After a long day of being in three states with three loads, I got my fourth load and headed west on I80, as my goal was to get to the truck stop I wanted before my time ran out. I made it, and I was tired. Everything clicked today, so I could do the mileage I did and get this far.
I parked near one of the big dumpsters in the fast food parking for big trucks, which will give me the best chance of getting out easily in the morning. I relax after my hard day and enjoy a walk on a beautiful November day. I go to one of the other fast food places in this little strip mall, and soon it's time for bed.
Around 4:30 a.m., I hear a garbage truck go by as he makes his rounds at the businesses next to us. Soon he is by me getting the dumpster and making lots of noise. He sure is banging this one around compared to the others he picked up! I know I am closer, but it really seems louder from my experience at other stops. It's like he dropped it or it fell away from the truck. I get up and take a peak out the window. Everything is all OK. Naturally at this time of day everything seems louder, too.
At 5:30, I am ready to leave. I pull forward out of my stall and onto a little side street and turn left. I barely get straight when I stop at the stop sign. I turn left to go one block to get to the road that takes me to the Interstate one block away. As I turn left, I see what all that noise was about. A delivery company pulling double trailers has overturned!
The rear trailer flipped to the right and the front one was still upright. The tractor was unhooked and parked behind the fallen trailer. Across the highway comes another tractor from the same company to assist. Roads are dry and there is no room to speed here. During my left turn, there was almost room for me to get straightened out before I was behind him. The road is two lanes for our direction, and the fallen trailer tipped into the curb lane. So it was a very good thing this did not happen during the daylight hours when businesses would be open. Someone would have been hurt. I continue to the truck stop across the street to get my morning coffee. I was able to talk to one of the drivers of the truck that tipped and was told that everything will be OK. (I think the trailer was loaded.)
With my coffee purchased, I am now ready to roll westbound. I wondered all day long how that driver was doing, and to this day I am careful around semis pulling two trailers because I'm aware of how easily one can flip over.
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
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