Rain pushes truck race at Martinsville to Monday

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — The truck race scheduled for Saturday at Martinsville Speedway was postponed because of steady rain and has been rescheduled for noon Monday.

Rick Crawford won the pole during morning qualifying in a light drizzle, but the rain increased in intensity as the 2 p.m. starting time approached. It was called an hour later.

Crawford won the pole with a lap at 94.737 mph in his Ford. He'll start on the inside of the front row with Shane Sieg to his outside. Sieg's lap was at 94.326 mph in his Toyota.

The top five also includes Johnny Benson, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Colin Braun.

The 0.526-mile oval does not have lights and can't support night racing. The Goody's 500 Sprint Cup race is scheduled for Sunday at the track.

Taken From Google.com

Volvo February Truck Shipments Plunge 51 Percent

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - World number two truckmaker Volvo said truck shipments tumbled 51 percent in February as the global economic downturn pummeled demand in all its main markets.

Volvo, which sells trucks under brands such as Renault, Nissan Diesel and Mack as well as its own name, said in a statement on Tuesday shipments plunged 63 percent year-on-year in Europe, its biggest market.

"Overall, it is in line with the expectations we have," Handelsbanken analyst Hampus Engellau said.

"It is pretty much the same levels that we saw in January and that is just where things are at in the first quarter."

In Eastern Europe alone, in recent years a source of strong growth but now hard hit by the financial crisis, deliveries plunged a full 92 percent to just 240 trucks in February.

In North America, shipments fell 6 percent from already very low levels, while deliveries in Asia tumbled 47 percent.

Volvo fell to a fourth-quarter pretax loss as the highly cyclical truck industry saw demand evaporate as a result of the economic downturn, leaving truckmakers scrambling to cut costs and production capacity.

The Swedish maker of heavy-duty trucks has cut capacity, slashing thousands of jobs to adjust to a downturn some analysts believe will see the European truck market contract 50 percent this year.

(Reporting by Niklas Pollard and Victoria Klesty; additional reporting by Katarina Gustafsson; Editing by Dan Lalor)

Taken From Reuters.com

Fire Trucks Crash in Philly, 10 Hurt

By Karen Araiza, Tamara Vostok, Dan Stamm

NBCPhiladelphia.com

March 20, 2009

An engine and ladder truck crashed in Center City. Nine firefighters and one civilian were taken to local hospitals.

"I heard this humongous bang and I looked up and saw these two HUGE trucks almost in my building," said a shop owner in the neighborhood of 8th and Lombard Streets.

The trucks were on their way to fight a reported fire at 22nd and Warren Streets when the accident happened around 11:20 Thursday morning. The fire call turned out to be a false alarm, according to sources.

Both trucks entered the intersection at 8th and Lombard at the same time, investigators believe. The Fire Commissioner speculated the trucks sirens were so loud neither could hear the other.

Ladder 9 slammed into a telephone pole with such force, it severed the pole. Engine Company 43 was also involved in the crash.

Both fire trucks are stationed at 21st and Market Streets.

Carlos Alverez, who owns Cedrone's Flowers said it sounded like an explosion. He ran out to see what had happened "and all the windows were blown out. When I looked, I saw firefighters falling out of the trucks, bleeding."

"I heard this ungodly crash," said Alverez's wife Janet. She was in the store at the time of the crash and went to the hospital due to the distress of the crash.

Video shows a firefighter climbing up inside the front bed of one of the trucks to help rescuing one of the injured firefighters.

Most of the hurt were taken to Hahnemann University Hospital. By Thursday evening two injured firefighters remained hospitalized.

No firefighters had life-threatening injuries.

"We are fortunate that no loss of life to our firefighters or the public occurred as a result of this accident," said Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers.

The firefighters injured in the crash were identified Thursday night.

Five firefighters from Ladder Company 9 suffered injuries. The injured were Lt. Richard Prather, FF Anthony Russell, FF Charles Green, FF James Hegarty and FF Donna Garrett.

Four firefighters from Engine Company 43 suffered injuries. The injured were Lt. Steve Kessler, FF Shawn Conway, FF Keith Davis and FF David Keller.

The intersection was cleared and reopened Thursday night.

