My Millis Experience -

I know this sounds like a broken record - but another "crazy ##### week or so!

Once I delivered in Gurnee - I dh to Woodridge, IL to get a short load to Cin, Oh. Make that with no issues and once unloaded I get a nice long run that I can take home with me and deliver on Monday.

Note - Havent taken any home time since July 20th when I went solo. Sp I am really excited to get home and see the family and get some warmer clothes since it's getting cold fast up north.

Grab my load on Thursday morning in Trenton - weigh it out (47K) on an old trailer. I fueled up and take a few minutes to talk to another driver I had meet before. His load shifted when someone pulled out in front of him and was waiting for assistance to get it reloaded. I thought to myself - Man I pray that never happens to me. I head out towards the house with my load that delivers in Tampa Florida on Monday afternoon.

Here's where all hell breaks loose!

* Note - I post this so others can learn what can happen when you least expect it!*

I am 2 miles from home in Ky with my load and as I approach the light - I see from my left a car coming into the intersection and my light is green. I begin to apply the breaks thinking they will stop. I look to my right and I have a small truck in that lane and on my left is a raised island. I then realize the car is stopping in the MIDDLE of my lane. (Like seeing me froze them and they didnt know what to do. I had no choice but to break hard to try to stop before I hit them. As I did this - the bulkhead gave way and 47K of product slide to the front of the trailer. I first thought someone had rear ended me as I have never felt/heard that type of sound/jolt before.

I was able to stop and not collide with anyone or anything - but I immediately knew I had serious issues with the product in the trailer. Once I was able to breath again - I looked up and the car had just pulled the rest of the way out and was heading down the road. I pulled to the emergancy lane and noticed immediately there was a bulge in the front of the trailer from the product hitting. I cant explain the feeling that I had as I walked to the rear of the trailer to open the doors.

I dont know if I was shaking more due to thinking I was going to hit them and I didnt or what I would see when I opened the trailer doors. As I opened the doors I see that the last pallet was leaning towards the front badly. I then crawled overtop to get to the front of the trailer and could see that there was infact some damage to the load and most of the 27 pallets were leaning towards the front. I take the load to the house and and all I can think of is - I am going to get fired 3 days before I hit 90 days solo. I immediately call safety and report what had happened and then notify my dispatcher.

After several calls and several hrs - it was decided I needed to get the load back to Trenton and get it reloaded. I went to the closest Pilot and slide my tandems all the way to the front but still couldnt get it any better than 36600 on the drives. So had to chart a course around the open scale in KY and finally made it to Trenton Thursday evening late.

Friday I start re-stacking the load with the help of 4 guys frm Trenton. (Shout-out to Duce) After 8 hrs of restacking (27 pallets) and removing the damaged product - I was reloaded to a new trailer. The guys at Trenton told me this is not bad - and when all was said and done - there was about a half of pallet that was either broken or had some type of damage to the packaging. I headed back to the house and just took Saturday to get myself together and review/re-think of the situation and what I could have done to prevent this from happening. I have went over this a 1000 times in my head. I was only doing about 25 when I came into the intersection since I had just merged onto the road.

I can tell you this - you think you see whats going on infront of you - but you just never know for sure what that other person will do. To this day I am not sure I could have done anything different but I can tell you this - I slow down even further now approching intersections and still get a little nervous as I go through them.

Please learn from this post and approach with extreme caution and when they say - "think of what that other person might do" - that's so true. What if I could have seen them coming sooner.......and I never thought when they ran the red light they would just stop dead in front of me.

On the bright side - I did get to meet Jag's wife Gina and Ryeman in Trenton. Jag I am sorry I just missed you though. You are one lucky Man - your wife is a wonderful lady. Please tell her thanks for hanging out and talking to me - It did make me feel a little better having someone to talk too about this. When we all get back there - we have to do dinner one night on me!

I am back rolling again and sitting at the Pilot on 24 in KY. Have a 7:30AM pickup and taking it too WI for a Thursday delivery.

Please - Please - Please be safe out there! I dont wish what happened to me on anyone.