A Trucker Drives it Home Part 1

All names in this story apart from mine have been changed and are not intended to refer to any living person.

Doug acted like a ship’s captain. He slung a long rope skillfully over the flat bed, leapt up himself, on the second attempt, threw a huge canvas in a heap with other gear, drew the rope over it several times, jumped off, made a truckers slip knot and applied tension. I watched as his bulging biceps looked as if they were about to tear the elastic of his shirt sleeve.

I wanted to say something but in the end just blurted out; “I hope you don’t mind me coming along.” 

"Mind you coming along? Of course not! Why should I? Quite the opposite actually. It’s not every day I get this sort of company, …er… well …., you know.”

I didn’t actually but as I had just mounted the stairs into the cab I felt a little intimidated by the size of it all and how high up we seemed to be. There would be plenty of time to get to know Doug.

“I didn’t know you were hot on computers and that stuff as well”. ‘As well as what?’ I wondered, but he had a point to make.

“You’ve got to tell me what’s what with all these electrics cos as far as I’m concerned we’ve got to get this bloody great bit of equipment on board. Make no mistake about it when the loading starts, I’m in charge right? That’s all I mean, I just want you to know that!”

“As far as I understand it I’m just coming along to make sure we collect all the controls for this milling machine and make sure they don’t get damaged.” I was a bit surprised by Doug’s assertiveness with me. Especially as he was the one who persuaded me to come along.

“I’ll do my best Doug” I added simply.

“Yea sure I’m just a type who likes to establish who’s boss. You know you get used to it I suppose but when you’re driving a truck like this, anything and everything that happens comes back to you. You know what I mean? I’m held responsible” I got the feeling Doug was putting on the tough act to impress me as well as establishing his authority.

He was one of the drivers we got to know from the local haulage company. Mostly they shifted milled barley, corn etc for animal feed but this was a special trip to collect this large bit of stationary equipment which the boss had bought at an auction a couple of days before.

“You’re new aren’t you? I think it’s a couple of months since you first made a splash here!” He gave me a knowing glance with a trace of a smile. “And a ‘straight out of college know-it-all’ I expect” He continued provocatively.

“Give me a chance I’ve just done my first year, I’ve got another three to go! I only left school last summer. Anyway what are these other things you reckon I’m hot on apart from computers?” It seemed like a way to hot up the conversation too.

“Oh well! Ha! Yes well you’re the one to know!” he said trying to suppress a chuckle. 

“Excuse me Doug! I don’t know you all that well, but what the hell am I to make of that answer?!” In fact I knew perfectly well what he was on about but why should I let him out of his own trap!

“Yea well how can I put it? Jason reckons it’s almost like he’d got a chick as his assistant.”

“Like so many of you guys he’s full of gossip but hasn’t got the balls to say something to your face. Anyway no one humps around 100 kilo sacks these days or any bags for that matter, its all elevators and augers so what’s his problem?”

“It’s all right handsome! Keep your hair on! I don’t think he was exactly complaining if you know what I mean”. I maintained that I didn’t but decided on another tack.

“It’s the same with you drivers, you’re all big muscular guys. I mean just look at your arms! Yet with this modern equipment you really don’t need to be so strong? Power steering, preselector gears, hydraulic cranes, a girl could do your work easily!” I liked winding him up gently. There was something attractive in his effortless control of this hugely powerful vehicle, almost as if it were an extension of own power and I knew that was the way he saw himself.

“You are joking! OK you get some chicks as drivers but boy you wouldn’t want to mess with them! Bossy boot types with bloody great arms; no not my idea of a bit of fluff! Anyhow just tell me why are you wearing a sweater on a hot summers day?” 

Obediently I began to take off my sweater. I had a T shirt on underneath but as I pulled my sweater over my head it must have ridden up and exposed some of my bare chest.

“Hey look out Doug!! Keep your eyes on the road man!” Doug looked a bit sheepish as he had allowed the truck to veer slightly on to the hard shoulder. “I don’t mind you looking at me but I suggest that we first pull into a parking place!” I couldn’t help feeling a bit flattered at the way Doug had reacted and I knew that the gossip would have given him good reason. I realised too that my T shirt was not as loose as the ones I usually wore at the mill.

