Caffee's Travels

Vocal Communication

2010-10-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

In the ten years, we have been on the road I have never been a proponent of the citizens band radio (CB). When we first came out on the road as newbie’s we thought we had to have the CB on to be “real” truck drivers.

I like noise I can control and the CB all the sudden coming to life and someone telling me they have their panties on or that there is a bear at mile marker so and so was more then I could bear. When we started, the CB volume was set to low, but when we would get close to a town, I was amazed at how the CB came to life. We were requested to stop in at such and such a truck stop to get our CB worked on. I thought wow if I can hear you on my CB it must have been working. While near El Paso, the CB would go crazy with voices advertising day trips to Juarez, Mexico for any sinful delight your imagination could think of. There were also the constant belittling of other drivers, from women, drivers with an accent or someone asking for a bear report. Finally, enough was enough and the CB was turned off for good.

Our next entertainment was XM radio and that was a miracle! We could finally listen to the radio from coast to coast without channels fading in and out as we approached or left cities. The amazement of that new invention lasted for several years. We listened to talk shows to improve our trucking business and received a very thorough education. When driving late at night we are able to listen to broadband of music to suit both of our tastes. How in the world did we ever drive without XM?

The next amazing gadget to come along was the cell phone that was not in a bag! We could not talk to family and friends at our leisure and this was a new miracle. As soon as unlimited nationwide talking came available, we signed up and a completely new world available to us. No more grabbing the CB mic or changing channels on the XM, push a button on your head set and you were talking to a live person. What I enjoy about talking on the phone while I am driving is that I can keep my eye on the road not on a passenger. I do not have to turn my head to talk to a passenger or push a button on the CB to talk. Both hands are on the wheel and eyes are forward.

Using our phone, I have listened in on many conference calls about our industry that in turn improves our business practices. I have been able to ask many questions of drivers who have been out here much longer than us on how to handle different situations. I have a friend who has been driving for over 25 years who has offered many tips on how to handle deer jumping out of the woods at you, why a T/T passing you sways into my lane, how to handle objects in the road, adjust my mirrors for maximum visibility. Over time, this knowledge has improved my confidence on how I handle unexpected situations that happen on the road.

Through the phone and my network of friends, I have gained and shared knowledge on what gate to use to get on military installations. How to traverse a city while carrying a load of explosives and avoid non-hazmat roads. The proper procedure when an office of the law wants to cut a government seal, and how to handle the many rules and regulations that hit us on a daily bases.

I have found that the cell phone and a network of friends who drive as goofy of hours as I do help to keep me focused on the road and also keep a positive mind set. I have found if I get down or out of sorts my friends immediately put a stop to my “victim” thinking and get me back on track.

We have also found that we stay in touch with family better than we ever have while out on the road. We used to rely on emails to keep in touch, which was cumbersome for some of our family members who were mistrustful of computers. Our hours are such that a family member can call us any time of day or night and visit. Without our cell phones, it would feel as if we were moving back into an abyss of limited communication.

Bob & Linda Caffee

Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical
Saint Louis MO
Expediters 5 years been out here on the road ten years
boblindacaffee@gmail.com

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.

Door Knocks

2010-10-17T17:36:00.000-04:00

We are a captive audience and easy to harass while sitting at a truck stop waiting for a load by any panhandler working the area. If we sit in the front seat or are outside working on the truck it is as if we have the welcoming porch light on.

Over the years, many people with a plethora of hard luck stories have approached us. The stories and the people are endless on what they want to sell us to what they want to give us in exchange for cash. Very seldom do these people want food or water and if offered will give you a look of disgust and move on the next victim.

Some of these people have a heck of a good story while others I am amazed at their audacity to ask me for money. One of these are the guys who are driving from truck to truck in their car asking for gas money or if I would like to buy something such as a TV that is in the back seat of their car. Many of these people are selling DVD’s of all kinds, perfume, and even jewelry.

Bob often polishes on the truck while we are sitting and he is often approached by someone wanting to polish the wheels and fuel tanks for him. Some of these people are pro’s and do a fantastic job and can get a shine out of anything. Others prefer the cash and they will dust off the wheels and fuel tanks.

Women also approach the truck wanting to clean, offer their services, or just want money. A woman in the south who was selling homemade trinkets and had a story to tell about surviving the hurricane approached me after Katrina. Her I bought from as she had an interesting story and I admired her gumption. Most of the women we see working the truck stops are sad and are rough looking.

We have our names on our doors, which has stopped the door knocks in the middle of the night by women wanting to keep a driver company. We have not had a knock on our door in a few years, which I attributed to either the names on the doors or the lack of women working the night. This changed the other night when I heard a knock on the sleeper, either this woman could not read or she was hoping the door was lying. When there is a knock on the door at night I have found if I ignore the knock they knock harder as they figure you are a heavy sleeper. When I hear the knock now I open the curtains and poke my head through and as soon as they see a women they move on.

I am saddened and irritated by many of the panhandlers that stop by our truck. I have seen very few of these people that were not young to middle aged and looked as if they were healthy enough to hold down a job. While we are sitting, we are not making money and I have a hard time handing over cash to a person that looks as if they should be holding down a job. I am saddened at the women that come by offering their services wondering how in the world they got to the point of knocking on strange doors in the middle of the night.

Many of the trucks stops we use keep an eye out for panhandlers and ask them to leave the premises. Some of the truck stops we go to charge to park or if you buy 50 gallons of fuel, you can park for 24 hours with no fee. These are “gated” truck stops and most of these do not have panhandlers.

We will continue to polity decline their services and not buy any of their wares as we figure most of this is stolen property. We will still be cussed at once in awhile for saying no, but we figure that just goes with the person not facing reality of a job. We have been accused of not understanding which in reality we do not as we have always held jobs to pay our bills.

Linda Caffee

Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical
Saint Louis MO
Expediters 5 years been out here on the road ten years
boblindacaffee@gmail.com

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.

Driver Health Walk

2010-03-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

Our organization The Trucking Solutions Group Drivers Health Council has been working very hard with Driver Health and other organizations to have the first fun walk at MATS. We have been having weekly conference calls for several months finalizing arrangements and we have some great sponsors I want to start sharing.

Our main sponsors are HTAA (Healthy Trucking Association of America), MATS (Mid America Trucking Show), Ramp Media, and Driver Health Magazine. Without this main group of sponsors there would be no need for any sponsors and the walk would not be happening! Scott Kinley, and Owner Operator Tanker Yanker leased to Landstar, came up with the idea for a Health Group. Scott knew that a few of us, including himself, have been focusing on our health and he thought we should get together to share information. I was discussing information about our group with my youngest daughter, Brandy, and she said "You know you guys all go to the huge truck show. Why not have the group sponsor a walk?" Neither she nor I had any clue what the words would start! Our first step was to contact Driver Health Magazine and editor Andy Shefsky, and this turned into a snowball that has not quit rolling. Andy's father, Marvin, contacted MATS who stepped up to the plate with insurance and an area to walk and even a room for a pre and post warm up and cool down area. The walk is not about raising money; the walk is about bringing recognition to drivers' health. I hope to see lots of drivers walking as well as anyone involved in the trucking industry. Together we can raise the median are of a drivers life expectancy up from 61!

Check out the sponsors and register here:

http://driverhealth.org/DH/HealthWalk.cfm

Why as an industry do we almost always shun change

2010-03-06T14:19:00.002-05:00

Change is a part of life and if we do not change with the times we soon will be no more. We are always looking for ways to improve our business and our lives. It is hard for me to imagine having in my life without a goal.

When I talk to drivers about what the good old days were like, I am amazed by their replies. In some areas of their lives they were treated with respect and they always stopped and helped out any stranded motorist. In other ways they had a very rough life. I am very spoiled as I expect a lot out here on the road. I do not want to run like the outlaws by avoiding scales, using drugs, to stay awake and in reality driving their lives away. I want my cell phone and my QUALCOMM, I do not want to stop at all pay phones and have to stand out in the cold while waiting for a dispatcher to pick up the phone and tell me nope no loads. I like our 96" sleeper with the many amenities we have such as large refrigerator, microwave, oak floor, and lots of cabinets, small sink, and a large bed. Living in a truck with no air conditioning and a coffin sleeper is unimaginable to me and I have nothing but respect for the guys that did it. We have a truck that has no problems with mountains and when I have talked to the older truckers they talk about walking up hills beside their trucks as they lumbered along. Without change where would we be now?

Roadside Medical

2010-03-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

I wrote an essay on why I would like to be chosen to be one of the participants in the Women in Trucking and Bob Perry, The Trucker Trainer Health Challenge. I was lucky enough to be one of the ten finalists. I have been working on losing weight for the past year but...

I lost weight steadily until about November and I came to a standstill. I could not get past that plateau no matter what I did. When I read about the Health Challenge I was very intrigued as one one of the benefits is to get to work with Bob Perry. Bob is very familiar with truckers' lifestyles and our sedentary ways. As a finalist we get to work with Bob weekly on exercise and nutrition which has given me great insight. We also get to try out the Driver Body Fuel Kit which consists of a Protein Shake, Vitamins, Power Bars, nutritional charts and a nice bag to carry all of this in. I have found that the Protein Shake in the morning boosts my energy and gives my mornings a kick start. In the afternoon when I get a bit drowsy I have a Honey Cashew power bar and I am ready to go again. Bob has looked over what I have eaten in the past and made suggestions going forward and he has analyzed my workout given me additional suggestions to better tone and get more out of my workouts. Knowing what I know now I would have been much farther ahead if I would have started this program last year when I made the decision to get healthier and to lose weight. I feel as if all ten of us finalists will win in this situation as we have the additional support and direction of someone who understands we cannot go to the gym each week, who have crazy working hours, and never know what city or situation we will be in next.

Dirty Truck

2010-02-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

It amazes me how much our truck wash bill goes up in the winter. A typical truck wash at the Blue Beacon costs between $45.00 to $60.00 depending on what we have done. We often have the truck washed more then once a week.

There are not a lot of options out here to get our truck washed. We rarely find a self-serve truck wash and we just do not fit in the car washes! So we are at the mercy of the commercial truck washes. We often wait in line an hour at a commercial truck wash that has two wash bays and where the truck is hand washed by a crew. Sometimes they do a good job and sometimes Bob has them wash the whole truck again. We often open our lift gate for them to wash off. I also usually have them wash our floor mats. After we get the truck washed it is up to us to dry it off or uses the blow dry method going down the road. If we wait too long to wash the truck the salt starts eating at the chrome and that can take Bob hours to buff out. We have found is it much better to spend the money and maintain the truck then to be reactive and try to fix the damage the salt has done to the undercarriage. We do not feel as if our customers need to see a filthy truck coming on to their property if we can keep that from happening. In the summer time when the truck does not get this grimy Bob often just uses a bucket and a brush and washes the truck down himself. Bob always says "A clean truck is a happy truck".

