Delbarton, WV - the drive from hell

First let me say I'd rather drive up Donner in a whiteout blizzard with 40mph winds at -30f than go back to Delbarton, WV...Rt52 has to be the worst road I've ever driven on...It winds it way thru the WV coal towns, and when I say wind, ever seen Lombard St in San Fran?...52 is that but goes on for 130 miles and takes 5-7hrs to travel...I hit the road about 5:30 last night for an 89 miles segment to my first stop...Got there at 8:47...

I get behind a local hauling 82,000lbs of concrete blocks so we're chatting away as we had 3hrs to kill, he tells me as we start...I'm looking at my GPS and it's saying 2.5hrs and I can't understand it until we start heading out...This is the most twisted AND tight road I've ever driven on...He's getting off of it at Gilbert about 20 miles from where I need to go and tells me of a 'dangerous' hill I need to cross...After talking to this guy, who had 18yrs experience running around those parts, I have to say I was a wee bit concerned...

He was telling me how you NEED, not suggest, but NEED to use both lanes to make most of the turns and when he said both lanes, he meant left fender as close to the left guardrail as you can get it or you will either ripped your trailer open like a sardine can or come to an unpleasant quick stop as the rocks grab a hold of you...

Just before we get to Gilbert a buddy of his, carrying 126,000 of coal and has been running those roads for over 20yrs, catches up to us and said he's going up and over and that I could follow him as he gives me heads up on when to swing wide and such...I take him up on his offer and away we go...It was exactly as described, actually, I considered it dangerous and if it wasn't for the 2 of them, I'm not sure how it would have went...ALL for 2 pieces of furniture...

That was just getting there...From there I had to head to Huntington, which isn't too bad, been there, done that, but still had to travel another 50+ miles of 52 which took another hour and half...Parts of it were so narrow when cars passed me in the other lane, my right tires were not on the road and I was hugging the line...

If I ever refuse a load in the future, it will be one going to Delbarton, WV, if you get one there, BEWARE, BE CAREFUL and go in the daylight and still hope you get behind a local that can feed you valuable info as you go along...Look up that road on your GPS, it's like a drunken snake winding thru the hills...Went to Elkins and Weston, WV today as well, Farmington tomorrow then off to PA...

 

I talked to my terminal manager about it today, he's going to see about getting that run nixed...Someone is going to get hurt, lose a truck, trailer or worse...The risk to reward is way too low for us to make that run...Now, if they used a 36' truck, they could do it, but honestly, I still wouldn't recommend it to someone without intimate knowledge of the area...

Nick, no doubt, if it wasn't for those 2 guys, I really wonder how it would/could have turned out...I'm no wimp and will take a low paying run with the goods ones, but this was flat out dangerous, IMHO...


>>>>the should ups furniture to a lot of places....

Great minds think alike!...That was my suggestion, if only 2 pieces, it would have been cheaper than the fuel and wage and much less risk to a truck, trailer and driver...