Murphy's World

First-year driver has a day to remember

Dear Murphy,

I graduated from truck school a year ago. I have been driving locally now for a year in the Minnesota/Twin Cities area. I’ve had many experiences, but this was definitely a Murphy Day!

It started out when I came into the dispatch office and they told me I was to pull doubles to one of the Northern suburbs. It was my first time pulling doubles outside of school. I got my truck and trailer connected and was leaving the yard when the fifth wheel on the dolly converter fell apart. I looked in my mirror and saw the wheels on the rear trailer jump in the air as the trailer took a nosedive!

The dock crew saw what happened and helped me limp the truck and trailer back into the yard. They set me up with another trailer and dolly.

I got to my destination and went to lower the landing gear, but all the gears were seized in the box. They had to send a mechanic up to fix it.

I was glad to pull back into the yard that night!

Thomas Heilemann

Twin Cites, MN

Dear Thomas,

The first time you do something in life, it can be a little scary. That is especially true if the something in question has anything to do with a truck. Of course, once you have been there and done that, it doesn’t seem so bad. Pulling doubles? Bring ’em on!

It’s called experience. Carriers place a high premium on over-the-road professionals with lots of experience. Now you know why.

Getting back to your Murphy Day. While we can certainly certify it as a Murphy Day, it could have been a whole lot worse. The dolly could have fallen apart in the middle of nowhere instead of the yard. Likewise, there are a lot worse places to discover your landing gear is stuck than at the destination dock.

Thanks for writing. You said you’ve had your share of “experiences” in just your first year of driving. I’m sure you’ll have many more in the years ahead, and when you do, you’ll have the “experience” to deal with them.

Regards,

Murphy and Lucky Dog