Dale White is a truck driver. You know those mammoth vehicles that you need to be in front of on the highway. Who wants to follow a sun blocking, rain spraying monster that seems to roll downhill uncontrollably and crawl uphill at a snails pace. That's what Dale chose to do, drive a mammoth. I'm not sure when or why he decided to be a professional interstater, but he drove crosscountry for a while. Sounds romantic, travelling from state to state, province to province, town to town. You get to see a lot of the countryside, meet a lot of people, make some money. Dale did it. I've heard him tell of minus 30 degree days in the Dakotas, colder days in Canada, quick trips to California and a weekend home a month. Then back at it in a few days. Dale lives in Florida, has a wife and some children. The family lived with family when Dale was discovering the country, he slept and lived in a truck. It gets old as you can imagine, thank goodness for cell phones, fast food and quiet rest areas. Truck stops all start to look the same, gotta get fuel to keep the truck moving, can't make any money when you're parked. Miss the family, count the days til you get back home try to figure how to live on the road and support a family back home on 33 cents a mile.
Dale White decided to look for a "local" job. He is accident free, kept up with the latest regulations always kept himself presentable. He was hired by a company that leases it's services to companies that need delivery services. This one is contracted to the largest drug store chain in the country. Work five days a week, home every day. Saved some money, pretty good pay, bought a home. Dale drives a smaller truck, no bed in this one and never visits truck stops. Things have been going well for Dale. He gets to fish most anytime he wants and spends a lot of time at home with his family.
Dale White got in from his run (that's what they call driving for the day, a run) at 7:30 this morning with an exhausted look on his face, key to the truck in his right hand and a fire extinguisher in his left hand. I greeted Dale with "You look exhausted!". Dale replied, "I put out a driver on fire." Someone asked, "His truck was on fire?" "No" Dale replied, "The driver was on fire. I was the first on the scene after he hit the wall. About twenty yards away when the truck exploded and the driver launched like a rocket. He was on fire all over, a ball of flames, I didn't know what to do. I took my fire extinguisher from the truck and emptied it on him. He just cried in pain the whole time. I tried to comfort him, I didn't know what to do." There were five of us there listening to Dale. He was asked if the driver was alive. Dale responded that "They said he has burns on ninety percent of his body. I don't know." Everyone was quiet, thinking about that driver. "Dale," I said, "You did the right thing." Dale turned to his supervisor, handed him the truck key and the empty extinguisher. "I won't be in tonight" he said as he left.
Dale White extinguished a fire today.
Every profession has its hidden struggles and secrets. I love it when you open up about driving the truck... I hope you keep writing about it, and your coworkers!
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