To my very good friend, The original "Dr. Pepper"

You brought me to my feet just after my first divorce. Put me in your truck and told me to drive. To do something other than moping around at a dead end job, barely making ends meet... And so, I did. Over the next few weeks, that's what I did. And those few weeks turned into years. Although we'd been friends for a few years prior to that, you were always on the road, and we never had a lot of time to really get to know each other that much. When you were home, it was usually just neighborly stuff. Then my divorce forced me to move away to be closer to my kids& so we drifted apart even further.
One day, you called and said you needed help delivering furniture because you'd hurt your back. And also, because I was in a slump and needed a good swift kick in the rear to get me out of it.
So here we went. Off on our first great adventure. And what an adventure it was. We didn't get 2 miles down the interstate when you pulled over on the shoulder, got up and said "Ok, your turn." With a puzzled look on my face, I stepped up to bat. Grinding into first. Then 3rd. Then 4rth, and nearly every gear until 10. After every mile, every stop sign, red light, slow traffic or anything else that would slow us up, I got better and better because of the encouragement and the advise you gave me. By the end of the 2nd day, I was floating gears like a pro. I was passing other vehicles with ease, and allowing others to pass without getting all nervous.
Thankfully, you did most of the city driving. But, I was still learning by watching and listening to you.
Our first week, we witnessed the aftermath of 9/11. On the NJTP just minutes after the last WTC tower fell. When I asked you "What have you gotten me into." And you said, "I've gotten you into a carrier that will allow you make a paycheck every week, a place to sleep every night, a shower everyday, A/C & heat all year long... And an opportunity of an adventure every time you push in those brake buttons"..

Over the next few weeks, I learned a lot. The one most important thing I can say you taught me, was to "drive when I was awake, and sleep when I was sleeping... And to make the logs at least look legal'... I never swayed from that. And to this day, thanks to you, I've never fell asleep at the wheel. Even on long runs that took close to 30hrs. You taught me the tricks of the trade that will soon be replaced my ELOG's and over zealous safety directors. Your old fashioned trucking ways made me a lot of money over the years. When it came to trucking, Dr. Pepper, you sure knew your stuff. And I'm thankful that you taught me at least some of it. For over 12 years, I've tried to use those things that you've taught me. And many times, that advise came in very handy.

I won't forget being broke down on the side of the road in PA, stranded by a bad censor. And when the bill came out to be more than I could afford, you had no problem giving your credit card to the shop that was clearly price gouging me. He knew he held me and my young son hostage on the side of the road. And had the local cops to enforce his bill.
I won't forget you telling me how to get around all those scales. And what to say if I got caught going around them. "Officer, I'm trying to find the darn interstate".... That actually worked. I don't know how many times I called you a "##### democrat"... Or how many times you called me "politically confused"... But end the end, we both agreed that the 4 hours we just spend debating politics, wasn't worth the cup of coffee that we just poured into our "Mr. Fuel" coffee cups.

There's a lot of things I will never forget about you, Dr. Pepper. But the one absolute thing that I will always remember about you, was the fact that you cared enough about me, to put up with me, my love life(s), my struggles with stupid dispatchers, over zealous cops and safety directors, log book(s) and everything else...

They say truckers are a dime a dozen. But good truckers like you are 1 out of a million.

I will always miss my friend. I hope the scale house just before the pearly gates give you a by-pass.

RIP Joseph Glod..... AKA Dr. Pepper


Joseph Glod died in Altoona Pa this past weekend. Either late Saturday night or early sunday morning. Apparently had a heart attack while driving his semi with his wife. No one can say for sure exactly what happened, because his Wife Margie was suffering from dementia. This would've been one of Joe's last trips on the road after 46yrs. He was about to retire and stay home with his wife while she still had a few good days left. She'd already gotten to the point of not remembering him most days.
He finally was debt free. Had two truck on the road. One in which he and a friend teamed. His friend was about to take over the truck with another driver...

