Sometimes Truckin' Means Sittin'...

I was unloading in north central Wyoming yesterday when a message came across the computer. A "panic OMG hurry to the pipeyard and get loaded of first thing tomorrow delivery" kinda load. So I get unloaded and get headed back to Nebraska to the pipeyard.

I get to the pipeyard and wait. And wait. And wait a little longer. Finally I get loaded. And what a load! I scaled out at the yard before I left; 79,975 with half a tank of fuel. I guess I won't be stopping for fuel and supper. A Happy Meal could throw me over on my tandems!

I point the ol' KW in a northwesterly fashion and finally hit the Wyoming port at Torrington. Creeeeeep across the scale and get a green light. Sweet! Now if nothing slows me up or goes wrong, I'll make Moorcroft by the skin of my teeth. You know where this is going, right????

Peel of 26 and head north on 85. Dark clouds on the horizon. Gobs of rain. Talk to a southbound heavyhauler at Lusk and he said the roads turn nasty and icy about Newcastle, all the way to Moorcroft. No sooner than I get off the CB with him, I run into sleet and thick fog. Bummer. Shut down at Mule Creek about 1-1/2 hours sooner than I wanted, but better safe than sorry.

I sit my ten, pretrip and put ol' KW's nose into the northwind. Great ride all the way to I-90 where I get off the pavement and travel "17.3 miles", as per my dispatch, on a rough, slimy gravel/dirt road to the laydown yard. When I get there, three other trucks are waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Good thing we were here ASAP, right? Finally the crew fires up the machine and goes to work.

A good pipeline crew can unload a joint of 12"x45' pipe about every 90 seconds. This crew ain't that good. After finally getting started about an hour late, the first truck left at 10:15. Almost three hours!!!!! So much for his 2:30 appointment back at the pipeyard... I'm beginning to think my 3:30 appointment may be missed, too. It's a 5-1/2 hour drive.

I get staged, shut the truck off and call dispatch. "3:30, right?" "Yup." "Nope." "Whadya mean?" "Crew's slower than molasses. Can't get unloaded here and back to load in time." "Crap." "Yup."

So, I'm sitting here with chili in the crockpot, bluegrass on the stereo, glad I'm number four. Not number twelve. I don't have the heart to tell him he isn't getting to his appointment either...

Sometimes truckin' means sittin'...

You, sir, have a gift for telling a story. I enjoyed your post. Enjoy that bluegrass.