Slight Detour – February 2025

I’m not sure if you hear this enough, but truckers are really good people. Month after month, I read stories about truck drivers who, without hesitation, spring into action when the moment calls. It really restores one’s faith in humanity.

I, on the other hand, am not so sure I would rise to the occasion.

Now, I sort of knew this prior to being saddled with this task, but hearing the stories about selfless drivers – all of whom say something to the effect of “I was just doing what anyone would have” – really drives that point home. While I would hope that I’m wrong about this, I’m pretty sure that given the opportunity, I’m not going to be the hero.

We kick off Slight Detour with a tale that illustrates this selflessness in action. During Hurricane Milton, a driver by the name of George Maxwell put his life on the line to save a couple from rising floodwaters.

The couple, who manage a truck parking lot near Interstate 4 in Tampa, Fla., had opted to ride out the storm in their barn – believing it to be safer from the heavy rains and wind than their camper.

Seeing the rising waters and knowing the couple was in danger, Maxwell sprung into action. Wading through chest-high water, the trucker opened the barn door and escorted the couple back to his truck, nearly getting swept away by the floodwaters in the process.

“I didn’t do nothing more than nobody else would have done, I hope,” Maxwell predictably said.

He was named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for his actions and was also treated to dinner at the couple’s home. They said they consider him a “friend for life.” I am curious what you serve someone as thanks for saving your life.

If only the story ended there.

The trucker was given another “reward” for his noble deed – a painful, flesh-eating bacteria. The ailment landed Maxwell in the hospital. True to form, he gave a heroic reply when asked if he would do it all over again.

“Absolutely. I mean, I would hope somebody would do it for me,” Maxwell said. “I would do it for anybody else.”

Nope. Flesh-eating bacteria is where I draw the line. While this story should inspire others to do good, the cynic in me just says, “See, that’s why I don’t help.” I suppose that’s another reason for us to celebrate those who do.

A total trucker move

Another nugget of wisdom I’ve gleaned through working on this column is that truckers are a lucky bunch. Sure, the long detention times and endless hours spent looking for parking might not make you feel very lucky, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of truckers from hitting it big in the lottery.

The most recent example is David Smutz, a 71-year-old trucker from Iowa who banked half a million from a scratcher ticket. If I’m being honest, I didn’t realize you could win that much from a scratcher. Clearly, I need to be scratching more often.

Smutz said he was in the passenger seat, on his way to a birthday party with his wife, when he scratched the lucky ticket. His wife was in disbelief.

“I was scratching away and all of a sudden, I went, ‘Oh, my!’” Smutz told lottery officials. “She looked and said, ‘That’s not real!’ And I said, ‘No, it’s real!’”

It was, in fact, real.

Despite his financial windfall, the trucking company owner said he has no plans to retire, because he still likes working. This is something I’ve come to realize is a total trucker move.

While he won’t be using the funds to ride off into the sunset, Smutz said he does plan to buy a new car and to continue traveling with his wife.

Go hog wild

Everyone with kids has likely found their children doing something they didn’t know about or approve of. I’ll give you a moment as your thoughts drift to that situation with which all parents can identify.

Now, if you’re anything like me, when you ask your sweet child about this forbidden act, you’ve probably been hit with a “Mom/Dad said it was OK,” which is always super fun. Our next story is a grown-up version of this.

In a tale that is delightfully Texas, Police in Laredo recently responded to a report of shots being fired behind a truck stop. They arrived to discover a man shooting at wild hogs from the bed of his pickup truck.

While this is typically frowned upon, the 31-year old hunter seemed to think his activity was allowed, since he had asked and received permission from the manager of the truck stop. But it turns out the man’s explanation wasn’t enough for officers to excuse his disregard for the law, which is a good lesson for anyone who spends a significant amount of time at truck stops. Police also found a “vape pen containing THC,” which could explain his momentary lapse in reason.

The man was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm, unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance. There was no mention of whether he actually killed any of the wild hogs, but judging by the charges, I’m guessing his hunting trip wasn’t successful.

Baby, you’re a firework

Projectiles haven’t only been flying out of trucks as of late. Some have been incoming, as well.

In a recent Facebook post, the Salinas Police Department in California shared an update on an investigation into an incident involving a commercial vehicle that mysteriously had a chunk blown out of it. The post came in response to a video making the rounds on the internet claiming something was fired at the parked truck.

“Through the investigation so far and conferring with outside professionals, we were able to determine that it was possibly a commercial-grade firework that caused this damage,” officials said in the post. “We want to be clear this is not a bottle rocket-style firework; think more the level of a city putting on a paid Fourth of July firework show-level firework.”

Got it. That really is quite the description.

Naturally, there were plenty in the comment section that weren’t buying this explanation from the police, so I had to see it for myself.

After seeing video from the incident, which showed an impressive hole blown into the truck and the passenger glass shattered in the truck parked next to it, I could understand why some folks would conclude this was a sort of “hillbilly missile” aimed for destruction. However, judging by the minimal damage, I felt inclined to agree with the assessment of law enforcement.

Also, there was a decided lack of motive in the case brought forth by the internet sleuths, and I soon lost interest in the conspiracy talk. The case is still ongoing, though – so if you’d like to run any ideas past the police, I’m sure they’d love to hear them. LL