In the rural Mojave Desert, a lonesome driver maneuvers his behemoth of a vehicle on rough and rugged country roads to ensure local businesses receive their goods in Tecopa, California.
“There’s no way that truck should come up here, but man, he made it happen,” Ross Dykman told the Times-Bonanza.
Dykman owns and operates Tecopa Mines, a tour business that allows visitors to explore historic underground mines. He met Floyd the FedEx driver a month ago when he needed batteries delivered for his solar power system. On the day of delivery, FedEx told Dykman a semi truck was going to be arriving at his property.
“It’s not the smoothest or gentlest driveway,” Dykman explained. “And trucks have come up here before. UPS will sometimes, FedEx Ground has been known to, but I’ve never seen a semi truck up here.”
To make things easier, Dykman decided to meet the semi truck at the end of the road and transfer the batteries onto his own truck trailer. When Dykman met Floyd at the end of the road, he planned on moving the batteries to his trailer, but to his surprise, Floyd insisted on driving them all the way up the road.
“I just wanted to see him do it at that point,” Dykman joked.
Floyd then drove the semi truck all the way up the road and unloaded the batteries. He added that Floyd accomplished the herculean transportation task without hitting anything or getting stuck.
“He came up just like he drove there a million times,” Dykman recapped. “I couldn’t believe it. I was thinking I was going to have a day’s labor with those things.”
Dykman said Floyd hasn’t delivered to him since, but he offered him a free mine tour that day and hopes he takes him up on it.
“He made it look so easy and he had this great disposition,” Dykman enthused. “It’s nice to see somebody who really enjoys their job and Floyd struck me as that kind of guy.”
Floyd also delivers to the China Ranch Date Farm, another business in Tecopa, California, that specializes in date cultivation.
“Floyd is dauntless in his delivery of packages out here in the middle of nowhere,” said China Ranch Date Farm business manager Christy Horne. “He’s out there at least three times a week and it’s not easy.”
Horne said Floyd is as much a part of the community as Tecopa’s residents. She added that he’s been delivering to them for years and that she was finally able to make Floyd his first date shake a few months ago.
“He just is always smiling,” Horne stated. “He’s always a really bright part of my day.”
Dykman of Tecopa Mines has a YouTube video about Floyd’s delivery. Watch it at youtube.com/@tecopamines
Contact reporter Elijah Dulay edulay@pvtimes.com