Packing the right clothes

2010-02-13T19:35:00.000-05:00

We have found that we need to keep at least one set of good clothes in the truck. We stay out long enough that we never know what we might get ourselves into. If we meet up with someone and want to go out for a nice dinner we something different than jeans and a t-shirt.

We carry a hanging bag in the back of the truck with two pairs of good slacks, nice shirts and dressier shoes that are appropriate for a nice night out or to attend a business meeting. We are involved with enough groups that sometimes out here on the road we need to attend a meeting and we need to be dressed in business casual. We also carry two sports jackets for Bob and one suit jacket for me. We have found the hassle of having a hanging bag in the box of the truck with our personal supplies is worth it. The bag takes up very little room and lets us dress for any event that we might have to attend on the road.

To see more here you go:

http://www.expeditersonline.com/trucking/writer1/index.html

Snow and Ice

2010-02-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

What a week after all of our sun in California! We took a load into Wyoming and then headed for Minneapolis, but did not get that far. We had a offer to run a short load over the weekend just south of Albert Lea, MN

We delivered Monday morning then were offered a load from Duluth, MN to Shreveport, LA, and the idea of warmth made us accept the load. What we did not take into consideration was that we had to go north to Duluth and it was already snowing. What a mess snow, ice, and wind made for a slow treacherous trip. We made it to our pickup and the shipper let us stay on the property for the night which was awesome as anyplace that would have had extra room to park had piles of snow. In the morning it was snowing, but it was not a big deal on the roads and we had an easier time going south.

The ice really bothers me in a couple of ways. It can be very slippery to walk into the truck stops and I always worry about slipping on the ice. Broken bones and driving just do not go together. I also learned one year that hot tires and ice do not go together. I parked the truck and then in a few hours we got a load and the truck was stuck! The hot tires had melted through the ice and formed a valley and it could not get out of it. Bob had to get the chains out so we could get enough traction to pull ourselves out. Now when I park on ice I let the truck sit for several minutes and then I pull slightly forward or backup a tad so if I do melt through I can get a running start at getting out of my rut.

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Cool Loads

2010-01-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

We just delivered a few race engines to Toyota Racing Development in California, which got me thinking of some of the neat loads we have hauled. We have hauled envelopes to our box being completely full of tires. We have hauled many things that have made us laugh and wonder why.

We delivered motors today which are slated to go in Michael Waltrip's car and also the Red Bull racing car. We have hauled one pallet of pineapple chunks to a Dominoes Pizza warehouse, an 8 lb box of air conditioning parts for a school rebuilding project, we have hauled one microwave, and we have hauled equipment worth several thousand dollars. The one common theme on anything we hauled is the freight is all treated the same. Each piece is loaded onto our truck as if it is worth a million dollars and is very fragile. Each of our customers consider their freight the most important event happening and that freight is somewhere quick.

We consider it our job to get their freight to the final destination in a quick and safe manner.

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Wind Wind Wind

2010-01-28T10:56:00.000-05:00

We have been enjoying the sunny warm California weather for the past few weeks, but our luck has ended. We have been in the wind and the rain lately. We accepted a load leaving the Los Angeles area going up north and have had to leave with the roads flooded.

Wind and ice are two of the worst weather conditions for me out here on the road.

We left our customers in the pouring down rain and headed for I-5 but first we had to maneuver some very flooded side roads. It appeared as if the storm drains were actually pumping the water out of them as they could not handle anymore water. The sides of the streets had rivers that actually had what looked like some pretty severe rapids in them. We finally made it to the Grapevine and started up over the pass. Luckily all that we had on the pass was rain and no wind or snow. We delivered our load up north in Eureka, CA and headed back down south towards Sacramento. I felt lucky as when I came back I saw there had been some snow, but the roads were clear. They we took a short load heading south and boy did we hit the wind. Saw a few trailers that were laid over in the ditches and sure wished our load weighed more. The wind really rocks the truck as other trucks go by and tries to pull you into them and then they get past and then they get past and the wind hits you again. We made it through and delivered our load, and then off we went to a truck stop to wait out the storm.

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Stress

2010-01-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

My stress level starts to go up when we are on our way to pickup or unload for a customer. How hard with the customer be to find? Do we have accurate directions on roads a truck is legal to drive on? Are there low tree branches or overpasses?

We are constantly looking for new customers in a new town that we are not familiar with. As I start to pull off of the ramp into a new I am watching my GPS for the next turn. I am watching the road in front of me for the turning lanes. If there are two turning lanes, I want to be in the outside lane so I can swing wide to make the turn. I am also watching the traffic patterns, how narrow the lanes will be, how close are the signs and the trees to the street? If the limbs of the trees are too low they can damage the truck or even poke a hole in the box. then as we get closer to the customer, we start looking for what we hope we will find - the shipping and receiving sign with the customers name on it. What often happens is there is an unmarked driveway and then the building with the name of the company. We then know we have just missed the driveway to the docks and now we have to find a safe place to turn around and try the approach again. Once we are on the customers property we still have to keep our guard up as some of the places have forklifts zipping all over the place. Then we have to look for the shipping and receiving door that is often unmarked and we just have to start guessing which door to try. We then are assigned a dock to back into and once we are backing into the dock we can breathe a sigh of relief till we take off for our next destination!

To see newest blog:

http://www.expeditersonline.com/trucking/writer1/index.html

Truck meets Plane

2010-01-22T11:04:00.000-05:00

We finally had our first load where we were able to unload directly into a charter jet! One of the bonuses of having a lift gate and pallet jack is we were also able to save the day as there were no forklifts in the area to move our freight to the plane.

We picked up two skids that needed to be on the other side of the country ASAP and we needed to meet a charter jet. The charter jet was coming from miles away and we only had a few miles to go. We made it to the small airport and we were able to watch the planes coming and going. When our plane arrived we backed up to the loading door of the plane with our lift gate lowered and in the proper position to move the freight from the truck to the plane. The jet was really tight in the cargo bay area so our pallet jack was on no use except in the truck. We were able to get the pallet to the door and then they used their J bar and man power to move the pallet into place and secure the pallet within the plane. It was very interesting to talk to the pilots about their jobs and compare notes with what we do. We had fun with this load and the challenge of moving the freight from our truck to the cargo hold of the plane.

Middle of the night!

2010-01-21T07:53:00.000-05:00

The phone rings at three in the morning and it is our custom ring for FedEx Custom Critical with a ASAP pickup and delivery. In ten minutes we wake up, get dressed, get our load information, get in the drivers seat, get our drivers logs updated, fill out our paperwork and get rolling.

t is a rude wake-up when the phone is ringing like that, but we are in the business of ASAP freight so we know we have to wake up fast and get moving. We each know what our job is to get the truck rolling and to the customers dock. Later we can take care of details. We do not get middle of the night loads often which is a good thing but we are prepared when the call comes in. This morning it was an air freight load which has a little more stress as we know we are going to have to a meet a plane and the plane does not really care about road conditions. We will have this load picked up and delivered within two hours of getting the call and and then we go back in service to wait for that next beep of the QUALCOMM. At night we change how we receive our load notifications to have our phone ring as we do not hear the beep of the QUALCOMM when we are asleep.

Just another reminder that while we are asleep the world is still hard at work and at any time they might need an expedite truck to help them out.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/trucking/writer1/index.html

Versatile Rice Cooker

2010-01-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

My rice cooker is about worn out from being used almost daily in the truck. The rice cooker has maybe steamed rice twice in its lifetime. I use the rice cooker as a fry pan, a sauce pan, to bake with, and a steamer. It is an amazing piece of equipment in the truck.

The rice cooker a 2 qt Teflon lined with a high/warm switch. This can make cooking a few things a little tricky. I have used the rice cooker to first boil water and then cook my spaghetti noodles. Then if I need to I can brown some hamburger or sausage to add to my spaghetti sauce. I then heat the spaghetti sauce and pour over the cooked spaghetti. I have also made scalloped potatoes and ham which turned out very good. I cook a lot of fish in the rice cooker. I first brown the salmon, grouper, or tilapia and then put a little lemon juice on the fish, I then layer as much fresh spinach as I can on top and let all of this steam. After I finish cooking I add water to the pot, add a little dish soap and heat the cooker up. Wal-ha, a ready made pan to wash my dishes in hot water and then rinse. The rice cooker is very easy to wash and then dry off and put away till the next meal. The rice cooker has made Bob and I a lot of very tasty meal and it will continue to do so.

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Hurry Up and Wait

2010-01-18T08:09:00.003-05:00

We often arrive at the consignee before they arrive at work or before our freight is ready. We are given a pickup time and if we are fifteen minutes late we can be dinged with a service failure. If we get a few service failures we can have our lease terminated. We are very careful about this as a matter of pride and customer service. Patience is essential when dealing with some of our customers as the product is often just being made or they are waiting on the correct paperwork. This is where having nice accommodations in the truck makes the wait much easier. I can easily cook a meal, we can watch a movie, work on the computer, or just read a book. Once loaded and we call in our departure call the adventure begins.

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Alarms at Night

2010-01-16T10:32:00.002-05:00

The cold air really affects our tires and once we installed the Pressure Pro air monitoring system this lesson was really driven home. The Pressure Pro system had a very loud, obnoxious alarm that goes off when the air pressure get below twenty-five percent of the normal air pressure. The cold air really effects the air in the tires and this usually does not happen until about four in the morning. I then have to leap out of bed and open the curtains (we have curtains to keep the warm air inside the sleeper) and enter the freezing cab and unplug the Pressure Pro. By the time I return to bed, I am almost frozen. The temperature has to be very cold for this phenomenon to happen and luckily we are not often sleeping in this severe of weather. The alarm is very obnoxious, but the purpose for the Pressure Pro makes the leap out of bed worth it. The peace of mind of having this system coupled with the wide based singles makes all of this worth it.

