Scariest Moment

Scariest time was when I locked the keys in my truck in Newark around dusk and all the natives where looking mighty dangerous. This was before cell phone days. Cabbie called the cops for me. Cops were pizzed when they found out I was just locked out. They called the fire dept. Fireman slim jimmed my door.

I know how to do it myself now.

 

you could of just asked one of those natives. i'll bet they could of gotten in your truck quick!!

 

I used to live in Newark right off of 280 and can completely understand where you are coming from. My solution, when I drove thru Newark, was to bring Sherlock my 135 lb. German Shepherd. Never had anyone bother me with him. Same thing goes for Jersey City.

 

I would almost rather go into the big apple than mess around on the jersey side, there's some bad people in Newark, Jersey City and around there.

 

It was on my first trip (still on probation with owner of small company) MN to NYC. We were on interstate, clear day, perfect driving conditions.... The Owner woke up in sleeper and "suggested" I find a bathroom RFN.
Less then mile ahead is rest area. as I come close (bleeding off speed/turn signal on) I start to pull into decleration lane. I HAPPEN to look out pass lower window and catch a hint of blue. Yep a 4-wheeler decided to race for rest stop on right shoulder.....
I haul back/hit brakes (or course he is slowing down as fast as he can) We finally get sorted out. Owner who leaned forward (maybe my braking brought him forward) who looked down into car. Said he doubted the guy needed to use bathroom anymore/I better be glad HE still needed bathroom. (otherwise I might be looking for new job)

Funny thing is that was not worst. Couple yrs later I was fully loaded with corn. As no scale between loading point/unloading you GUESS total weight. (this was before it was common for DOT to go to scale houses and "review" weight logs) so I MIGHT have been over a few thousand (or ten)
I am pulling into a small town gas station with a center dsl pump/gas on either end. I am coasting down. A little POS citation comes from other side/decided she wants far pump (to her) I can SEE her kid (standing on seat looking at front of my truck) as I am locking up brakes. I was unable to talk to her. (didn't want to be arrested)

 

Seeing a tractor trailer rear end another truck. Watched him pass my truck and just slam into the stopped tractor trailer in the breakdown lane. Dont know how he ended up that far over to the right, but he hit the stopped truck and burst into flames. It was engulfed by the time i stopped to help the driver. Only thing I could hear was his screams..will never forget that. The driver of the broken down truck was not injured,,just shook up. The truck that hit his rear was a cab over hauling doubles loaded with some type of styrofoam surrounded by wood. The company he hauled for turned out to have violations up the wa-zoo for log book , HOS, violations,,etc.

 

WOW..Mine certainly doesn't compare to Truckinchic's but: On my very 1st OTR run I asked my ex-wife Janelle if she wanted to ride along as I was headed to Colorado and she grew up in Pueblo,CO. She agreed and we were actually having a great time as I made time for her to visit her mother in aforementioned Pueblo and she kept ribbing me about my mountain driving skills...Of which I had none as again this was my 1st run and I'm from the Midwest..

I cannot remember the exact details (maybe I should call her now) but we had to drop into New Mexico from CO on I think U.S. 550.We left in the evening and ran into a very bad January storm.. I had no clue how to chain up and the storm was bad enough I sure didn't want to stay where we were. Had no cell signal, a flashlight that didn't work,and no feelings in my hands trying to figure out how to put chains on in the dark. Janelle (my ex) is a strong woman,but I could see the fear in her eyes and tried to keep myself from panicking..

A Knight Big Truck who was chained up already started to continue up the grade,but for some unknown reason stopped about (I'm guessing) 200 yards away and actually came back to us asking if we needed any help. I'm guessing he somehow knew the answer,as he already had a strap on flashlight over his knit cap..He was it appeared to be in his 60's and after he showed me how to properly put tire chains on he told us to follow him..There were times I could not keep up with him but he would slow down till he knew we were behind him.

When we reached the relative safety of Bloomfield,N.M. I offered him $$ or at the least dinner on me over the C.B. but he stated he couldn't stop as he had a delivery to make. I asked him via the C.B. before out of range on how I could thank him and he replied to just 'Pay it Forward.' I will never...EVER....Forget what he did for us that stormy night or his act of unselfish kindness.

Janelle thinks he was an Angel..

 

Thanks for the story and THANKS to the grizzled old Knight driver!

 

coming across another truck that had rolled a sobering reminder that the road is an unforgiving workplace

 

Driver side steer blowout on I80 in Nebraska, freezing rain, and night time. After fighting the beast over to the shoulder I spent 20 minutes sitting there, shut down, staring out the windshield at nothing with a death grip on the wheel, before I could work up the nerve to call dispatch for help.