Newbie Diary

Discussion in 'Road Stories' started by Moriarti, Jan 16, 2007.

  1. whispers65233

    whispers65233 Medium Load Member

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    Mar 3, 2006
    Boonville, MO
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    Moriarti.......We went for our first road trip yesterday and when it was my turn and I kept looking back and forth between the mirrors I thought of your description of the hyperactive ferret and I thought oh my gosh he is so right. After getting home that night I had a kink in my neck and my knee was letting me know it was not a happy camper.:biggrin_25523:
     
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  3. Moriarti

    Moriarti Medium Load Member

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    Jan 15, 2007
    NW Indiana
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    Boy, time is flyin' by.

    A bit to tell from this last week, because... Well, because I make mistakes, and that's when we learn things, like "What not to do"

    Let's take a few moments, to recap what we've all been taught about hooking up trailers, after you hook up the trailer, check it. Now, having hooked up many trailers in my now 5 months of solo driving, I'd gotten used to... "glancing" into the 5th wheel, to spot the jaws locking the kingpin into place.
    Turns out, sometimes, "Glancing" isn't adequate, which I discovered on a Sunday morning. Because my trailer wasn't nearly as hooked up as I thought it was. So, my trailer slides on out of my 5th Wheel as I'm pulling it out and turning right, I hear something odd, so I stop. The kingpin slid out, and down the frame-rail of my tractor, and after I stopped, it leaned to the side, and rested it's drivers' side front corner on my drive tires.

    There's really nothing quite like staring at an 7 foot tall load of large steel pipe strapped to a flatbed, leaning at a 45 degree angle, to really make you appriciate someone else's skill at load securement. I take a walk over to maintenance-type folk, point at my trailer and say "BAH!" Appearently, this either happens frequently, or incredibly rarely, at Marshfield, because I get a small crowd of maintenance at my trailer, marvelling at my artistic gravity-sculpture. and someone runs off to find the action plan for what to do when good trailers, do bad things.

    Turns out the plan is: A) FIX IT! and B) Call Everyone with an extention in Marshfield and tell them! We fix the trailer, through the cunning use of the landing gear, coupled with me lowering drive suspension. and then they inspect the trailer for defects, and put my tractor into the shop for a similar inspection.

    The purpose of the inspections, is to make sure that there is no mechanical reason for the disconnect to have occured.

    One thing I'd like to say about the Maintenance folk of Roehl, In Gary, if you have a problem, you get that subliminal feeling that they're thinking: "Oh, man... Now I have to do something? Crap.. I was doing just fine doin' nothin' But now I have to do something, and it's going to screw up my break..." But, conversely, in Marshfield, you get something along the lines of "OH Thank God! We were bored out of our minds over here.. finally something to do!"

    They replace 3, out of 6 of my brake chambers, because they were busted. wasn't from the trailer, they've been having those particular models, appearently. fixed an assortment of things on my truck.. just because it was there, I'm not sure, but I think they may have actually did an Oompa-Loompa-Esque song-and-dance number, when I wasn't paying too much attention...

    But, they finish, and my Tractor is not to blame, the trailer is not to blame. That leaves *me*. My fault, my responsibility, my problem. They let my pick up my trailer and go. It was a multi-stop load, I finish up Monday afternoon. I've now been kicking myself about it for 30 hours. and my Dispatcher wants to talk to me. "The Talk" right now, revolves around "What could have happened" I could have dumped a trailer on the interstate, I could have had the trailer plow into a church, I could have dumped the load onto a short-bus of retarded children in wheelchairs!! what would I have done then? Huh?!

    The answer he didn't want to hear? turns out was "Uh.. I would have Called Highway Watch and told them I'd stopped a group of dwarf terrorists?" THAT ISN'T FUNNY! "then you're not imagining someone trying to speak Farsi with a lisp."

    But, it ends with I'm going to end up back in Marshfield, and work with someone on drop & hooks, and some version of administrative punishment that they'll think of later.

    I'll continue this story after I've taken a nap.
     
  4. Betty Beaver

    Betty Beaver Bobtail Member

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    Sep 23, 2007
    MN
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    That sucks. Marshfield is the one for sure place that you don't want to do that. If you screw something up in that yard they think you are running over puppies and babies elsewhere.
     
  5. rigger134

    rigger134 Bobtail Member

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    Oct 27, 2007
    Rio Rancho, NM
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    Moriarti,
    You have to be one of the funniest people ever!!! Your diary is so honest I feel like others have said like I was sitting in the cab with you during your trials and tribulations!! You most definetly have the right attitude toward all of the stuff that you have been thru. I hope I run into you somewhere just to hear what is going on next!! Take care and keep on driving and writing posts on your latest adventures!!

    Rigger:O_o_1PIRATES34:
     
  6. bor

    bor Light Load Member

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    Aug 5, 2007
    Cuero, Tx.
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    I was lucky.
    I apparently found this Thread "Late", So I got to read it all at once.
    Mo , this is GreaT! You are a super Funny guy with a great attitude!
    I look forward to reading more of your adventures.
     
  7. Toby

    Toby Light Load Member

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    Aug 25, 2006
    Indiana
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    Moriarti
    I will tell you what a college professor once told me.
    "Keep writing, your very good at it. Even if it is not your job, just write you seem to enjoy it."
    You maybe able to put together some type of book, directed toward the trucker or training "Trucking for Dummies"?
    Your way of writing reminds me of John Grogan who wrote a book called Marley & Me. I'm not just blowing smoke. Look at all the positive feedback you received on this forum alone. We all truly enjoy reading your stuff!
    Keep going, good luck in your trucking/book writing career!
    Toby
     
  8. Big Poppa

    Big Poppa Light Load Member

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    Sep 27, 2007
    Somewhere in TX
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    I've got tears in my eyes!!! This is great stuff! You really should think about penning a book about truck driving.:biggrin_25514:
     
  9. dragonmatrix

    dragonmatrix Medium Load Member

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    Sep 20, 2007
    Las Vegas, NV.
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    "artistic gravity-sculpture"

    Thats good stuff !!!:sign5:
     
  10. cjoe85

    cjoe85 Light Load Member

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    Nov 2, 2007
    Chicago, IL
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    Mori, I agree with everyone on this post. You are hilarious. The part about the short bus full of kids in wheelchairs was inspired. I hope that I meet you one day.:biggrin_25523:
     
  11. lilillill

    lilillill Sarcasm... it's not just for breakfast

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    Nov 7, 2007
    Possum Booger, Alabama
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    Dang it Mo... it's now 4:45am and I have just spent the last who-knows-how-long reading your online trials and tribulations. Now I'm gonna be late for work and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!

    I hope you kill a tour bus full of senior citizens!
    :biggrin_25510:

    ___
    Jim
     
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