We were working in Lakeway laying a wastewater off a really steep hill. This was back in the late 1970’s.

I ordered gravel that came all the way from Georgetown. I would place an order for 200 tons, about 10 truckloads, but 2 trucks would show up.

The next day the same scenario played out. We were really needing some gravel, if we were ever going to finish that job.

I decided I would get that truckers attention so I ordered 1000 tons. I figured that way I may get my 200 tons that I needed. I was a Friday. If we were going to get off that hill, we were going to needed to work Saturday. But without gravel, nothing could happen.

The trucking company we used was one of the largest in town. At that time they had a huge contract hauling to Houston.

About mid afternoon that day I heard unusually heavy radio chatter on my CB Radio. Being in the days before cell phones, most of us and all the truckers had CB’s. I couldn’t recall ever hearing that many truckers talking at once, even in the middle of the city, much less out in a more rural area.

They were all trying to figure the best way into that Lewis Project at Lakeway.

Just about the whole fleet had gotten back from Houston that day and the dispatcher decided to put as big of a dent as possible in that 1000 ton order so they loaded about 25 or 30 trucks and headed them my way. The only problem, I only really needed about half that much gravel to finish the project.

When I saw what was happening, I hurriedly called and canceled any of the order that wasn’t already loaded.

I survive that little ordeal. We had another job not so far away, so over time I was able to reload it and transport it down the road a little ways.

I was dang glad he didn’t have 40 trucks roll back in from Houston that afternoon.