Behind the Wheel: Stories from the Road - Unveiling the Adventures of Our Truckers

Post Date - Aug 4, 2023

Truck driving is more than a profession, it’s a way of life. Professional drivers are an essential part of the American economy and keep the supply chain moving. But aside from their critical role in society, truckers also live a unique lifestyle filled with adventures and challenges. We asked some CDL-A drivers to share their most memorable stories from the road, showcasing the excitement of trucking.

This driver got a once-in-a-lifetime view of a satellite!

“First time I saw a Starlink satellite overnight right after they launched. Thought I was witnessing a real-life non-terrestrial spacecraft, I remember repeatedly smashing the dashcam button, but the angle was too high to catch it. Was between Champaign, Ill., and Kankakee, Ill.”

Some unexpected horsin’ around…

“I was on the New Jersey turnpike at about 3 am with a load of pork coming out of PA. I’m just driving along, singing along to the radio, when I notice a shadow way up in high beams. I start slowing down and try to figure out what this thing is. I thought maybe it was a deer or something. No, it wasn't a deer; it was a horse. There was a horse trotting down the interstate.”

This driver relearned the meaning of early bird gets the worm.

“After running hard for a couple of days, I pulled onto a get-on ramp on I-70 in Kansas for a short power nap about one hour before sunset. I got into the sleeper and left the curtain open a little. Just as the sun was on the horizon, I woke up thinking I’d slept all night, and this was sunrise, and I was late! I jumped into the driver's seat barefooted… it took a few miles for me to compute, I was heading westbound into a SETTING SUN, and I hadn’t slept all night.”

Getting on the wrong side of the tracks…

"I was making a delivery and was crossing the train tracks in a strange town. Along the tracks were those cone-shaped pine trees used as windbreakers or privacy walls. I couldn't see through them at all because they were so thick. Slowly, I crossed the tracks. There were no red lights flashing, the oncoming traffic was blasting through there, and I had no reason to believe it wasn't safe to cross. Needless to say, I began crossing the tracks. Immediately past the trees, I looked left and saw a train, with its light on, coming at me from about 40 yards away! I could feel the engine thumping. I gunned it! In an automatic, this means you go nowhere fast. Fortunately for me, I made it. Barely! I looked back over my shoulder and saw that it was a stupid rail yard, and they were doing a turnaround and had parked that train there out of the way. It sucked. Big time!"

Truck drivers are essential to our nation, and it's important to recognize and share their incredible stories. At Freymiller, we reward that hard work and dedication. Learn more about our driving opportunities today.