How it was for me 1978

Ahh to the driving school, it was barely in operation but we did have classroom and just a tad backing. Fortunately I had prior experience with backing a few empliments.

My first load was 1/2 load of swinging pork and the truck was an old GMC. The trip was going to LA. In New Mexico on I-40 the tires were bouncing so hard I had to hold the steering wheel loosely otherwise it would break my arms. First fuel stop Holbrook Arizona, a big truck stop but old ( nothing like you see today ).

We make it to LA with me in the sleeper and I look out wondering how the heck we found ourselves on these streets in the jungle. We did make the delivery, went to the truck wash in Vernon, who owns this place ? That good looking woman ? I guess so, I`m beginning to enjoy this.

We fuel up and the truck takes 3 gallons of oil and we made it all the way back to Kansas.

I finnally get 1st seat but not before our truck loses it`s brakes ( with me in the sleeper ) at Hoover dam. Truck and Trailer is totaled but at least we did not go over the rock wall ( you can still see the scratches on top of it from our trailer ) and we both actually walk away from it. I made the company fly me back home after that episode. My first load 200 miles to drop and hook, then to Kansas City ( 400 miles ) where I unloaded not one trailer but " two " in the very first day, man I am tired, dispatcher asked me if I am wore out, says put it to bed. I guess I passed the test.

Free at last, I have my career. The next trip I beat several two man teams to LA. Compliments paid. Such went the story as the years passed by.

Here is my advice to new drivers, know your limits, know when to say no and keep your driving record clean. Have an accident you get fired and then won`t find another job ( learning when to say no and knowing your limits ). You`ll pay your dues of course the first several years, just be smart with what you are doing. A load delivered is better than a load on the side of the road upside down. Use your CB, it is your eye around corners and in bad weather, bad roads. Be patient in those conditions, approach the tops of hills cautiously, ice can appear exactly where you don`t expect it even if there is none all across the state. How not to get lost. Use your map and call the reciever ahead of time for directions to the warehouse ( the reciever not the secretary ). When empty drive no further than neccessary. In summary stay in control of your wits and use plenty of patience. Do it at your pace.

 

Yes Holbrook, too many years ah ha.

 

OK, about that ICE. I had two experiences, one was too extended for my pleasure. The other one was short lived and not as bad but both could have been disasters. Just remember, no one gets that good if your out there long enough that you won`t have a few close calls.

Wyoming, Little America cold cold cold, stay put at the truck stop. -20 degrees. In the morning all is well and moving west to the last hill before I-84 and I-80 split. There was no ice all accross Wyoming. I topped the hill with not a word of warning on the CB. Holy Mackeral I`m going 50 mph and on solid ice. Can`t slow down with a heavy load and OMG two trucks are pulling out from the rest area down the hill ( where did this ice come from ) ( it was almost like someone went to the top of the hill with a water truck and gave the road a good spray )and they move into the left lane before the curve and split. WTF pull down on the trailer brake but watch the trailer. It`s beginning to slide sideways into the left lane ( only way to try and slow down ), this is a faily steep hill on ice. I step on the throttle a bit but shoot there is a curve down there and my hair is standing straight up. I`m now approaching those two eighteen wheelers and tell them on the cb, drivers stay in your lane I cannot slow down. I have to step on the throttle more to get my tailer behind me and not in their lane. That`s completed but ( NOW ) I have to move thru the curve at a speed I know is way too fast on ice. I`m not sure if I kept accelerating or just kept my foot off the throttle by that time. There is no way I can make it, BUT I did. I can only imagine what those drivers thought when I flew by them and they were in the curve. Not a word was said except by me in which I said I needed to change my shorts I can`t believe I made it.

The other experience was in West Virginia. Watch the shadows. Road was good, hilly of course and I came down to a low area and crossed a bridge. Shadowed area, ICE, *&^$###^&* my truck hits it and I accelerate. The tractor turns sideways 25 % with the weight of my trailer pushing causing this. I am steering to the right quickly and then I just straightened out. I imagine hitting the throttle helped a bit. It was just a short streak of unmelted ice but holy ***** that was too close.

 

I have many stories from the road in the early years. Trucking was different than today. Before and after, however responsiblity remains the same. To get years under your belt you better be good. All too often when I drove through Wyoming I would see several rigs laying on their side. Inexperience ? Or not cautious enough ? Common sense comes into play. Like sports or anything else, you`ll know if you have the confidence that you know what to do and how handle it. Even the best can have a bad day. Each day is mental focus and there is no room for error. I drover over 1 Million miles and consider myself lucky no bad accidents happened. Was I good ? Pretty much, but the post above is an example of what can happen. Expect the unexpected, it can and will happen. It`s your lively hood be the best you can be. In a million miles, that`s a lot of driving. More so than newbies will know till they get there.