I’m using this story to start a series of stories I’m calling Journey’s of a Professional Truck Driver. Coming to this career choice later in life I found the world of trucking absolutely fascinating. It occurred to me that most people don’t really get a glimpse into the lives of truckers and also for my own edification I decided to write out some of my adventures. So welcome and I hope you enjoy.
SLC Deliveries
My first trucking solo delivery adventure / assignment after completing my training was to two retail stores in Salt Lake City.
It was February and for whatever reason this seemed to be the snowiest winter the area has seen in roughly a decade. I set out in my brand-new truck and trailer and I was flying solo. My husband had become sick the first week of training and started a bit later so he wasn’t going to be completing his upgrade (graduation from training) for a couple more days.
This situation presented the amazing gift of a few days to prove to myself I could do this. It was empowering and scary at the same time, and off I went. There was snow on the ground, but the skies were clear when I set off on my inaugural solo 175 mile trip.
Delivering to the first store I found my way to the dock and with a bit of maneuvering I landed my 75 feet of truck and trailer squarely in the dock. Side note, I’ve never been good at figuring out my left from my right, which is problematic in a number of situations, this one included. But I did it! Elated with the small victories so far I headed inside for what is known as a “live unload”. This essentially meant I had to stand there and watch the store staff unload their items. My trucking solo delivery adventure was progressing well.
The delivery proceeded mostly without incident. A store associate did manage to destroy several cases of milk and orange juice that belonged to the next store, which they re-stacked. The surviving product was placed in milk crates at the rear of the trailer. I received a notification that it had started snowing heavily in my area and I should find a safe place to shut down. The associates informed me they didn’t have room at that particular store, but there was another store a couple miles down the road with room for me to bed down.
As I left the store I noticed several new inches of snow on the ground, and on my truck, that hadn’t been there 45 minutes prior when I started the “live unload”. I headed off to the store that was mentioned, which in fact was my second and final delivery, so I took it slow and decided to drop the remainder of my load before bedding down for the night.
Once again, a bit of maneuvering and I was docked and ready to be unloaded. The store associates there were a little less than happy about their damaged pallet of goods, but otherwise quick and friendly and another roughly 45 minutes later I was on my way out the door. As I left the store I noticed additional snow had fallen and my foot prints from the way in were all but gone. Returning to my truck I decided to remove myself from the dock and find a place to park for the night in the back of the store.
Even with an empty trailer, or maybe because of the empty trailer, I couldn’t get enough traction to escape the slight incline of the dock and after several attempts I gave up and decided to sleep there. It wasn’t really Kosher sleeping or staying in the dock (it was the only one available for grocery deliveries at that time at that store) but I didn’t know what else to do.
My husband must have sensed my distress because as I was pulling the curtains and settling in, he called. He was completing his training with his trainer Carl. Carl is a veteran driver and comes from a long line of drivers and is immensely knowledgeable. He handed the phone to Carl and I explained my situation. Within minutes Carl had me out and, on my way, celebrating my new victory as well as some invaluable new knowledge. I tucked myself peacefully into bed contented from a difficult task completed and was eager for what the morning would bring.
A Brand New Day
The next morning when I woke it was like the classic Christmas dream every southern California kid has, but never experiences. I stepped down from the truck and the snow came to my mid shin. With a child’s delight I hopped through the snow and made my way into the store.
I’m sure most people have never had the unique embarrassment of brushing their teeth in a retail bathroom and honestly, I don’t recommend it. It seemed like it should be normal, but when I noticed people blatantly staring at me as they washed their hands, I realized how strange it must have seemed. I was wearing a three-quarter length Northface coat and using an electric toothbrush, but I felt homeless.
I was still shut down, so I explored the store and wandered around. I was becoming impatient and itching to get back to my distribution center. Heading back to my truck I made coffee and cleared the windshield to enjoy the crisp beauty of the snow. That lasted as long as the coffee and then I decided that surely the roads had been cleared and I should be on my way.
Move em’ out!
I set out through the parking lot but couldn’t remember from the night before if it had those little concrete parking blocks that sit at the front of the parking spaces. I decided not to risk it and kept, as best I could with a couple feet of snow obscuring the lines, to the driving lanes. Although I was sure the roads were clear the same wasn’t true of the parking lot and there was a particularly sharp turn and I got my trailer stuck on one of those little parking islands with foliage.
I knew I was well and truly up the creek when even Carl’s advice wasn’t working. I was speaking with him again when I noticed someone clearing the snow from the parking lot with a bobcat tractor. I thought maybe he could clear the snow around my truck and I might be able to get out. Speaking with him, he had the suggestion he could attach a chain to my trailer and pull me out of the corner. Hallelujah!
Well… he tugged and I put it in reverse pushing, and after some choreography voila! I was free. In as many times as days, someone had saved my bacon. I realized that although I thought I was doing this on my own, I really wasn’t and I appreciated… everyone.
I made it back to the DC fairly uneventfully and my little trucking solo delivery adventure was over. It was to be my only solo adventure because my husband upgraded shortly after I returned. Overall, I was fairly proud of the way I faced obstacles and the lessons I learned.
Trucking is a hard job, and there’s a lot more to it than steering down the road. I’ve been a truck driver for a couple years now and I’m grateful I decided to explore truck driver jobs. This is a very high risk, high reward type position in terms of personal growth and satisfaction. This is the first story in a series of stories I’m planning to write, Journey’s of a Professional Truck Driver.
I hope you enjoyed this story and will check out other stories and articles in my blog.