His wishes are to be cremated and his ashed scattered out on his land by his wife. Why? Because he despised funeral homes and the way they price gouge the weeping survivors.




PS. If anyone knows about this, and can provide a link to the news report, I would appreciate it very much.

 

He was in motion. From what I understand, he veered head on into another semi.

 

Thanks Jake. I appreciate that. Joe (Dr. Pepper) Glod was like a dad to me man. He taught me the in's and outs of the north east. How to dodge all the toll roads up there. When he and I were hauling wine out of Jersey and other parts of the NE, I can't tell you how many time I called him for directions. The man was a living road map. I could just describe what was around me and the back street I was stuck on, and he knew where I was and how to get out of there. And not just the NE. But nearly every city across this country.

He taught me how to get from Bakerfield Ca to Hunts Point market in 2.5 days solo. And still get plenty of sleep.

I'll never forget loading apples in Yakima once day. He'd gotten loaded at another warehouse several hours earlier and had already taken off to NY State. When I told him I was finally loaded, he said he'd wait for me. And he did. And from there all the way over to NY, he and I drove seems like day and night. We ran into a snow storm from western Iowa all the way to eastern Ohio. But following him, it didn't bother me in the least. After we'd finally gotten through it, and made it to our destination, I couldn't help be feel a great sense of accomplishment. Because while other drivers were calling their dispatchers and telling them they weren't going to make it through the storm, we were making it.

He told me once about how he was trucking west through Wyoming (or Montana) once. It was blizzard like conditions outside. He'd stopped for fuel. A bunch of drivers were around the fuel desks watching the weather reports. So Joe asked one of them what was going on. One driver said "We think they're about to shut the road down"... And Joe replied, "Well, you better get a move on or you'll all be stuck here".... He said the look on the drivers faces was priceless. Apparently they were hoping they'd close the roads, so they wouldn't have to go to work....

You know, on the political forum, the reputation of democrats are that they're lazy welfare sucking sponges. But not this democrat. He was the hardest working man I've ever known. It didn't seem to matter what knocked him down, he'd always get back up and win.

He'd had his A/C repaired at a shop in Ft. Worth once. And the guy told him, that he'd warranty parts and labor for 1 year. The only thing was, he had to get the truck back to him, if something went wrong... And it did. In Salinas California. So, in the dead of summer, across the deserts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and the plains of Texas, he trucked with no A/C to get back to Ft. Worth. Sometimes it was over 130 inside his black Classic. He slept a few hours first night on top of Tahachipi. Because the produce load was late getting in. Then from there, straight through to Ft. Worth. Most drivers would've just had it fixed where they were when it went out. But not him. He believed in keeping his word, and to allow others the opportunity of keeping theirs..

 

Seems the accident was at MM 111 on I80. Only Joe's semi was involved. No others. Which is great because I was first told that he hit head on into another semi... Thank god that didn't happen.

What's confusing is that I don't think I80 goes through Altoona. Does it. Seems that I80 is way north of Altoona.


Turns out, Altoona is where they took his wife. Not where he died..

Seems he ran off the road. Even during the massive heart attack, was able to keep the truck & trailer upright. Got out of the truck.

I was just looking at google maps, and luckily, the ditches weren't steep in some places. Very steep in others. I'm not sure which side of the road he went off. Whether it be the comedian or the outside shoulder.

The "authorities" left the truck & trailer there all weekend.. Which allowed the refer to run out of fuel and ruin the entire load. There's no telling if someone went through his truck after the cops and ambulance left the scene...

This is all messed up.

 

You said it. He was one of the few that didn't need a log book to tell him when to do anything. He always said that truckers worth will diminish as long as they allow things like ELOG's, the DOT, FMCSA and satellite tracking to dictate their every move.

One thing he complain a little about was the team he had in my old truck, was beating them from coast to coast. Or at least showing up within a few hours after them. When he got his new co-driver, and showed up a day earlier than them, he'd say "Now that's trucking folks"...

I would imagine the big companies like Swift wouldn't even allow their drivers to go coast to coast in 2.5days.