If you are interested, here is the Pressure Pro web site:

http://www.tirepressuremonitor.com/

Pre Assignment for Monday

2010-01-14T09:01:00.003-05:00

We were able to stop and see family wintering in Yuma, AZ. We were able to pull the truck right up to their camper which was really nice. They took us around town and showed us what snow birds do in the winter. We attended a HUGE flea market which I had never done before. It is an amazing place. We also went and checked out the RC Airplane Airfield with which they are heavily involved with. I can see why after coming from the cold of the Midwest they enjoy their time in Yuma as much as they do. As usual though our truck drew a lot of attention and many of the neighbors stopped by for a tour of the truck and to ask a lot of questions. A few of them wanted additional information on expediting and how to get into the trucking industry. We always keep extra copies of the Expedite Now magazine to hand out in these situations. We always enjoy showing off our truck and listening to new acquaintances on their amazement at how many miles are on the truck (696,000), how many miles are on our rear tires or drive tires (331,000). We will continue south on Sunday and have heard that another one of our trucking friends is picking up a load at the same location we are, so we plan on spending the evening with them- once again proving what a fun and goofy life style we lead.

Warm Weather

2010-01-12T15:50:00.000-05:00

As we sit in Arizona in the warmth and talk to family in the Saint Louis area and they are talking snow, blizzard conditions and frigid cold we are truly glad to be out of that area. We were able to get our truck washed at the Triple T truck stop in Tucson AZ. The truck had so much road salt on it if you got near the truck you had white on your sleeves or whatever got close. The truck looked so much better all clean and shiny once again and it sure felt nice to not get out of the truck and not think your nose was going to freeze off before you get inside the truck stop. I was able to get outside and enjoy a nice walk today. We also found out we are not picking up our load till Monday so we are able to enjoy the weekend and stop and see family in Yuma. We also on the weekends have to catch up on laundry and odds and ends that need to be done on truck so we are ready for another week.

Family Member

2010-01-10T17:14:00.005-05:00

We can see the truck sitting out by the shop from our front door and we are constantly reminded that due to our truck we are able to have our fun. We are proud of our truck and what we do for a living so we enjoy seeing it in the background of many of our pictures. Often we are asked how the truck is doing. Seems as we are not the only ones who think of the truck as a member of the family. We receive comments regarding how good the truck looks for its age. It really has aged well and shows how careful we are. As we meet new friends and they view the truck they ask us about the age of the truck and are amazed that the truck is 5 years old and has almost 700,000 miles. I have to write the truck has been good to us. For me the truck inspires confidence as it is easy to see out of the windshield and over the short sloped hood. The height of the truck makes it very easy to see over cars and so my visibility when driving is awesome. The mirrors are also placed well and easy to adjust so I can see all that is beside me or behind me. The truck has an automatic transmission and so you push a button and off we go. I have now become so accustomed to driving the truck a small car scares me. Instead of looking eye to eye with other trucks I see under them. We finally sold our car and bought a pickup which is much easier to drive in traffic. The truck is looked on fondly as it sits out in the cold waiting for us to finally come out and of the house and head it on down the road like it was built to do.
I am sure the truck will end up in many more of our “family” pictures and we continue to enjoy seeing the country through our trucks windshield!

Fisrt Load Out

2010-01-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

We typically get load offers in the afternoon when someone figures out they are short on a much needed item. We had the truck loaded with all of the essential but we still needed to gather the last minute items. When the call came and we accepted the load we both hit the ground at a dead run trying to gather last minute things. In our mad dash I forgot the book I was reading, one headset charger and some awesome flavored vinegars I had purchased. If you could watch what happens after I hang up the phone from getting a load you would just have to laugh as we both go dashing about. After all of this time we do each know what we need to grab so we do not trip over each other as much as we used to. We finally made it to the truck loaded down with our last minute items and just threw them on the bed. It is now time to get the load information, get the GPS programmed, get the log books up to date and get on down the road to the shipper. The freight was ready but we had 196 miles to drive before we got there. After we arrive at our pickup I start putting the last minute things that were thrown onto the bed and try to make some semblance of order in the truck. By the time we are loaded and on the way to our delivery we are pretty much organized. After the first load we are back in truck mode and ready to make some money!

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Keep the sleeper warm while home

2010-01-06T18:02:00.000-05:00

We have learned when we are at home that we need to keep the sleeper from freezing. It is pretty amazing how fast the temperature in our sleeper can drop below the freezing point. Bob spreads out an extension cord to a space heater in the truck from the shop. He then lifts up the bed and also opens the cupboard that has our water pump stored. We also fill our water tank as full as possible when we get home. The little space heater will just keep the sleeper above freezing and keeps everything in good working order. When on the road we do not have this problem as we keep the generator set at 65 and the sleeper stays pretty warm.

Keeping the water from Freezing

2010-01-05T10:40:00.000-05:00

2010 Happy New Year

2010-01-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

We have been home for awhile and are starting to get antsy wanting to get back on the road. We have started thinking of what we need to get put back in the truck, groceries to buy, and where the first load will take us. We have a lot of irons in the fire for 2010 and hope we will be able to balance all we have going on without to much stress. We are going to be involved with the Expediter Online Workshops which will be a new experience for us. Speakers we are not but there is not time like the present to start learning. It is relatively easy to talk one on one about something you truly enjoy but to put together a talk? Now that is pushing the comfort zone. I am sure we will stress but we will get it all pulled together and I hope give a good presentation. After that comes the Middle America Truckshow (MATS) which we always enjoy and catch up with a lot of friends at. This year we are on the planning committed on planning a 1.5 health walk. The symbol for our walk is 61+ which is the median age that is a truck drivers life expectancy. We hope to bring awareness to this number and start promoting exercise and making healthier choices starting in 2010. We have a great group of people working on this who are inspirational and fun. The list does not slow down but one thing right after another so we need to truck hard while we can and when the down time comes have as much fun as we can…

Silence is Golden

2009-12-31T08:05:00.001-05:00

We find our stress level really escalating when we are inside a noise restaurant of anyplace that has a lot of background noise. The truck is most of totally silent going down the road except for the road noise or the sounds of our truck. Even when parked we are most often reading or working on the computer. Our normal sounds are a motor running or a neighbor’s reefer running. When we come home the house is silent and peaceful which is awesome. When it is summer the windows are open and you can hear the sounds of the forest behind the house.

We have found though to be in a large group of people for a long period of time we are exhausted by the end of the day. There is just to much going on around us to keep up with and we quickly become over whelmed. It is kind of funny how the truck controls so many areas of our lives and how much we miss it when we are home for a long period of time….

Blue Men

2009-08-20T15:06:00.002-04:00

This billboard the first time I saw it made me about wreck from laughing so hard! For those of you that have seen the Blue Man Group you will see the humor of this billboard. We have been lucky enough to see the Blue Man in Chicago and also in Las Vegas and all of the shows are awesome!

Walking Walking Walking

2009-08-18T07:23:00.002-04:00

We spent the weekend in Flagstaff AZ and the walking trails in that town are awesome! The temperature this time of year is perfect for getting out of the truck and seeing the sites. When the sun goes down so does the temperature and first thing in the morning I was wishing for a jacket but as soon as the sun peaked out it was perfect. I was able to walk 8 miles and I still had more trails to explore.

If you stay at Little America and head north on the sidewalks you can go along old route 66 and wander on down to "Old Flagstaff" which is very pretty or you can follow the sidewalk to the left and head out into some of the newer areas and get to the nature walks with well maintained trails. After finding all of these trails I know I will be pushing to layover in Flagstaff anytime we get near the area.

Amazing you can be in Flagstaff in the 80's and head to Phoenix 125 miles away and have temperatures above 100 degrees.

Black Barts

2009-08-16T10:06:00.003-04:00

Flagstaff Arizona and finally in the mountains! It is really cool and nice here with lots of awesome pine trees! We had enough time to eat dinner at Black Barts Steakhouse Saloon and Musical Revue. http://www.blackbartssteakhouse.com/
We do not get here very often or have the time to visit this place which is OK as it is a little pricey as with your dinner you get to watch the servers entertain you with singing and skits. Black Barts is located right across the street from Little America in the RV Park within easy walking distance. We have stopped in here from time to time for the past 20 years and it stays about the same except that the servers keep getting younger! If you get a chance to stop in the place is a lot of fun and they serve pretty good steaks!

In the Shop

2009-08-15T18:16:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of sounds that can make you cringe but when the truck acts sick and sounds sick you know it is not going to be a very good day. Our M2 Class 7 Freightliner has 640,000 miles on our CAT motor and we listen pretty carefully when it makes an odd sound or a hiccup! Bob takes awesome care of our truck but sometimes that just is not enough. The truck has been acting a little funny when the water temperature would get up to about 150 degrees but then it would drive out of it. Well we put on for us what was a heavy load over 8000lbs and truck really let us know it did not appreciate that at all. So we delivered our load and we started looking for a Caterpiller shop and lo and behold there was one near us in Edinburgh TX. I cringe when ever we have to have the truck worked on as the shops will not let you stay with the truck. Some shops have a policy dogs cannot go into the waiting room, some shops have such a filthy waiting room you think dogs have lived in it, and others are very nice. When we arrived at the shop our first impression was very favorable as we were met with professionalism and told they would get our truck in right away. Next we were shown the waiting room and this place was nice and Molly was allowed in! There went a lot of my stress as I could drag in all of my entertainment for the next several hours including my book, my IPOD and my computer! We were told about an hour before quitting time you have two injectors at this point not working and we can either start on your truck now and you can go to a hotel or you can stay in your truck and we will start on truck in the morning. We chose the hotel and the shop immediately started and by the time they finished the next day we had 5 new injectors (the 6th had just been replaced in December) and the overhead had been run. Keeping a maintenance fund always helps in this situation as you do not have to worry about how you will pay the bill. I transferred money over to our debit card, Bob went to pay the bill and the card was promptly declined and our keys were pulled out of the truck! So I made a quick phone call to the bank and found out about a new policy if you try to use your card for over $500.00 you must call and get the lock removed! Good policy but I sure wish I would not have put Bob through watching our card get declined. We paid our bill and with our truck sounding much more healthy we where back on the board waiting for a load.

I wish all shops could be like this one where you are treated with respect, your truck is treated with respect and they get right on your problem and get you out the door.

