Scariest Moment

Sliding on a wet road full of seashells in the asphalt it Wyoming, around a curve with a cliff face next to it, and a truck coming fast the other way, too fast to take my lane.
SOMETHING grabbed my truck at the very last minute and pulled me back into my lane and we passed each other safely. I went from sleepywornout to INTENSELY AWARE in 15 seconds.
If that wasn't God, I don't know what else. I called the driver of the other truck and asked if he was okay, and he said he was, but he'd have to go clean his shorts.

 

I picked up a load of apples in Washington State and was headed back east on US 2. It started getting foggy as I got closer to Coulee City sometime after 10pm. I dropped down into Coulee City and the fog went away. I figured it would be back as I started east and up out of town. I could not find a safe place to park so on I went. As I got out of town it got so foggy and frosty I could not see a thing. I literally was driving with my head out the drivers window looking down for the lines on the center of the road. I happened to find a wide spot on the side of the road in a slight clearing of fog. I pulled into it, got out to water a tire and could hear cars go by on the road, but not see them. 14 hours later the fog lifted and I could see again.

 

Where your seatbelt in a spring-ride, single-axle, daycab pete when your off road or you may endup driving while laying on your neck under the jump seat. Its unrewarding at best.

 

In the far left lane in milwaukee, heavy snow plows barely keeping up. Left shoulder was about 2-3 feet deep from plows, I crested a hill doing maybe 30 and traffic was at a dead stop at the bottom. I knew there was a Escalade and a Porsche in the middle lane next to my trailer. I gently hit the brakes and the trailer luckily swung onto the shoulder instead of the middle lane that I figured it was going to go. When I seen the trailer come around and the truck wasnt slowing down I just aimed the truck into the snow bank to slow down. I stopped and was able to get out without help, and didnt take out $100k plus next to me

 

I probably should not admit to this BUT years ago,emphasis on years,Texas had a huge airplane hangar that they used to train their DOT in and it was located near Big Springs if i am not mistaken.
Anyway,I used to run back to back ga to california's,by myself,week in and week out,every week(team mileage) and one trip(yes it was quite the trip) I actually woke up from slumping over the steering wheel and i was parked or sitting really, at the very get off exit for said airplane hangar at the bottom of the ramp at the stop sign.
I realized where i was and I jumped out of the truck as if nothing was out of the ordinary and performed an erratic truck PTI,climbed back up into the truck and eased out of there sweating bullets and panicking big time yet maintaining the look of calm.
Yes I did go to bed a bit farther down the road,well away from that area.
Another time i was pulling a load of rose bushes out of cali in a reefer unit.The unit's alternator went out and i had to run a wire from my truck batteries to the battery in the reefer unit.From New mexico virtually ALL THE WAY to just west of Dallas was nothing but ice and cars and trucks sideways,on their sides,in the median,and the lanes were only open one in each direction.This was around 1991 or 1992,perhaps other drivers will recall it. The light load of the trailer combined w/the road conditions kept the trailer sliding to the side of the road,not enough to put me in the ditch or the median but enough that IF I had not stayed on the gas,i would not have made it thru IMHO.Add the constant checking of the old style reeefer unit that was not functioning properly to begin with(w/o an alternator and the cycling of the unit,it would have frozen my load-the wire allowed the unit to run off of the truck's charging system thus as close to running properly as i could get it too) and that trip ranks on up there as a memorable one for me.I ran the load w/o stopping,was around a few hours late,I was thinking that at least i got it there,and the bit-- that was waiting on me at her huge plant/tree deal, asked me why I was late for my appointment.i asked her if she was aware of the ice and all west of dallas.She declared that she was not.Her attitude is what got me.She had no idea as to what I had just endured to get her rose bushes there.Part of driving i reckon in hindsight. Anyways,that too was quite the trip.Literally.
Things like that have kept me driving when i would get out of it for a short time.
Things are not typical while driving from my perpspective and yes i did omit a few details in each ordeal/happening for good reason(s).

EDITED to add- I have also driven a 96,000 lbs log truck off into a truck runaway area going down Hwy 113 to stevenson,al.,just outside of ider,al.ALL types of things run thru your mind when you can not stop a loaded log truck as you are going down a big hill. The brakes that I thought i had adjusted but could not see for the metal dirt covers(an older mack)were nothing but rivets and metal up front and paper thin shoes in the rear.IF it had cammed over.I did not know it.Younger and dumber i imagine. I somehow still delivered the load after driving out of the pit type runaway zone(dug my way enough to point it downhill again and left-the state has since made that runaway area much more up to date but i am sure not because of my particular instance) after praying about getting down the montain w/o hitting anyone.I CREPT down the rest of that montain,astonished that I did not blow the motor on up. WHY I HAVE NO IDEA but unload it i did only to have the transmission blow apart on the way back over tha same grade.Must have been all the grinding i did to attempt a stop while enroute OR just another worn out stick hauling mack.I have driven many an older truck that had many a vibration and shimmy in them.this mack was no exception other than the fact that it did not get back to the yard.I merely caught a ride w/another stick hauler,taking my cb and all w/me and telling the man about his truck as i was getting in my car at his shop.He actually hired(called me!) back earlier this year for a fill in deal as his other dirver was out w/health problems. This ordeal happened around 1994?

 

Here's another, but in a 4-wheeler. Back in the early 90's wife and I were heading home with the kids, around 4-5 yrs old. Two lane road, one way, a car came over a small hill and heading straight for us. He/she was for sure driving in the wrong direction. Pulled hard right barley missing hitting this other car head on..

 

My worst was Wyoming, I80 at night in a white out. Trucks were stopped in the right hand lane. I made it to the shoulder, found the rumble strip and drove out of it at 5mph.

 

Scariest moment? When a braindead lifeform usually in a minivan or Chrysler PT cruiser decides to cut in front of you at 65 MPH and slam on the brakes. Or when I'm driving along at 65 and the smart cookie in the minivan or PT cruiser appears out of nowhere doing 50 when the speed limit is 70 for cars.

 

I used to drive a tanker in the northwest corner of PA. I was loaded and driving down a two lane state road. I had just crested a hill and was starting down the other side when I realized that curve I was heading into was a lot tighter than it looked. There had been no warning sign posting a suggested speed limit like there usually is. By the time I realized I was going too fast, I was already into the curve. I eased on the brakes, but I didn't want to hit them hard because I was told that can add to the risk of a rollover. There was no traffic in the other lane as far as I could see, so I went across the center line which eased the curve a bit and took some pressure off till I could get slowed down.

No harm done other than a few gray hairs I'm sure showed up after that. I did learn a good lesson- not all curves are posted. I've since learned to eyeball every curve I come to, and then I subtract 5mph from whatever guess I come up with.