adventures
Aug. 2nd, 2005 03:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelidonI just spent the last several hours having an adventure. Let's just say that a 45-foot single axle tractor-trailer so *very* barely makes it down our 1/4 mile drive without taking out trees, the power pole, the garden or the rig. And in fact, while the 40-footer I expected can (barely) use the turnaround, a 45-foot trailer simply cannot. So, after dropping off his load (my 955 gal hot water tank and four heat-exchanger coils for the wood boiler), the thankfully highly skillful and good-natured driver had to *back* his big rig all the way up the 1/4 mile drive again, around the turns, over the bridge and up the steep-sided hill road. Those of you who've ever driven any kind of trailer will know that this is a nightmare scenario for a driver.
But the bridge held (wasn't really worried about that, it's reinforced concrete footings and steel I-beams under all the pretty wood), no trees were lost, he didn't take out the power pole and transformer, or even the mailbox. He did get stuck in a low spot backing out, and I had to pull him out with my tractor, which proves its might once again, by (helping to) pull an entire tractor-trailor rig about 15 feet, after dumping several loads of hard pack road gravel under the big rig's tires.
Whew. The driver was flabbergasted when I gave him a $20 for beer on his way out (all I had on me) for going way above and beyond, his master-class skill, and his unflappable good humor. He said nobody had ever done that before, which shocked the heck out of me, even here in thrifty New England.
Lesson learned: if anyone ever wants to make delivery again in a big rig, have 'em drop it off at the end of the road and carry it down on the tractor.
Pictures of the mayhem:
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_368.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_369.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_370.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_371.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_372.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_373.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_374.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_375.html
But the bridge held (wasn't really worried about that, it's reinforced concrete footings and steel I-beams under all the pretty wood), no trees were lost, he didn't take out the power pole and transformer, or even the mailbox. He did get stuck in a low spot backing out, and I had to pull him out with my tractor, which proves its might once again, by (helping to) pull an entire tractor-trailor rig about 15 feet, after dumping several loads of hard pack road gravel under the big rig's tires.
Whew. The driver was flabbergasted when I gave him a $20 for beer on his way out (all I had on me) for going way above and beyond, his master-class skill, and his unflappable good humor. He said nobody had ever done that before, which shocked the heck out of me, even here in thrifty New England.
Lesson learned: if anyone ever wants to make delivery again in a big rig, have 'em drop it off at the end of the road and carry it down on the tractor.
Pictures of the mayhem:
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_368.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_369.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_370.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_371.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_372.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_373.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_374.html
http://www.casachaos.net/Casa_Chaos2005/pages/page_375.html