This is the name of the shop were at:
Holt Cat Shop
Truck Engine Service
Shipping Address:
1320 South 25th St.... Read More
Edinburg, TX 78539-7205

Phone: (956)-289-7600
USA Toll Free: (800) 683-2285
Fax: (956) 383-6819

Assembly Line for the DD Motors

2009-08-12T13:57:00.006-04:00

We got lucky! We called our friend Miguel Soetaert, Group Leader Component Optimization for Detroit Diesel and asked if we could stop by for a visit at his Detroit Diesel office. He was able to secure us a plant tour with Pam Esshaki, Assembly Quality Coordinator - Plant Tours as a last minute request. I was thrilled that a women would be giving us our tour and as soon as she realized I wasn't your typical girly girl she stepped up the tour and we had a blast! She had more knowledge in her little finger about the history of the motors, what has changed over the years, and how everything inside the plant works then most people would learn in a life time. She started us at the point where the block meets with a robotic cart that it will stay with through out the assembly. Just watching how the carts work was pretty interesting and I had lots of questions on what drives what motor needs to be produced. The customer has spoken and now the motors are made on demand to mesh with the truck frame that is also being made. No more waiting till one type of motor is finished being produced then everything retooled to create another motor. Now with the robotics you can have any type of motor in the line and each motor has its own micro chip that will tell the robot what needs to be done. We met with several of the people working on the line and watched them interacting with the motors and it sure was not what I pictured a assembly line work to look like. These people all had lots of experience and lots of accountability as what they did was also encoded on the micro chip and if any part was to fail they can trace it as far down as to who installed the part and where the part was manufactured. It was interesting the accountability was drilled down so far into the manufacturing and when something goes wrong there is recourse so that you are able to execute the change that needs to be made. Each day at the end of a shift there is a group meeting on what went right, what went wrong and what is going to be done for corrections and when the corrections would be made. There is no slacking in this place or slackers allowed.

Pam explained many new innovations to the engine including what has been done to make the engine quiet. I called it waffling that had been incorporated into the block and also other pieces but the technical term is webbing and this has strengthened the block and also is used as a noise reducer. Pam also took us back to the testing rooms and even though there is no way I would have the patience to work in the testing area it was awesome. Pam had some funny stories of experiences that have happened during testing. One thing about this area is it has many chambers with a lot going on in each one. The motors run behind very thick glass as some of the procedures they go through could cause them to throw a rod or something else just as fun!

We also watched the area where the robots did all of the precision machine work and it was interesting that they do the drilling dry. They found that the water used to cool the tool bit was actually contaminating the metal so now they use high pressure air.

We hope to go back as we were really on overload through the whole tour with all the information Pam had and with what we were seeing. Pam also shared with us her background at the plant and that she has been there 30 years. As most of us women could guess her climb has not been an easy one. The neatest part about Pam is there is no doubt she is a women and that while working and raising a family she was able to obtain her masters degree in mechanical engineering. Between her and Miguel we have learned a lot about how the DD motors are manufactured and we have a great resource to ask many questions of in the future as we progress to purchasing our own Cascadia with the DD13 motor.

Visitor

2009-08-08T10:55:00.004-04:00

Molly has company stop by to say Hi! while we are in Arkansas.

Molly has a pretty large following of friends and acquaintances. She has been to many truck shows and events and as always when we are not in the truck she is in the front seat watching. The difference with Molly is she really enjoys it when people stop by and say Hi! I have stood back and watched her interaction with visitors to truck shows that stop to look at our truck or at Molly. She has had her picture taken I believe more times then our truck has. She for some reason always poses for a camera if she see's one. She does not know any enemy's and all people are potential friends. She does not lick, bark or jump on people which is a nice bonus. She really appreciates kids as she has figured out they drop food. Molly came to live with us January 1st 1996 and fit in with our family since the the very beginning.

I have found that many people know Molly and will say Hi! to her and then turn around and with a question in their voice say "You must be Linder?" This always brings a smile to my face as I know they are readers of ExpeditersOnline http://www.expeditersonline.com as Molly is my avatar and most people know me by Linder on that site. "Long Story on how I received that nickname"

Molly watched the girls grow up and go through their high school years by attending many ballgames, track meets, parades, and county fairs. She has always enjoyed the travel getting to the events and then sitting in the stands watching the girls. In different places she has made friends and when they hear she will be in the area bring treats to work for her. Molly really enjoys carrots so that is the number one treats she enjoys.

Molly will turn 14 in November and she is starting to slow down and very seldom breaks out of her meandering walk. Her eyesight is going but as long as she is on her leash she is very confident that we will take care of her. Her hearing is really bad and if the sound is not high pitched she does not hear you. We know our time is growing short with Molly and every day is precious that we have with her.

Rough Life!

2009-07-31T19:17:00.005-04:00

Hey we have a rough life but someone has to do it! We learned a new game last time we were at home called Bocce Ball. We added the game to the many other unnecessary items I carry on the truck but at least this one does not weigh much. The object of the game is to place your color ball the closest to the white ball that has been previously throw. One of the nice things about the game is it is easy to play, not easy to win, and very easy to pick up and throw back in the truck when you get a load. The other nice thing about the game is it gets you out of the truck and doing something!

We were at a Flying J truck stop south of Cincinnati this past week with another FedEx Custom Critical couple and decided to get the game out. We quickly found out the men where much better at this game then Lisa and I were. We did not stop trying and then had to laugh over some of the places we threw our ball. We had a lot of fun playing and look forward to getting the game out and trying again. I really need a lot of practice as I have a tendency to throw the darn ball way to far as I do not think I have grasped the concept of this game. Now if this was one of the million or so card games I know I would have no problem!

Back on the road

2009-07-30T06:12:00.002-04:00

Over Stimulation is what happens to me when I am in a huge group of people anymore. When I used to work in the" Normal" world I dealt everyday with a broad range of people and personalities all day long and thought nothing of it. Now in the truck where I can control my environment which usually means talking on the phone, listening to books on my IPOD, or listening to Podcasts I can control my environment and noise level. I will admit that the Freightliner M2 has a lot of background noise as this truck is not quiet but I have learned to tune the road noise out. I have found that even going into a very loud resturant can be very trying on my nerves and I often leave unsettled.

When we go to an event like the Expedite Expo or to the FedEx Custom Critical offices in Green where I am able to talk face to face with many people that I normally just email with I find that I have a lot to say and listen to that can not be shared in an email. There are so many people you want to see and only so many hours in the day so everything is crammed into a few hours. The lack of time can become very frustrating as you know it could be a year before you get to see most of these people again. You at least get to scratch the surface of what you want to say to your friends and the new friends you meet and then you all go your seperate ways.

I look forward to the truck shows, our time spent at the FedEx Custom Critical offices, and the different trucking activies we are involved in but I have found that when I get back into the peace of the truck it takes me a few days to recover. After you have crammed in as much networking as possible in a few hours getting back into your truck is like crawling into a protective cacoon of solitude. Both worlds are awesome and we as drivers can enjoy the best of both worlds. We can step into the corporate world or the truck show world and then step back out to our controled enviroment to regroup for the next exciting event.

Expedite Expo 2009

2009-07-28T16:36:00.002-04:00

We are getting the truck cleaned up so we can be in the line up in front of the Roberts Center in Wilmington OH. Once the truck is all shined and the tires lettered it rains! We end up wiping the truck down once again before we go inside to clean up for the reception. This year marks the 10 year anniversary of http://www.expeditersonline.com/ and was the brainchild of Lawrence and Debbie McCord. EO has been instrumental in getting many expediters into the business and then spreading the knowledge to keep their businesses afloat. This was our 6th year of attending the Expo and this one was one of our favorites with a lot of firsts. We had many impromptu meetings of forum members and below is pictured Dynamite 1, 1/2 of Team Caffee, Terry of TerryandRene', Jeannie, Piper1 who are all contributors to the forums.

This year I was the host of a workshop on Networking that lasted two hours. I had lots of help from other forum members and moderators and really felt as if we reached a lot of people. Our attendees included drivers who have been driving for many years to people just starting to research a career move. All seemed to enjoy the workshop with very few taking the time to leave their chair without hurrying back. I was also interviewed live on the Dave Nemo show on Friday morning. When I found out this was really going to happen I almost had a stroke and then went into general panic mode. Between the support of Bob and Henry Albert who got stuck practicing with me over and over again I made it through the interview and actually had a very good time. I have no clue what I said or what questions were asked but I know the time just flew by and I was not done talking! Good grief I think I have become a chatterbox.

I would really like to thank Henry Albert for all of his patience and the awesome job he did showing his Cascadia to the Expedite Crowd. If you have not read his blog here is the link: http://sliceoftruckerlife.com/blogs/henry-albert/
Eric of ebsprintin also was really instrumental in keeping me on track of what I wanted to get across in the workshop.
This Expo was the best one I have been to and the time just flew by. I know by the time we had our "liftgate" bbq the last night I was totally exhausted and brain dead! Cannot wait till next year so we can do it all over again.

It’s all about ME - Networking

2009-07-21T08:54:00.004-04:00

I have a workshop coming up at the Expedite Expo and the topic is networking. The more I think of this subject the more circles I draw all intersecting the nucleus which is me. When I came up with this topic for the workshop I thought wow how simple we network every day without even trying. I listen to different trucking shows on the trucking channel 171 on XM such as Kevin Rutherford show which keeps me in the loop of upcoming industry changes. We belong to various professional trucking groups such as the 20 Group http://www.cdlofit20group.org//portal.php which is a group to share ideas on different arenas of trucking. I talk to other drivers within our company, often discussing rates, good and bad parts of the country for freight and upcoming freight trends for the months ahead. I talk with our contacts within the company we are leased to, to stay abreast of upcoming changes with policies and to stay informed of current events such as the upcoming equipment on board recorder (EOBR). I talk to other expediters on ways to make life on the road more interesting, ideas to manage our possessions in the sleeper such as using expandable curtain rods in our freezer to hold food in place, easier ways to cook and eat healthy on the road, and ways to make each day even better then the last. We talk to drivers from other areas of trucking on how the economy is affecting them and how they are staying ahead of the game. One idea that has really made me stop and think was our personal appearance and how we portray ourselves to our customer and even other drivers. We attend truck shows to get the chance to see new and innovative products and also to interact with other drivers. We have learned better and safer ways to secure our freight which in the Expedite world is a huge concern. At one show a neighbor had a telescoping ladder that was awesome as it took up so little room for storage and this new item was soon added to our supplies. I am also involved with various trucking sites sometimes as a lurker, sometimes as a poster, and in others as a moderator. Expediters Online http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/ started us in the Expedite world and is one site I spend a part of each day reading. We have found in some networks we are the student trying to learn everything discussed and in other networks we are the teacher sharing what we have learned. In all instances we are still the benefactor of each network we are a member of.

Lincoln County Fair

2009-07-19T21:30:00.005-04:00

Hang Glider ride with my Zack and Jen
Long legs belong to Zack, white tennis shoes are Jen who had a hard time keeping them clean as there was a lot of mud
I wore my mud boots and had great fun sloshing right through the middle of the mud puddles

Tractor Pulls where loud and awesome to watch!

Demolition Derby was great fun on Friday night with lots of cars

Mule Jumping was the highlight of the fair and this mule jumped 58" from a standstill to win the event!

