Moving Words – A Murphy’s Holiday A Mover’s Holiday Story
“Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.” Author unknown
One of the hardest parts of being a van operator is having to be gone during the holidays. Next hardest is doing all the tasks required by a mover while sick with the flu – or worse. What could possibly be even worse? Well, let’s take a gander into Murphy’s Holiday and find out.
It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s some years ago. I’d made it home for Christmas; actually had loads on the truck that didn’t need to be delivered until December 28th in Washington, D.C., and then the 29th and 30th in New York City. Except for my youngest enduring the flu Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after, we had a very joyous holiday. I left the morning of December 26th headed to D.C., then New York. Everything went very well getting the three shipments off the truck.
Things didn’t start unraveling until I was halfway across the Varrazano Narrows Bridge. There was a loud “clunk,” and loss of power in the old ’77 KW 100 COE. I got it off the bridge, onto the side of the interstate and flagged down a N.Y. State Policeman who called a tow. The closest place to get the truck repaired was Perth Amboy, NJ, about 15 miles away. The good news was I was empty; no new load assignments and a half-decent motel within walking distance of the repair shop. With New Year’s Day in two days and no load assignments, I figured I could wait until the repair was complete around January 4th. I settled into my room, called dispatch to say I wasn’t available until the 5th and left the motel phone number if they needed me. (This was before cell phones.)
It was about this time the unintended Christmas gift from my youngest hit with a vengeance: I got the flu big time. I felt as if my KW had run me over. I was sick with fever and a major stomach virus. I suffered through the night and the next morning (December 31st) got to a store to buy NyQuil® and other necessities to survive New Year’s weekend. Now, anyone who drives a truck knows when your truck’s in the shop and you’re sick as a dog in a blizzard, Murphy’s Law gets involved. First, it was going to be a bitterly cold weekend with temps in the single digits or below. Second, a message from dispatch was waiting back at the motel.
When I called dispatch, a bright, cheery voice on the other end of the phone answered, “Happy New Year! Have I got some great news for you!” Without letting me get a single word in the dispatcher continued, “We’ve got a load for you that doesn’t deliver until January 8.”
“Great,” I responded. “I’m sicker than a dog in a blizzard right now. Can you call me Monday the 4th and give me the details?”
“Monday? Monday’s too late! It has to load tomorrow,” the dispatcher exclaimed. “It loads in
Fairfield, Connecticut. The driver assigned to it was in an accident last night; totaled his truck and he’s in the hospital. This shipper is the new CEO for ZXY Corporation, our biggest corporate customer, and you’re the only driver close enough to be there in the morning!”
“You do understand I’ve got the flu; my temperature is at least 102, and my truck is in the shop getting a transmission repaired. How do you see me doing this?”
“Hey, we’ve got it covered: a rental truck reserved for you; labor all set up. They’ll meet you at the agency office,” the dispatcher affirmed.
“Did you miss the part where I said I have the flu and a high temperature?” I asked.
“All you need to do is get there with your trailer; labor will load the truck. Just drive back to the motel, sleep the rest of the weekend and return the tractor Monday morning. Piece of cake,” the dispatcher responded.
“Do you realize every person I come in contact with will likely get the flu?”
“My job is to get this load covered. Wear a mask and gloves or something.” He put me on hold.
Right. This could make or break a major account for the agent to which I was contracted. I knew this dispatcher wouldn’t be pushing so hard if he had an alternate plan. So arguing with him and/or telling him ‘NO’ weren’t options.
I got the load and contact information for the shipper, labor and truck rental. Got the truck rental folks to pick me up and then drove to the repair shop, backed under my trailer and loaded all my warm clothes, sleeping bag and blankets into the day cab. Then I headed north to Fairfield, CT, a distance of 90 miles.
Murphy himself came along on this trip, letting me know he was there at about Exit 14 A on the New Jersey Turnpike. That was when the heater core in the rental truck started leaking antifreeze onto the right side floor of the truck cab. It’s 5 whole degrees outside, I’m sick with the flu – and now no truck heater. And of course this was a day cab and I was going to have to sleep in it that night. It was going to be a long, cold night, and if I didn’t die from it, it would definitely make me stronger.
It’s also New Year’s Eve on a three-day weekend, just outside New York City. That 90-mile trip in 5 degrees in an unheated truck cab fighting the flu took three and a half hours to get to the moving agency’s office in Stamford, CT.
Thank God for my polar-rated sleeping bag, wool blankets, hand warmers, a thermos of chicken noodle soup and NyQuil®. I survived the night. (But I didn’t do any New Year’s celebrating.)
I was awakened in the morning by the lead mover. He and four other movers jumped into a pack van and led the way to the residence in Fairfield. I was very fortunate to have five wonderful, skilled movers that day, who also kept Mr. Murphy at bay. It took right at 13 hours to load the 26,000 pounds of household goods. I spent the majority of that time playing King Tut, wrapped up like a mummy in my blankets and sleeping bag inside the house, doing the furniture inventory as each piece was carried past me. At the end of loading, the lead mover got my paperwork signed by the shipper (so as to spread the flu germs as little as possible). I drove back to the motel in Perth Amboy and hibernated.
One positive that came from this was the truck rental company didn’t charge me a single dime for the tractor rental since the heater had gone out. Because we loaded on a holiday, the rates were increased substantially, which more than covered the cost of the five movers. And I didn’t get pneumonia. Happy New Year!
Timothy Brady
To contact Brady go to www.timothybrady.com
