Road trips car breakdowns weather emergencies and unavoidable delays that may last days, how ready are we?

Interstate 5, miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.

When I worked my wake up time was 4 am, just like millions of other people making a living in every type of trade and profession imaginable. I spent all of my work life out of doors, the elements were always in my face. Some of my commutes through the years were 2 hours, others were 30 minutes, most were in the range of 1 hour. During all of those years I learned to be prepared for any event that may unfold, and some did. I was stranded unable to continue home many times due to accidents, home fires, earthquakes, and weather. I spent many hours underneath a vehicle on the side of an empty road in the middle of nowhere accepting help from anyone that happened by. The theme of this blog is one of those incidents I have wanted to write about for a long time, it restored my faith in humanity for a while.

I was driving a 1992 Chevy Suburban in 2004, a nice vehicle when compared to most of the transportation I had during the years preceding this. I drove a 1972 Suburban for years, a three-door classic, no air conditioning, no radio, oh well you know the type of car, I spent a lot of time on the side of the road underneath it. My 1992 Suburban was an entirely different type of misery, sure it was comfortable, air-conditioned, and highly unpredictable. That diesel engine was trouble.

More than the motor being a problem the unpredictability was a much bigger concern, I never knew what would be the next problem. I was driving 3-1/2 hours to work, living in the Bay Area one of the plants I worked at occasionally was in the Central Valley, a long drive south on Interstate 5. I drove the interstate for 2-1/2 hours then turned East on highway 198, and drove another hour and a half to Hanford California. The drive there just fine, sometimes I would tow a 30-foot travel trailer then stay at the County Fairgrounds, thankfully this trip I decided to stay in a motel.

I generally worked there for 2-4 weeks, this time I was there for 3 weeks and ready to go home. We had a crew of 12 men, all Millwrights, rough old guy's who were all used to working killer long hours for weeks that seemed to never end. By the time the job ended we were all ready to leave and go home after all of our gear was loaded up on the company flatbed.

Hanford California, an old Western Cow Town.

I headed East on 198 to Interstate 5, it was a long drive and I was in no mood for car trouble, but this old Suburban would once again let me down. I had driven for about an hour, I had another 50 miles before I reached the Interstate, the intersection of State Route 269 and 198. The small town of 5 points is 20 miles to the north, Huron is 5 miles south, it is about as much in the middle of nowhere as a person can be on the West Side of the Central Valley. I stopped at the 4 way stop sign and gained speed when at 45 miles per hour my front right tire, wheel, and the whole circus removed itself from the truck and headed in a Northwest direction through the orchid. I skidded to the right side of the road and watched it roll for 1/4 mile and came to rest against a tree, waiting for me to fetch it.

The right front assembly had come completely apart, spindle, disc brake, and the lugs were broken, all in the middle of nowhere, and no one was on the road. It was hot, I was sitting in the shade of the orchard hoping one of my co-workers would drive by, but I had found out when I returned to work in the Bay Area all of them went North on highway 99. After sitting there for 1/2 hour a service truck pulled up behind the Suburban, three workers jumped out asking me in Spanish if I needed help. I took Spanish 4 times, or I started to learn Spanish, it just never "took". I am currently taking English classes online (free), for grammar, pronunciation, and writing, I just never could learn Spanish. After all of these years, I have learned to understand "broken" English/Spanish as most people in the Southwest do, it's a matter of survival.

They were Ranch Mechanics, highly skilled in maintaining farm equipment, processing machinery, and trucks, we looked at the damage and jumped in their truck. We drove to Huron, apparently, my new found buddies knew everyone in town, waving and honking so much I felt like I was in a parade. We bought parts, some had to be put together with a hydraulic press, and others torqued to specs, no problem they exclaimed. I had visions of huge hammers and a lot of cussing in the sand on the side of the road.

I couldn't have been more wrong, their truck had every tool imaginable like every farm maintenance truck does, so we got to work. Actually, they did most of the work, it would have taken me two days to repair the damage, the four of us finished in 2. I was back on the road after talking to the guy's for about an hour, they lived in the labor camp about a mile away with their families. They were a Godsend, I offered them money which they did not take, one must be careful when offering to pay in that situation. A good intention may easily be taken as an insult if not offered correctly, the Mexican people are very proud and many times the reward is helping someone in distress, these guy's were those type of people.