Our house is AWESOME

2009-07-05T15:15:00.005-04:00

I did not think it was possible to get any more spoiled but here it is! Just go out the laundry room door and load the truck. You just have to enjoy country living. We go a couple extra days over the 4th before we pick up our next load going to the west coast so we went home. Worked in the yard, stained the back porch, went fishing, went to a horse training clinic, and was even able to get a sunburn. Boy did it rain and rain though on the 4th the little creeks were amazing to see. After we get done unloading the truck we can take a break on the porch and just listen to the frogs croaking, chickens crowing, and the 4-wheelers out running around. In our part of the woods people run over to see their neighbors horseback, or on driven mules or on their 4-wheelers and the cops just seem to turn a blind eye to all.

Bad Day / Good Day QUALCOMM

2009-07-01T06:09:00.002-04:00

The QC rules our life when we are out here on the road and we have grown accustomed to the exigencies that are thrust upon us by the obnoxious BEEP. When you hear the beep your first thought is it a fleet message? a safety message or just maybe a load?

This year the beep has more often not been a load which is very disappointing after you have sat very long. When there is load offer on the QC you can go from agony to giddy in 1/2 a second. First item on the QC is date of pickup and delivery and if they are a few days apart you start thinking awesome long load. Next is pickup city and state and delivery city and state and that can get your heart racing when the load is going to a place you enjoy driving. Next is miles and pay and that is the crucial part of the message. If the load pays well there is no decision we reply with yes we want it, if the load is mediocre we have to discuss and that is where the delivery city and state comes into play how bad do you really want to go there? If the load pay is bad the reply is a no and then on comment lines will be how much we can run the load for. Sometimes we get what we want by more often we do not.

When you get out of the truck you put yourself on the phone meaning if a load comes to the truck the message is redirected to your phone and you can listen to the details and then respond appropriately. Before we go to bed we put ourselves on the phone so the message will wake us up and first thing in the morning I put us back on the QC as it is much easier to read a screen then listen to a message.

The QC been can take you from being totally down in the dumps to ecstatic in about 2 minutes if you get the load you want. You can be bickering and picking at each other out of boredom to being the best of friend once again by that darn beep. In your dreams you will hear the beep and get up to look even knowing the darn thing is asleep.

When talking to guys at our company before the QC and having to stop and use the payphone and sit inside and wait for the payphone to ring we will take the QC any day of the week. It is nice when you can go home and take the collar off that the QC tethers you to the truck with.

Anticipation

2009-06-28T06:10:00.002-04:00

We have had one day at home since the first of May and we are getting ready to go home for several days in July and the days are moving slowly! We have many adventures planned for this home time and anticipation is running high. We are very lucky our daughter shares our house with us so we do not have to worry about all the mundane duties to much. Bob does have a few honey do items but they will be short and painless to fix. The Lincoln County fair is happening, I plan on going fishing at a neighbors pond, hopefully lots of horseback riding and my sister will be arriving at the house so I hope to have some family time with her.

After our home time we will be attending the Expedite Expo which is held in Wilmington OH at the Roberts center and promises once again to be the highlight of the year. Lots of old friends to see and new friends to make. We are always exhausted after the Expo from all the talking we do!

July is just an awesome month!

Mentors

2009-06-26T07:08:00.002-04:00

How would we survive out here without Mentors? We tried being drivers once without mentors and found out how disheartening that can be. The second time around we did our homework and we formed a network of support from fellow drivers and from the company we are leased to. As time has progressed our mentors have changed and to some we have become mentors. We are very careful of who we listen to and who we let influence our lives. It only takes one rotten apple to start eroding your confidence and your attitude. We have found that in this downturn of the economy we have needed influence from others outside of expediting to keep us from getting a prima donna attitude on what we consider expectable load pay. Our mentors keep me going back to my books and looking at my figures and seeing how we can trim our expenses and keep making a profit. Without our mentors giving us attitude adjustments we just might not have such a great outlook on life.

To those that have helped keep us grounded I only have the highest panegyric praise, without them in our corner who knows where we would be. So to Vince, Henry, and Terry you guys are the best at dealing with the two of us out here running around in ½ a truck.

Who knows where you will meet?

2009-06-25T06:05:00.002-04:00

We had a busy day socializing yesterday in Cincinnati and in Kentucky! We had enough time to get to our pickup we were able to stop in Cincinnati to meet with Lawrence at the expediteonline.com office and then go enjoy an awesome Thai lunch, then we were off to Kentucky to a Wal-Mart to meet with other driving friends. Now the last time we saw this couple we were down in Naples FL and the time before that was in Alabama and who knows on the time before that. We were able to go have a nice supper and then since their truck has a nice table and bench seating we were able to sit and enjoy the rest of the evening and get caught up face to face instead of our normal email correspondence.

One of the neatest aspects of our way of life is that the United States becomes a very small area to traverse and meet up with fellow drivers. We have met one truck in Tampa Florida and enjoyed Busch Gardens and all the awesome roller coasters then the next summer we met up with them in Gilroy CA. We all rented a car and spent the day at Fisherman's Wharf and then the next day touring the Winchester Mansion. Now it has been almost two years and we can not catch up to them.

You just never know when you get up in the morning how the day will unfold. Of course most often as a team driver the first think I think of when I get up is where am I and which way is the building with the restroom!

Totally FREAKING Ticked OFF

2009-06-22T07:15:00.002-04:00

Had an interesting Friday afternoon and a phone call just about made me lose my cool. Accepted a pre assignment on Thursday picking up Friday afternoon going to Louisiana for a Monday delivery. Short load but this would leave us free on the weekend to see a movie, eat out, clean the truck and in general be untethered from our house on wheels and in the expedite world this is a great stress reliever. Get a phone call Friday afternoon after dead heading 53 miles to get load "Oh by the way I think I forgot to mention..." This weekend load we have done a few times before for this customer now has new requirements one of which you must ALWAYS be with the truck till you deliver. I said "Do What?" then mad set in and I knew it was time to get off the phone, take a chill pill as it sure is not a dispatchers fault the rules have changed. After the attitude adjustment took place I made another phone call a little higher up the food chain to give voice to my displeasure and why this load is a burden. I must admit I handled this with more decorum then normal and found out the cause for the change in the load and was told if we wanted off the load it would happen. At this point we had invested 53 miles and pretty much put ourselves out of contention for another load. So we said yet we will run the load but this will be the last for this customer anywhere in the United States. They are one of our largest discount customers and they are flexing their muscle. After getting "my big girl panties on" we made the best of it and thinking it over we saved a lot of money as I cooked in the truck and no movies and popcorn! Will we do this again NO as it is way to frustrating to tie up your weekend for what this customer pays and if there is no changes to pay or requirements we would much rather be available for dispatch.

How heavy is it?

2009-06-18T16:56:00.003-04:00

While talking to another driver who drives a "big" truck we compared weight that is hauled during the year. Last year the total weight we hauled was 376,679 with most loads less then 5000 pounds. Now for some reason this truck him funny and when he quit laughing he informed me that in less then two months his flat bed hauls that much or more. Just goes to show we share many things with our cousins the big trucks but in many ways we are a world apart. He hauls his loads steady and we sit much more then he does but when we run we run hard with no stops for breaks. Often on loads we cannot stop for more then two hours without a phone call asking "Is there a problem?"

Even though we are in somewhat different worlds as our big cousin we have many of the same hardships. We have to follow the same logging rules, we haul less weight but we still have to be legal on each axle, we have to have the same drug tests, the same maintenance records, and we have to drive the same rough roads, fight the same traffic and the list goes on. We have a lot of things much easier as can always find a place to park without to much hassle often just because we usually run all night and park in the day.

So for now we will keep our "little truck" and haul our sailboat fuel and keep making a decent living while enjoying each day we have out here!

A different adventure

2009-06-13T12:37:00.002-04:00

Ready to go and watching Bob get on his camel!

The awesome view once you're moving. When riding bareback you actually sit behind the camel hump with a rolled up type blanket that you rest your butt against. Camels do not smell as good as horses do.

A discussion on Facebook made me thing about another "ride" and how much fun this was! I have always rode horses and let me tell you riding a camel is not the same thing. They do not move like a horse and you sure do not sit on them like a horse and you dang sure do not get on them like a horse. Ok and I hate to admit this I think the camel is smarter then a horse. Oh and the camel is much noisier then a horse and they are very quick to let you know they are displeased or they do not want to do something. Sort of reminds me of trying to load a pig in a trailer wow can that get loud. We were able to take a trip so see Bob's brother Dan and his wife in Oman and they were kind enough to let me choose an outing. After I made my choice to take a camel ride and spend a night in the desert at a Bedouin camp I think maybe a few were regretting letting me pick. Bob was so sore the next few days he could barely walk. To me it was just awesome! We slept in a grass type hut, had a meal with a Bedouin family with local entertainment, had a Bedouin supper and breakfast, one concession we had was a modern bathroom which might have been modern to their standards but to us... At least it did not have a squatty potty...

We were lucky enough to ride bareback on the camels so we were lucky to feel the power they have when rising and laying down for ease of getting on and off. While walking they have a very loose undignified gait but it was not unpleasant. I started discussing a week long trek in the desert on camels but I believe I would have been on my own. The experience was awesome and one I will never forget for different reasons then Bob will never forget.

I named my camel Sheba as she was a very nice dignified camel and she did not mind a goofy person from Arizona giving her lots of hugs.

Linda and Sheba after the ride!

Unexpected Surprise

2009-06-09T07:04:00.002-04:00

We had the worst luck trying to get a load yesterday! First load offer was to Michigan and after we accepted the load and received the notes we found out we carry to much freight moving equipment and they would not load us. So we lost that load. Next load came in needing 22 foot of floor space for 12 skids and 8500lbs. We accepted that load then had to call in and ask if two skids could be stacked as we would not have room for our pallet jack. Customer said nope cannot be stacked so we have to take you off the load. We call in and say can this load be decked as we have the ability to create a deck in our truck and set skids up there as long as they are not to tall. The load can be decked so we move most of our equipment to get to our plywood so when we get to the customer we are prepared to load the freight. We get to the shipper and they have nine skids as they have all ready stacked and shrink wrapped the freight and the best part the load only ways about 4500lbs! Talk about awesome and so much easier to load. Glad we were prepared with the plywood out but even more pleased we did not need to use it! Now if we could just get unloaded this morning....

