Strangest Cargo Ever Hauled By Commercial Trucks
Commercial vehicle drivers move a wide variety of cargo, from clothing and furniture to electronics, food, and construction materials. Just like many urban legends out there and scary trucking stories that will keep you awake on your next route, some drivers haul more unusual freight that makes for some intriguing tales from the road. If you’re partial to the peculiar, then check out our list of some of the strangest cargo ever hauled by commercial trucks.
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Gold Bars
One Facebook user recalled the time he traveled with one pallet in the center of a 45-foot trailer from Rhode Island to New York. This pallet was piled high with gold bars on its way to New York’s Diamond District. This valuable freight even required a police escort to ensure a safe pick-up and delivery.
Polar Bear
It’s not uncommon for commercial vehicle drivers to transport live animals, such as cattle, pigs, chickens, and horses. However, several drivers shared stories of less-common animals they’ve hauled. This includes one operator who mentioned they delivered a polar bear from the Tucson Zoo to Los Angeles International Airport.
Pennies
A Reddit user mentioned a few stories of strange cargo transported by his grandfather, who actually inspired him to become a truck driver. One of these weird cargo hauls included a load of pennies. Instead of being rolled into coin wrappers, these pennies were simply poured loose and ended up maxing out the weight of the truck. Once the truck arrived at its destination, the pennies were vacuumed out with a giant hose.
Rawhides
On Facebook, Ruben G. posted about the time he transported rawhides for a leather plant. Instead of using a refrigerated truck, the shipment was hauled in a dry van. Ruben wrote, “[It] basically destroyed the trailer for future food loads. [It was] rendered [a] biohazard after about a week.” This might have been avoided with the use of a reefer truck, which has metal floors that are easy to wash after transporting messy goods.
Rhinoceros
Another tale of an unexpected animal haul comes from Danny G. on Facebook. Danny transported two rhinos from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Michigan. Each rhino came from Kenya in a separate metal crate. Those crates were loaded into Danny’s refrigerated truck, set to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the truck was escorted all the way to Michigan.
Space Shuttle Endeavour
It’s not every day that you see a space shuttle, especially not on the road. Motorists were beyond surprised when they caught a glimpse of the space shuttle Endeavour as it traveled 12 miles from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center in 2012. The shuttle occupied six highway lanes and made our list of five of the biggest objects ever moved on the road.
T. Rex Skull
Rarely will you ever get the chance to be up close and personal with dinosaur remains outside of a museum or laboratory—unless you’re a paleontologist or scientist. However, on a most unusual route assignment, driver Micky K. transported the skull of a T. rex to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum.
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Whether you’re hauling traditional goods or have a strange shipment, you’ll need a reliable vehicle to make the delivery. And if you ever find yourself behind the wheel of a rig with weird cargo or oversized loads, be sure to follow the rules of the road like the drivers from these tales. Note: These anecdotes were submitted through our social media and other electronic accounts, but Commercial Truck Trader has not independently verified them.
Arielle Patterson
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