Taken From MSNBC.com

4x4 Truck Winch Tips & Tricks - Spool School More Neat Winch Tricks

More Neat Winch Tricks

By Fred Williams

During any recovery there should be only one captain, especially if multiple winches are being run at the same time. This guy tells each controller when to winch, winch out, or stop.

Other than knobby tires, nothing says "I'm an off-road adventurer" like a winch on the front of your 4x4. But winches aren't just for looking good. A winch is a great tool for extracting yourself, your buddies, or those old shrubs from the front yard your wife has been harassing you about removing.

But like any tool, there's a right way and a wrong way to use a winch. We always think we've seen just about every conceivable winch maneuver, but every couple of trail rides we come across something we didn't think would work.

Here are some tips and tricks for using your winch. If you've got some crazy winch repair or recovery that we must see, send us a picture. Until then keep those fingers out of the spool, and may your motor never fry.

1. The first rule of winching is to choose the right winch. We like the rule of 11/2, which means the winch rating should be at least 11/2 times the curb weight of your vehicle. If your Jeep weighs 5,000 pounds, you need at least a 7,500-pound-rated winch.

Of course, more is usually better, but with strength comes weight. This monster Jeep is almost over the load limit of this 8,000-pound-rated Warn 8274 and should be upgraded, but this iconic spur-gear winch has worked flawlessly so far.

2. The next choice is between rope and cable. Winch rope is lighter, just as strong, and readily available, while winch cable is cheaper, more abrasion-proof, and extremely resilient to mud and sand. Though winch rope is less likely than cable to damage when bunched up on the spool, it does need to be protected from UV rays, as the sun can deteriorate the rope over time.

3. When installing your winch it is important to follow the wiring instructions and always run both the positive and negative wires to the battery itself.

Oftentimes off-roaders simply run the negative to the chassis, but if there are any shorts or weak grounds, this can reduce the pulling power and the life of the winch. If need be, upgrade your wire size and length to get the leads straight to the big battery terminals.

4. Another important winch requirement is the mounting system. There's no use having a winch if it's going to rip your bumper off. This truck has a massive front bumper that is solidly attached to the frame, and then the winch is hidden inside for protection from both trail abuse and thieves. Check the installation instructions for proper mounting direction; some winches have forward mounting bolts and others have them on the bottom.

5. Here is something you don't see every day in the USA, a winch with dual motors. In Europe and Australia, there are many long-range endurance competitions that have timed hillclimbs, and competitors have upgraded their winches for even more winch line and faster line speeds.

This type of speed winching isn't required for your average trail ride. The big orange thing is an ARB winch line weight. It easily Velcros over the winch line and would safely drop the cable or rope to the ground should it break under load.

6. One trend we've seen a lot of recently is using the front winch to help compress the front suspension. This is done by running the rope or cable straight down from the drum to an attachment point on the front axle.

This is especially helpful when climbing up steep obstacles, as it helps lower the center of gravity and keeps the front end from unloading and pushing the chassis backward off the climb. Just be sure you loosen up the winch before hitting any high-speed trails where you need the suspension to move.

7. No matter how skilled the driver or capable the vehicle, there is no shame in hooking up a cable before attempting a climb that might send you backward on your lid. It also helps to have a spotter that can direct you and run the winch at the same time.

Winches are great at pulling trucks up difficult climbs, but it's a good idea to drive and winch simultaneously to help the winch out.

8. Here is another trick we saw overseas and that we are surprised hasn't shown up in the U.S. This truck has its winch mounted behind the cab, with a series of pulleys and guides on the passenger-side framerail that routes the winch rope up to the front of the truck.

This serves three functions: It increases the approach angle since the winch and bumper aren't sitting out on the front of the truck, it balances the weight of the winch between the front and the back of the vehicle, and it allows the driver to engage or disengage the winch freespool from his seat while his co-pilot hooks up the cable.

9. It is important to put something over the winch cable in case it should break or come unhooked under load. There are special winch line weights, or you can use a tow strap, a floor mat, or a jacket to drag the line to the ground in the event of an unhooking.

It is important that bystanders stand back behind vehicles. It also doesn't hurt to raise the hood of the winching vehicle just in case the hook comes flying back toward the winch.

10. Be sure to rig your attachment point properly. Use a tree strap to protect the bark of a tree. When you put the strap around the tree or rock, hook both ends of the strap to the hook on the end of the winch line.

