Wheelman

Wheelmen by Steve Johnson

"We got a little bit of local color happening here at the truck. Couple carloads of banditos snuck up off the side road and are so hot on my back door I'm startin' to think the Devil's finally comin' for me. Way these guys look, I'd believe they're the spawn of Satan. Driver on the right flank looks like the bastard son of Boris Karloff and rabid badger, and he's the good-lookin' one in the bunch. Big gun's keeps overheatin' and Tonya's spendin' half her time trying to take 'em out with dirty looks. So if it's not too much trouble I'd appreciate it if a couple of you would circle up, circle back, circle sideways if you have to. Just circle the damn wagons!"--Jerry Kolasa, Gear Jammer

Convoys live on the road, so everybody knows how to drive, but when everything hits the fan you need more than just somebody who can drive. That's where the wheelman comes in. The term is used for drivers of both genders, with "Lady" sometimes added when the speaker wants to explicitly express that a driver is a woman. Wheelmen are expert drivers who combine precision, speed, and instinct to maneuver through combat and other tricky situations. When you need to outrun raiders or cross half-collapsed bridge, you want a wheelman in the driver's seat.
Like grunts, wheelmen usually come in one of two flavors. Gear Jammers specialize in large vehicles that usuallly have either have more than four wheels or no wheels at all: semi trucks, buses, bulldozers, that kind of thing. If you need someone to back up a trailer or operate a backhoe, look for a Gear Jammer. Hot-Rodders are masters of speed and evasion, following in the grand bootlegger tradition of crazy stunts and white-knuckle driving.

Career

Qualifications

In addition to the nerves and reflexes necessary to drive through Hell and back, wheelmen need to be able to quickly get a feel for any vehicle they're driving so they know what they can get away with while driving it. They also need enough mechanical knowledge to recognize problems before they cause a breakdown and to make routine roadside repairs when a breakdown is unavoidable. Familiarity with the still-drivable roads is helpful, but road conditions change quickly thanks to giant bugs, fallout, and people blocking the highway to keep people out or set up ambushes, making a good eye for danger and the ability to improvise equally important.

Perception

Demographics

Wheelmen who were in the workforce before the Boom were usually truck drivers, cabbies, delivery drivers, or other transportation experts, with a handful of cops, daredevils, and criminals thrown in. Older truckers who can still handle life on the road and remember the pre-Interstate highways are particularly useful when a convoy needs to find an alternate route. Younger drivers who are learning the ropes usually ride shotgun with a  more experienced driver, taking the wheel when they convoy doesn't expect any trouble.

Operations

Tools

At minimum, a wheelman needs a vehicle. While they're expected to be able to drive anything they're needed to drive, those who own or regularly drive a particular vehicle tend to get attached, making them very particular about the use and maintenance of their baby. If something happens to a wheelman's rig, they tend to react like an old friend just died.
In addition to the car itself, most wheelmen keep a toolbox, bag, or five-gallon bucket full of screwdrivers, wrenches, tire irons, and other useful tools that goes with them whenever the switch cars. Spare parts, especially those that are reasonably universal or can be altered to work on most vehicles--fan belts, wiper blades, fuses, etc.--can also come in handy.

Materials

In addition to plenty of gasoline, wheelmen try to make sure their vehicle is well-stocked with motor oil, transmission fluid, and all the other consumables needed to keep things running smoothly. To keep the driver going, most keep strong coffee or more powerful stimulants on hand.

Provided Services

In camp, wheelmen make more routine deliveries, often traveling to outposts or neighboring camps. Gear jammers can also be found driving tractors, operating construction equipment, or even patroling the perimeter in salvaged military vehicles. Hot-rodders who aren't part of a convoy often act as Ponyboys (or Ponygirls), making long-distance speed runs to other camps or dinertowns to pick up or deliver time-sensitive supplies or pass along vital information. Like the Pony Express riders their name is derived from, ponyboys usually travel alone through dangerous territory on the fastest transport available. Most have their own heavily-modified hot rod for the task.

Dangers & Hazards

Automobile accidents, Vehicular Homicide, Regular Homicide

Alternative Names

Getaway Driver, Leadfoot, Night Rider, Road Hog, Road Warrior, Speed Demon, Trucker

Type

Transportation