Attention: TDR Forum Junkies I hope I don't have another like this...
Started out normal, about 12:00am 11-24-04. left the house, drove 36 miles to the yard to get my Freightliner and take a load to Lake Charles,La. Stopped and had breakfast... drove on. Got to Lake Charley just after 6:00am, exit #23... long line of un-moving traffic, no problem, prolly just a train. creep up ever so slowly... then I notice another one of our trucks just ahead of me. Dang! that will put me an hour back as I have to wait for him to unload. Oh well, an hour nap is OK. But it's not a train... seems two trucks decided to play tag on the road we need to turn on. Being a dead end road, no other way in or out. So we wait. 1hr 45 mins. later we're off to the plant. 9:30 am I'm on my way back to Austin, Texas. traffic is already getting heavy. Man, I make good time, didn't stop for nuthin'. Sitting at a red light @ IH-35 and Wells Branch to make a left turn... light turns green... we move. Now this is a two lane service road, Left lane is left turn only... right lane (the one I'm in) is left turn or go straight. So I start my turn, just as my truck is 90* with my trailer I sense something wrong. Chevy Trailblazer want to go stright from the left turn only lane... and he does... taking my left front fender and headlight assembly with him. he just keeps on going after he recovered from the little fishtale and over the curb. I sat there in the intersection. 25 years driving a truck without an accident and this yahoo just erased it. One witness out of maybe 20 stops. I'm getting their contact info when the baby Blazer shows up. Seems he had to find somewhere to clean himself and get turned around. Well get this, he's the Chief of police for a local town. Driving a State car, in a BIG hurry to get home. Aren't we all?
4 hours later, after the investigation, and a trip to the clinic so I can get drug tested and breathalyzer (CDL drivers must) I'm on my way home. I get a call from the boss... I can't go back to work til all the tests come back. What?? prolly be Monday since this is a holiday. That knocked me out of 1300 miles of pay, 'cause I was already dispatched thru Monday. Now I start to get upset
Keep cool I tell myself, just go home and have a beer.
That's when I find out my fuel gauge is a liar. Engine stumbled twice then died... luckily, and the only luck I had yesterday, I rolled right into a station and up to the diesel pump. $63 and 31. 5 gallons later(guess mine don't pull the bottom out) I'm priming, trying to get it started. Quick call to a friend for a trick to get the air out (thanks Dean) I'm headed home again... Yes I made it. 3 beers with dinner and I'm hiding in bed under the covers... it's now 10:00pm Goodnite.
I know this day could have been much worse, and for some it probably was, but this is my story... sorry it's so long.
ToM!
Started out normal, about 12:00am 11-24-04. left the house, drove 36 miles to the yard to get my Freightliner and take a load to Lake Charles,La. Stopped and had breakfast... drove on. Got to Lake Charley just after 6:00am, exit #23... long line of un-moving traffic, no problem, prolly just a train. creep up ever so slowly... then I notice another one of our trucks just ahead of me. Dang! that will put me an hour back as I have to wait for him to unload. Oh well, an hour nap is OK. But it's not a train... seems two trucks decided to play tag on the road we need to turn on. Being a dead end road, no other way in or out. So we wait. 1hr 45 mins. later we're off to the plant. 9:30 am I'm on my way back to Austin, Texas. traffic is already getting heavy. Man, I make good time, didn't stop for nuthin'. Sitting at a red light @ IH-35 and Wells Branch to make a left turn... light turns green... we move. Now this is a two lane service road, Left lane is left turn only... right lane (the one I'm in) is left turn or go straight. So I start my turn, just as my truck is 90* with my trailer I sense something wrong. Chevy Trailblazer want to go stright from the left turn only lane... and he does... taking my left front fender and headlight assembly with him. he just keeps on going after he recovered from the little fishtale and over the curb. I sat there in the intersection. 25 years driving a truck without an accident and this yahoo just erased it. One witness out of maybe 20 stops. I'm getting their contact info when the baby Blazer shows up. Seems he had to find somewhere to clean himself and get turned around. Well get this, he's the Chief of police for a local town. Driving a State car, in a BIG hurry to get home. Aren't we all?
4 hours later, after the investigation, and a trip to the clinic so I can get drug tested and breathalyzer (CDL drivers must) I'm on my way home. I get a call from the boss... I can't go back to work til all the tests come back. What?? prolly be Monday since this is a holiday. That knocked me out of 1300 miles of pay, 'cause I was already dispatched thru Monday. Now I start to get upset
Keep cool I tell myself, just go home and have a beer. That's when I find out my fuel gauge is a liar. Engine stumbled twice then died... luckily, and the only luck I had yesterday, I rolled right into a station and up to the diesel pump. $63 and 31. 5 gallons later(guess mine don't pull the bottom out) I'm priming, trying to get it started. Quick call to a friend for a trick to get the air out (thanks Dean) I'm headed home again... Yes I made it. 3 beers with dinner and I'm hiding in bed under the covers... it's now 10:00pm Goodnite.
I know this day could have been much worse, and for some it probably was, but this is my story... sorry it's so long.
ToM!
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