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The legend of the black dog”

The black dog refers to when a truck driver has been driving too long, and starts to fall asleep he or she will see the black dog. Usually just before they crash their truck they will see the black dog. “It’s” a ghostly apparition of a black dog running towards the truck, causing the driver to steer off the road. Resulting in a crash that kill’s the truck driver or some innocent person! In many European country’s seeing the black dog means war, famine, and disease.

Most of us truck driver’s have seen the black dog at one time or another. Now ‘it’s getting harder to run like that anymore!! Back in the late 90s I was working for a company who did not care what I put in my log book. We truck driver’s were allowed to drive 10 hours with 8 off. But I like most other truck drivers ran as hard as we could! Sometime’s driving 20 hours straight!

One time I drove 5000 miles in one week. It was not unusual to see a truck driver doing a whole months log book at the truck stop. After all we get paid by the number of miles we drive so truck drivers want all they can get. I would sometimes use 3 fake log books, and drive until I could not even see. So the question is does the black dog exist? Well for me it did one night in 1998.

It was a Thursday I remember it Clearly, around 8 pm on I 80 in Nebraska. I just drove from Angola, Indiana all the way to Kearney, Nebraska 800 miles and 15 hours driving. I wanted to get a few more miles before pulling over. My body, and mind was already fatigued from running hard like this all week. “I fell asleep at the wheel.” When I woke it was because I hit the rumble strips on an exit ramp at 75 mph. That’s when I saw the black dog running towards me!!

There was nothing I could do but keep the wheel straight, and crossover, and back onto the interstate. After that I was so scared I vowed never to run that hard again! I have never seen the black dog again, maybe because I ran him over on that ramp? Or maybe because you don’t get a second chance to see him? Whatever it was I hope to never be in that situation again so long as I live. Have you ever seen the black dog? If so share your story with us here on gonzotrucker. We would all like to hear it . Be safe out there , and get plenty of sleep!

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