Hotel Rooms YUCK

2009-06-07T08:12:00.003-04:00

We sometimes have to use a hotel room but 99% of the time it is not our choice. We have to do this when we are at a base and they do not have a "Safe Haven" for explosive trucks. The Safe Havens are within a fenced area often with lightening rods and wires running across the top. We are placed in the Safe Haven and usually parked in a numbered slot and then locked in. As other trucks come in throughout the night they are then parked in the Safe Haven with care being given to what kinds of explosives we are all hauling. Some explosives are not compatible with each other so they try to keep us apart! Throughout the night a security guard will drive by checking on all of us. When this is not available we have to park the truck in a locked remote area of the base and get a cab to a hotel. Sometimes this hotel might only be used for 3 hours till we have to be back at the base to unload. Very frustrating to pack up a few things leave our comfortable bed, coffee maker, supplies for breakfast to go into town and get into an uncomfortable bed with bad pillows to get an hours sleep. It just doesn’t happen! Even if we have the whole night to spend in a hotel it just does not compare to our truck which is set up for us to live in. Even on vacation I dread the hotel experience and have found one hotel in the United States that I really enjoy going to and that is the Cambria Suites in Akron OH and that hotel is just awesome from the time you walk in the door till you check out. Staff is very nice, rooms are awesome and the amenities are over the top. Heck I even volunteer to stay there and they have a small area for truck parking. The one down side is Molly has to stay in the truck as no dogs allowed which after you see the interior of the place I can respect that.

We have stayed at the Ritz, the Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Venetian, Excalibur, Treasure Island in Las Vegas, and various others and I still put this hotel above all of them. This is a picture of the work area and the sleeping quarters are behind the partition.

Explosives and Radioactive

2009-06-06T04:59:00.002-04:00

Class in over and we are re certified for Hazmat and Radioactive for three years. FedEx Custom Critical has an awesome instructor who lives and breaths Hazmat and is under the impression everyone should love the details! Melissa is a great teacher as she actually can convey how cool some of this stuff really is and why hauling radioactive loads is one of the safest HazMat loads you can haul. We covered proper shipping names, shipping classes, what is compatible and not and where to find the the information. We were in a class that was all re certifying so that sped the class up some on the basics and we could get more into the intricacies of when you need to press your panic button, how to handle being pulled over by the police or DOT and what to do if an officer or custom agent wants to try and cut the government seal. Now we will need to look into getting another card as it looks as if the TWIC card will replace our CAC card showing we have had a background check. We carry a few cards like this we have had a back ground check to go into Canada with our FAST card, we have had a background check to haul government loads, we have had a background check for our drivers licenses, we have had a background check to carry our CAC card, we have had a background check for our passport, and now another background check to go into ports and haul sensitive loads. It would be awesome if we could combine some of these background checks and only have to write one check but NOPE we get to pay for basically the same background check several times with varying fees!

Spring has sprung

2009-05-30T07:32:00.004-04:00

I like every season as they all have really great qualities and I do not really care for the alternative of not getting to see the seasons.

Baby animals are another great sign of spring. Now what could be cuter then the above picture? I will admit that there are VERY few baby animals that are not just adorable but I have seen VERY few cute human babies. When someone has a cute baby animal I just cannot wait to get my hands on it but as for a human baby I cannot get far enough away from it. Odd I know but a yapping puppy is so much cuter then a screaming baby.

Being our here on the road and watching spring happen all over the country is very uplifting to me. One day you see a shadow of a leaf on a tree and the next time you come by you cannot even see the branches of the tree. While going down highway 152 in California on the way to Gilroy there are several pastures that have the coolest twisty turny branches on those trees. They are very interesting to see in the winter and then in the spring when they get their leaves they are just amazing. Nope do not know what kind of trees they are.

When I am out walking sometimes the breeze will come with the scent of flowers in bloom and all you can do is stop and smell the flowers! Sometimes other breezes come by and you just need to speed up a little to get out of that area.

One of the great things about spring is the rain and thunderstorms. Now I know some areas have to much rain but it is so cool to be in the truck when a great thunderstorm rolls through. The cracking of the lightening and the rolls of thunder are just awesome. The roof of the sleeper is just perfect for letting the noise come through. If I could have it perfect I would have a glass top sleeper just to be able to watch the light show! Maybe someday....

PrePass like the green light hate the red light!

2009-05-26T04:43:00.004-04:00

PrePass can be a truckers dream or worst nightmare! What in the world is PrePass you ask?

PrePass is one of our transponders we have on our windshield. We have all kinds of gadgets on the windshield such as E-ZPass that allows us to go through approved toll booths and the toll is taken from our online account we save money and time with this one. We have Norpass that works similar to PrePass but works in different areas of the country. We also have our Lane Departure Warning System I have blogged about earlier. In the corner of the windshield is our antenna for our panic button also.

The following map shows you how many places in the United States that having a PrePass System can help you to keep from being weighed:

As a woman I hate to stand on a scale but as a truck driver I often get this privilege daily with a bunch of DOT officials checking my weight! As you can imagine I don’t much care for this and nor do I care to have to slow down and pull into a scale to get this privilege. One way to stay legal and keep this from happening is to have a PrePass and a NorPass transponder in the truck.
The PrePass system works in many ways to keep you from getting in line and lets you comply electronically with state weight, safety and credential requirements. I do not know how many of you non truckers have noticed the scale houses located in every state and they are often placed near the entry or exit to a state. About a mile before the scales that use Pre Pass a reader and a scale are built into the highway that you cross as a car and do not notice. As a truck you take the scale house ahead signs very serious. When you see the reader and the highway scales you want to be running at the legal posted speed or below and you want to cross the scales squarely without turning your tires at all. This will give the reader a correct reading of your weight.
When you cross the in-pavement scale, the computer reads your PrePass transponder which immediately identifies the owner, the truck number, who you are leased to, checks your safety rating and credentials and also if you are a legal weight (axle, gross and bridge formula!). Who you are leased to and their safety rating is very important as if you are leased to a company with a poor safety rating you more often will get a red light so the DOT officers can give your truck a visual inspection. When you get the green light on your PrePass or Norpass you are good to go and by pass the scale. Sometimes no matter how careful you are you get a red light and you get to be weighed – this is called a random inspection just to be sure every truck get reviewed once in a while. This at times is very stressful to us as we just do not have the time to have a level one inspection which can happen. You hear the dreaded words or you read the overhead screen driver pull around to the back and bring in your paperwork. When this happens you gather up your BOL and your truck paperwork and take them in. I do not bring in my log book unless it is requested. If you only have one copy of your HazMat paper work you also cannot bring that as legally it must be left in the door pocket or on the front seat. Once inside you show your paperwork, your license, your truck registration and insurance. Once all of this passes inspection the officer can tell you to have a good day or tell you another officer will meet you at the truck. The level one inspection can take over an hour if the officer is gabby or if he continues looking until he or she finds something wrong. Most officers though are easy to work with and professional and if it was just not for the time factor we would not dread this so much. When we are empty it is no big deal at all to have an inspection. So every time we all trucks in right lane scale house ahead we start watching our PrePass to find out how are day is going to proceed!

This is how the PrePass System works:

Unsung Heros

2009-05-23T05:40:00.006-04:00

Brandy and her camper last year with her palm tree for shade this year she has REAL shade trees for her camper!

Best job ever! We were really lucky once again and were able to unload in California and head for Las Vegas to see our daughter who is stationed at Nellis AFB. Just to prove how lucky we really are we were pre dispatched on a load picking up on Friday so we had two free evenings. Our timing was impeccable is a couple ways as she has just taken her camping trailer out of storage and was getting it set up in Fam Camp. She has an awesome 5th wheel she calls home when she is not deployed. We were able to help get her belongings straightened out and Bob was able to help her with her connections and to apply a reflective paint to the roof of the camper. This year she has SHADE TREES located next to her area so the camper should stay cooler than last year. One of the great things about having a straight truck is we are often welcomed at campgrounds and we were able to park our truck in the overflow area in Fam Camp. That is always handy as we constantly have to run back to the truck for something we have forgotten we need.

Brandy had a social event to attend and families were invited but I believe we were the only parents in attendance. The event was being held at the Silverton Casino just across the street from the south Las Vegas TA. This Casino is pretty large with a huge Bass Pro Shop inside. Brandy had warned us that this event was really special but we were still overwhelmed. The owner of the Casino has a soft spot for the 820th RED HORSE Squadron stationed at Nellis AFB. He closed the Mexican Restaurant for a private party. We were welcomed with drinks and an awesome buffet line including fajitas, tamales, homemade guacamole, shrimp cocktail, and many choices of desserts and an open bar. He also had rooms available for the RED HORSE Squadron at a much reduced rate. There were over 200 Airmen and their families in attendance. She introduced us to many of her friends that she had been deployed with and through her letters and conversations we felt like we all ready knew. We were in awe of the man that would sponsor such a huge event. No money changed hands and you were not even permitted to tip the staff as they promptly told you that they were being compensated.

The Silverton also sponsored an Adopt an Airman program before the 820th RED HORSE squadron deployed that linked Airman with families in the Las Vegas area to receive emails, letters and care packages while deployed. This party included the Airman and their families and the local area families with buffet lines, drinks and entertainment.

Through Brandy we are amazed often at how much support our troops get that is never talked about. Often when in uniform and they are eating out someone will pick up their check and never say a word not expecting any thanks. School children write letters and send drawings. One of the first things Brandy did when she arrived back on the USA soil was give a talk at a school that had sent her many letters. This event at the Silverton is also another huge reminder of how far people will go to tell these guys thanks for what you do.

Why I like Gray!

2009-05-16T14:03:00.007-04:00

I am by no means an interior decorator and go with colors that make me happy. We basically live in our truck and pretty much treat the house as a vacation get away. I now deocrate the truck with my winter warm colors and my summer cool colors. I really like the dark reds in the winter for the warmth they portray and the reds go good with the gray. I really enjoy Christmas so I often get a little carried away with decorating the truck but once again I enjoy that festive feeling of jingle bells and cold! I also as you can see in the picture really like the candle lights people have in their houses and I found this one at a Home Depotthat has a light sensor. Looks really neat at night. In the summer I like to change to to the lighter colors and I think the blue goes well with the GRAY! Molly of course looks good laying on either color which she spends a lot of time doing. In the summer time the lighter colors just make the truck feel cooler even if it is a figment of my imagination. The dark oak floors and the lighter wood of the cabinets I think really make our sleeper look like a home instead of a cave like many sleepers. After my mom passed away we squired her black Cocker Spaniel Boots who was in her own right OLD and she insisted on sleeping with her head on my pillow. I like dogs but I do not like hair and my pillow was always full of little black Cocker Spaniel hair so I fooled her and started using pillow shams. Now Boots has passed away and I still like the pillow shams. I like to make the bed up to look like a day bed and it also seems to give the sleeper the look of more room. Bob took out the upper bunk and installed these cabinets for more storage and they are awesome! You can not tell they were not put in here originally. The way he installed them gives me more room for books, movies and safe place for my computer and printer. Over all I think we have a very comfortable sleeper and it has served us well.

