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This comes third-hand, so take it as you will, but the image in my head was too funny not to share.
I have a friend whose father drives steel trucks. You know, the kind that have one or two big rolls of steel on the back of a tractor-trailer flatbed, chained down with lots of heavy-duty chains. He worked for a shipping company that had a contract with the local steel mill.
One day, his load consisted of one large roll of steel, going off to Detroit. He was taking a break at a truck stop when there was a great crash outside, and felt the floor jump in the diner. Everyone ran outside to see what had happened.
It seems two dinky-links had gotten the idea to steal his load. They first pulled up their truck to the back of his, then undid the chains holding it down. At this point they had the problem of getting the roll moving, as steel rolls can wiegh between 20-50 tons. Somehow, and I can only guess he was parked on a slope, the two got the roll moving with a couple of big pry bars. The steel rolled down the flatbed and off the end to the waiting truck. It is at this point a painful flaw in their plans becomes apparent.
The truck they were driving for the heist was a Ford Ranger.
The steel roll, assisted by gravity (ever a harsh mistress!), crashed into the bed, snapped the rear axle, and put a dent in the pavement almost six inches deep. The two would-be theives were caught as they were staring unbelievably at the truck-carnage. My friends father got a nice long break as he had to wait for the mill's inspection team to show up, and a mobile crane to be hired to move the roll back to his truck. My friend reports that, all told, the outer couple of layers were stripped from the roll as damaged, but the rest was completely A-OK. The Ranger, however, had to be cut up and wedged out of the crater. The two fellows (who really should have taken some physics classes) went up for Grand Larceny charges, and spent some time with the nice gentlemen in the local prison.
I have a friend whose father drives steel trucks. You know, the kind that have one or two big rolls of steel on the back of a tractor-trailer flatbed, chained down with lots of heavy-duty chains. He worked for a shipping company that had a contract with the local steel mill.
One day, his load consisted of one large roll of steel, going off to Detroit. He was taking a break at a truck stop when there was a great crash outside, and felt the floor jump in the diner. Everyone ran outside to see what had happened.
It seems two dinky-links had gotten the idea to steal his load. They first pulled up their truck to the back of his, then undid the chains holding it down. At this point they had the problem of getting the roll moving, as steel rolls can wiegh between 20-50 tons. Somehow, and I can only guess he was parked on a slope, the two got the roll moving with a couple of big pry bars. The steel rolled down the flatbed and off the end to the waiting truck. It is at this point a painful flaw in their plans becomes apparent.
The truck they were driving for the heist was a Ford Ranger.
The steel roll, assisted by gravity (ever a harsh mistress!), crashed into the bed, snapped the rear axle, and put a dent in the pavement almost six inches deep. The two would-be theives were caught as they were staring unbelievably at the truck-carnage. My friends father got a nice long break as he had to wait for the mill's inspection team to show up, and a mobile crane to be hired to move the roll back to his truck. My friend reports that, all told, the outer couple of layers were stripped from the roll as damaged, but the rest was completely A-OK. The Ranger, however, had to be cut up and wedged out of the crater. The two fellows (who really should have taken some physics classes) went up for Grand Larceny charges, and spent some time with the nice gentlemen in the local prison.
The company I deal with produces aluminum coils so I know what you mean. Even aluminum coils can weigh in at 15 tons, these things aren't the aluminum foil you find in the grocery store. I can picture quite well that huge coil having crushed that truck to bits, the coil sitting there proud and defiant as ever. I remember years ago a picture in the Charleston news paper about a truck carrying aluminum coils that overturned on I-64. It showed that aluminum sheet, all 50000+ feet of it, unrolled neatly down the highway.
I don't blame him, I'd be snickering myself. I'd have probably died right there trying to hold back the laughter. 
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