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Pet Food, U Hauls, and Me
May. 8th, 2010 06:55 pmNote to everybody: Driving a U Haul van (VAN, not one of the trucks) down the interstate in 50 mph winds with 4,000 pounds (literally) of pet food in the back is a REALLY, REALLY BAD IDEA!
The Nutro Company (the dog/cat food manufacturer where I work) donated two tractor trailer loads of food to pet rescues/shelters in need due to the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee. The shelters and rescues are overrun with four footed flood victims and are also trying to help those folks who have retained their pets but have lost everything-- including their pet's food, etc. Those organizations who cannot get here to our suburban Nashville location-- we've been hauling the food to them. Nutro rented several heavy duty Uhaul cargo vans and we've been running the food all over Middle Tennessee. I spent Thursday and Friday loading vans for deliveries. Yesterday we had very hot (88 degree) and windy (50+ mph) weather, and one of our volunteer drivers was afraid to drive a van in that wind. So, silly me, I volunteered. Mind, the cargo weight limit for these vehicles is 2,000 pounds-- we figured out pretty quick how to squeeze about 4,000 pounds into them. I realized as soon as I hit the interstate that we were gonna end up in a ditch, LOL. I just hate it when the back end of the van is trying to change places with the front. I had my team leader in the van with me-- I told her to hang on, I put the flashers on, and fought with the steering wheel the 30 miles or so to our destination, all at about 60 mph. As soon as I tried to creep over that speed the van rebelled in a most definite fashion. We got to the shelter, unloaded the food (and played with puppies!), and I asked Amy (the team leader) if it was okay with her if I took the back roads on the return trip. She told me that if I hadn't suggested it, then she was going to. She said she knew by my two handed white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and the constant stream of "sonofabitches" and "come on baby, stay on the effing road" that we were having quite a trip on the way down. She said the pitching and swaying of the van in the wind almost made her car sick. We took the scenic route back to work.
I have to say, I'm so proud of my employer for not only donating the food, but for helping to get it where it is needed.
And I got to go to the shelter and play with puppies! LOL.
Current Mood: exhausted
The Nutro Company (the dog/cat food manufacturer where I work) donated two tractor trailer loads of food to pet rescues/shelters in need due to the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee. The shelters and rescues are overrun with four footed flood victims and are also trying to help those folks who have retained their pets but have lost everything-- including their pet's food, etc. Those organizations who cannot get here to our suburban Nashville location-- we've been hauling the food to them. Nutro rented several heavy duty Uhaul cargo vans and we've been running the food all over Middle Tennessee. I spent Thursday and Friday loading vans for deliveries. Yesterday we had very hot (88 degree) and windy (50+ mph) weather, and one of our volunteer drivers was afraid to drive a van in that wind. So, silly me, I volunteered. Mind, the cargo weight limit for these vehicles is 2,000 pounds-- we figured out pretty quick how to squeeze about 4,000 pounds into them. I realized as soon as I hit the interstate that we were gonna end up in a ditch, LOL. I just hate it when the back end of the van is trying to change places with the front. I had my team leader in the van with me-- I told her to hang on, I put the flashers on, and fought with the steering wheel the 30 miles or so to our destination, all at about 60 mph. As soon as I tried to creep over that speed the van rebelled in a most definite fashion. We got to the shelter, unloaded the food (and played with puppies!), and I asked Amy (the team leader) if it was okay with her if I took the back roads on the return trip. She told me that if I hadn't suggested it, then she was going to. She said she knew by my two handed white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and the constant stream of "sonofabitches" and "come on baby, stay on the effing road" that we were having quite a trip on the way down. She said the pitching and swaying of the van in the wind almost made her car sick. We took the scenic route back to work.
I have to say, I'm so proud of my employer for not only donating the food, but for helping to get it where it is needed.
And I got to go to the shelter and play with puppies! LOL.
Current Mood: exhausted
