“Fill Up While You Wait!” — How a truck driver’s request and a lively waitress made a story worth telling
It was a cold morning outside of a tiny town where the highways are long, the coffee is hot, and the diner is always open. A large rig rolled into the parking lot of a truck stop café just off Interstate 40, and the door opened with a jingle. A guy who drove a truck came in, took off his hat, and sat down at the counter. His boots were muddy, and his plaid shirt was crumpled from being on the road for hours.
Heather, the new waitress, was excited and thrilled to be working. It was only her second week working the morning rush, so she was determined to make a good impression. She smiled and gave the truck driver a menu, but he waved it away.
“Three flat tires, a set of headlights, and some running boards, please.”
Heather blinked. She was confused as she looked down at her pad. Was this breakfast just for mechanics?
She wrote it down like he directed her to and proceeded into the kitchen, trying not to look too confused. She said to the short-order cook behind the griddle, “Hey, Joe, there’s a guy at the counter who just asked for three flat tires, two headlights, and some running boards.” Does he believe we fix vehicles here?
Joe grinned and flipped the pancake like he had been doing it for thirty years. “That’s not true, honey. That’s just what truckers say.” Three flat tires are like pancakes. Headlights are like eggs that are sunny-side up. What are running boards? Those are two chunks of bacon that are crispy.
Heather laughed because she thought it was hilarious and because she was happy. “I’ve never done that before.”
She had an idea while she was putting the order together. She walked over to the warmer, got a little dish of baked beans, and put it on the tray with the other things.
She set the plate in front of the truck driver when she returned back to her desk. He grinned. But then he noticed the second dish.
He raised an eyebrow and said, “What are the beans for?”
Heather leaned in and smiled so brightly that the jukebox lighted up.
“While you wait for your flat tires, headlights, and running boards, you might as well fill up your gas tank!”
The truck driver laughed so hard that he almost spilled his coffee. A few other people at the corner booth listened and laughed along, shaking their heads.
He nodded and gave her a big tip. He remarked, “That’s what I call good service.” “I’ll be back tomorrow for a full tune-up.”
Someone snapped a picture of the happy waitress and the truck driver who was still chuckling into his coffee before the moment was over. “Best roadside stop this side of Tennessee” was the caption that went with it on social media.
Later that day, there was another Heather moment with a truck driver.
After her flight, Heather did some things around town. When she stopped at a red light, she saw a salt truck carefully spreading grit over the road. She was curious and saw something odd: little bits seemed to be falling off the rear. She thought fast, drew up next to the car, honked her horn, and opened her window.
When the man turned, she yelled “Hello!” over the wind. You are losing some of your load, and my name is Heather.
The light turned green when the truck driver blinked and waved his hand in a confused way. They both kept going.
They stopped at another light a few blocks later. She parked right next to him again.
“Hey! Hey, it’s Heather again! Your load is still getting smaller!
No answer. When the light turned green, they just nodded and moved forward.
Heather was determined to make her warning plain by the third light. She waved her arms a lot, rolled down the window again, and said, “Hi!” “Hey, I’m Heather.”
The driver finally opened his window, grinned, and said, “Hey, Heather.” Kevin is my name. There is snow on the ground. “I’m driving a truck full of salt.”
There was a pause. Heather laughed, feeling both shy and amazed. “Okay, Kevin, go ahead,” she said with a thumbs-up.
They both chuckled when the light turned green, and Kevin waved farewell and drove away with a smile.
The pauses we make along the journey, not just the destination, are what make the best memories. Heather’s day showed one thing:
A cup of beans, a kind heart, and a bright mind can go a long way.
