Three years ago, this same colleague escorted a truck from this regional trucking company when the driver struck an overhead sign.  The two escorts insisted that they warned the driver of this sign, but the driver said they did not.  The trucking company filed a claim against the pilot car company for $40,000 in damage to the load and the sign.

In consulting with an attorney, the pilot car operator learned that this particular trucking company has a reputation for suing pilot car companies…A LOT!!

I have escorted OD loads for this company myself.  On EVERY load that I’ve been on with them, the drivers force their high pole to race about 85 miles per hour, just to stay far enough out front to be useful.  Once when I was in the chase position, I watched a driver go around a 90 degree curve at about 60 mph!  I actually saw the right rear tandems come off the ground.  These guys are mavericks in every sense of the word.  They tend to want to go their own way, regardless of the permit (if they actually HAVE one).  They are a danger on the highway in my opinion.

And yet, here is this pilot car operator continuing to do business with them AND writing a “book” survey.  In my opinion, it is utter folly.  I told my colleague that…but he was not deterred,  All I can say is that I hope the pilot car operator is well insured!

We pulled off at a truck stop and I checked out my truck.  It seems that the differential had lost a bearing and seal.  Unfortunately, I had to quit the load and limp back into Laredo.  The good news is that I was able to find a differential and got it repaired this afternoon.  My driver found another escort relatively quickly, and I was able to get back on my original load, which is scheduled to leave tomorrow, finally.

As I was getting into my truck in my carport this morning to run some errands, I noticed a young neighbor boy heading directly toward me.  I paused, thinking he wanted to talk to me or to recover his baseball from my back yard, or something.  I was wrong (imagine that!).  He simply walked through my carport, passed within 3 feet of my truck with me sitting in it…and never acknowledged my existence in any way.  After my initial suprise, I opened my door and called to him:  “Young man, you can walk through my yard, but not through my carport.”  He did not seem the least bit phased by it…just went on his way, his little sister following in his footsteps.

My brother Sam and I talked about this incident.  “Back in our day”, we NEVER would have thought about entering someone’s carport without permission.  We certainly would NOT have walked right by a neighbor without acknowledging or greeting them in some way.  We were taught NOT to walk in other people’s yards, and if we had to, we stayed as far away from the house as we possibly could.  If we broke those rules, our neighbors probably would have said something, and then told our parents.  Once Mom and Dad heard about it, we would get our behinds warmed but good!

Somehow, even in small rural communities like where I live, our society has forgotten common rules of courtesy.  Parents rarely teach their children manners or to be considerate of others.  A prime example is the proliferation of “boomers”, young people with powerful stereos in their vehicles, who couldn’t care less that their “music” can be heard a half mile away…or that they play their loud “boomers” way past midnight.  The parents of the mid-60′s would have put a halt to that before it even got started.  Just yesterday, a car with a couple of young me stopped at the stop sign in front of my house, with their music playing loudly.  When they saw me looking at them, they cranked UP the volume on their stereo and then drove completely around the town, involuntarily entertaining all of us for at least an hour before they left town.  Here is another example:  I own five other lots in front of and behind my house.  They are littered with all sorts of trash, put there by the neighborhood kids.  They come to me wanting me to PAY them to clean up those lots.

Unfortunately there is no solution, at least not on an individual basis.  All we can do is what I did:  I “educated” the little boy about what my expectations were regarding my property.  There is no guarantee that when I am out on a run that he, and every other kid in the neighborhood, won’t traipse through my carport without anyone ever challenging them.

On the way down, I tried to visit with Alice Eisenhower of Alice’s Pilot Cars in Colorado Springs, but unfortunately she was busy.  I DID stop in Raton and had lunch with John Owens of Owens’ Logistics.  John has been in the pilot car business for about 8 years and has three other drivers working for him.  We had a good visit.

Then, I drove from Raton, NM, to Clayton, NM.  In all of my years of driving in NM, somehow I have never driven that route before.  It was beautiful.  I saw hundreds of antelope feeding within just a few hundred yards of the highway.  Most of the road is four lane divided highway.  There are some sections still under construction, but all in all, it is a good highway.

Today, I’ve got to clean out the truck first and get it ready for the next run.  Then, I’ve got to do some repairs on my carport.  40-60 mile winds are ripping it apart and if I don’t do something, it will completely collapse around me.  Then, I’ve got to finish repairing a light fixture for my dining room ceiling fan.

Tomorrow I’ve got to get a front end alignment and a new windshield for my truck.

The other significant incident was the 48 miles of rough dirt road, one way , that we had to take our load down.  The road was alternately dusty, skinny, muddy, and rough as a cob.  I thought my truck was going to shake apart.  Once we got the load delivered, then we had to drive back over that same 48 miles of dirt road.  What fun!!

Now I am in Wendover, UT.  Tomorrow we have Utah State Police escorts to help us move an airplane from the west side of the state to the east side.  We are en route to Colorado Springs, CO, with this plane.  I can’t tell you what kind of plane it is, because I haven’t seen it yet.  That will change in the morning.

 My backup truck is with my brother Sam who has had a lot of problems with his truck.