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