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This got brought up today in conversation and I thought I may share this story with you guys. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have had a Hilton Set Up.
Back in 02 or 03, I cant remember exactly, I used to make out of state runs for an antique delivery/ moving company. I drove a 26t foot truck. Made great money as a 20 year old.
We got a pair of deliveries that were going to Pensacola and Little Rock. Me and my co-workers played rock paper scissors and of course, I lost, and got sent to Little Rock. I left out that afternoon headed NW. I stayed in Huntsville that night because of a small delivery there. I was hearing on the radio that snow was expected in the forecast but the "disc jockey" laughed it off (as many of us Atlantans do when we hear the dreaded "S" word). So I kept on moving towards Little Rock. Got to my delivery and had to wait a few hours on the customer to arrive at the warehouse. Around 5 PM, I got on I-40 and headed east. I stopped at a gas station right off the exit in Little Rock and was pumping gas when two "bum looking " guys approached me. They asked if I had any cash and replied no. They asked , "How are you paying for gas then?" Luckily I said " with a trucker gas card". They started to close in on me and I sensed that I was about to get into a pickle. Luckily and I think this was sent from God, a police car pulled into the parking lot at that instant. I almost pee'd myself. At 2o years old, I was tough but that totally sissified me.
So, on the road again.
I got tired and stopped in Jackson TN. It was one of those hotels next door to one of those "naughty stores". I thought this place is going to be very nasty so I will need to sleep in my sleeping bag tonight (as I had in many crap hotels throughout the country before) but since I was only making a 2 day trip (or I thought) that I wouldn't need my bag. So I toughed it out and it was fairly decent. Again, I doubted the weatherman because the radio guy had me memorized with constant annoying pop songs.......
Well, I awoke to about 6 inches of snow. I mean powder snow. Beautiful enough for me to make snowballs and throw at my truck just to make sure I still had that aim. Being from South of Atlanta, I LOVE SNOW! We never get it and as kids if we did get it, we didn't go to school. At 29 (a few days from 30) I still get excited. So, I check out, hit the store and fill up with diesel. I also get 2 biscuits, 2 20 oz Mountain Dews, a Cinnamon Roll, a pack of Black N Milds and some Starburst. I get on I-40 East. As I start driving I notice the road is crap. Ice and only one lane has tire tracks. Being an experienced driver, I had never dealt with this type of road before, even in Wyoming and Colorado. So I got off at the next exit. I will never forget it, Law Road. I stopped at the gas station and noticed that it was packed. I was thinking, these folks must be getting their "bread and milk" on. I went in, got a large coffee and folks were telling me to turn around. There was a bad wreck a couple of miles east of there and traffic was stopped.
I thought, well I have a full tank and some vittles, I will chance it. I want to get home that night so I can go see the girl I was dating. I get back on the highway and BAM, standstill less than a 1/2 mile on. So I turned on the radio and sat.
And hour goes by and I am still sitting. I had on some semi warm clothes so I was still comfy. Actually put the truck in park and laid down in the seat. Then another hour goes by and I see people out waking around. I figured I would have a smoke so I got out. They were saying that there was a terrible wreck ahead and that the authorities were having a tough time clearing it. So I built a snowman and "chilled" some more.
Then I look at the clock and its almost 3. A little bit of panic started to set in. I called home, told my folks what was up and called my coworkers, they did the Pensacola run in one day and where at the house playing Madden taking a day off, laughing at me.
So I thought I would go and grab some of the moving pads from the back and use them as a pillow and blanket. I have now been sitting in the same spot since 10am. A woman next to me was trying to get home to her husband, he was sick. I had some good conversations with her, even gave her some of the moving pads to keep warm. She was low on gas. I offered for her to sit my truck if she needed to stay warm but she politely declined due to the fact her husband thought "truckers" were animals....
So now its dark....and cold. A lot of folks were sharing cars. A lot of folks were out of gas as well. I thought about building a fire but everything was wet. I still had a Mountain Dew and the Starburts so I made it my dinner. I finally said the heck with it and cracked the windows, cranked up the heat and went to bed in the 20 some odd degree weather.
At 2AM, I got a knock at the window that woke me up. All I saw was a man standing there looking at me. He said, Coffee or Coke? I awoke to see every car in front of me was gone. It was a Tennessee State Trooper. He told me they finally got the wrecked cleared and if I needed fuel, let him know. I told him of the lady next to me and they already got her some.
So I jumped out of a dead but oh so comfy sleep and took off east, finally. I drove past what looked like coke cans stepped on. There was 3 tractor trailers jackknifed and a few cars, one truck with a travel trailer was upside down. It was eerie because I knew, this took someones life. I could just feel it. So I stopped at the next exit and went into Waffle House and heard so many of the peoples "survival stories". It was unreal....
I said the heck with it again and drove all the way home to Atlanta. After driving in the only lane with tire tracks I finally saw the snow disappear when I hit Cartersville Ga. I got home around 6am and was so exhausted I fell asleep in the floor of my apartment.
Lessons learned on this trip.
NEVER EVER EVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT A BAG!!!
EVER.
Me not having the right clothing and a sleeping bag, could have been the difference between sick and health. Luckily I filled up the tank and had heat.
Always keep some water in the vehicle. The Mountain Dew did hydrate me like I needed. Luckily I was posted up in the truck.
Ever since this trip, I NEVER leave the house without some sort of bag (back then I called it a survival bag, even before I started this lifestyle). Always have a gallon of water and a blanket. And always have some sort of weapon!
I remember this day so vividly because at one point that evening, I seriously thought I was either going to freeze to death by having the windows cracked or die of the exhaust fumes. I have passed by that spot 2 more times on I-40 and will never forget it. That was one of the worst days of my life. I now know that will never happen to me or my wife, because I learned from my mistake.
