Murphy's World

Three measly miles per hour

Dear Murphy,

After a mere two weeks driving on my own, I was going to the yard for fuel, an oil change and to have a marker light fixed. This would seem to be fairly minor maintenance work, but I hadn’t accounted for the fact that by becoming a truck driver, I was now a permanent resident of Murphy’s World!

A mechanic discovered my truck would go 68 mph instead of the company policy of 65 mph. He hooked up a computer and tried to adjust the governor. Well, my trusty T600 would have none of that. It gave the mechanic a warning by not accepting the change, and when he persevered, the engine control module shut down for good.

Without the ECM, a modern diesel engine won’t even start. So before long, I was moving all my gear into another tractor!

What can you do when the company mechanic breaks down your truck? And all for three measly miles per hour.

Stian Oksavik

Austin, TX

Dear Stian,

Welcome to Murphy’s World, where there’s always room for one more over-the-road professional. Best of all, you don’t need a birth certificate, passport, visa or American Express card. A simple CDL grants you automatic citizenship and, as you say, permanent residency.

As you know by now, one and only one law governs Murphy’s World: If anything can go wrong, it will—usually at the most inopportune time (Amendment I). That being the case, when in Murphy’s World, you can pretty much throw out all of your basic common-sense laws, including the classic: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Hey, no one ever said that driving through Murphy’s World would be easy. You learned Lesson No. 1 (as the Eagles sang in “Hotel California,” you can check into Murphy’s World any time you like, but you can never leave) after just two weeks.

All of which is a long way of saying that messing up a “trusty T600” over “three measly miles per hour” may sound like pure lunacy, but it makes perfect sense in this crazy, mixed up place we call “Murphy’s World.” Enjoy the trip. A sense of humor is not required, but recommended.

Regards,

Murphy and Lucky Dog