Written and Read by the Author

Uncommon Carriers begins and ends with a look at Don Ainsworth and his sixty-five
foot, five-axle chemical tanker truck that carries all sorts of hazardous chemicals
throughout the United States. Ainsworth treats his rig with the pride and concern
a parent treats his or her first child. He makes sure it is immaculate and only uses
filtered water to clean it. He prides himself on being able to navigate the steepest
descents without resort to his brakes. Rather, like a chess player he plans his
downshifting (over 18 gears) in such a way as to keep the rig at an appropriately
safe speed. Next we travel to Grenoble, France where masters of huge containerships
or tankers spend a week in an advanced simulation exercise using large models of
their vessels that sharpen their skills as they navigate the world's oceans. As with
Ainsworth, McPhee provides us with the voices of these international seamen as they
dissect their performance. McPhee goes on to include chapters on a tug and barge-
master moving a tremendous amount of tonnage on the narrow confines of the Illinois
River; a walk through the enormous air cargo sorting facility at UPS's facility at
the airport in Louisville, Kentucky. Finally, we get a look at the country's coal
trains, moving millions of tons of coal a year on mile long freight trains from coal
mines in Wyoming to energy facilities around the country.

Download File Size:128.83 MB

---