1 turkey + 1 mtn = 2 stories :)

So, first things first. I had just gotten out of my trainers truck and had a load going somewhere through Virginia with their God forsaken grades. I had been trained correctly in truck driving school...on how to go down a mountain/grade. However, my trainer told me a different way...which I realised was wrong about halfway down...but didn't think she could possibly tell me anything wrong! Yeah, right.
Anyways, I'm going down doing this brake and hold method. She said "it will keep your brakes from getting hot if you just keep applying". Even in my newbie state I knew that couldn't be right. But again...she's a trainer...she should know. HA!
So, I come a butt hair away from taking a runaway ramp. I've got guys talking me down. I'm smoking. I'm on fire a bit. I'm FREAKING OUT! One guy tells me "you're almost at the bottom, you can let it go now." So I pull my seat out of my butt and proceed to find out that my brakes no longer work. I don't mean they work a little either. These things don't do squat!
So I call my boyfriend (now husband) and another friend. They call my trainer all kinds of names and tell me to let my dispatcher know so I can get my brakes checked. So I call them and get permission to go to the T/A about 5 miles away. I had gotten my truck to slow down, on it's own...and using the trailer brakes...to about 35 mph. I refused to go any faster than that, lol!
I pull in, manage to maneuver my way around the lot and into the maintenance area, and roll to a stop. They look over my brakes and tell me "they aren't cracked but they are glazed over". They wouldn't replace them because apparently I had enough to last til a terminal. I was told to sit overnight and let them cool down and make sure they work in the a.m.
*This was with USA Truck*


Now for the turkey.
Easter Sunday 2003. Specialized Express. Husband had just been released to go back to driving and we'd been there maybe 2 weeks. Driving along in...Mississippi I think...and hubby decides he's going to the back to sleep. He knew we'd be on the interstate and even though I'd only had 5-6 months experience I was ok by myself. About 30 minutes after he gets to the back he hears this massive CRACK. I don't slow down though. I call "Tony...I need you up front." He's like "oh my God, really?" So, he gets up front and goes "holy s$*t!" LMAO
Here's what I saw. Driving along. Minding my business. Holy s#*t! What's that?! Big ##### turkey comes out of nowhere on my passenger side, flies just over the hood, smacks dead center of the windshield, and sticks his tongue out at me before dropping his dead head below the view of the windshield. He busted both sides of the windshield and even managed to stop the clock inside the truck as well as blow out a small light.
We call the company. They don't believe us! Had to take pictures with the accident camera and get them developed so we could bring them in to safety when the truck was fixed. Took the truck down the road, hardly able to see s@*t, and got everything replaced. Took many, many hours. Finally got to the terminal and showed everyone the pictures of our Easter Sunday turkey. Oh, did I fail to mention that my husband had to climb onto the truck, with gloves on, to remove the turkey? Yeah, that was fun.

 

It very well could have been West VA. It was 8 years ago after all, lol.

The steepest grade I was ever on, with my trainer, was 9% in PA.

I accidentally hit a dog in Detroit once. I got turned around, was trying to find my way back to the interstate, and when I came up to a stoplight this dog was walking across the road. I was slowing down for the light (thank goodness) but the dog decided to turn around after he'd passed my passenger side tire. I was still going about 10/15 mph and (I think) heard a crunch. I didn't see the dog. I couldn't get out to check due to traffic and nowhere to pull over. I can only hope I winged him and he got away. Needless to say, once I got back to the interstate I pulled over and cried! :'( I would never intentionally harm an animal and hate that people let them roam around cities (or anywhere).