Pied Piper Trucking Adventure
Welcome back to my Journey’s of a Professional Truck Driver series. I hope you enjoyed my first story, Solo Delivery, whether you’re a professional driver or just up for a little entertainment. This is another story from early in my trucking career that I wrote but never published. I hope you enjoy my Pied Piper Trucking Adventure.
Dark Desert Highway
I enjoy driving at night. The roads are peaceful and there are very few vehicles compared to the daytime, even 18-wheelers. In fact, it’s said that most truck drivers are solar powered, meaning day drivers. My team truck driver was tucked into the sleeper berth for the night, and I was headed to a delivery and then home to Las Vegas.
I was driving southbound on I-15 in Utah when a sign announced a detour at exit 248. It was announced roughly 20 miles in advance. However, I didn’t do anything to prepare, because I assumed there would be signs laying out the path. On a side note, assuming is definitely a rookie move as a professional truck driver. There really wasn’t anyone ahead of me as I drove along, and when I reached the exit, the freeway was shut down with ZERO directions except to exit.
Road to Nowhere
I pulled to the stop sign at the end of the exit ramp and was trying to figure out which way to go, when I noticed a couple of trucks had pulled up behind me. Feeling pressured, and figuring I had a 50/50 chance (in Vegas those are decent odds, right?), I rolled the dice and turned right.
As I drove, I watched my mirror to see which way the trucks behind me had chosen. If they chose left, I’d know I made a mistake and find a way to turn around. To my shock, I watched as each vehicle turned right and followed my path down a random selection of back roads. Feeling pretty comfortable, I continued on.
I was going slow, partially from the black emptiness of the night and partially from the narrow, tight roads and turns. Frequently checking my mirrors, I noticed that the further I went, the longer the line of cars behind me spread. The GPS kept signaling me to make a U-turn, and the road was lined on both sides in farm-like white wooden fences. For those who don’t know, U-turns are pretty much taboo, because 75 feet of truck and trailer need a lot of room to make them. I was starting to get nervous. In my mind I started thinking, please don’t let this be someone’s driveway. I knew if this road dead-ended, I’d never get out with that many vehicles behind me.
After about 5 minutes the GPS finally stopped whining to turn around and plotted a way forward, thus reducing my slowly growing panic. Reduced panic turned to relief and laughter, and I felt like a crazy circus ringleader with my micro-light parade streaming out behind me. Were the other GPSs telling people to go this way? Had I gotten lucky and guessed correctly, but everyone else behind me knew this was the way forward?
Honestly, I had no idea where I was going when I left the freeway. As I’m apt to do, I decided to make it up as I went along. But watching one vehicle after another following me, I couldn’t help but think that if someone had been in front of me, I would have definitely followed them.
Missed Turn
I was feeling good again, that is until I missed my turn. The roads were so narrow and dark I didn’t even see it until I was halfway past. With all of my new groupies I couldn’t back up, so I decided to plot ahead and hope another option would present itself. I figured everyone else would surely see the turn and make their way back to the freeway, diverting the majority of my clown car rabble.
Imagine my surprise when again they followed me steadfast through the black, and not even a single vehicle made the turn. What?!
I know most vehicles don’t use GPS every time they jump on the road, but my limited experience with my fellow truck brethren told me that at least one of the 5 semi-trucks directly behind me had to be using their GPS. If they were, they ignored it and were drawn, trance-like, behind me into the night. My GPS eventually caught up to my excursion again and plotted me a new path forward to the I-15. I made a left turn, and over this extremely flat land I watched the torrent of vehicles rambling for what seemed like miles.
Back on the I-15, and I didn’t see anyone turn at the earlier opportunity. I was still a bit astonished the highway was perfectly empty and still ahead. Glancing again at my GPS, I noticed the modest expedition, although seemingly interminable, had only cost 15 minutes on my Las Vegas delivery. I settled back in my seat as my entourage began to pass me by, and the normal rhythm of the night resumed.
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If you enjoyed this article, please check out our other stories from the road and our Trucking 411 articles — Keep the Shiny Side Up!