This way the strap won't tighten like a noose around the tree and damage the bark. If possible, use a clevis to hold the tree strap ends together and/or a hook with a closing latch that keeps it all from unhooking while you winch yourself forward. If you use winch rope be sure you have a sleeve that protects it from rock abrasion.

11. No matter how much of a superman you are, we do not recommend this as a win

Taken From 4WheelOffRoad.com

Militants Torch NATO Trucks In Pakistan: Police

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — Taliban militants in northwestern Pakistan torched eight trucks carrying supplies for NATO forces in neighbouring Afghanistan in a pre-dawn attack on Sunday, police said.

A dozen more trucks and trailers were damaged when the militants, armed with automatic weapons and rockets, attacked a terminal on the outskirts of Peshawar city.

"Taliban militants fired four rockets on a truck terminal on the ring road on the city's outskirts and destroyed eight trucks completely," local police official Gohar Khan told AFP.

"The militants also torched 12 more trucks and trailers."

Khan said police arrived during the attack, in which the two truck drivers were shot and injured, but the militants fled to the neighbouring tribal area.

"Our policemen exchanged gunfire with the militants for half an hour but they managed to escape," Khan said.

"The government had ordered drivers not to use the bus terminal for NATO supply trucks after a series of attacks, but they illegally parked their trucks here."

Police would take action against drivers who had broken a government order not to park NATO supply trucks at the bus terminal, he added.

NATO and US-led forces in Afghanistan are hugely dependent on Pakistan for their supplies and equipment, with an estimated 80 percent of their gear transported by land from the neighbouring country.

The main land route into Afghanistan, where international forces are battling a Taliban insurgency, passes through Pakistan's lawless Khyber area.

Militants in the rugged tribal area have staged spectacular attacks in recent months on NATO supply depots outside Peshawar, torching hundreds of vehicles and containers destined for foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Taken From Google.com

Administration To Reinvent Mexican Truck Program

By SUZANNE GAMBOA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will try to reinvent a program to allow Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways.

An 18-month-old pilot program that allowed a few Mexican trucks beyond a border buffer zone died when President Barack Obama signed a sweeping $410 billion government spending bill on Wednesday. The bill barred spending on the pilot program.

A spokeswoman for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Debbie Mesloh, said Obama has told the office to work with Congress, the Transportation and State departments and Mexican officials to come up with legislation to create "a new trucking project that will meet the legitimate concerns" of Congress and U.S. commitments under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Obama's nominee for trade representative, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, is awaiting Senate confirmation.

The U.S. prohibits most Mexican trucks from driving more than about 20 miles, or 75 miles in Arizona, beyond the border. But the U.S. agreed to lift that ban after signing the 1994 NAFTA deal with Canada and Mexico.

Canadian trucks have no limits on where they can go. But most Mexican trucks can't travel beyond a buffer zone along the southern border. The limits were imposed after lawmakers voiced safety concerns. But Mexico has long called it an unfair effort to protect U.S. jobs.

The previous pilot program allowed access for up to 500 Mexican trucks from 100 operators. It also allowed the U.S. to conduct inspections and other safety activities.

Under pressure from labor, safety and other groups, Congress cut off spending on the program in 2007. But last year, the Bush administration used a loophole in the law to keep it operating.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., sponsor of the provision in the spending bill that ended the program, wrote Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood this month to say he doesn't oppose Mexican long-haul trucks on U.S. roads, but wants them to be safe.

Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman, cheered the end of the truck program.

"I am pleased that Congress has reclaimed its ability to have some bearing on the obligations contained in the surface transportation provisions of NAFTA and has voted for this step forward for highway safety," Oberstar said.

The Mexican government has protested the trucks ban, and prohibits U.S. trucks from driving far into Mexico. It could take additional retaliatory steps, such as raising tariffs on U.S. goods. The administration's announcement Wednesday did not comfort Mexican officials.

"Mexico still believes that the United States' noncompliance on this issue, more than 14 years overdue, is a violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement," said Ricardo Alday, embassy spokesman. But he said Mexico is willing to continue to work with Congress and the U.S. "in finding a solution that honors its international obligation."

The embassy said 103 Mexican trucks belonging to 26 carriers participated in the program. Ten U.S. carriers with 61 trucks could ply Mexico's roads.