Wise Owl
Back in 02 or 03, I cant remember exactly, I used to make out of state runs for an antique delivery/ moving company. I drove a 26t foot truck. Made great money as a 20 year old.
We got a pair of deliveries that were going to Pensacola and Little Rock. Me and my co-workers played rock paper scissors and of course, I lost, and got sent to Little Rock. I left out that afternoon headed NW. I stayed in Huntsville that night because of a small delivery there. I was hearing on the radio that snow was expected in the forecast but the "disc jockey" laughed it off (as many of us Atlantans do when we hear the dreaded "S" word). So I kept on moving towards Little Rock. Got to my delivery and had to wait a few hours on the customer to arrive at the warehouse. Around 5 PM, I got on I-40 and headed east. I stopped at a gas station right off the exit in Little Rock and was pumping gas when two "bum looking " guys approached me. They asked if I had any cash and replied no. They asked , "How are you paying for gas then?" Luckily I said " with a trucker gas card". They started to close in on me and I sensed that I was about to get into a pickle. Luckily and I think this was sent from God, a police car pulled into the parking lot at that instant. I almost pee'd myself. At 2o years old, I was tough but that totally sissified me.
So, on the road again.
I got tired and stopped in Jackson TN. It was one of those hotels next door to one of those "naughty stores". I thought this place is going to be very nasty so I will need to sleep in my sleeping bag tonight (as I had in many crap hotels throughout the country before) but since I was only making a 2 day trip (or I thought) that I wouldn't need my bag. So I toughed it out and it was fairly decent. Again, I doubted the weatherman because the radio guy had me memorized with constant annoying pop songs.......
Well, I awoke to about 6 inches of snow. I mean powder snow. Beautiful enough for me to make snowballs and throw at my truck just to make sure I still had that aim. Being from South of Atlanta, I LOVE SNOW! We never get it and as kids if we did get it, we didn't go to school. At 29 (a few days from 30) I still get excited. So, I check out, hit the store and fill up with diesel. I also get 2 biscuits, 2 20 oz Mountain Dews, a Cinnamon Roll, a pack of Black N Milds and some Starburst. I get on I-40 East. As I start driving I notice the road is crap. Ice and only one lane has tire tracks. Being an experienced driver, I had never dealt with this type of road before, even in Wyoming and Colorado. So I got off at the next exit. I will never forget it, Law Road. I stopped at the gas station and noticed that it was packed. I was thinking, these folks must be getting their "bread and milk" on. I went in, got a large coffee and folks were telling me to turn around. There was a bad wreck a couple of miles east of there and traffic was stopped.
I thought, well I have a full tank and some vittles, I will chance it. I want to get home that night so I can go see the girl I was dating. I get back on the highway and BAM, standstill less than a 1/2 mile on. So I turned on the radio and sat.
And hour goes by and I am still sitting. I had on some semi warm clothes so I was still comfy. Actually put the truck in park and laid down in the seat. Then another hour goes by and I see people out waking around. I figured I would have a smoke so I got out. They were saying that there was a terrible wreck ahead and that the authorities were having a tough time clearing it. So I built a snowman and "chilled" some more.
Then I look at the clock and its almost 3. A little bit of panic started to set in. I called home, told my folks what was up and called my coworkers, they did the Pensacola run in one day and where at the house playing Madden taking a day off, laughing at me.
So I thought I would go and grab some of the moving pads from the back and use them as a pillow and blanket. I have now been sitting in the same spot since 10am. A woman next to me was trying to get home to her husband, he was sick. I had some good conversations with her, even gave her some of the moving pads to keep warm. She was low on gas. I offered for her to sit my truck if she needed to stay warm but she politely declined due to the fact her husband thought "truckers" were animals....
So now its dark....and cold. A lot of folks were sharing cars. A lot of folks were out of gas as well. I thought about building a fire but everything was wet. I still had a Mountain Dew and the Starburts so I made it my dinner. I finally said the heck with it and cracked the windows, cranked up the heat and went to bed in the 20 some odd degree weather.
At 2AM, I got a knock at the window that woke me up. All I saw was a man standing there looking at me. He said, Coffee or Coke? I awoke to see every car in front of me was gone. It was a Tennessee State Trooper. He told me they finally got the wrecked cleared and if I needed fuel, let him know. I told him of the lady next to me and they already got her some.
So I jumped out of a dead but oh so comfy sleep and took off east, finally. I drove past what looked like coke cans stepped on. There was 3 tractor trailers jackknifed and a few cars, one truck with a travel trailer was upside down. It was eerie because I knew, this took someones life. I could just feel it. So I stopped at the next exit and went into Waffle House and heard so many of the peoples "survival stories". It was unreal....
I said the heck with it again and drove all the way home to Atlanta. After driving in the only lane with tire tracks I finally saw the snow disappear when I hit Cartersville Ga. I got home around 6am and was so exhausted I fell asleep in the floor of my apartment.
Lessons learned on this trip.
NEVER EVER EVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT A BAG!!!
EVER.
Me not having the right clothing and a sleeping bag, could have been the difference between sick and health. Luckily I filled up the tank and had heat.
Always keep some water in the vehicle. The Mountain Dew did hydrate me like I needed. Luckily I was posted up in the truck.
Ever since this trip, I NEVER leave the house without some sort of bag (back then I called it a survival bag, even before I started this lifestyle). Always have a gallon of water and a blanket. And always have some sort of weapon!
I remember this day so vividly because at one point that evening, I seriously thought I was either going to freeze to death by having the windows cracked or die of the exhaust fumes. I have passed by that spot 2 more times on I-40 and will never forget it. That was one of the worst days of my life. I now know that will never happen to me or my wife, because I learned from my mistake.
Wise Owl
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