As embarrassing as it is to admit, this is based on a recent experience of mine. Of all of the things I have managed to steer clear of in my trucking career, this simple mistake that many before me have previously made, became something I would not escape any longer one fateful morning. All was going well, the sun was shining and I was preplanned on several loads for the morning in advance. In my mind, things could not have been any better, for a day of work at least. I am known for truly a creature of habit and follow routines with my deliveries that are like a second nature to me. It is this exact repetition in my regimen that would also be my undoing on this one.
It was a delivery like any other that I make several times a day and I was delivering a load of paint to a regular customer of mine. This particular customer was located in an industrial park on the hill at the top of a relatively steep graded ascent. Being that their loads are always heavy, it is a strenuous climb for the truck’s engine, so I decided this time to idle the engine to help cool it down for the couple minutes while I checked in and got my drop paperwork signed. This differs from my usual habit of not idling anywhere and shutting down at almost every other customer upon arrival to help reduce fuel usage, engine wear and to better comply with the state’s anti-idling laws. Usually, my routine is to set the parking brake, make sure I have my wallet with ID, grab the bills, shut down the truck, remove my keys from the ignition, three-point contact my way out of the cab, then reach up to lock the door. Like a true creature of habit, this is pretty standard procedure for every delivery I make and deviation is not my norm. This particular time, I followed my routine exactly, with the simple exception of not shutting down the truck and removing my keys.
I continued my routine as usual without missing a beat and checked in, received a door to drop in, was given a door to remove an empty trailer from and got my paperwork signed. I then returned to my truck to open the door and get my work gloves, so that I could open the trailer doors prior to backing in the 
trailer, but this time was different. In all my years as a truck driver I had not had this feeling, but as I pulled on the door handle and nothing happened, my heart sunk into my stomach! Realizing the truck was still running, it struck me that the keys were still in the ignition and I was locked out of my truck with the engine running! Peering through the driver's side door and seeing what is pictured here through the window as I looked down into the truck, only aided to confirm my "Doh!" moment!
As the reality of this event took hold I like to think I reacted as most would when confronted with this situation; panic, look for a coat hanger or wire only to realize it would probably do more harm than good, try the other door, try other Freightliner keys, look for a special trap door or button, and even pray it would magically unlock itself somehow. After about twenty minutes of wasted efforts from myself and a few other drivers delivering there that I knew, I decided I was a professional truck driver, but by no means a professional locksmith! It was time to call in the big guns and rely on the professionals to get the job done right. With a quick call to AAA, a friendly locksmith from Pop-a-Lock was out to my location within ten minutes and had the door unlocked with his specialized tools within another ten minutes. Yes, I realize this is a shorter amount of time than my original stage of panic and unsuccessful efforts, which tends to add to the embarrassment of this story! Remember to not let yourself get so complacent in your routine that a slight deviation can derail your entire operation. Developing a good 
routine is important and helps when remembering details, but do not forget to adjust for change in your normal operating procedures. Last but not least, when in doubt, do not hesitate to call in a professional. You are a professional in your area of expertise and people turn to you to get the goods delivered safely and on time, so likewise you should remember that there are other professionals in various other fields to help you when you are in a pinch! A special thanks to my new friend at Pop-a-Lock for getting me out of a tight spot in a hurry!