After my post of a couple weeks ago VaqueroMuerto recommended a Chinese restaurant in Forrest City, AR. Since I mostly drive the upper Midwest I'll probably never make it there, but I appreciate the recommendation. But I do enjoy how the local culture affects the restaurant fair. The post VaqueroMuerto was responding to talked about Crawdads on a Chinese Buffet in Gilmer, TX. The other night I was watching Texas fumble and stumble through the first quarter of the Rose Bowl against SoCal while eating rhubarb pie in Bimdidji, Minnesota. I love rhubarb pie and was surprised to see it on the menu in January. My policy is to not eat dessert on the road, but I make an exception for rhubarb pie.
Crawdads in Texas, rhubarb pie in Minnesota, organic coffee in a Massachusetts McDonalds, and Dorothy Lynch salad dressing in Nebraska and Iowa. That's what makes trucking so great!!
2 "General" posts during 1/2006
Food on the great American Highway
Category: General
Posted on Sat, Jan 07 2006 @ 9:48 PM [CST]
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I wrote this post last week, but this is the first chance I've had to upload it.
I've waited to post anything about this until everything was settled. Back on Dec. 23 I tipped a fully loaded trailer over. It was loaded with sheet rock. The customer refused the load because it was damaged, so the accident cost the company a bundle.
Since the majority of our deliveries are to lumber yards and sheet rock wholesalers, the company encourages drivers to arrive at the delivery point the night before so we can get unloaded first thing in the morning. That means a whole lot of driving in the dark on backroads and commercial district streets. That's pertinent because I was turning from one narrow road on to another narrow road with no street lighting on the corner and a very steep and deep barrow pit. The load was extra wide (9') so I couldn't see my trailer lights. The next thing I know the trailer was laying on its side in the ditch. Fortunately I was going about 10 mph so no one was hurt.
That's the bad news. The good news is that while there is a police report, I didn't get a ticket. The company has also been very supportive so I still have a job. I had a meeting with the safety committee and had to do a driving test. They've got me on a bit of short leash for a month or so, but no other consequences. Neither the trailer nor tractor received significant damage, so I was able to drive them home without any problem.
A friend of mine backed into a hole about a month ago. That accident ruined two tires and tore up the back of a trailer. It happened at night also. He's been talking to other drivers and he claims that nearly everyone he's talked to has had similar incidents. I find that bizarre and a bit hard to believe, but maybe that's what happens when companies encourage their drivers to poke around poorly lighted commercial districts in the dead of night.
I'll conclude with a soccer mom story. The first person on the scene of an accident was a 30-something mom with her son in a mini van. After making sure no one was hurt and there was no emergency she began to explain to me that I needed to go one mile further down the road. "Instead of turning here, you need to take the truck down to the next road. That will get you to where you want to go."
Now remember, the trailer is laying on its side in the barrow pit and the tractor is sitting at a precarious angle with the left side drive axels up in the air. Given the scene I thought it was about the most bimbo-ish bit of advice I ever heard. Oh well.
Since I strapped it correctly, the sheetrock didn't fall off and it took three tow trucks to tip the thing back on its wheels. The accident occurred at 7:30 p.m. and by 2:00 a.m. I was rolling again. woohoo!!
I've waited to post anything about this until everything was settled. Back on Dec. 23 I tipped a fully loaded trailer over. It was loaded with sheet rock. The customer refused the load because it was damaged, so the accident cost the company a bundle.
Since the majority of our deliveries are to lumber yards and sheet rock wholesalers, the company encourages drivers to arrive at the delivery point the night before so we can get unloaded first thing in the morning. That means a whole lot of driving in the dark on backroads and commercial district streets. That's pertinent because I was turning from one narrow road on to another narrow road with no street lighting on the corner and a very steep and deep barrow pit. The load was extra wide (9') so I couldn't see my trailer lights. The next thing I know the trailer was laying on its side in the ditch. Fortunately I was going about 10 mph so no one was hurt.
That's the bad news. The good news is that while there is a police report, I didn't get a ticket. The company has also been very supportive so I still have a job. I had a meeting with the safety committee and had to do a driving test. They've got me on a bit of short leash for a month or so, but no other consequences. Neither the trailer nor tractor received significant damage, so I was able to drive them home without any problem.
A friend of mine backed into a hole about a month ago. That accident ruined two tires and tore up the back of a trailer. It happened at night also. He's been talking to other drivers and he claims that nearly everyone he's talked to has had similar incidents. I find that bizarre and a bit hard to believe, but maybe that's what happens when companies encourage their drivers to poke around poorly lighted commercial districts in the dead of night.
I'll conclude with a soccer mom story. The first person on the scene of an accident was a 30-something mom with her son in a mini van. After making sure no one was hurt and there was no emergency she began to explain to me that I needed to go one mile further down the road. "Instead of turning here, you need to take the truck down to the next road. That will get you to where you want to go."
Now remember, the trailer is laying on its side in the barrow pit and the tractor is sitting at a precarious angle with the left side drive axels up in the air. Given the scene I thought it was about the most bimbo-ish bit of advice I ever heard. Oh well.
Since I strapped it correctly, the sheetrock didn't fall off and it took three tow trucks to tip the thing back on its wheels. The accident occurred at 7:30 p.m. and by 2:00 a.m. I was rolling again. woohoo!!
Category: General
Posted on Sat, Jan 07 2006 @ 9:37 PM [CST]
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