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Driver HEALTH
800-878-0311 x2111
Features
Cover Story
Trace AdkinsBenisse Lester, M.D.
Running healthyBest Life
A trainer's secrets to staying fit and motivatedNathan Browne, D.C.
Keeping controlMario Ojeda Jr
Pass the oil, pleaseJoseph Yao, M.D.
Preventing hand numbnessMarie Rodriguez
Mind, Body and Spirit
Highway Angels
Motorist grateful for driver's act of kindness
Fun & Games
Best excuseSalena Lettera
Designer Italian shoes not necessary for good health
Industry News
It's news to me!
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Publisher's Desk
Plenty to be thankful for this holiday season
Murphy's World
Win-win-win situationDriven Women
Cute
Say What?
What makes a good dispatcher?
Murphy's World
I had a load of steel parts going to Minnesota. I exited I-35 and started the 12 miles of two-lane road to get to the customer. I got just about a mile when I suddenly heard the serpentine belt start squealing. That's never a good thing, so I started pulling my rig on to the shoulder. Suddenly I felt the truck lurch, heard some very loud banging coming from the engine compartment, and by the time I got stopped a huge cloud of steam came out from under the hood. Not good.
When I opened the hood, I saw that the fan hub had come off its shaft and slammed the fan into the radiator, which had a pretty big hole in it. I wasn't going anywhere.
I called the shop so they could get a wrecker out to me, called dispatch to let them know what was happening and then called my customer to give them a heads-up that I was close, but broken down. The customer understood, but said he really needed those parts ASAP. I told him I would do what I could to make it happen.
Shortly after getting my triangles set out, a state trooper pulled in behind me. He was very friendly and once he saw what was left of my fan and radiator, he understood I had good reason to be parked on the shoulder. He gave me the phone number of a local wrecker company, as well as a repair shop.
The wrecker towed my rig to the customer so they could get their parts. Being towed into a delivery is a first for me, but the wrecker driver told me he had done the same many times before. The customer was impressed , I was happy that I managed to get the job done despite the truck breaking down and, of course, dispatch was happy that the customer was happy.
GPS Trucker
Dear GPS,
I've heard of a win-win situation, but this could be my first win-win-win situation. Everything goes wrong, yet everyone ends up happy - the customer, dispatch and driver. It's rare when you can turn a "perfect storm" into a "golden sombrero" (that's like a "hat trick" in hockey, only better).
Metaphors aside, kudos to all involved, starting with you for promptly calling all the interested parties and letting them know what was up. Kudos also go out to the wrecker driver for going above and beyond to help you complete the delivery in a timely fashion and to the customer for understanding the situation and then offering congrats for a job well done.
Last but not least, kudos to the state trooper who helped you turn lemons into lemonade. Boys (and girls) with badges are not always out to get us, even in Murphy's World.
Regards,
Murphy and Lucky Dog
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Ramp Media Group, 2010