This is from the late 90's when my father and I were running team for Florilli and called the Fedex boys when it had to be there we got the call with a couple of colorful words thrown in. We were headed to Stockton CA out of Avon NY southern route via El Paso Tx had a load of Cool whip on and could not get it above 5000 feet. All of a sudden the Sat goes off and we get a message find this driver and relay his load and get it to Chicago ASAP like yesterday. We find the load and get it picked up on the AZ NM line switched drivers in Las Cruez and Pap hits the bunk. He wakes up we are sitting in Joplin MO for him to take us in to Chicago. Our travel agent said it is impossible for you guys to make it overnight from were you are to the windy we made it before she went home for the night. I cheated a little at the time the truck we were in had had its computer replaced and had not been turned back down to the company specs so I was able to let her rip and rt 54 in NM at night plus I-40 across OK you can make some serious time on it.

 

I used to run 54 quite a bit from Ks to NM and that's gotta be the Boringest route there is :P

 

Yeah it is the worst one though is I-10 between San Antionio and El Paso. Try having a load satring in Birmingham AL going to Ontario Ca get to El Paso findo you are relaying and going to Winter Haven FL I had already spent 2 days in TX and now had 2 more ahead of me thanks to HOS problems.

 

I've run I-10 all the way From Orange on the Eastern Tx. Border all the way to the NM line when Texas had that 55mph limit at night and Texas wasn't giving much leeway for anything more . That was a Killer :P

 

Hey!!!! Who moved the CHEESE?!?!?!?

Stay tuned for MORE FLYING OBJECTS FUN... Just as soon as I can get this BLOODY SD-60 fueled.....

 

I better put something here to keep the topic from floating off into cyber oblivion...

More fun with FLYING OBJECTS

It is almost a comedy scene watching folks ride down the highway with stuff stacked on the roofs of their vehicles or bouncing wildly in the backs of pick-ups and in poorly constructed cargo trailers...

During the week drivers can observe contractors riding around in beat to shit pick-ups and raggedy vans dumping stuff on the finest highways the U.S. has to offer!! On any given day one can observe the colour of the day spewed all over the asphalt or concrete, depending on what road surface the drivers are on at that given time or, a case of roofing nails comes flying off the back of a pick-up and causes a nightmare commute at the George Washington Bridge. That was fun to watch!!!

Plastic pipes scattered along the byways is always fun to see but the best is LADDERS that come bouncing off of poorly constructed ladder racks or, that are not tied down very secure, if at all!!!

However, the most entertaining FLYING OBJECT sightings occur during the weekend, holiday travel or vacation time...

The weekends filled with the DIY Army as they rush home from the Home Improvement warehouses with stacks of plywood attached to the roofs of their cars or SAV's with TWINE or very slim rope. Not to mention stacks of 2x4's staked the same way. It is fun to ponder what would happen if a strong gust of wind came up. Would the vehicle become a glider or helicopter and fly away?!?! The unfortunate part is due to the lack of intelligence innocent bystanders as well as drivers have been injured due to the insanity...

Ah yes! Vacation time brings out the best in roof tying escapades. During the summer it is interesting to watch as vehicles roll down the highways while luggage and other assorted vacation objects come flying off. On one trip I observed six plastic kiddie pools blow off the tops of vacationer vehicles. It does give the term "Defensive Driving" a whole new meaning.

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, luggage have been known to have blown open and clothes are scattered all over creation and on antennas and grills of large vehicles...

My observing has now become quite limited but it still is interesting to see the amount of objects strewn along the sides of the highways near the house...

 

The best I have seen, Ten port a potties in the ditch. two men trying in
high wind, to get them back on the three ton flatbed truck.

 

I also had the experience of seeing something flying off a car.

I was coming off the highway, stopped at a red light to go onto a main street. A car, coming south on the main street, had plywood attached to the top of his SUV, pretty securely with twine given away at Home Depot.
Well, it was secure...until a guy coming northbound decided to turn onto the large street-offramp I was on. The hungry driver was apparently in a huge emergency hurry to go to White Castle (which was on the road I was on).

The hungry guy who turned in front of the southbound driver apparently did not think at all as to the cargo on top of the SUV...so when the southbound driver had to stop very suddenly to avoid the hungry driver, and I watched in horror as all of his plywood shot off the top and into heavy traffic!

I stopped and helped get most of the plywood out of the way, and a guy driving a small truck stopped as well and offered his assistance in getting the load to the SUV driver's house.

 

What are those green conical shaped things flying off of vehicles???

More to come!!!

 

Been enjoying the stories, figured I'd join on here and contribute!


*We don't get paid to diagnose, we get paid to change parts!*

My first driving job was with a OTR company from Tontitown, Arkansas.....won't mention the name, it's easy to figure out.

Dateline*West Memphis, Arkansas....04July 2001* Woke up at 0530 to an unbearable heat. The 1998 'shaker Century had an electrical malfunction, and had shut down during the night. A quick call place to the "glass house" had me assured of quick salvation....LOL

3 hours later, and after showing the tow truck driver how to hook up jumper cables(no joke....wish it was), I had it started.....but was not charging. The little rat at the "glass house" directed me back down the road aways to the Voss truckstop to have repairs made.

Having 9 years of diesel and heavy truck repair experience prior to getting behind the wheel, I had a pretty good idea was the problem was and what needed to be done to fix it. I relayed these thoughts inb a respectful way to the techs in the garage.


3 hours later, they call for me to sign the R.O......chatted with the service manager, asked him what they did. He mumbled something about changing batteries, and ran off. I went in the shop to get the truck, saw the tech that had been working on it. I asked himwhat they found to be the problem. "nothin' just changed the batteries". Didn't check the alternator to see if it was charging? Checke the cables? "Look buddy, we don't get paid to diagnose, we get paid to change parts. Get the h@ll outta here!"

Made it as far as the bridge.....down again. Spent the next 3 days waiting in a hotel room for the dealership to replace th alternator and all the cables....not to mention the batteries that were junk to start with.

Irritating at the time, but I get a chuckle out of it now.......