We had to pickup a load of grass seed in south east Washington. Never been in SW washington before. Very beautiful, big rolling mountains, everything sparkeling like diamonds with the sun on the snow. Anyway when we get there this seed farm is at the very top of the highest mountain in sight. We pull on to this skinny little road and start heading up. We probably should have stopped and chained up but we had been putting them on and off a lot for the last few days and we just didn,t. This road was black ice and I don't know how my wife managed to get up there but she did without any trouble. She is good at these sort of things. Meanwhile I,m sitting there thinking about beeing upside down 2oo feet down in the gullies off the side of this skating rink. When we get up there the loading dock is at the top of long upgrade that is also ice covered. There is noway we can back in there but the shipper has an old tractor with chains which he hooks up and backs us in. About this time I decide to take the dog for a walk to enjoy this beautiful scenery. When I come back the trailer is loaded and they have backed the tractor in to hook up and it's stuck under the trailer but not hooked. So I stand there and watch. My wife is the tractor spinning her wheels and the shipper is out there throwing grass seed under the tires for traction. Grass seed sells for about 3.00 a pound here. After the guy throws about 50 pounds of seed under the wheels I walk over and give the landing gear about 2 cranks and the tractor just slips right in there. This whole process takes about 2 hours or so and I know we are not getting paid for the antics of this seed farm at the top of the world but what other job is there where I,m seeing a beautiful country that I would never have seen and and experience an episode that I find very funny and will never forget.

Great story! What comes to mind is that if you would have tried to tell the shipper to simply lift the trailer via the landing gear he would have shaken his head and grabbed another handful of grass seed. Folks will do what they have in their head is the thing to do, no matter how dumb, wasteful for ineffective. I too love loads to the NW part of the US. Why is it though that all that pretty scenery seems like it is trying to kill you? Looks like a postcard but drives like an tobaggon run.

Hah... I have a big thing of salt under my bunk. I've used it twice. Very handy.

Another thing... why didn't you just crank the trailer first? I was listening to one of my drivers say he was trying to get all of the dunnage they had nailed into the bed out with a crowbar for about an hour then took a break. The whole time, the guys on the dock were just watching him, snickering a bit. When he takes the little break, they ask him to move and come with the forklift and take them all off in about 30 seconds.

This driver said a few words, in a loud tone of voice, about what he thought of these dock workers. They could've helped an hour ago and instead of watching him bust his back. I don't know how that driver stayed out of jail if he had a crowbar--I won't carry one.

Just remember, the universe is out to get you. It's just sneakier in the PNW. Downright diabolical in Alaska!

I guess you are sowing your own future on that run.

Great Post

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John " E "



“the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”

Jim McKay 1921-2008

<inhale>wasitgoodgrassorjustsomedarngoshawfulditch weed?<exhale>

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Dan H.
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Great story... I'm jealous!

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For a short time I hauled potatoes out of No Dakota - usually to Texas...

The shippers always tried to overload you which was a real pain to deal with.

One of the pickups we did was on the other side of a little bridge with the sign "total weight 4 tons".

I had pictures of myself going across that bridge scaling 80,000 lbs - rolling veeeery slowly...=*^)

HM

Took a load of butter to spokane Wa. Had snowed the night before and there was about three inches on the ground. Found the place , had to turn in and strighten out in the parking lot next door. Got lined up and started back. but with my trailer about two feet from the dock,my drivers hit the slight rolled curb and she wiped her feet. had to throw a set of singles to back up two feet to get to the dock. Made my day!!!!!