Having a narrow escape.

Autumn 1959. Mornings, 04.00 hours.

Fogbanks shove over the estates, the backs of the cattle are sticking just above the fog.
It looked like they were all swimming in a large lake with their backs just above the water.
The penetrating fog-cold had driven them together in order to find some warmth near each other. When the farmer arrived at his pasture, to milk the cows, it was convenient to him. Now he did not have to go through the whole pasture to bring the cattle together. After he finished milking, at about 06.00 AM, he started placing the full milkcans on the wagon, that was parked on the road.
The traffic got going, now and then a car was passing. Actually it was dangerous having the wagon along the road without any lights. So the farmer worked himself into a sweat in order to put the cans on the wagon as soon as possible, because he still had to harness the horses as well.

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Mercedes L 312 from 1959.

The big steel alarmclock of (I will call him Willem, just for convenience), was going off in a big plate full of pennies. He always did that, when he had to rise early. That way he was sure, he would not oversleep himself. Willem had to unload in Zuidwolde that morning at 06.00 and it was at least 2 1/2 hours drive from Uithuizermeeden in the northern parts of the province of Groningen. Moments later the heavy truck was rumbling into the direction of the province of Drenthe.

Berend rubbed his eyes and had a look at the alarmclock. It was a quarter to six. He never set the alarm, because he had a built-in alarm in his head and it never let him down.
The wife made some sandwiches in a rush, because they always had breakfast together.
Grietje said: It's foggy, you better drive carefully.

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Prabomoelih area, Sumatra 1948.

Berend looked at his beautiful truck outside, he would drive carefully, because it would be a shame if his Mercedes L 312 would get some damage. Grietje trusted upon the steermanship of her husband. She knew he was an experienced trucker. He'd earned that respect. In his younger years, under awful circumstances in Indonesia, he had driven and gotten his experience and had been in worse predicaments.
A kiss and moments later the heavy diesel started its heavy duty. Slowly, to warm up the engine, he drove the heavy trailer truck, loaded with heifercalfs out of the street.

Just outside the village the engine had a neat operating temperature build up and Berend built up the speed. Gazing through the fog, he found his way. He knew this road by heart, but estimating distances in the fog is always difficult.
Finally Willem came on the last road to Zuidwolde, he had found the right road and was approaching a milkwagon, that was half parked on the road. Because he spotted it, due to the fog, very late, he got the freight of his life and pulled the wheel with a jerk to the left, to the other half of the road. Dam*. That stupid farmer had not put an oillamp on his wagon, during loading. Not even in the darkness in the mist.

Berend had passed the hamlet called Steenbergen. The engine began running smoothly and soon he would pass the dam over the sluice. After that he could increase the speed, because there would no longer be trees close to the road.
After passing the dam, he suddensly spots approaching headlights on his side of the road. To the left is the wagon, filled with full milkcans and to the right there was a deep ditch.
To prevent a disaster he had to react like lightning, he had no second left to think. There were 3 scenarios. A dive into the ditch with 10 tons of calves behind him, that would all be thrown against the front-panel, after which the cabin would probably be crushed together. Going into a head-on collision was not an option either, so he chose for the milkwagon.
The farmer saw it coming and jumped backwards and saved his life in the process. One enormous bang followed. Milkcans flew through the air, the milkwagon turned upside down and the milk splashed high up. In the process the truck of Willem grazed the right side of the L 312. It ended well, nobody got hurt.

For the insurance the L 312 had to be transported to Borne, to the insurance-company. The chassis had to be inspected. For this purpose the cabin was mounted back to front and the dual tyres on the rear side were removed.
There is still a vage memory in my mind about this. I do remember somthing had happened, but I was only 3 at the time, so I can't recall it exactly anymore.
Later at home it was often referred to.

The story from the life of a trucker, my father.

The picture can be enlarged, when you click on it.

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I do however have to mention, that with the truck of my father, on the L 312, there was a "home-made"-cabine. That was done, because my father often had to travel that far, that he had to stay the night. Behind the chairs, there was a narrow shelf, that he could just lay upon.

J. de Lange.


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