| Over the years, the truck driver has made for | | | | as not being ironic in the slightest, I did |
| a great series of stories. Amidst the | | | | assume that the various incarnations of this |
| standard tales of traffic jams, incredible | | | | story I've heard must be the same kind of |
| journeys and more incredible bad driving, | | | | embellishment as Ms Morissette recorded. Not |
| when involved with a freight exchange, you | | | | true, as it turns out. In January 2004, an |
| hear the type of outlandish tales more | | | | Indiana man won $73,450 on an Indiana |
| commonly associated with fishermen. In | | | | lottery, and was run over by a truck within |
| researching this article, I found too that | | | | hours of winning it big. Wearing dark |
| lorries and lorry drivers are commonly | | | | clothing the winner of a 'Hoosier Millionaire |
| associated with horror stories, and tales | | | | competition', Carl Atwood, 73, was walking |
| (and images) too gruesome to write about | | | | round a corner on a poorly lit intersection |
| here. Suffice it to say, there's an awful lot | | | | when he was struck by the truck, later dying |
| of truths and non truths spread in the | | | | in hospital. On the show, which was |
| anecdotes about truckers. Here, I've taken | | | | televised, Atwood had expressed his surprise |
| three lorry tales- and discovered two of them | | | | at winning and stated his plans to "purchase |
| to be verifiable truthful. The remaining one | | | | a very nice car." The Allman Brothers album |
| is equally exposed as fake. I'm going to list | | | | "Eat a Peach" is a hidden reference to Duane |
| them all, allowing readers to guess which is | | | | Allman's death at the wheels of a lorry |
| untrue - I shall then provide the specifics | | | | carrying peaches. While it's true that Duane |
| of each one. A) Elvis Presley was once told | | | | Allman died in a collision with a lorry in |
| to "Stick to driving a truck, because you'll | | | | Georgia (a state associated with peaches) |
| never make it as a singer." B) A man was run | | | | months before the release of the "Eat a |
| over by a truck within hours of winning a | | | | Peach", and it's also true that the album art |
| lottery C) The Allman Brothers album "Eat a | | | | does show a truck with a giant peach on board |
| Peach" is a hidden reference to Duane | | | | labelled "Allman Brothers", the album is not |
| Allman's death at the wheels of a lorry | | | | a direct reference to the death of the |
| carrying peaches. Has everyone made their | | | | talented young guitarist. The truth is the |
| guesses? Okay - here's the answer. C is an | | | | lorry that Duane Allman collided with was a |
| urban legend, while A and B are verifiably | | | | flatbed truck with a lumber crane. Suffering |
| correct. Here's some background information | | | | no externally visible injuries, Duane held |
| to each lorry story: Elvis Presley was once | | | | onto life immediately following the crash |
| told to "Stick to driving a truck, because | | | | before dying in surgery with massive internal |
| you'll never make it as a singer" While | | | | injuries three hours later. The album's title |
| auditioning for a lead-singer position in a | | | | is less interestingly a reference to a |
| Memphis band, Eddie Bond, 21, informed the 19 | | | | comment Duane once made in a magazine |
| year old truck driver, Elvis Presley that he | | | | interview. When asked how he was helping the |
| should "stick to driving a truck, because | | | | revolution, Allman replied that "...every |
| you'll never make it as a singer." This is | | | | time I'm in Georgia, I eat a peach for |
| the account of a mutual friend, while Bond | | | | peace." Fans of the band have also suggested |
| himself claims the club's owners forced him | | | | that the album's reverse cover art - an image |
| to make the decision. Either way, Elvis was | | | | of a vehicle carrying a giant watermelon - |
| rejected and left looking for his big break. | | | | was a reference to fellow band member Berry |
| It would come in just a few short months. | | | | Oakley's similar motorcycle accident at the |
| "That's All Right (Mama)" was a big hit in | | | | wheels of fruit lorry is also revealed as |
| Memphis, and Eddie Bond issued an invitation | | | | falsehood, first by the fact that he collided |
| for Elvis to join them after all. | | | | with a bus, and secondly that his death was 9 |
| Understandably, Elvis decided to turn him | | | | months after the release of the album. Any |
| down - but not to "stick to driving a truck." | | | | hidden message would therefore be an |
| A man was run over by a truck within hours of | | | | inaccurate feat of clairvoyance. |
| winning a lottery When I first heard this | | | | |
| one, I immediately thought of the Alanis | | | | Luke Humble is the Website manager for The |
| Morissette song, "Ironic", which begins with | | | | Transport Exchange Group. Haulage Exchange - |
| the lines "An old man turned ninety-eight, he | | | | a freight exchange for the 7.5 tonne and over |
| won the lottery and died the next day." While | | | | market - is one of the UK's fastest growing |
| the subjects of the song are well documented | | | | exchanges. |