Each day, I get Google news alerts based on keywords such as trucking and tractor-trailer. The vast majority of it is bad news or simply banal -- truck wrecks, lawsuits, editorials decrying the industry's desire to have safety regulations that actually make sense.

But there are exceptions, from the heart-warming to the head-scratching to the just plain fun. Here are a few from recent days:

Record-Setting Truck Jump

At Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana, Gregg Godfrey jumped a semi-truck 166 feet, obliterating the previous record of 62 feet, reports Fox Sports.

The 2007 Baja 1000 winner had set the record for the longest semi-truck ramp jump at 50 feet in 2008.

Check out this page for more info and videos of the jump from several different angles.

The Case of the Missing Truck Driver

On the morning of September 2, 2006, Ralph Healey went to breakfast and got a call about a job hauling cattle. He never showed up for the job. By 1:30 p.m., the truck driver was gone without a trace. His daschund, which he never left without, was still at his home. A body wa never found.

Now investigators in Canadian County, Okla., are digging back into the cold case. According to KFOR.com, the case recently was assigned to Lt. Mike Grimes with the county Sheriff's Department. “My goal is to chase down all those rumors and find out what’s really involved.”

Tackling the California Drought

In south Napa, one trucking company installed a system to use reclaimed water to water its landscaping, saving itself money and responding to the state's drought.

As the Napa Valley Register reports, Biagi Bros. trucking has painted part of the water main outside its headquarters a light purple, along with the cement lids that cover underground water connections.

The purple means the water inside is recycled water, says the paper. "Biagi Bros. recently spent $50,000 connecting their irrigation system to underground recycled water pipes. The trucking company will save an estimated $21,000 per year by using the reclaimed water on its landscaping."