Part 1: Got a load from Albuquerque to southern California. Had a bad tire on my trailer which I had to replaceright away, thanks to the shithead who had got lucky and was able to leave it for me with tire unpopped. A rude, thinkshe'sabully almost got his ass kicked dude, by the way...
Anyway, that took three hours, so I had to bust it. Delivered ontime, of course. Then I was going for a truckstop. Made a wrong turn in Van Nuys and had to turn around. I saw another truck turning off of US1 onto Oregon street, and followed him--making a right turn.
Ever see the signs on the back of truck trailers: "This vehicle makes wide right turns", with a little picture of a dumbass stupid car getting crunched between a curb and trailer? Well, guess what happened. The driver of a city vehicle ignored my turn signal and tried to SQUEEZE past me.
Now dammit, you guys are like spastic little kids in go-carts, racing around slamming into people's legs. You need to take a damn pill. Why can't I blink? Why must you fill every available space as soon as possible? Why do I need eyes in the back of my head to look out for you? CALM DOWN dammit!!!
Sorry. Anyway that will no doubt go down as MY fault because...well I'm not sure why but that's just how it works.
At least the trailer was okay and I was able to go get my next load.
Got another flat tire immediately. Then my fuel filter got clogged in the mountains of Colorado, and I spent most of 120 miles creeping along at 15 mph. Oh yeah--and with another flat tire. Yeah--the third one.
Got to Denver and got my fuel and (overdue) oil filters replaced, plus my leaking airbag...and the trailer tire replaced. Meanwhile, E-trade had restricted my account due to a couple rubber checks TO me FOR DEPOSIT, despite the fact that I had plenty of cash in there without those checks.
I'd thought I had this fixed, so that I could pay for these repairs to my truck. WRONG. I had to sort of force the night dispatcher to stick his neck out and give me a biggger cash advance than he's supposed to. I appreciate that, and doubt that he'd get in trouble, since if I can't pay that bill I stay in Denver and can't deliver.
Oh--and E-trade that night promised me that as soon as these other guys got around to reading the email they'd sent that only a few hours after that then next day there was a pretty good chance that I would be able to use my debit card and checkbook to get at MY MONEY. Gee thanks.
Anyway, I can't go into detail, but my creativity and endurance is factoring in here.....
OK so the next morning I bust it, and pop another tire. Yeah that's right. So I limp 45 miles and get that and another one replaced...finding that the rest of them all got stuff wrong with them too....
Anyway this is the special part:
While they were working on it, I was wandering around killing time. Mostly I was on the other side of the building. I happened to be wandering through an empty bay when I looked up and saw the nose of my truck appear. It was moving.
Before I knew it I was running as fast as I ever had, hearing excited shouts and seeing a little guy in front of my truck actually trying to impede it's progress downhill towards a line of other trucks parked facing the garage.
Thank God I wear a retractable keychain so that my key was already in my hand as I came alongside the door--the bastard was just about to outrun me, but I got it unlocked and was able to get on the rail and hit the brake.
During this, I was seeing my carreer flash before my eyes. My truck and at least one other would have been totalled, and if the truck it hit was occupied the person(s) in it could have been badly injured or killed.
But today I am joyful. I mean, can you believe the LUCK? I mean, that I was right there when it happened, in time to stop it? 90% of the time I was anywhere but there, and the first clue I would have had would have been the noise of the crash (and oh yeah...I would have heard it.)
I am grateful. My company won't torture or terminate me over the Van Nuys accident. In a damn near miracle, I dodged a truck/carreer-ending smashup...life doesn't suck, ya know?
Anyway, that took three hours, so I had to bust it. Delivered ontime, of course. Then I was going for a truckstop. Made a wrong turn in Van Nuys and had to turn around. I saw another truck turning off of US1 onto Oregon street, and followed him--making a right turn.
Ever see the signs on the back of truck trailers: "This vehicle makes wide right turns", with a little picture of a dumbass stupid car getting crunched between a curb and trailer? Well, guess what happened. The driver of a city vehicle ignored my turn signal and tried to SQUEEZE past me.
Now dammit, you guys are like spastic little kids in go-carts, racing around slamming into people's legs. You need to take a damn pill. Why can't I blink? Why must you fill every available space as soon as possible? Why do I need eyes in the back of my head to look out for you? CALM DOWN dammit!!!
Sorry. Anyway that will no doubt go down as MY fault because...well I'm not sure why but that's just how it works.
At least the trailer was okay and I was able to go get my next load.
Got another flat tire immediately. Then my fuel filter got clogged in the mountains of Colorado, and I spent most of 120 miles creeping along at 15 mph. Oh yeah--and with another flat tire. Yeah--the third one.
Got to Denver and got my fuel and (overdue) oil filters replaced, plus my leaking airbag...and the trailer tire replaced. Meanwhile, E-trade had restricted my account due to a couple rubber checks TO me FOR DEPOSIT, despite the fact that I had plenty of cash in there without those checks.
I'd thought I had this fixed, so that I could pay for these repairs to my truck. WRONG. I had to sort of force the night dispatcher to stick his neck out and give me a biggger cash advance than he's supposed to. I appreciate that, and doubt that he'd get in trouble, since if I can't pay that bill I stay in Denver and can't deliver.
Oh--and E-trade that night promised me that as soon as these other guys got around to reading the email they'd sent that only a few hours after that then next day there was a pretty good chance that I would be able to use my debit card and checkbook to get at MY MONEY. Gee thanks.
Anyway, I can't go into detail, but my creativity and endurance is factoring in here.....
OK so the next morning I bust it, and pop another tire. Yeah that's right. So I limp 45 miles and get that and another one replaced...finding that the rest of them all got stuff wrong with them too....
Anyway this is the special part:
While they were working on it, I was wandering around killing time. Mostly I was on the other side of the building. I happened to be wandering through an empty bay when I looked up and saw the nose of my truck appear. It was moving.
Before I knew it I was running as fast as I ever had, hearing excited shouts and seeing a little guy in front of my truck actually trying to impede it's progress downhill towards a line of other trucks parked facing the garage.
Thank God I wear a retractable keychain so that my key was already in my hand as I came alongside the door--the bastard was just about to outrun me, but I got it unlocked and was able to get on the rail and hit the brake.
During this, I was seeing my carreer flash before my eyes. My truck and at least one other would have been totalled, and if the truck it hit was occupied the person(s) in it could have been badly injured or killed.
But today I am joyful. I mean, can you believe the LUCK? I mean, that I was right there when it happened, in time to stop it? 90% of the time I was anywhere but there, and the first clue I would have had would have been the noise of the crash (and oh yeah...I would have heard it.)
I am grateful. My company won't torture or terminate me over the Van Nuys accident. In a damn near miracle, I dodged a truck/carreer-ending smashup...life doesn't suck, ya know?
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