There is a Lord, and He looked out for me today.
Picked up a 10 yard bin full of muddy clay and sand. Truck is now over its GVW. Front of the truck lifts up while loading the bin on the rails. Boss wants me to go to upper Burnaby to dump it at a home where they are raising their yard. There is hills there i told the boss, the truck wont make it even into the area.....
aw just git er done and if you cant let me know so i can phone the guy.
Ok i say, knowing [censored] well it aint happening. Truck weighs in at 35,000 LBS
i scout out the shallowest of the access hills around the area, they are still 15% grades. I settle the truck into low gears and rev up the hill, going side to side as i climb, to keep the clutch from slipping. No problem, crest the hilltop and am about to go onto level gorund when it happend.
The clutch slips slightly and the truck goes into that oh so fun happy happy joy joy magic happy time of almost stalling. When a truck like this stalls, you lose your power brakes and you CANNOT stop it from rolling. You also CANNOT hit the E-brake, because its a driveshaft brake and the driveshaft will twist like a pretzel and SNAP.
the following happens in less than milliseconds:
I am experiencing absolute sheer terror at this point, my entire body is suddenly soaked with sweat and i can smell my own fear on the sweat. My heart is pounding and my mouth goes very dry. The truck starts to roll backwards , off the the crest of the hill. The hill is about 200 feet long, with a house and kids at the bottom of the street. I jam on the foot brake, not liking how the pedal is getting mushy because the brake fluid is boiling. I jam the clutch in and stick the truck in 1st gear, and pull the parking brake/driveshaft brake. Truck stops, but when i remove my foot from the brake it starts to roll. I'm pretty much gibbering like an idiot now, and as i look in the mirror i can see two painters at a house to my left panicking as well. They are yelling at the guy in the yard to throw a big timber behind my wheels. As i roll a wee bit more, the truck lifts up in the front and the front wheels are now OFF the ground. Truck is going to flip over backwards. I pop the door open, pop the seatbelt and get ready to jump. with one hand i grab my jump kit and thro it onto the dash. Its actually just enough weight to settle the front end down onto pavement again. Truck slows but is still going backwards. I cant hold it.
As i'm puking pure bile I make the decision. I put the truck into neutral jam both feet onto the brake pedal, and ease the driveshaft brake a bit. I jam my elbow into the horn and lean on it. Painter guys have run down the street, waving away cars coming up the hill. One of them grabs a kid and runs him up onto a lawn. I use the driveshaft brake to take some of the pressure off the hydraulic brakes. I'm rolling backwards at about 1" every minute. I ease the truck backwards down the hill, every few seconds the front end lifts slightly. I'm shaking and white and drenched in sweat when i finally ease the truck onto flat ground and park it. Took me over 2 minutes to pry muy hand off the steering wheel and driveshaft brake.
The painter guys are patting me on the back and saying well done, well done. I tried to thanks them but my voice is so shaky i cant. After ten minutes i radio in and let loose.
yes i should'nt have attempted it but looks can be deceiving, the hill was similar to others i have driven up with similar loads no problem.
so i'm back home, I paln to enjoy many cold beers to try and forget today.
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