In Memory of Truck Drivers in the day

[Briarbabe]

Oh, Cart, thanks for passing that one along. What a great piece. My grandfather and uncle both drove back in the day (when I was born, '79) and my mother told me one of my first words was "Yo." accompanied by the 'truckers wave'.

 

[LL]

I wasn't a driver back when stacks blew black, but did several years of lower 48 + Canada with a flatbed in the early/mid 2000's.  Had a blast.  You go to some interesting places and haul some interesting shit pulling live load flatbed for a Montana based outfit.  

The through-the-windshield set is eastbound on I-80 past Elk Mountain (around mm 247) in a hurricane-force ground blizzard (it was not snowing...  the stuff was just being rearranged, Wyoming-style)    :lol:

The shots were taken a few seconds apart in the sequence shown.

The wreck happened about a quarter mile in front of me in Ohio.  Some sort of fuel trailer on a big truck tangled with a couple cars.  Major mess, several fatalities.  

The last shot is the Cat-powered rig I used for a lot of my miles.  Rarely broke, pulled hard.   Good times.

 

[RDPipes]

Nice truck sir, those blow'en snow pics remind me of the fog on 15 outside Cajon and the 5 North just over the hill, can't remember the name of it to save my life but, there been some real nasty accidents in it there.
Thankfully I've been no part of them but, made my share of fog at times coming down that hill in old trucks.
Just remembered Grapevine! :fpalm:

 

[Brewdude]

My old friend and former recording studio partner/bandmate has been driving for a good number of years. He told me he used to have a regular gig between the Mil, WI area and Chi town hauling hazardous waste. Apparently he got an extra certification for this, which also resulted in higher compensation.

He told me that after 911, he would get stopped regularly and gone over with a fine tooth comb by the Interstate Smokies. He'd have to chill by his tractor and wait until they had satisfied themselves. Said it made him feel like a potential criminal. I guess that's what it takes these days.

He doesn't run that route any more. Not because of that.



Cheers,

RR

 

[RDPipes]

My old friend and former recording studio partner/bandmate has been driving for a good number of years. He told me he used to have a regular gig between the Mil, WI area and Chi town hauling hazardous waste. Apparently he got an extra certification for this, which also resulted in higher compensation.

He told me that after 911, he would get stopped regularly and gone over with a fine tooth comb by the Interstate Smokies. He'd have to chill by his tractor and wait until they had satisfied themselves. Said it made him feel like a potential criminal. I guess that's what it takes these days.

He doesn't run that route any more. Not because of that.



Cheers,

RR

Yeah, You had to have all sorts of endorsements to haul certain materials.
I had to have endorsements for doubles (pulling sets of trailers), Hazardous (for placard loads such as Corrosives, Flammables, etc.) and Tank (hauled tankers for Coke and C&H sugar)
And believe it or not I ran placard loads for Coca Cola. Flammables and Corrosives.

 

[LL]

And speaking of trucking, there's a reality show on Netflix that actually IS real. No bullshit scripted drama or other nonsense. Made in Canada. It's just the day-to-day activity of a heavy rescue company that operates in the Canadian Rockies of BC. "Just" being funny in this case, because a normal day in winter (which runs from late July to early July in that part of the world :lol: ) is nuts.

I can't drive anymore, but watching this sort of real-deal account---essentially a documentary---is the next best thing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2390276/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

[d4klutz]

I spent the first few years of my life in an 18 wheeler. Nothin' like the rattle of a diesel and the smell of diesel smoke on a cold, crisp morning to wake a body up. I also remember the 8 track player in the cab over Kenworth my parents drove, and playing with the keys while running down the road.

I guess that is the main reason I drive a diesel today. Brings back fond memories.

 

[Jevverrett]

My current daily truck during some wintertime fun a few weeks back. What's not clearly visible in the pic is the stabilizer arm under the recycling tubs that got hung up on a boulder. Kept me from rolling it into the ditch lol.

