The Mystery of the Deserted Semi Truck

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I live in a quiet residential neighborhood; my street is clearly marked ‘no truck traffic’ with a silhouette of an 18 wheeler with red circle around it and a slash through it.

Last night, about 9:30, I was sitting here at my computer, which is on a table looking out a picture window. A semi pulled up directly across the street. It caught my attention so I stopped what I was doing and watched. A man, late 20’s or so, shoulder length hair, slim build, under 6 feet tall, got out. He walked to the back of the trailer, paused, and began walking down the sidewalk very purposefully. I figured he knew someone in the neighborhood and pretty much forgot about it.

This morning, the truck was still there. By afternoon, there was still no sign of the driver.The sun was hitting the side of the white trailer and it was like a spotlight shining in my picture window. I have had a very, very bad weekend, was in a pissy mood, so I called the cops. About a half an hour later, a city cruiser pulls up. I went out and told him everything I knew about the thing.

He gets out and goes to pull himself up on the step so he can look in the window… using the door handle. The door was not locked and it opened, almost depositing the cop on his butt in the street. Not only was both doors to the cab unlocked, but the key was in the ignition. The driver’s cell phone, laptop & TV was in the sleeping area. his jacket and boots were in the passenger side.

He called in the plate to see if it was stolen. No, it’s registered to Westside Transport in Cedar Rapids Iowa, but the driver lives here in Evansville IN. Not near me, on the other side of town. He was supposed to drop a load somewhere here in town and didn’t do it. He called the trucking cmpany and they gave him the driver’s home #. Cop calls, no one answers. Trucking company asks cop to take the key out of the ignition and tells him where to hide it. He does, locks the cab and leaves.

So… the truck is still sitting there. There has been no sign of the driver. It feels vaguely creepy to me, sort of ominous. I have no idea what could be going on.

Just wanted to share the weirdness. Feel free to toss out theories.

2

My husband is a truck driver.

While I’d like to believe that the driver is just off getting some incredible sex with someone on the block, it sounds to me like someone had their truck stolen.

Update us if you find out what happened.

3

Great story, keep us updated!

4

The cop and I talked about the possibility of the driver having been mugged or something and the truck stolen, but why would the thief have left the cell, cpomputer, etc in the truck? It doesn’t add up.

And it is it for sex, it must be some pretty damned good sex to leave a rig workt a couple hundred grand sitting unlocked for the world to pilage…

5

dances backwards, fingers curling to invite truck driver to follow me.

Honestly, I’ve got nothing. I can’t think of any reasons that a trucker dude would not take his cell and laptop with him. Hopes you post back with a happy ending.

6

It’s not vaguely creepy and sort of ominous, it’s straight up creepy and ominous. I think it’s likely that the truck driver had some kind of mental crack-up.

7

Well… I guess it has come to an end, of sorts. At exactly 11:03 PM, the truck started & was driven away. No idea by whom or how they found the keys. It’s dark out, the street light is out, and I have a giant holly tree in the yard obstructing part of my view.

I think this is going to be one of those things that I wonder about on my deathbed…

8

You could always call the company and tell them you were the one who reported it to the police, since you know who they are. Maybe someone will let you know what happened.

9

Or setting their truck up to be stolen. But you’d have to be pretty stupid to that in your hometown. My guess is that as long as he was cruising through his own city he probably called dispatch and asked if it was okay if he crashed at a friends house for the night. If the load wasn’t in a hurry they were probably okay with it.
Not all loads are in a big hurry. We have one trucking company that starts their route at our store. They pull into our parking lot around 1 in the morning and sleep there until our crew gets in around 5 or 6. After we unload them they run the rest of the route and head back home.
It was kind of strange the first time we ordered from them and found them in the lot at 5am. Even stranger when he told us that it was okay if we left him alone for another hour or so if we wanted (so he could go back to sleep).

10

Did you and the cop describe the driver to the trucking company? It would get you one step closer to solving the mystery to know if the guy you saw was the guy who was supposed to have the truck.

As for leaving the cell phone and laptop, I wonder if they had some sort of tracking function that was being monitored by the trucking company. I understand they’re kinda anal about knowing where their trucks and cargo are at all times.

11

Out of gas or broke down is my guess.

12

The truck driver got pissed off at his employer and parked the truck and walked off the job. He left the company owned lap top and cell phone.

13

That truck’s engine hasn’t worked in over 20 years!!!

14

PapSett - I’m sorry your weekend was of the suck. I just happened to have purchased an extra copy of the movie Buck, which came out on video last week. Could I send you one? I bought the extra beca3use I liked the movie so much I knew I’d want to loan or give a copy to someone. No one in my family is a horse person, and I can’t think of anyone whose day I’d rather brighten.

If you want it, please PM your address. If I had it, I’ve lost it.

StG

15

This was my vote too.

Can you sing “Take this job and shove it”?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPrSVkTRb24