In case you all didn’t notice, today’s Friday the 13th, well what's left of it as of this writing. I figured we could all use a laugh, so let me tell you what happened to me on the last Friday the 13th.

The company I work with struck a deal with a major company so we could provide diesel for ‘em, which is something we’ve never done before. The rig that I’ve been assigned to spent a couple of years languishing in out in the elements on a closed down shop. So of course my boss bought it. This rig has a lift for aiding loading/unloading on the flatbed section. A 200gal fuel tank and pump were mounted. It was serviced and put to work, and the thing behaved very well, but there were many, many signs of a rough life.

So, weeks into my diesel delivery routine, I give the rig a check-over. I smelled electrical smoke. I pull into the engine bay. A coworker notices smoke coming from the back! The rear lift electrics short-circuited and were burning the lift’s leaking hydraulics! Coworkers and I quickly undid the electrical connection, but the lift was inoperable. Great. More things to fix. Got a little burned by the scalding hydraulic fluid.

Well, I can always use a bucket to get on the flatbed and activate the fuel pump.
Lunch was approaching, so things were looking up. I mean, it couldn’t worse, right?

So I take the rig and decided to stop by my house for lunch. I slowly drove through the main entrance.

Then the shift lever came off inside the shifter boot.
After fumbling about trying to put it back on, I had no choice but to try and remedy it right at the blocked entrance. Thankfully, I had a cheap multi-tool in my pocket with a screwdriver. I took off the shifter boot.

The gear lever snapped the gear selector IN THE TRANSMISSION.

While I thought of what to do, my boss appeared out of nowhere. Shame intensified.
Clearing traffic, we let gravity roll the truck out of the main entrance. He finds some scrap tubing from a nearby construction site, jams it in place and drives the rig, parking it near my house. He was convinced that driving it back to the shop with the tube was a bad idea.

I had an uneasy lunch.

I couldn’t just fix it. The screws holding the selector were stripped, evidence of previous tampering (I knew that shifter boot looked too new). I didn’t have the tools to get ‘em out. The mechanic was busy and would be for several days. None of the big rig operators were available to get the big flatbed and have it tow the stranded smaller rig.

The day was winding down and I was unable to supply diesel to the big company. Details are fuzzy, as I don't know if a coworker delivered diesel with a smaller truck or we simply took advantage of the big company's holiday slow-down. I got a ride back to the shop to get my truck. None of the big rig operators were available to get the big flatbed and have it tow the stranded smaller rig.

It would take days for parts to arrive. The rig would mark its territory with diesel.

This couldn’t all be because it was Friday the 13th… *looks outside the window at the black cat lying on my car*

Right?


EB


No, there’s no black cat lying on my car as I write this, but he used to, so I took a little artistic freedom. The specific Friday the 13th was December 13, 2019.