Two scares

Quick one tonight, I think. I'm sleepy.

Today I tested the brakes. City traffic at 50 or so, and the line of cars ahead of me suddenly slowed to zero. I've never had to stand on the brakes before. I'm not sure I did this time either--nothing locked up, and the ABS didn't kick in--but I came close.

A surging wave of stuff rolled into the cab--all the books, forms, logbooks, snack food, etc., that clutter up the floorboard. Surprising how much of it there was.

I was about ten feet from the bumper in front of me when the line began to move again. I would have stopped before I touched it. I'm not quite sure by how much.

I started over fifty yards back. On dry pavement. Half loaded.

The boring stuff about following distance was suddenly new again.

I'm glad nobody was close behind me.

*****

Later on I found myself paying close attention to my steering. I was on a country two-lane, and the truck kept trying to dart for the shoulder. Which almost wasn't there. Each time it did, the cab tilted a tiny bit to the right.

After the second or third time I started to notice the dips in the road on the right side. Like shallow potholes, but no missing asphalt so they were gentle and smooth. As if the ground beneath the road had given way under the weight of all the passing vehicles.

Almost always on an embankment. I feel so safe.

They're talking about rebuilding the road system, saying it's starting to show its age. They're also talking about raising the max weight for semi's to 96,000 pounds. Add another axle and we'll be fine. The roads can take it. Honest.