Lunestia Trucking Inc: The Beginning

by mangoodbad13

Chapter 4

*Knock Knock*

Alex awoke quietly and pulled the curtains apart as quietly as he could. Navi didn't seem to have been awoken by the sound and Alex wanted to let her get as much sleep as possible. As he pulled the curtains apart slowly, the Velcro holding them closed made the usual obnoxiously loud tearing sound.

"What's wrong?" Navi had moved to sitting on her flank watching Alex's futile attempt at being quiet.

"Someone knocked, I bet it's time for us to go."

"Alright well quit messing around with that thing and move so I can get down."

Alex ripped the curtains the rest of the way apart and pushed them back behind the front seats. He then moved into the driver's seat and snapped the truck's key into the 'Accessory' position and rolled the window down.

"Good morning Alex! I trust you slept well?" Gear was standing with his forelegs on the bottom step of the truck, grinning up at Alex.

"Yeah I suppose so, what time is it?"

"It's 3AM," came Navi's voice from the sleeper.

"So I guess you're ready for us to get out of here?" Alex asked Gear.

"Indeed, in a couple of hours the town will wake up and you'll have a hard time making it down the streets. I wanted to let you sleep and have the guards clear a way but the princesses though it best if you left earlier." Gear moved away from the window and started walking toward the back of the truck.

Alex shrugged and started the rig up, putting it into a high idle to warm up faster.

"Think you can warn me before you do that next time? I nearly fell of this bed. Why's it so high anyway?" Navi called from the sleeper.

Alex chuckled, "You'll get used to it I hope. It's high so I don't hit my head when I sit up, besides, there's plenty of room up there, why not put it to some use?" Alex glanced back into the sleeper and saw Navi going through her various packs. He shrugged again and climbed out of the truck and headed to Gear.

"Well I guess it's not that early for me anyway, you get used to waking up at crazy hours as a trucker anyway." Alex said as he came up to Gear, who was inspecting his tire chains.

"Glad to hear it. Hey, how many tire chains do you have?" Gear poked a hoof at the chains hanging from their place on two rows of hooks with a locked piece of metal running over the top.

"Oh I just have what the DoT requires. Four double sets for my drive tires and a set for the trailer."

Gear turned to face Alex, "They seem to be in good shape, do you know how to put them on? You'll be needing them once you get further north."

Alex looked up toward the top of the trailer. He had never needed to chain up before. If it got so bad he would have to, he always decided it was time for a break and stopped driving until the roads cleared up. "Mostly? I mean they showed me how to during training and I'm pretty sure I still remember. The little metal tool to twist the metal things on the chains is in the baggage box."

"Yes those metal things on the chains are called Cams. Are you sure you know how to do it?"

Alex felt his face turn red from embarrassment. "Yeah...probably. I mean I have a book on how to do it in the truck. I figured if I needed to use chains some day I'd just wing it with that."

Gear sighed, "I'd love to show you how to do it right now but I'm afraid we don't have time. You need to get going."

Alex nodded then turned to climb back in the truck.

"Before you go, slide your fifth wheel further toward the front. You're overloaded as it is but having the extra weight on the steers will help you out. There aren't any weight limits here so don't worry about that."

Alex had opened the door and was climbing into the truck but looked over at Gear. "You sure know a lot about trucking." Alex said with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well these machines fascinate me. I've studied them quite a bit."

Alex decided that was a fair explanation and climbed into the truck. He then flipped a switch, released the truck's spring brakes, and put the truck in reverse.

"What does that do?" Navi asked. Alex looked over to see she was sitting in the jump seat in a way similar to how he was sitting; rump in the chair with her legs splayed out dangling over the edge and the seat belt buckled around her. He didn't see how she was comfortable.

"That released the locks on the fifth wheel. We're gonna slide it so we have more weight on the steer tires. Helps with traction."

Alex eased off the clutch and let the truck roll back very slowly until it hit a stop then flipped the switch back. He put the truck into low and tugged on the trailer to make sure the pins in the fifth wheel were locked in.

"They're locked, you're good to go," Gear called from below his window.

Alex looked down at him, "Alright we'll see ya later Gear."

"Safe travels my friend!"

Alex released the trailer's spring brakes as well and looked over at Navi. "Are you comfortable?"

"Not particularly. These seats were not designed with ponies in mind."

"Well if you want you can slide the seat forward with that bar under you hooves and then twist that nob on the left side of your seat to lean the seat back. That might let you sit in a more...natural way?"

Navi released the seatbelt with her magic and leaned forward to look for the bar. Once she found it she pulled it upward with her magic and wrapped a hoof around a handle near the windshield and slid the seat forward. Then she leaned to her left looking for the knob.

"I don't see what you were talking about," Navi said as she leaned further looking for it.

"Here let me...." Alex reached over to turn the knob and Navi lost her balance and fell off of the chair. Alex quickly wrapped an arm around just behind her forelegs and the other just before her hind legs. He tried to stop her from falling but was pulled off balance by her sudden weight and they both fell on the floor between the seats.

