Sacramento Drop Yard.... to end up in Las Vegas, Nevada

This load seemed to be doomed right from the beginning. First of all, we picked up a load coming out of the Sacramento Drop yard, one that I hadn't been too happy with from the "get go" because it was a double-drop load, and secondly, because the driver was supposed to have delivered it on the 20th and we didn't actually get the load until the 21st. This customer was called Biaggi Brothers. Because the load was already late to begin with, there wasn't a delivery time set for this. We were told to just head down South to Ontario, California for the first half of the load! Of course, you all know that there is a 55mph speed limit for trucks in California, so we kept it at a "mere" 61/62 mph. We got to the customer at about 0800 in the morning and believe it or not, the load was completely unloaded in only one hour! That was quick considering the first part was 33,000 lbs to be taken off the truck...Since we didn't have an appointment for the second half of the load, either, I contacted the customer which was Nevada Beverage Company in Las Vegas, Nevada and found out that their delivery window was from 0700 to 1200 and according to our GPS, and the slower speed limit, it didn't look as if we would make it on time. I kept the speed up to 63mph, watching for cops, and I was doing really well, when the traffic seemed to get a little heavier.



Soon enough, we discovered why there was so much traffic. Up ahead I could see a rollover of a PT Cruiser, and heard all about it on the CB Radio, as well... There were people everywhere (on the shoulder was two semi-trucks, and a lot of "looky Loos". Apparently, one of the drivers was driving recklessly and the other was high on Marijuana. I'm sorry to say the the person killed was a woman and only 28 years old. What can you say when something like this happens...?






According to an article by the Daily Herald, “Wreck kills one on I-15 in Payson,” 28-year-old Melissa Sandoval was killed last Thursday morning when she was forced off the road by a semitrailer. As Sandoval was driving northbound on I-15 near Payson a semitrailer hit her Ford PT Cruiser two times, the second hit sending her across the median and into the southbound lanes and oncoming traffic. Another semitrailer traveling south then struck her car, killing her.

Utah Highway Patrol officer Cameron Roden said that the driver of the first semitrailer, 43-year-old Marcus Winzer of Los Angeles, was driving recklessly and was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. Winzer was also charged with a logbook violation for exceeding federal regulations that limit the amount of time truck drivers can be on the road.

The driver of the second semitrailer, John Caouette of Salt Lake City, was also arrested for driving under the influence. Caouette tested positive for marijuana.

Our condolences to Melissa Sandoval’s family and friends. This tragedy would not have happened if these professional drivers took their jobs more seriously.

Trucking companies have extensive accident teams that fly out to accident sites within 24 hours of an accident. They conduct their investigation and quickly create their defenses to liability. Since the trucking companies already have legal teams working for them, Melissa’s family would be well served to hire a Utah wrongful death attorney to protect their interests and perform their own investigation of this sad accident.

This is bad, especially when drivers are doing drugs or just NOT paying attention to what is going on. My prayers are with the family and the ordeal they will be going through for quite some time to come now.

Enough about that, back to the problem of getting this BEER load to the customer on time! I didn't think that it would happen, due to the accident and the slow speed limit. I ended up calling the customer and informing them that I would be possibly there after 1200 noon, but I had the "hammer down" and wasn't positive that we would make it. Guess what? We got there at 1159, with one minute to spare literally! The funny part is yet to come...Finally unloaded quickly due to the fact that the customer really needed the BEER we had for them (none left in their warehouse, of the specific barrels of draft we were carrying), so we were unloaded very fast! When we sent our DM the Empty Call, he called Mike and said, "how the heck did you get there that fast...?"and Mike responded that we flew under the radar!.... I qualcommed our driver manager and said, "how did we do it...? I just pushed the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang button!", I said.