Sunday Nights are Busy Nights for Clark Transfer Drivers

Sunday nights all around this country and at times in Canada are very busy nights for Clark Transfer drivers.  Why? You may ask, because that is the night most Broadway shows close in a city.  Shows typically move weekly, biweekly or monthly, then openings typically occur on Tuesday nights. 

On Sunday nights you will find Clark drivers parked in drop lots and around the blocks of many cities.  Once the driver arrives at the theatre the waiting begins.  A load out can take as little as three hours for a three to four trailer show, to as long as eight hours for a nine to ten trailer show. 

 

Drivers wait around to be backed into the dock, then once in the dock wait for the trailer to be loaded.  The next time you are on a highway take a good look at the size of a 53 foot trailer, and then imagine the time it could take to fill it.  Once loaded, most the time, it’s not bed time for the driver, but time to hit the road to the next city.  Drivers are great at dealing with the waiting then hitting the road and a novice like me usually does pretty good, but this past week reminded me how out of practice I am when it comes to long load outs.

Last night we were in Atlanta for the load out of War Horse which was closing its run at the Fox Theatre. We arrived at the theatre as scheduled at 11:30 pm.  Now for those of you new to the blog and as a reminder to those regular followers, a night load out means sleeping during the day/evening in preparation for the load out.  Well, after having lunch with our niece and nephew, Katie and Patrick who live in Atlanta, I was too jazzed to nap because I love seeing family, so sleeping didn’t happen for me.

When we arrived at the theatre it was pouring rain which also meant there was no way I was getting out. I really do love seeing the other drivers and catching up with them, but getting soaked while standing in the rain was just not for me that night.  To pass the time I listened to the end of the NFL game on Sirius and watched shows on the CBS website. 

In the meantime, Vince and the other drivers were out in the rain, dodging traffic while moving nine trailers in and out of the docks.  I still don’t understand why there is so much traffic out on Sunday nights in downtowns all over the country.  What are all these people doing out on a Sunday night, and where are they going? These drivers can also be impatient, honking and edging toward the trucks and the drivers.  I just want to knock on their windows and tell them to knock it off because these people are doing their jobs what are you doing out here? I think I can honestly say until I started traveling with Vince I was never out past 10:00 pm on a Sunday night. 

 

As the hours passed I continued to fight sleep until 4:00 am which was when we got backed into the dock.  At that point I found myself no longer caring how NCIS LA was going to end, but I did hang in to see the end and knew it was time to give in to my tiredness and put the bed down.  However, Vince, Curtis and Jeff, the three drivers waiting for their trucks to be loaded, didn’t have that option.  They remained awake and once loaded started out for Durham, NC.

 

So once again I failed to make the cut as a semi driver, which is why you are all safe that it will never happen. But also the reason I share this story is to ask everyone to remember that while we all think our jobs are tough not many of us have to stay up all night and or have our sleeping patterns thrown off on a regular basis.  Semi drivers do and statistically manage to have fewer accidents percentage wise than auto drivers every year. So please give them a break when you are sharing the road.  Finally, I hope the next time you leave a show or go to bed on a Sunday night, you will think of the Clark Transfer drivers who will be staying up all night to make sure shows get to the next city safely and on time.