Most of you (OK, likely but not definately ALL of you) have never had the experience of sitting on top of 80,000 pounds (or more) of truck, trailer and freight and been responsible to get it a long ways away.
I can tell you from too damn much experience that those guys driving that road have got some BIG BRASS BALLS!!
I drove several seasons for a fellow out of Sheridan, WY, and it was not unusual for us to run (empty..pulling a 48 ft. flatbed trailer and tarps only) over the Bighorns to load. That is going from roughly 5000 ft. ele. to 10,000+ ele and back down in less than 100 miles, and in winter (hell, even in Spring or fall and once in summer!) it is a painful ride on inches to feet of glare ice and mountains of snow along the road leaving just a "cut-out" for a vehicle to get over the pass.
One wrong move...too much fuel..not enough fuel...too hard a shift (NEVER use a clutch in that situation..float those gears!) or dealing with a white-out and blizzard on top of the hill that you could not see from the sunny bottom due to clouds and fog on top. Often you get there and what is waiting for you weatherwise is NOT what you heard ("they" said it was clear!) and instead you find it will be all arseholes and elbows till you get to the bottom.
The "Pucker Factor" these drivers deal with on that show is exponentially higher than anything I ever had to deal with. These guys are PRO"S, and earn every cent they get driving that nightmare of a road.
I have seen the show, and while it's not in my top-5 shows only because I've done things like that, I refuse to disrespect those drivers who risk what they do to get someone their Wheaties or fresh vegitables.
Just mis centavos..
Mike
Edited by ISO Chrome (06/25/07 04:20 PM)
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