Molly's use of a computer!

2009-05-16T13:47:00.004-04:00

I just thought this was to cute not to share. Bob and Molly like to sleep in. I usually set my computer on the steering wheel in the morning and have my coffee and my morning dose of the computer. When I leave for my walk I just set my computer in the back and Molly took advantage of the situation. Pretty darn good looking dog for 13!

George Washington Bridge

2009-05-16T05:43:00.007-04:00

After you leave the toll booths (hard to imagine you have to PAY for the pleasure of this traffic) all of the lanes merge down into three lanes. This is pretty intimidating to us rural type people as the rule of thumb seems to be if I do not see you, you are not there. As you can guess being polite in not a virtue in this mess and so you just have to keep inching your way forward till the other guys gives up and lets you by! Believe it or not there are very few accidents that anyone stops for on this bridge. Often mirrors rub and often mirrors or broke on the bridge but it would take hours to get the police here so everyone just goes on to their destination while waving at the offending vehicle with usually one finger accompanied by honking and screams of who his mama is out the window.

This where you really start jockeying for you space on the road and once you the car is behind your vision it is not there and you continue on with your drive.

Once you have reached this point you are free to go until you get across the bridge and there is one overpass after another and you feel as if you are in a long tunnel! Very dark and very crowded and lots of mirrors get bumped in that area.

Our friend Randy calls me a wimp for letting this intimidate me but he is from Philly and that is enough said! This is just a day in the park for him and he can eat a sandwich, be on the phone and drive a truck through all this and be as happy as a bug in a rug! What a guy! It is funny though narrow dark two lane roads out in the country in the middle of no where bother him. I think I will take the lonely country roads any day of the week.

Down Time

2009-05-13T17:14:00.005-04:00

As Expediters we seem to either run our butts off or sit and sit and then sit a little more. When we are parked Bob is often out shining the truck. He can spend as little time as an hour or he has spent up to two full days shining the truck. He uses his ladder and he also has a little rolly stool. I enjoy the heck out of the rolly stool as I can be watching in the mirrors and he will go to scoot and the wheels catch and throw him to the ground! It really is a funny site and I admit I usually laugh out loud. When Bob is in cleaning mode when I need to step out of the truck I have to watch as he often takes the steps off the truck

so he can shine the fuel tanks. He has a lot of cleaning products, shining products, buffers and

many other products he uses on the truck. He also keeps our tires lettered in Purple and Blue colors. He is not thrilled if I slide one of the tires along the curb. After lettering the tires both of us are very aware of how close we get to a curb. People ask us how much it costs to buy tires custom made to match our truck! One of the good things about Bob constantly shining our truck he will quickly pick up on any odd wear on the underside of the truck. He is constantly going over our truck with a fine tooth comb to make sure all is well. He gets a lot of great comments on how good our "new" truck looks. Most are amazed when he tells them we have over 600,000 miles on it. This has been a awesome truck and a huge confidence builder for me as Bob all ready did well in heavy traffic.

While Bob is cleaning the outside I work on the inside. We have a oak floor that looks just awesome when polished and has really worn well since Bob and Terry installed it. I also have curtains in the windows so the truck is really our home away from home. I spend way to much time on my addiction of this darn computer but when I can tear my self away I work on several projects. One of the ladies at the office gave me this blanket to make for her as she started it and got lost on the project. I was rather amazed at how much fun I had making this blanket which is crocheted. I usually like to cross stitch and have lots of animals and forest scenes I have done for the house. For some reason I just cannot get away from liking to cross stitch pictures of animals. Nicki and I have opposite tastes so she decorates downstairs at the house and I get the upstairs and the basement! For some reason my picture of a camel with a scarf on her head is something Nicki said I have to keep in the basement! I think she is cute.

FedEx is in the HOUSE!

2009-05-10T07:24:00.004-04:00

Bob and I wear our uniforms just about 7 days a week when out here on the road. We are often harassed for this or some quick thinking driver will proclaim in a loud voice when we come walking into the truck stop "Step down everyone and back off FEDEX IS IN THE HOUSE!" all you can do is laugh and tell them you have everything under control the can relax now. The other drivers that harass us all I can say is they are cutting their nose of despite their face. When we walk into a customer often before we get to the shipping desk our paperwork is ready for us and we get loaded. The person in the dirty unmarked clothes are still often standing their arguing over when are THEY going to get loaded. We have found a smile, patience and a good attitude works the best. Running team gives us a lot of breaks as we are not fighting the clock and if we get loaded late so be it. We also have a backup in our corner with FedEx Custom Critical as we get paid very well for detention time and the only customer that can get away with holding us is the government. Even good old Wal-Mart will pay through the nose for making us wait.

We do many inside pickup and deliveries that are often to offices, upper end stores, doctors offices and also hospitals. When we come into a place of business we are dressed nice, shoes shined, and our equipment clean. We are prepared to build ramps, build board walks, blanket wrap and in general baby what ever freight the customer wants to ship. We have an large aluminum lift gate that can pick up 3500lbs with several built in features such as flashing orange lights built into the deck for visibility and the best one being the feet controls. This feature leaves both of our hands free to hold the 1/2 million dollar computer secure on the deck. We have had many customers comment on how awesome our lift gate is. We get paid a premium for this lift gate and it has paid us back ten fold.

Here are a couple pictures of our box and some of the equipment we carry. We have over 40 blankets and pads, we have every length of strap you can think of with most stored in a side box, we have corner protectors, we have our pallet jack, our dollies, our carts, plywood, and many other specialty freight handling controls.

We enjoy the challenge of the specialty freight be it explosives or that very expensive computer they all offer a challenge which is different then just loading a pallet and getting on down the road. With the additional risk of the freight the pay also changes.

The question is how high will the customer go?

Sleeping on the Outside!

2009-05-08T06:16:00.005-04:00

One of the perks about driving team is who get to get up in the middle of the night and who gets to issue orders! Here are a few that get you up at night:

It starts to rain: get up close overhead vent get back in bed

New Question "Did you shut the front windows?" Get up shut the windows

Alarm goes off!!! Bolt up right realize it is cold out and the tires have lost air pressure and the Pressure Pro is reporting low tires so you unplug it. Back to bed now freezing

Knock Knock at the door 3 in the morning! Look out somebody is wanting money or wondering if you want company. Good grief go away you will get neither from me.

Alarm goes off! Bolt up right in bed and the RigMaster did not start for low voltage so you shut alarm off reset Rig Master and wait and watch to see that it starts automatically.

Truck starts rocking due to high wind so you get up and look to see if there is a tornado you see nothing go back to bed all is well.

Loud HORN you get up to see if accident is near you are to far away to see. Nothing to see go back to bed.

Load Opportunity Phone rings and you have a load offer which can mean immediate pickup or first thing in the morning. Have to be coherent enough to know what, when, why and how before you agree to the load. Look at clock to see if you accept the load who gets to drive the first shift..... Money talks on this one

Jelling UP Only time I have ever saw Bob leap out of bed clearing me was when it was about -30 out and the Rig Master started to jel and he knew dang well no way was I going to go outside and fix that one! He threw on his clothes and added 911 anti jel to the RigMaster and it took a bit but started purring away. Of course this whole time I was still snuggled in bed warm and toasty!

After you go through a few of these you either learn to go back to sleep or you just get up! I have often wondered why it is I do not sleep against the wall which is usually cooler in the summer and winter and then I remember why I hear the noises and Bob sleeps through them. I am also the type of person who is immediately awake and so I can understand what load is being offered, do the math and decide to take the load or turn it down.

Is this a big deal not really just more odd things that you take for granted living on the road. Team driving is awesome for both as I can handle the little noises in the truck and what happens around us but when we started to jell that one belonged to Bob. If I had to do it I could but ......

First Annual 20 Group Meeting

2009-05-07T06:13:00.007-04:00

First Annual 20 Group Truckers Meeting May 1st Denver Colorado at Kevin Rutherford's house.

This is our adopted code of ethics:

A Code of Ethics Checklist
I drive to protect the motoring public and myself. I do my best to present a neat, clean appearance. I maintain and operate my vehicle in a safe, professional manner at all times. I comply with all safety rules, regulations, and laws. I treat shipper/receiver personnel with courtesy and respect. Despite what they do, I act professionally. I am courteous to all other drivers. I set a good example for less experienced large vehicle drivers. I am always professional when dealing with four-wheel vehicle drivers. I practice driving defensively every day, and I avoid: Speeding Deliberately tailgating other vehicles Driving aggressively “Getting back” at other drivers I work to improve highway safety by reporting: Crashes to traffic safety agencies Unsafe drivers Unsafe road conditions Situations that could cause a crash I do my best to deliver my load safely and on time. I take pride in my profession and encourage other drivers to do the same. I do my best to inform the motoring public about how to share the road safely with trucks.

We are a very diverse group with our one common thread we are all drivers and we buy diesel. When Kevin picked the core group he wanted representatives from each sector of trucking and he accomplished that. We are not yet at 20 drivers but we are making progress as we find Owner Operators and Drivers who will fill a niche that we need. We have a hour conference call every two weeks, our own web site is http://www.cdlofit20group.org/IM3/portal.php . Our web site is still in its infancy and we are constantly trying to add information that will be a benefit to other drivers. The first annual meeting was were many of us met face to face for the very first time which was awesome and we spent a lot of time together talking about everything with the main topic being trucks and how to better our business.

The highlight of this meeting was getting to see Kevin and Leesa's cabin and we were not disappointed. The view was amazing out of each window and I am not so sure if I lived there I would want to be on the road so much. I would think being snowed in at such an awesome place would just be a bonus! One thing about it you sure could not park your truck here.

We were also able to meet Leesa's pet fox Buddy! Leesa shared many stories with us about hiding Buddy around the house in odd places to scare Kevin. Leesa insists Kevin can scream like a girl when he throws open the shower curtain and Buddy is sitting there. Now Kevin tells a slightly different story but he does admit to Buddy starteling him often!

We had a really great time at this meeting and look forward to getting together once again

in a year!

