didn't have one and he called me a liar and said he saw it on the dash of the truck, I told him he was wrong and that what he saw was my Amateur equipment. He got real beligerant and I told him to call his supervisor. Well, the supervisor came out of his office and listened to the scale cop and then listened to what i had to say, I showed him my Extra class Amateur license and told him all the equipment in the truck is legal. The supervisor said that some pieces of "Ham" gear can be used as a scanner and that was illegal in Kentucky, I looked up at the clock and mentioned it was 0015 July 1, the supervisor asked why was that relevent and I said that the scanner law is now repealed as of 0001 July 1.
Well, the supervisor made a phone call and after 10 minutes he hung up, told the scale cop to let me go and that he should go home. As I left the office the supervisor followed me out asking if he could look at the equipment, I told him I was running team and that if my co-driver was sleeping I couldn't allow him in the truck. When we got to the truck my brother was standing outside so I let the supervisor look at the radios and actually had him make a few contacts. Some were rather close, but what impressed him was the Australian trucker he talked to. "Is he really in Australia?" I told him the driver was indeed Down Under and that I talked to them just about every night when I was behind the wheel.
The supervisor was amazed and said he was going to get his license. I don't know if he ever did!!!!

Next up: The Kentucky Super Scale and the inspector with a hammer!!!! Just a hint, it was the same trip</span>[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By Doctor Who on 1043492086

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Another Great story Doc..Thanks for making me laugh.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>Your welcome Bullet!!!!!

See below for the continuing saga.....</span>[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]Yes Doc the stories are great and I'm sure others have some to tell as well. They just haven't been as brave as you. I do have a problem with the wife story...."YOU SHY" No way!!!!!

The owl thing....it happened around here with a wild turkey. NO NOT THE LIQUID KIND.

I wish I new a publsiher. I can't wait for this book.[/color:post_uid0]

[quote:post_uid0="Big Momma CAD"][color=#000000:post_uid0] I do have a problem with the wife story...."YOU SHY" No way!!!!!

The owl thing....it happened around here with a wild turkey. NO NOT THE LIQUID KIND.[/color:post_uid0][/quote:post_uid0]
[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]Yes I am shy, hard to believe, but true!!!!

The Wild turkey did it involve a Central Transport Lease Operator??

I'm trying to finish the Kentucky saga, but am now suffering from severe writers block...I know there is a "Super" scale on I-24 in KY, but don't remember where or where we went with the load...Hopefully it is a temporary thing...

The negotiations with the publisher in Chapel Hill fell through, which is a blessing of sorts. I may enter some of these in the Truckers writing contest if I can find out when it is!!!![/color:post_uid0]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]I can't remember what carrier it was. I know I was with Landstar at the time. It must have been about 5 or 6 years ago.

There is a big scale on I-24 right around the Land Between the Lakes area. Between the Western KY Parkway and the River. Could that be the one?[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]Oh yeah, as far as the contest. I think Randall Publishing does something like that. They are the Publishers of Overdrive Magazine and Truckers News. The number for them is 800-633-5953. They do several other publications as well. Who knows, they may even be interested in your book!!!
CAD and I are friends with the Publisher of Truckers Connection. I will check with her on the Publishing thing as well. She may know someone.
Never hurts to ask.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>Yeah that's the one....
Yes that was a Central Transport Lease Operator..He did have a tale to tell after that experience, the best part was when the Turkey was not dead and #### near beat the driver to death!!!!!

The scale incident starts below</span>[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#810541:post_uid0]Yep that's it!!!! It was all the talk at the local truck stop and the Landstar Office. Poor Guy. :D[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>After the scanner episode, we proceeded on down the highway, made the turn onto I-24 and all was right with the universe. Well almost!!
We came upon a sign that had the dreaded phrase "SCALE OPEN"
We pulled onto the scale and again waited for the liquid to quit rocking, it seemed like it took forever for the green light to come on, I started getting a tad impatient, when a voice in my left ear made me jump.."I noticed your tank does not have a CVSA sticker!!"
I looked at the inspector and told him the tank was new and it was on it's maiden voyage. He insisted. My brother and I both told him to check the placard, again he insisted. We both gave up, but before I moved the truck I went into the scale house and objected to the supervisor, he wouldn't listen. My brother kept trying to explain to the gentleman that we were carrying Jet fuel Additive and it was highly KABOOOMABLE, he stole my term for it! They still insisted. After ten minutes of the Spanish Inquisition I found a blank sheet of paper and wrote the following...." WE the drivers of this ******* Transport truck will not be held responsible for any outcome resulting from the inspectors negligance!!" We made the supervisor and the inspector sign it
I pulled the truck under the shed and the inspector went to work, my brother hauled ass back to the scale house "Chicken Sh*t!!!!" I yelled to him as he cut a trail across the lot.
Everything was going all right, but I left the drivers side door open. The inspector told me to step on the brakes. I did and then he started whacking on something underneath the trailer with a STEEL hammer. Upon the second whack I set the brakes and jumped out of the truck and yelled to him "YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, DUDE!!!"
I guess a strong wave of concern swooped over him cause he was two steps behind me.
We reached the scale house, he told me he stuck the sticker on the tank and we could go and leave in a hurry!!! He didn't have to tell us twice!!
Before we left the inspector did ask what the additive would have done. I told him probably would level this scale and more than likely level the little town the scale was near!!!
He shook his head and told me and the brother that we were both insane for pulling dangerous loads!!! My brother told him that's why Mom chased us away from home!!!
I put the truck in gear and stalled it just to watch the reaction of the inspector, he was not amuzed!!!!</span>[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>Hey look another LIGHTNING tale!!!!!