Taken From Google.com

Navistar Cuts 2009 Truck Sales Outlook

CHICAGO -(Dow Jones)- Navistar International Corp. (NAV) on Wednesday lowered its sales forecast for commercial trucks this year, as the company swung to a fiscal first-quarter profit on increased sales of military trucks and a $190 million litigation settlement with Ford Motor Co. (F).

Navistar now expects industry sales in the U.S. and Canada to total between 210,000 and 225,000 trucks in 2009, down from its January forecast of 244,000 to 256,000 trucks.

Sales of new trucks have steadily contracted in the past two years as trucking companies idled fleets or folded entirely in response to reduced shipping volumes caused by the economic downturn. Restricted access to credit for new truck purchases is providing further downward pressure on sales, the company said.

"Really, only the big guys are buying today," Chief Executive Daniel Ustian said, referring to large trucking companies, during a conference call with analysts. "We're at one of the lowest points today in the last 35 years."

Nevertheless, Illinois-based Navistar earlier Wednesday reiterated its earnings forecast of $370 million to $410 million, or $5.10 to $5.60 per share, for its fiscal year ending Oct. 31.

With money from the Ford settlement, the company expects earnings to rise to $ 7.55 to $8.05 per share.

In January, Ford and Navistar announced a settlement to long-running litigation over Navistar's contract for supplying diesel engines for Ford pickup trucks.

Navistar said it will receive about $190 million from Ford and a bigger stake in a truck-making venture with Ford in Mexico in exchange for Navistar dissolving the engine contract.

Navistar said it expects the additional income from the venture to help offset lower revenue from commercial truck sales this year. In addition, the company said lower expenses for commodities, such as steel, also will bolster profits.

Navistar is anticipating military truck revenue of at least $2.7 billion this year and said that amount could end up rising significantly if the company is awarded a contract for a lightweight armored vehicle for the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

"There's going to be money out there for tactical wheeled vehicles," Ustian said during the conference call with Wall Street analysts.

For the quarter ended Jan. 31, the company reported net income of $234 million, or $3.27 a share, compared with a year-earlier net loss of $65 million, or 92 cents a share. Sales rose 0.5% to $2.97 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected per-share earnings, excluding items, of $1.23 on revenue of $3.32 billion.

Navistar said truck revenue increased 9.5% to $2.06 billion. Military trucks accounted for about 12% of the trucks shipped in the quarter.

Parts and service for Navistar-built military trucks already in service helped boost the company's parts sales in the quarter by 35% to $540 million.

Meanwhile, engine sales plunged by 35% in the quarter to $509 million on lower sales of engines to Ford. -By Bob Tita, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4129; robert.tita@dowjones.com

(John Kell contributed to this report)

Taken From CNN.com

Kyle Busch Gears Up With Truck Series Win

By Rick Minter

For the Journal-Constitution

Kyle Busch served notice Saturday that his 21-win 2008 season was no fluke.

He overcame a transmission missing half its gears to defeat Kevin Harvick in a late-race shootout and win the American Commercial Line 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

It was his fourth overall win this season —- two in trucks, one in the Nationwide Series and another in Sprint Cup. It also was his fourth win in five career truck starts at AMS.

Like many of his 11 career wins in the truck series, Saturday’s came in dramatic fashion. He lost third gear with about 50 laps remaining, and when it came to the race’s final restart, he had also lost high gear, meaning he had to start in fourth gear then tap the clutch occasionally to keep his truck accelerating.

He dropped back to ninth with eight laps remaining but took the lead with five to go, then held off Harvick over the final two laps to get the victory.

“All we did was bide our time and do what we needed to,” Busch said.

His latest success came on a weekend when his truck team owner, Billy Ballew, was charged with DUI, but Busch said that had no effect on the team.

“It’s a personal issue with Billy,” he said.

Harvick, driving his own No. 2 Chevrolet, blamed his pit crew, saying the team’s performance was “atrocious.”

“The thing was fast, but it doesn’t matter if you can’t do a pit stop,” he said.

Todd Bodine finished third, giving him a first, a second and a third in the first three races of the season. Still, he said he won’t enter the next race, at Martinsville Speedway, unless his team can find a sponsor.