 

[Brewdude]

My current daily truck during some wintertime fun a few weeks back. What's not clearly visible in the pic is the stabilizer arm under the recycling tubs that got hung up on a boulder. Kept me from rolling it into the ditch lol.

Christopher Cross, that's a very precarious situation you got yourself into Jev. Very glad you seem to have come out of it on top!

:shock:



Cheers,

RR

 

[puros_bran]

Saved the lunch box, the rest can be written off..
:lol:

 

[Puff Daddy]

That pic cracks me up, reminds of the times ( bout once a week) when customer says "You can make it, garbage truck came through here just the other day" .

Me: Think that garbage truck weighed 68,000 pounds? Want to sign the delivery ticket first taking financial responsibility for the truck?

Customer: :shock: :no:

 

[puros_bran]

They do it with the big trucks as well PDiddy..  I learned the very hard way twice...I'm a slow learner.

My first driving job was with Ryder Logistics on the Dollar General account out of Scottsville,Ky. I was in somewhereville, Ky.  I rolled up to the store, examined the situation,and determined that we would offload from the front door for safety reasons. We had that option but the managers absolutely detested it.   Anyway, the assistant manager called the manager. The manager came down and convinced me to go around back to unload, "All the drivers do"... 10 minutes later I'm back there with fuel pouring out of the hole in the bottom of the tank.  The guy that lives next to the store put these huge rocks along the end of his grass line because he didn't want trucks rutting his lawn. I still ain't mad at him, I don't blame him a bit.  My right steer dropped off the pavement, my fuel tank that had previously had clearance dropped onto his rock..and he had fuel in his yard instead of ruts... Win-win.  The store owner refused to unload until I was closer to the door and capable of getting the boxes to the bumper per contract requirements. He paid about 6-8 people 3-4 hours of wage to watch the fire department, police department, the local news, the DOT, the water company, and the Fish & Game official sort out just how bad I had destroyed their town.

The next was less exciting.. Unloading engine component in Indiana and the guy said " all the drivers turn around over there"  I went, rutted the hell out of the field, just as I was about out of it the trailer slid and broke the top of his welded together fence post.  Guy literally came out screaming with a gun. He finally went back in, right before the police were on scene.. They didn't want to hear about him threatening to kill me they were just concerned I would 'flee the state'.. Wtf? I'm a truck driver, of course I'm going to 'flee the state'.   Thought I was going to Ryker Island or some shit but the company finally got everyone chilled out.  Those ruts and that welded together fence post probably cost $50,000-75,000 back in the early 90's.  Lol

 

[Jevverrett]

Saved the lunch box, the rest can be written off..
:lol:

I had a mason jar full of Arcadia in there haha.

Had to climb out the passenger door with the truck swaying on the edge of the driveway. Felt like something out looney toons. I called for a wrecker, and sat down on my lunch box and smoked my pipe.

An hour and a half later the homeowner came out of the house to ask when I thought I was leaving, and if I was going to still take the trash. She had been watching me out the window all that time. By the way, it was a pleasant 24F in the sun that day. I love rich people, so much concern for the servile folk.

 

[Brewdude]

Saved the lunch box, the rest can be written off..
:lol:

I had a mason jar full of Arcadia in there haha.

Had to climb out the passenger door with the truck swaying on the edge of the driveway. Felt like something out looney toons. I called for a wrecker, and sat down on my lunch box and smoked my pipe.

An hour and a half later the homeowner came out of the house to ask when I thought I was leaving, and if I was going to still take the trash. She had been watching me out the window all that time. By the way, it was a pleasant 24F in the sun that day. I love rich people, so much concern for the servile folk.

My first reaction to this would be to tell her to stick the trash up her azz. But there again you have to be sympathetic to the customers and probably answered her in a more pc way. I get how it is these days.


Cheers?

RR

 

[Jevverrett]

A few days after this happened, she called the office to try and get them to credit her account because her son missed a day of work. To her moral credit, she informed them she gave me a cup of coffee. (in the garage)