And from the trucks as heroes file…
Getting stuck stinks! When a good Samaritan comes along to pull you out of an aggravating jam, they’re the biggest hero on Earth. They restore your faith in humanity and you can’t wait to shake their hand.
Here are three video clips that will make you want to check your truck or van for a tow line, because you never know when it might come in handy. You’ll see a variety of trucks, but it’s two older Dodge Dakotas that really stand out.
The first clip features a mid-size 2002 Dodge Dakota with, thankfully, a 5.2-liter V8 because it’s going to need all the help it can get. The truck struggles, but it stays at it and it gets the job done pulling a tractor-trailer that well exceeds its towing capacity. The person who uploaded the video said that the starter in his dad’s big rig went bad and needed a bump start. Oh, and the writer says his dad’s hiring CDL drivers. Smart advertising, because their video’s already gotten 18,010 since being posted Tuesday.
The second video features a train of SUVs and a pickup pulling a big rig uphill through a snow storm in Colorado Springs. I’ve lived in Colorado and I know how bad snow storms can get, and so do these heroes who team up and go to the aid of this tractor trailer.
Unfortunately, no one went to the aid of the woman filming this rare sight. She kept shaking the camera like a 50 cent can of spray paint.
While the video’s gotten 30,439 hits as of Friday afternoon, it’s also gotten plenty of complaints about shaky camera work. YouTube offers a feature to help correct camera wobble in post-production, but alas, it looks like no one bothered to take that step. Too bad.
The last video features another Dodge Dakota going to the rescue. This time it’s an oil truck that’s stuck in the snow. It’s gotten 140,778 views to date.
Chris O., who plays the hero, posted the clip and said that the oil truck was stuck in about six inches of hard snow. Prior to helping the trucker, Chris says he had to first drive home about ten minutes away to get his 2000 Dodge Dakota SLT Quad Cab 4×4 with a 4.7-liter V8.
Chris says the trucker didn’t think the mid-size pickup could pull it off. And at first in the video, it certainly appears that way. Chris reports that he had forgotten to put the truck into 4×4 low. With his truck struggling in 4×4 high, he realized his mistake and quickly changed into 4×4 low. That did the trick.
After the grateful truck driver shakes Chris’s hand, he pulls out his wallet and tries to pay him.
“Dude, don’t worry about it. No way. No way,” Chris says as he turns down the cash.
“Thanks for helping me,” the truck driver says.
“It was fun. Not a problem,” Chris responds.
“You sure?” the truck driver asks.
“Yeah, piece of cake.”