Confessions of accidents.

I had a similar accident when I bumped the counter-weight on a fire escape in an alley where I was making deliveries. It was the type of fire escape stairs that lowers as people start to climb down. I could not see any damage, but my employer paid for some welding. There was no damage to my trailer. In alleys, you have to watch for things that are not 13'6", including wires.

 

This thread sounds like lots of fun! Anyone else got anything to contribute?

 

Confession is good for the soul. So, on my first job, I hauled truck platforms for farmer's straight trucks. The flat-bed loads had to be "fitted" like a jig-saw puzzle because the platforms came in lengths from 12' to 24', and the longer ones had deeper side and frame rails. Side boards for cattle and grain, or stake racks for city delivery were laid flat on top of the platforms.

We had a large order from a truck body shop in Rochester, MN. The only way to fit the puzzle together was to take the exhaust stack off the Cracker Box Jimmie and extend a 24' platform over the roof. I knew that turning corners in towns would be hazardous because the 24 footer would swing wider than the path of the tractor. This story takes place in 1967, on two-lane highways from Sedalia, MO to Rochester.

After I rounded a curve before a small town in Iowa, I had to stop on the shoulder because of a low railroad underpass. I walked to a gas station beyond the underpass to ask about a route around the low clearance. They described a route through a residential neighborhood that can be taken with police escort. It often takes two hours for the police to show up, so I decided to run it without escort. Needless to say, I was already nervous, and I had to make a u-turn on a two-lane highway just beyond a curve. (It occurs to me now, that the police would have blocked traffic)

You guessed it. I forgot about the platform above the tractor. That platform swung wide and hit a telephone pole on the opposite side of the highway as I made the u-turn. Fortunately, it was a light tap and I was able to back up and take another cut at it. You can imagine, it would not take much of a tap to snap a pole when you hit it twelve feet above the ground.

During unloading in Rochester, I told the consignee about the accident. There was a dent in one of the front stake pockets of the 24 footer, but they said they could repair it. The temperature was below zero that day. I nearly froze in the high winds while unchaining the load and hooking their crane to each platform. My boss had told me to be sure to get a check in payment for the load. Months later, he told me their check bounced. I hope the farmers in Minnesota got good use out of their truck bodies.

 

wow, neat stories. Glad none of you got in huge trouble

 

Deny everything. LET THEM PROVE IT! You are innocent until PROVEN guilty, or until you confess!

Now I have a friend who was delivering to a county building. He actually knew the overhead cable TV wires were there, and belived they would clear his trailer, as he had delivered there before. What he did not notice was that they were loose from a pole and hanging lower than they should be. . .

 

I got one.

Years ago when I first started to drive (1978) I was hauling dry goods that a salesman would stock a convenience store with so we made stops at many warehouses along the route. It was all at night and this one place I had to back on my blind side. I had a swamper with me and the area was clear so no need for him to get out and watch. I put that trailer and tractor perfect to the dock so I thought. I was over to the left about a foot but that was ok to through the boxes off. The tractor was at a 90degree position and I swear you could have taken pictures. Then I finished backing up about a foot to go.

In that foot the left side of the trailer crushed the electrical meter on the side of the building. I was checking the other side when my partner screamed move away move away. Then I looked and it was like the fourth of july. It lite up the whole area and sparks were flying. Then it stopped.

My partner was an Electrical Tehnician in the Navy so I told him we were going to go down a few buildings and steal a meter off the building and replace the one I just crushed. After he laughed and told me where to go I then said ok then you're calling the boss. Again he laughed and said you were driving. We're still friends today and still get a kick out of that story.

Nothing happened to me, no letter, report, or anything. I guess since I was young and would take all the runs the boss gave me he cut me a break. Oh, and we unloaded in the dark.

 

I can tell these stories because the statute of limitations ran out years ago. So, I was working city delivery and there was a load of turkey roasting bags to be loaded by hand at Union Carbide. (that's Union Carbideeeee) We were a small town terminal with one road driver and three city drivers, a dispatcher, and a terminal manager/salesman. The road driver had the tandem tractor, but we had to keep our pickup appointment. I was instructed to take a 45 footer with my little single axle tractor (9:00x20 tires, "feather-weight license plate") I should dolly down before loading, and the tandem tractor would be sent to the plant before I finished loading.

Well, we worked for several hours stacking small boxes of plastic bags clear to the roof. I called for the tandem tractor. The terminal manager said, "He is running late, bring the load to the terminal." I took the side streets because of being underpowered and not licensed for the weight. Within sight of the terminal's back entrance, there was a hump back railroad crossing. You guessed it, the little tractor was carrying the trailer so low that a sand shoe caught on the tracks and an angle brace was bent. I filled out an accident report. A mechanic with a portable welder repaired it so that I could unhook from the trailer.

A month later, the terminal manager asked me to compete in a drivers' roadeo. I reminded him that competitors must have at least one year of safe driving. He said, "We use a sliding effective date." No, I am not the gung-ho type that competes in roadeos, nor am I qualified.

 

I used to run long haul,then regional,now just local.Local has its benefits,but with more deliveries and pick-ups.I haven't hit any signs or low bridges yet.I have,however,taken down many wires early on.Later on I would just tell dispatch that couldn't acess the street or road.They are not too happy when I tell them I can't make a delivery because of low wires but they relent after informing them that if they authorize it,I will take out every cable,telephone line and possibly a power line on the entire street,if that's what you want me to do.As far as backing in a trailer,I never trust anyone to assist me.A dockworker might be trying to help,but he or she might also not be looking up at low wires or overhangs.I do it myself.I might have to get out to check things out a few times but it did help me avoid hitting a new mercedes-benz by about 2 inch's.I know long haul as it's own problems but with local work,time it 10 times more on the problem scale.One other thing.Power lines have to be 15 feet.Cable,telephone are 14 feet.This info comes from my friends at our local utility company and phone company.If you are on a road that has no restrictions,you have no liabilty if you take down a low wire.Private property is a different issue.Hope this helps.