Edwards runs fastest practice lap

Three-time AMS winner Carl Edwards set the pace in Saturday’s final practice session for Sprint Cup drivers, running his fastest lap at 179.522 mph.

Edwards said he found the track surface slippery, but he expects today’s Kobalt Tools 500 to be a good race.

He said the tire compound, which has proved to be problematic in the past, shouldn’t be that big of an issue today.

“They’re pretty tricky, but I’d say it’s about the same as a year ago,” Edwards told reporters. “They’re not much different. … I was slipping and sliding quite a bit, but at least it’s controllable.

“It’s not like you slip a little bit and you wreck it. You can drive this thing around all sorts of sideways right now and still keep control.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 14th-best in Saturday’s practice, said most complaints about handling at AMS can be blamed on the Car of Tomorrow, now the exclusive vehicle of the Cup series. He called it a poor excuse for a race car.

“It is hard to drive,” he said. “It makes everybody’s job harder, even Goodyear’s,” he said.

Truex in pain, but should start race

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, was being treated at a local hospital late Saturday for possible kidney stones. Team spokesman Blair Minton said he expects Truex, who complained of discomfort and pain during Saturday’s final Sprint Cup practice, to be able to start his car in today’s race.

KOBALT TOOLS 500

> Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton

> When: 1:30 p.m. today

> TV; radio: Fox; 106.1 FM

> Tickets: AMS ticket office, ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000

> Prices: $39-$135

> Directions: AMS is approximately 30 miles south of Atlanta on U.S. 19/41 in Henry County.

Source: atlantamotorspeedway.com

KOBALT TOOLS 500 LINEUP

Pos (No.) Driver …………Car ……MPH

1. (5) Mark Martin ……….Chevrolet 187.045

2. (2) Kurt Busch…………Dodge ….186.365

3. (26) Jamie McMurray ……Ford……186.309

4. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya ..Chevy ….186.209

5. (16) Greg Biffle……….Ford……186.184

6. (11) Denny Hamlin ……..Toyota….186.165

7. (48) Jimmie Johnson ……Chevy ….186.053

8. (87) Joe Nemechek ……..Toyota….185.922

9. (18) Kyle Busch ……….Toyota….185.891

10. (29) Kevin Harvick ……Chevy ….185.834

11. (14) Tony Stewart……..Chevy ….185.741

12. (39) Ryan Newman ……..Chevy ….185.579

13. (9) Kasey Kahne……….Dodge ….185.430

14. (19) Elliott Sadler……Dodge ….185.337

15. (31) Jeff Burton ……..Chevy ….185.282

16. (24) Jeff Gordon ……..Chevy ….185.269

17. (83) Brian Vickers ……Toyota….184.948

18. (00) David Reutimann ….Toyota….184.868

19. (7) Robby Gordon ……..Toyota….184.658

20. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr…Chevy ….184.499

21. (33) Clint Bowyer……..Chevy ….184.499

22. (28) Travis Kvapil ……Ford……184.260

23. (1) Martin Truex Jr. ….Chevy ….184.107

24. (55) Michael Waltrip ….Toyota….184.009

25. (07) Casey Mears ……..Chevy ….184.003

26. (82) Scott Speed ……..Toyota….183.978

27. (66) Dave Blaney ……..Toyota….183.948

28. (12) David Stremme ……Dodge ….183.923

29. (99) Carl Edwards……..Ford……183.881

30. (17) Matt Kenseth……..Ford……183.795

31. (71) David Gilliland ….Chevy ….183.765

32. (43) Reed Sorenson ……Dodge ….183.753

33. (98) Paul Menard ……..Ford……183.285

34. (47) Marcos Ambrose……Toyota….183.273

35. (21) Bill Elliott……..Ford……183.267

36. (77) Sam Hornish Jr. ….Dodge ….183.248

37. (8) Aric Almirola……..Chevy ….182.934

38. (44) A.J. Allmendinger ..Dodge ….182.922

39. (6) David Ragan……….Ford……182.856

40. (96) Bobby Labonte ……Ford……182.783

41. (34) John Andretti ……Chevy ….182.621

42. (20) Joey Logano ……..Toyota….owner pts

43. (09) Mike Bliss……….Chevy ….182.645

Associated Press
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Ga.
TRACK DETAILS
Completed: 1960
Distance: 1.54 miles
Race distance: 500.5 miles, 325 laps
Shape: Quad-oval
Banking: 24 (degrees) turns
Frontstretch: 2,332 feet
Backstretch: 1,800 feet

LAST YEAR
Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first Cup victory, driving away from the pack in the waning laps to win.
Source: NASCAR

Taken From AJC.com

City Truck's Boom May Have Hit Pole

Police release details about subway mishap

STAFF REPORT

DANVILLE — At least four witnesses say the boom on top of a city vehicle hit a metal pole that came crashing down Friday morning and hit three vehicles in the Fairchild Subway, according to the police accident report.

