Day Shift

After a year of driving nights I'm now on day shift. I'm working from 10:30 am to around 7:30 pm depending on how things go. I've also changed routes, I'm now driving to our terminal in Manteno Illinois.

Driver Changes

Well my swap partners have had a few changes as of late. Ira (N. Carolina)fell on his stairs and broke his foot, he's out for 6/8 weeks. John (Ohio) got a new job and is leaving. More than likely I'll take John's spot and move to day shift.

High Water 2

Driving on 35 E in West Virginia, I come around a curve and a lake is covering the road and it's surrounding land. Luckily I was only going 50 mph or so. I slowed and wents thru about 18" of water.

Within hours the water was gone but two days later they put up HIGH WATER signs and left them up for days.

Thanks WVDOT.

High Water

I was headed thru the major construction on I-75 in downtown Dayton. It had rained heavy for the past hour but the traffic was light. As I enter the beginning of the construction the lanes narrow and curve to the right. Now on a good day it takes all your driving skills to keep the truck in your lane. I was traveling about 45 mph as a Chevy Cavalier passed me on the left going at least 55 mph.

Next thing I know is a wall of water comes over the truck, as the wiper clears it a way I see the Cavalier hydroplaning, hitting the orange barrels on its left hand side as I come side by side with them they start hitting the wall. After I pass I look in my right mirror and see the barrels flying over the three lanes.

Shift Change

I work the 2200 (10pm) Shuttle Shift, as do 2 other drivers. Those other drivers changed shifts today, one to the 10:30 am and the other to the 7:30 pm shift. I'm the only driver still working the 10:30 pm....oh well.

Driver Manager

Changes at the terminal gave me a new driver manager. It doesn't really affect me since I drive at night I deal with our Memphis terminal, our night dispatchers.

Swift Cab Over

At the northern california terminal

Idiot

I was traveling 62 mph as this guy in a Dodge pickup towing this UHaul trailer passes me on the right going almost 70 mph. The left and middle lanes go east (the lane I'm in) as the middle and right lane exit going south.

Right after the split begins the pickup with trailer hits a rough patch in the road and begins to fish tail back and forth like crazy, the wheels coming off the road as it whips back and forth. Next thing I see is a rain of sparks coming up, realizing the trailer has come off its hitch, luckily still attached with its safety chains.

As the guy slows down and I pass him, the trailers tongue is under the pickup and the trailer body is up against the pickups bumper.

Deer Strike

At 62 mph you can slow down some but hit a deer at 50 mph or so and the damage is done. This deer was in a group of 4 in the median headed towards the truck. As deer are a bit flaky, this one started to cross lanes and then headed straight for the truck hitting it head on.

It hit, flipped up in the air, slid on its back in the fast lane, back into the median where it rolled to the other side.

We removed as much of the broken pieces off the truck, called the company's accident line and drove it another 120 miles. This accident was not me but my Eaton/Marmet Shuttle Partner Lloyd.