We call it paying forward, upon leaving they told me to pay them back by helping someone else, in the middle of nowhere that is the basic rule of humanity. It wouldn't be long until my turn to help someone did, in fact, present itself, I was 1 hour from home when I saw the truck broken down at the end of an exit, again in the middle of nowhere. Interstate 5 is a lonely, long stretch of road, sure there are plenty of traffic and gas stations, but between rest areas, gas stations, and turnoffs it's like watching a river flow past. The broken down truck was loaded with equipment, I imagined it was being driven by a guy like myself driving home from a worksite back to the San Francisco area. As I approached the truck the "stuff" it was carrying looked really familiar, I saw my toolbox, and other equipment unique to the crew I worked on, it was our driver. She is a wonderful person and a hard worker, I was happy in that deserted spot I was the one to pull up, I-5 is also a dangerous road, especially for a lady stranded. Whatever was wrong with the truck I don't recall, it did not take long to repair, she had all of the tools in her truck, and I had the skill. Sherrie had passed the intersection I was broken down at just before I did, so she missed me, I followed her back to the shop and all ended up well.

Dust storms on I-5 are common and dangerous. 

I kept a kit in my vehicle at all times, a full set of tools primarily because I drove junk and had to make plenty of roadside repairs. I would joke with people that I have broken down on every road in California, and it isn't far from the truth. I keep a case of water, an ice chest with a sandwich or two, flashlights, and blankets, I have had to spend the night on the side of roads as well. We didn't call them emergency kits in those days, it was just the supplies we needed in case something were to happen.

A part of being prepared is realizing what conditions we may run up against in a remote place, I have been stranded by dust storms and high winds on I-5, stopping traffic for hours. I was on 198 on 9/11, in front of the Navy base in Lemoore, I was stopped and searched, and I helped a sheepherder on highway 41 at Kettleman hills round up his sheep blocking the road after his truck flipped over. He was Portuguese, I definitely did not understand him, nor did he know what I was saying, but we did a lot of laughing. The potential for long delays is increased the more remote we go, or so it seems to me.

The trick is to expect a disaster to happen and set up the vehicle for it with water, food, flashlights, and whatever tools you may think might be needed. When driving through the desert, (I've done plenty of that too), have lots of water, enough for you and someone you may have to give a ride to if they are stranded. Prepare for the flat tire, if your car is new check to be sure it came with a spare tire, one of our daughters currently bought a new Volvo, it did not come with one. A set of jumper cables, a cell phone charger, and basic tools may be items to include in a trunk kit. A tarp or other means to make shade to stay out of the heat, or a ceramic pot and a candle as a heater for warmth may be in order.

We don't know where we could become stranded while traveling so it is best to keep a few supplies at least in your trunk at all times, I actually think we all prepare for travel more than we realize. Our commutes to work may take longer than usual when faced with an unexpected event, rain normally is the culprit. I was on a job 1/2 hour from home in the rain, it had been raining for days and we were in it all day every day. One day in particular at quitting time the sky opened up, the entire town was flooded, the freeways were rivers and the side roads were impassable. I spent 3 hours driving home, soaking wet, I was happy I had a change of clothes, water, and a sandwich in my Suburban.

The flash floods can get us also.

I will never forget the guy's that helped me in Huron, I stopped at the labor camp but they were gone, most likely moved along to another Ranch. It would have been tough to prepare for the incident I had in that desolate spot and the rarity of the mechanical failure I was faced with. I did have my tools, and other gear with me, indicating being prepared for most events, my rule of thumb is if a person can take care of 80% of what may happen we're doing pretty good. My goal is always to be prepared enough to take care of the needs of my family, and be a responder versus a victim when the chips are down. That to me is the goal of being self-reliant, self-aware, and being personally responsible for my actions. I view those as the trinity of being prepared.

Thanks for reading and sharing this blog, have you given thought to how much "stuff" should be in your car in case of a car failure, natural event or another delay in your journeys? Give it some thought before leaving on a road trip, determine what weather, wildfires, blizzards, or dust storms that may put a dampener on your plans; it generally pays off. Thanks again for reading and sharing.

jacquesandkate  EmergencyKitsPlus.com