For about the next ten minutes Doug drove on in silence, I was beginning to regret allowing a situation which had embarrassed him but then suddenly he drew into a large Lay By. I was about to offer to take some clothes off but he immediately got out of the cab and went to inspect the wheels.

“Yup! I thought so! we’ve got a flat so that’ll have to be changed right away!”

“Good excuse Doug! I’ll give you a hand!” .

“What do you mean ‘Good Excuse!!?’ No you get yourself out of the way over there and leave this to me.”

“I thought you had a sort of truckers rescue thing for this. Surely they don’t expect drivers to change wheels themselves!” I suggested.

“Depends what sort of drivers you’re talking about!” he replied hauling out a huge hydraulic jack.

“I’ll leave it all to Muscle Man then!” I said sitting on a nearby crash barrier. It seemed like a good moment to catch the sun so I took my shirt off. OK I was being a bit provocative I suppose, but you don’t realise at first when you start to fancy a guy.

Doug glanced around then came over to me slowly with his eyes transfixed on my bare chest. “Oh Carl! now you are fucking sexy” he said as he gently touched on my enlarged nipples and began to squeeze. Then as he made as if to kiss me he suddenly came to himself and began looking around furtively.

“For Pete’s sake put your shirt on! If anyone sees you, what the hell are they going to think?” 

“But there’s no one else here” I said.

“Look do as I say, you never know when someone could pull in. There’s plenty of room for a another couple of trucks!” Doug looked around again as he made some adjustments to relieve some discomfort in his trousers. It was obvious what was happening. 

“I’ll see about you later!” he added before returning to the job in hand.

Doug was not his usual self any more. He was impatient with everything he handled and I was worried he might have an accident. But just as he was tightening the wheel nuts he must have slightly grazed his arm on the bodywork as I heard him curse.

“Here you’d better have a plaster on that” I said.

“Oh it’s nothing don’t make a fuss!” but it was obviously bleeding very slightly. “Oh well I’d better get something on to keep it clean I suppose; I am almost finished!” He jumped back up to the cab but went to the sleeping compartment behind to get the first aid box and I followed him up, told him to get his shirt off, cleaned the minor wound and applied a dressing.

“I’m terrible for misbehaving with nurses!” he said as he put his hand up the inside of my shirt.

“Look we’ve got to get on, this puncture has already delayed us” I pointed out as I was genuinely concerned as we had a long way to go still and a lot of work when we got there.

“I don’t think your boss Greg is going to be too surprised; when I suggested taking you he said he would understand if we had to spend a night somewhere.” Doug made a mischievous grin at me.

“So Greg says you can grope me cos he’s the boss! Fuck that!!” I suddenly felt furious, I didn’t see why this driver, however big and sexy as he was, should treat me like this. I told him to finish the job and get going. Something had taken over in me I was giving orders. I never do that normally.

Doug was surprisingly obedient. He finished the job, jumped back up into the cab and started the engine.

“I’m sorry I just got a bit carried please don’t make a complaint because I could be in hellish trouble. How old are you?”

“I’m eighteen” I replied knowing this put me within the age of consent.

“I was kidding you about Greg. He never said that actually”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he did. Do you know he comes and hangs around my place in the evenings and starts asking me questions about the course I’m doing and I know exactly what he wants but he hasn’t got the balls to do anything about it. At least you do!”

“Do you forgive me then? I thought you wanted it”

“Look I was genuinely worried about the time, that’s all, and what you said about Greg did annoy me a lot, right!”

Doug glanced at his watch. “Whatever way you look at this Carl we’re not going to make it in a day because of the tackograph. I’ve got to take my rest time or I’ll get in trouble with the cops. There a place just down the road where we can walk over to a nice spot and have a swim” 

“But I don’t have any swim suit” I protested.

“Are you serious?”

“No! I just said that to wind you up!”

“There’s only one thing a guy can do with you!”

“Oh yea? and what’s that exactly?”

“You’re likely to find that out sooner than you think. Looks like we’re in luck” Doug said as we pulled into a fairly large parking area which was completely deserted. “It’s about fifteen minutes walk. Is that OK?”

“Are you puffing?” I said over my shoulder as we walked up over a crest in the woods. 

“There down there! you’ve never been here before have you?” I think Doug was aware of being at least ten years older than me and though it may have made him wiser he was definitely not as fit.