The accident report states that city employee Darren K. Barr, 42, advised police he had just picked up a stove in Holiday Hills and put the boom down inside the garbage truck, where it’s supposed to be.

Barr said he didn’t think about the height because the vehicle has been driven in the subway before without hitting anything.

Once Barr entered the subway, at 8:09 a.m., he reportedly heard a loud noise and then the front end of the vehicle lifted up and the seat of the vehicle started to go up and down due to the air seat.

Barr reportedly hit his head on top of the cab, and the driver’s side mirror also came off.

Barr told police he thought he might have collided with a school bus traveling in the opposite direction, eastbound through the subway.

The driver of a school bus, Danny L. Thompson, 39, also heard a loud banging noise. The bus was empty of children.

It appears a metal support pole that helps support the north and south walls of the subway was either hit by the boom on the back of the city garbage truck or that the pole had fallen off and hit the city vehicle, the school bus and a third vehicle.

The third vehicle, a 1999 Buick Regal, was driven by Carter Abigail Perez, 28, of Danville.

Perez reportedly was driving westbound on East Fairchild Street through the subway, with her daughter, Aaliyah Perez, 12.

She reportedly noticed the boom was down on the city vehicle. Then she heard a loud noise and saw the metal pole falling down and landing on top of her vehicle’s hood.

Aaliyah reportedly told police that the boom was about 2-3 feet above the city vehicle’s cab.

Barr said that is the normal position for the boom to sit in transit.

But Aaliyah also said she saw the boom hit the metal pole.

Three other witnesses, in nearby vehicles at the time of the accident, also told police they saw the boom up on the city truck and the boom hit a metal pole prior to the pole hitting the vehicles.

Both Perezes were treated at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center and released.

No traffic citations have been issued.

The subway was closed for about 2 ½ hours Friday after the accident.

In 2007, steel struts were installed in the subway beneath deteriorated concrete struts. All concrete struts were wrapped with wire to prevent falling debris from injuring motorists. Kimball Street also was closed at that time.

Aldermen approved a $4.75 million bond issue partly for engineering to replace the subway and take Fairchild Street over the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroad tracks with an overpass between Rogers and Bowman Avenue.

Taken From Commercial-News.com

Utah Truck Driver Called A Hero

A Taylorsville truck driver is being hailed as a hero by California police after he drove his flaming semitrailer from a parking lot to prevent damage to other nearby rigs.

Randall Jack, 49, was sleeping in the cab of his semi at a Flying J truck plaza in Ripon, Calif., on Thursday when he heard shouts that a trailer was on fire, and he knew it was his, said Ripon Police Chief Richard Bull.

Instead of fleeing, Jack jumped into the driver's seat, started the truck and drove off the lot. Jack's truck was parked next to dozens of other semitrailers holed up at the plaza for the night.

"I'm calling him a hero," Bull told the Deseret News on Saturday. "He woke up from a dead sleep and saved the rest of those trucks at the risk of his own peril."

The fire began at around 4 a.m. in the trailer of Jack's rig. The Modesto Bee reported that he was carrying chemicals, including 908 pounds of sodium hydroxide and 612 pounds of an industrial-strength bleach. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Flames encased the tail of Jack's rig as he drove away, and thick smoke can be seen billowing from the rig in a video captured on a Ripon police car's dashboard camera. The fire destroyed the trailer, leaving only a burned shell of metal, Bull said.

No injuries were reported. Jack's cab was not damaged in the blaze. The truck driver reportedly was on his way back to Utah on Saturday.

Bull said Jack claimed he was doing what any truck driver would have done in the same situation.

"I think he went above and beyond," Bull said.

— Clayton Norlen

Taken From DeseretNews