I met up with an old friend who drives for a gas hauling company, the same one I drove for before I went with the company I am entangled with now. I commented to him about using my old tractor and tankwagon. He made a few rude remarks about the truck and I told him that the truck was famous. He didn't understand until I told him about....

Lightning and the Gas Wagon

Dateline October 1998. Location Durham NC...
I pulled into a gas station and got set up to unload, I noticed there was quite a light show going on as I hooked everything up. I didn't pay that much attention to the weather, I wanted the trailer to unload fast so I could get back and get another load. Half way through the unloading process I heard a lot of shouts and noise coming from behind me, I turned around and saw about 8 people standing in front of the store pointing to the trailer. I figured they never saw a gas wagon before. One of the spectators came up to me and told me to look at the top of the trailer, so I stepped back to where the crowd was standing and was amazed, there was a blue corona around the top of the trailer, all I could say was "COOOL!!!"
I walked back to the trailer and waited for everything to calm down, the store clerk came out and asked me if the truck was going to explode. I told him no and asked him why. He had called the fire department. I explained to the clerk that if I didn't try to move the hoses nothing will happen. The fire fighters did show up and I had explained to the captain what was going on and it wasn't really necessary for them to stay. He said they would wait until I left. I waited fifteen minutes after the blue glow had died away, I kicked the 4" gas hose, I didn't hear KABOOM, so all was well. I packed everything up, walked into the store got the papers signed. As I was going back to the truck one the guys outside told me I was Muy Loco, I just laughed and said Si Gracias and left!!!

The other Lightning and the Gas Wagon tale

Dateline: August 1999. Location: Somewhere east of Selma NC

Had just finished loading at the BP terminal and pulled out the gate when A wicked summertime thunderstorm rumbled into town. The Skywarn folks were real concerned about this storm and the potential tornadoes. The Skywarn control operator asked me where I was going and I told her Beaufort (pronounced Bofort) she told me the storm was going to intensify the further east it went. Just what I wanted to hear. Beaufort is near the coast. I asked the NWS radar operator how fast the storm was travelling, it was estimated at 30 miles an hour. I figured I could out run it. I made it to Beaufort and had the wagon unloaded and on my way back when I saw the flashes of lighting on the horizon.
What I hadn't realized, the storm had sped up and I was going to run headlong into it before I got to Havelock NC!
Sure enough I hit a torrential rain as I approached the intersection of NC 101 and US 70. The rain came down so hard the road just about disappeared, I knew there was a car behind me so I put on my fourway flashers to let the guy know I was slowing down. Just as we got to the intersection there was a real bright flash and the sound of a cannon going off. The flash had knocked all the street lights out. Well, the truck didn't shut off and I checked to see if I still had a trailer. Then I heard a weak voice come over my CB..."Eagle?"
"Yeah"
"You OK?" I told him I was and asked him why he was asking. This guy thought my tank had blown up when in fact the bolt had shot across the back of the wagon and hit a tree next to the road! It shook that guy real bad. Not to mention it rattled me too!!!!
After I got through Havelock the ride back was uneventful!</span>[/color:post_uid0]



Edited By Doctor Who on 1043869197

[color=#000080:post_uid0]Once again, Doc, the stories are great. I really can't wait until the book comes out. It'll definitely make for some great reading. You might even think about doing the whole book on tape thing. Be a great ride for those on the road. Again, well done. :D[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#8D38C9:post_uid0]<span style='font-family:courier'>I meandered into Amazon.com and was shocked to find a gentleman named Don McTavish has written a book based on the humourous side of trucking, I'm guessing it's from his own experiences. Now, I'm upset and a sudden pang of doubt has befallen me...Is there room for another book written by a slightly demented, aging trucker telling stories from the Not So Golden Age of Trucking??????

I think I'll go watch Dr. Phil!!!!!</span>[/color:post_uid0]