"Ouch..." Alex shook his head and found himself on his hands and knees above Navi. Her forelegs were sticking up on either side of his rib cage and her hind legs were on either side of his hips. Alex felt his face flush immediately and stared down into her eyes.

"Are you going to get off of me or kiss me?" Navi said narrowing her eyes.

"Oh um I'll move," Alex quickly scrambled back up and into his seat. Navi got up and found the know to lean the seat back, the climbed into her own seat.

"You uh...smell nice." Alex said as he put the truck into first gear and eased off the clutch. He didn't want to look over at Navi so he preoccupied himself with the gauges and driving.

Navi blushed hard, "Thanks? I guess? You're going to make a right the first chance you get then follow that straight out of the city."

Navi found the she was more comfortable. She rested with her rump in the seat but since the seat back wasn't in the way she could keep her back legs under her and he forelegs resting either on the seat or the dash in front of her.

"This seat is terrible. The seats on the trains are more comfortable." Navi complained as Alex made the right on the cobblestone streets.

"Oh you need to put some air in the seat, it'll ride smoother then. Just push that button next to the knob you twisted earlier."

Navi felt around with a hoof and found the button. She pushed it and a hissing sound came from her seat, which caused the seat to lift up. "How much do I put in it?" Navi asked as the seat rose slowly.

"However much it takes to make you comfortable really. Just don't fill it all the way up, it'll be even less comfortable if you do."

Navi played with the button and found a comfortable position. As they moved down the road the truck shook from the rough streets but she didn't feel any of it.

"Ok I take that back, these seats are nice."

"Yeah, they're made to be as comfortable as possible. Truckers spend way more time in their seats than anyone else so they go the extra mile on the trucks."

Navi nodded and wrapped the seatbelt back around herself and clicked it in.

Alex glanced over at Navi. He was glad that she seemed more comfortable now. "Well got a long trip ahead of us right?" Alex asked.

"Indeed we do. It'll take us a month or so to reach the Crystal Empire. In a few days we'll reach the snow and ice so you better be prepared."

"It's probably nothing I haven't seen before," Alex said as he grinned.

"Oh no, this is definitely something you've never seen before,"

Author's Note:

Alright another chapter done! My tablet died on me so I got a brand new one, woo hoo. Also a picture of the cab of Alex's truck from the sleeper. Perhaps a picture of the sleeper coming soon.

Comments

[djponyfl]

another fantastic chapter you have here, and I can't wait to read more of it.

[DustTraveller]

If that's the cab of Alex's truck... then I need to buy me a goddamn truck. Tell me, do they come in asian?

[Reactor]

I take it that's your truck? Nice going btw, your story seems very promising. :)

[mangoodbad13]

5390292
That is indeed my truck...or well...it was. The Company gave me a new one on Monday so that's cool. 2015 year model no less.
5379297
Well I don't know what would be different for an Asian version but the seats adjust way, way more than in a car so no matter what, anyone could drive one. They even have automatic versions so no double clutching.

[DustTraveller]

5394934 Sorry dude, I was funnin' ya. For some reason, the original picture that was linked in your comment was a very attractive and well endowed hispanic woman in, if I recall, an orange shirt. I assumed that you had mistakenly linked to the wrong picture, and was trying to give you a laugh and a hint that your picture was the wrong one. I see that it is now actually a truck cab, so of course the joke doesn't work anymore.

Ah well. For the record, that is a nice cab.

[djponyfl]

Update please?

[djponyfl]

Will this story be continued?

[mangoodbad13]

5902483 Yes I have every intention of continuing the story. The past 6 months have been incredibly difficult for me. I developed severe arthritis in my hips, ankles, and knees and got to the point that I couldn't walk more than 200 feet on a good day. It took all I had to make it through my driving shifts and when I slept, I rarely got more than 6 hours because I'd wake up in pain. However, I've finally gotten started on the proper treatment. You'd be surprised how hard it can be to convince a doctor that you have a severe and debilitating problem. Now I'm on some very good and very expensive medication ($4k per month). Good thing about driving for a big company is that my health insurance rocks so my medications won't cost me anything.

On a side note, giving yourself an injection in the stomach fat hurts a lot. I wouldn't recommend it.

Look for an update this weekend!

[djponyfl]

5902600 Ok.

I hope everything continues to get better; and thinks for answering my question.

[Diezel Riggz]

5902600
yeah get better. I've got a family member who's got arthritis in his back (I think?) and he can't sleep in a second floor room but he's had to deal with it as far back as I can remember, but it probably didn't help he was born in a Taxi so he's stuck with it (I think?) anyway u might not be so fight it and don't give up!

[fnaf1987]

PLEASE continue this story!!!!! i want to find out what happens on there way to the crystal empire

[Vegan Bacon]

breaker one nine you got a copy on me mangoodbad13 cmon?