Things every driver must do once

Maybe the Asians should end up running the world. Seems like they understand civilized behavior.

 

Every trucker should visit Boys Town,Nuevo Laredo,Mexico,just once,while your young.......... If it's still there. Went there in the 70's,was crazy.

 

I took that tour once. Sure made the other truck drivers nervous having me in the car. I haven't been able to drink tequila since...

 

Drive with a dual tire blown. Drive downhill like a NASCAR in the middle of the desert, with nothing or no one in sight. In case.

 

A very long time ago I ended up in the extreme coastal area of NC, a place where the locals do not speak American English or any English that I know of due to their history. I was not feeling too good at that morning when the sun came up in this little town, I could not tell you how poor this place was. It was about the size of Old Town off the interstate in South Dakota and even in worst condition. As luck would have it I was hungry. I had consumed everything in the tractor overnight, what there was left of the vittles.

Come around the center of there looking for a spot to settle all 18 wheels I found a little lot with a tiny building about the size of a food truck. I smelled cooking coming out of it and put the rig in there. Walked in and found about 10 people chowing down at the tables and talking. To my hearing it seemed like a bunch of birds rioting in the garden fighting over the bird feeder.

With some apprehension I sit down and one came with a menu and I showed her rice this rice that and rice something else, while visualizing a concept that Im going to pretty much pollute three states today and not cut any miles because of the desentry Im about to recieve... kicked a large roach out of the way, maybe they call those crawfish I don't know what they were, the screaming gulls got rowdy when it made it outside through the holes in the building's rotting walls so it's gone. Life is cheap out there this morning.

They brought the food to the table. All smiles and joy. The cook came out, with the butcher apron and hands like sausages covered in the process of fixing that meal. Eyeballed me and my American ### to see if I liked it or not. Took a bite, gave him a thumbs up. The place erupts into a joyful noise. Essentially giving the Cook his glory that if he can feed me, a heathen of all things in a day like that all is possible for him. Why are we still here in this ... ditchwater town slaving away a wasted life slinging food for those who quit caring about that long ago?

The waitress hovered over my shoulder minding my every care like a kid at home in the kitchen being tended to by mother, I was mentally counting the vanishing stack of money in my chaindrive wallet. Surely this kind of service would be hella expensive. And pay I would, either in honest to god American cash, or in blood and tears out back doing the dishes.

A glorious hour passed. Cell phone chirped from dispatcher in the pocket, totally ignored. They brought out a alcoholic drink of somekind to finish the meal and get it down the gullet. (So much for dot laws, who gives a *&^% this #### is good... and those gulls aint quit crying yet.) beginning to seriously question my ability to get that rig off that 40 acres of crumbling cobble and brick back towards the interstate that really is a fearful problem that got bigger with each sip.

Paid my money and then some to the bill collector. Pushed away from the table and handed several more bags of the same meal. Surely this place does not contain enough provisions to feed this crew more than a couple days on that much food. They piled it into my rig.

Dispatch came in finally with a load going to southbound and down but first loading in Virginia and #######, hurry up! gripe gripe gripe, sheesh. I never heard him the rest of the day it did not bother me anymore that day or that week.

I tell you this, I don't deserve that kind of love among strangers out there on the road as I got that day. Even if they did not understand or willfully laughed at the things I had to say in my own language. Fortunately the money was just as good. So it worked out.

 

Classic

 

Had a lock problem did the same thing. Ran all night to get home. Park at truck stop where I park my car. Get out realize keys along with phone on the dash. Yep, door locks. Go inside, call my Daughter to send locksmith service. Service shows up and we walk out to the truck. Now remember, I've run all night and i'm draggin'. He reaches in drivers window which is a quarter of the way down and pulls the door handle. Door opens, he looks at me and says " thats 125.00$ please".

 

Winter delivery. Oversize shack 16×80. Following home owner to site.
Stop to chain up single drive axle. Turn off county highway on to township roads. Ice covered... I think ok at least road is fairly level...
Two lane left turn on to a gravel two lane . Solid ice up hill about 6% . Oh ####, this is gonna be fun. Hammer down.

Watching house clear the strategically placed stop sign, in left side mirror. Truck right steer tire going in ditch line. Old oak trees line both ditch lines.
Steer back left, shift gaining speed. House straightens out behind me, shift,
Thinking this might work.
Me and the house take up whole road.
Dozer waiting top of hill to pull me into site.
Me waving my hands yelling move that ####ing POS. Get out of my way.
Of course no one hears me. They all think I'm waving hello. They wave back.

So the worst happens. I have to slow. I break traction. Try to stop, I do.
Holding brakes, home owner starts walking over, as he starts talking...truck and house start sliding down hill.
I release brakes so I can "kinda" steer.
Control the slide/roll best I can. Staight down the hill I go about a 1/4 mile. Come to a stop in the middle of intersection.
Wait for people to get down to me.
Home owner says ...nice steering and no damage to the house...
I'm thinking, I only held on for ride not much I could do. The house was dragging the truck backwards.

I say thanks.
Now let's hook the dozer down here. I didn't know they had a dozer until I seen it as I was cresting the hill.
I would have had dozer pull me up first time.

 

Awesome!!

 

Winter driving international 9670 coe . Oversize house.
I always carry cold weather provisions.
Back highways running across illinois. My alternator fails. I shut off all electrical. Put on snow suit, gloves and snow boots.
Turn screw on fuel pump.
Stopped at a convience store with fishing supplies, bought a lp tank and a Mr. Heater.
Drove for another 5 hours turning caution yellow lights on when I seen any police, made delivery.
Got a new alternator, changed it when I got home.
After that every winter I carried that 10 pound lp tank with Mr. Heater strapped in passenger seat. While I drove the cabover.
That Mr.heater worked great as a no idle bunk heater. Just had to leave window open a crack.