The thing most truckers take for granted.....

600 lbs... black long-nose Pete... donuts...

I swear to god, I saw the guy you are describing at the Port of Panama City just last week. There can't be that many morbidly obese guys that drive black long nose Petes. Same deal—a real workout to get in the truck.

There's a difference between 'Fat' and 'Gonna-die-any-second-now'. The doctors who are passing these guys for their DOT physical need to be slapped upside the head.

 

This is quite true - failing the guy would probably save more than one life. Loss of income would probably motivate him more than his looming heart attack/leg amputation/coma are doing as well.

 

However, he would probably just hunt for a doctor that would pass him. System sucks.

 

It is sad to see a driver extremely obese. Kind of makes you wonder how this driver can maintain personnel hygiene after a visit to the "boy's room", or fitting in the shower stalls. I was in El Paso one summer, pulled into the truck stop and parked next to a(will not name company) truck(found it odd that there was lots of open spaces all around this truck). Truck engine was not running, windows were lowered a couple inches, flies were buzzing around the truck. I got out of my truck when the smell hit me!!! I got back in my truck and moved to another spot.I called 911, then I went to fuel desk and asked to speak to the manger, described the truck, and told him that from the strong odor I think a driver may have expired in his truck. Police show up, Fire trucks show up, etc, Sure enough, a very obese driver had died in his truck and the truck idled until it had run out of fuel.The fire dept had to literally cut the side of the truck open to remove the decedent.When the corpse was pulled out, it was obvious the he had been in there for a few days in 100+ degree temps. I felt so sad for the mans family that he lay dead in that truck for who knows how long and no one noticed or said anything. I am sure I was not the first one to notice the smell or the flies buzzing around the truck.