Here is the mission statement of the 20 group:

Mission Statement

Our mission is to share information with each other and others within our industry, government and the motoring public. Our goals are to improve industry business practices, bring trucking related issues to the forefront and promote a new more positive image of the trucking industry.We should adhere to the highest ethical standards for the following reasons:

1. It is the right thing to do

2. Public trust in our performance is the basis of our legitimacy.

Certified Master Contractor Denver CO April 2009

2009-05-05T21:57:00.012-04:00

Bob and I attended a four day trucking seminar (CMC) this past week in Denver. We had an awesome time with the first full day learning the Art of Negotiating. One of the oddest things we learned was to take notes on yellow paper with a red pen to retain about 48% more then you will using a black or blue pen on white paper. We learned that you need to interpret men and women's movements differently and also the tone of voice and to listen to what they are saying. He who speaks first has all ready set them self up in a weaker position. Never assume anything and let the other person speak their mind. We had a couple role playing skits that were a lot of fun to set up and then watch them play out. One skit was to negotiate a better rate from a broker and our table had a ace in the hole with Henry Albert who has been doing this for many years. He was able to get us a pretty darn good rate by letting the broker know we would take a discounted rate for two week to prove ourselves then we would come back to the table and talk. The next day we went over getting your own authority with Rex Evilsizor and in the afternoon we had Bruce Mallinson with Pittsburgh Power. I was a little side tracked as we really do not want more power and at this point I am not real interested in getting our own authority. (that idea scares me to death). The next day Kevin Rutherford started in on us! One of Kevin's favorite tricks is to make us move to another chair. That is very hard to do as once we sit in a chair at a seminar we now take ownership of that space. We went from the back row where our group sat to the front row! We made Kevin pay for this somewhat as we kept raising our hands. Kevin spent a lot of time going over spreadsheets on how to determine good or bad loads, how to improve our existing spread sheets, and how to improve our bottom line. Kevin is also a firm believe in reading and listening to books. He knows we have the best job to get a lot of books read and he had a pretty long list of books he suggested. Ya I know teachers pet but I had all ready read all of those books! The next day was one we had all ready been through on aerodynamics, sweet spots and rear end ratios. I missed most of that day as I was out playing on a computer learning a few new programs.

We were out every night for dinner with a great group of people who loved to talk trucks! We talked trucks from 6 in the morning till midnight

at the earliest. We talked on how to make our businesses better, how to improve our image, how to be leaders in our field. By the time Thursday was over we were almost brain dead! But what a great week with some very very smart people! We have a lot of new mentors in many areas and all we can do is to keep striving to become as awesome many in our group all ready are.

Some of the coolest parts of the CMC was getting to drive the new Cascadia of Henry Albert's. Thought Henry and I were going to die a few times as the truck does not take off as quickly as our M2 does due to not having an automatic transmission (Allison). Henry's truck has an automated transmission (AMT) and it takes

some getting used to and I do not want to even go into trying to back the truck up. I know Henry will be wanting to comment that I need a GPS to get around as I took us to the TA twice as I got lost! We were also able to spend time with Miguel from Detroit Diesel and he is just a brilliant sweat heart! If you want to know anything about specing a truck for your operation he is the guy to talk to. Getting to meet Lily in person was also an inspiration as she sure has a lot of drive and can inspire anyone!

Pictures are:

Linda and Kevin Rutherford

Rex Evilsizor

Henry Albert and Miguel Soetaert

Bob and Lily

Networking

2009-04-28T08:32:00.003-04:00

We are in SNOWY Denver CO all week for a CMC offered by Kevin Rutherford.

In this wonderful economy it is amazing that there are over 100 Owner Operators here at this conference as the price for the conference was not cheap nor was the hotel. Education is part of our key to having a successful business and the old saying this is how I have done it forever does not work. We are in a huge time of change with lower rates, higher costs and more competition. We have made the choice to stay ahead of the game by education and networking. Attending seminars and trucking shows can be a hard choice to make as we are taking time out of our schedule and not being available for a load. We have toned down some of our travel to these events and are trying to stay more informed by listening to educational shows on the radio, through reading, trucking forums, and also the network of people we stay in contact with. We have an awesome network of friends in different divisions of trucking. We have Henry Albert who is an alternate to the OOIDA board, we have Miguel from Detroit Diesel who is a component specialist, we have Vince who has just had his own authority a few months, we have Craig who is leased to Schneider is their program where they find their own loads, we have Lawrence who is the owner of Expediters Online where I am a moderator, we have Leo who is a fleet owner and then we have a awesome list of expediter friends.

We have found that by caring about our industry and drivers we are the ones that are really enriched. Everyday we learn from our friends on something that is happening in the trucking industry. If we (I)get out of kilter and try to make a goofy decision one of our friends will set us (me) straight pretty quick. With the network of friends and the involvement we have in trucking organizations we are constantly amazed at how much fun we have and how much pride we take in our choice of a way to make a living. Who would have ever thought that “just being a truck driver” could be such a rewarding career. I know our families are constantly amazing at how much more we are involved with our life styles then we were when we had the typical 9 to 5 jobs and could not wait for Friday and the weekend.

More on CMC when I can post my pictures of an awesome group of people.

Barnapalooza 2009

2009-04-22T17:04:00.006-04:00

Most of the people involved with Barnapalooza and a few friends were able to pre order shirts and many ordered shirts the night of the party. The Shirts were awesome... and will become an annual item. Nicki our oldest daughter in the front was the prime organizer of this event and Josh the Awesome DJ the guy on the left hand side took care of music, lights, fireworks and provided a skeet thrower. Brandy our youngest daughter is next to Josh and is still trying to get back into civilian life after her last tour of Iraq. I the proud mom of my daughters and I am next to Brandy. Bob the proud dad has both arms thrown in the air on the other side of the pic.
As the day of Barnapalooza started we were awakened to rain and just knew that it was going to be a muddy mess but nope the weather cleared and it was a nice day and evening. In the afternoon we loaded up the skeet thrower and shot off a few hundred rounds. Had great fun and I found out I was a little rusty but was still able to hit a bird. As Josh started setting up the barn with lights for the dance several of us settled into a game of Phase Ten. We then got the bon fire started and the evening was just perfect to stand around the fire or be a stump sitter as it just took the bite off of the evening. We had awesome BBQ from Big Sticky's in Troy MO and the guests all brought side dishes. Wow was there some awesome food. After the dinner the sun had went down and Josh shot of fireworks that would have a made a few towns embarrassed as they were just amazing. I am sure that a few of the small towns around were able to see our fireworks. This was also a BYOB and one neighbor makes homemade wine. Neither Bob or I drink much but that homemade wine was just awesome and I enjoyed several different types. I know this was a barn dance but nope no Country Western was really played. All rock and some Hip Hop and a little alternative. After a little wine when the music started my toes just started tapping. I cannot dance nor even after drinking do I think I can dance but I sure had fun trying and I tried danceing a lot. Josh the DJ knows me to well and he did a count down of how long I would be up and he was right it got to midnight and I was DONE! We had about 50 people at our little barn dance and I believe we have become the talk of our new community and it will be hard to top what all we had at our party! Plan are all ready being draw up for next year and we believe the party may start a little earlier with croquet and shooting and maybe even a little volleyball weather permitting. Get your t-shirt now.... 2010 Barnapalooza is on the way...

What's Missing?

2009-04-20T22:41:00.004-04:00

One of the hardest things to me about being on the road is not having animals. Some of you know that we have been able to buy a house out in the country once again and get away from our city apartment. We have been lucky enough to move into a community were there are LOTS of animals such as dogs, cats, chickens, cattle and horses. We acquired three outdoor cats with the house that we are gradually spaying and neutering. We were a little late on the spaying as the stork just delivered 6 kittens 4 to one mother cat and 2 to the other mama kitten. This time at home a neighbor had a cow die with a month old calf and they had made plans to be gone for a few day and we would be at home and we graciously offered to take on the calf and bottle feed "Cookie" three times a day. Now our neighbor thinks we did them a huge favor when in reality we were in seventh heaven to be able to feed Cookie, brush the horses and give them treats, and while Brandy our daughter would feed the calf I was able to throw a line in the pond and do a little fishing at the morning feeding. The neighbor is still thanking us for taking care of the calf and we are thinking we should pay her for the pleasure it gave our daughters and me to be able to be around livestock again! We were really lucky that we were able to be home at the time they wanted to leave. We really feel lucky to once again be in the country to wake up to the sound of chickens crowing and cows lowing in the morning instead of our normal truck stop noise. Even with all of this the call of the road comes once again and I cannot wait to get back out there and see some more of our wonderful country!

Michigan

2009-04-13T06:54:00.002-04:00

We often handle inside pickup and deliveries using our lift gate and pallet jack. Today will be another one of those loads. When we received the load offer we noticed the load was picking up at the same customer and delivering to the same customer in Indiana. We as usual decided to drive to the pickup location and see if we could spend the night on their property and not fight traffic first thing in the morning.

What we have found is sad but more and more common in this state. Nice business office area with the buildings and the parking lot well maintained and larger then the area most Super Wal-Marts take up. But only a few businesses in here are open the rest or empty buildings. It appears we are picking up the remnants of this business and taking the load to the main office. We have been doing more of this lately and the last one was a Wells Fargo branch. These are not fun loads as you know a lot of peoples hope and dreams have been dashed and they are trying to pull their lives back together.

For us though the money is good to move this equipment as someone is willing to pay extra to have their office equipment carefully handled. We will go in and usually gather the computers each one being carried out and blanket wrapped and then secured so as not to move in transit. We have an air ride box so all will travel safely to the destination where the process will be reversed.

We added our Lift Gate and our extra freight handling equipment after we bought the truck when we saw the earning potential for a little bit of work and extra care that we give to the customer. This added service has more then paid for our lift gate and equipment and put additional revenue in our pocket.

City Lights

2009-04-11T06:33:00.002-04:00

Luckiest person ever has to be me!

Since I start driving between 2 and 3 in the morning I am able to see the downtown lights of many cities and not much traffic. There are so many awesome downtown lights in the United States that I cannot imagine seeing this will ever get old. I cannot even think of a favorite but there are some I really enjoy. If you have read The Fountain Head by Aynn Rand (fictional) I believe her lead character Rourk built a building in downtown San Antonio. One of the fun things about just driving through these cities is you get to make up what the building is used for and if you want who built them. In downtown Nashville you have the Bat Building where I believe Batman lives and the best way to see this building is to be coming from the north on I65 going south. Now in Memphis you have a triangle building that I believe is a civic center. Very cool looking building. In Charlotte you have a very tall building with lots of white lights and I have not decided what that building is used for. Some of these downtown light you get to drive through. Columbus OH is one and so in Buffalo NY boy am I always glad there is not much traffic so I can be a looky lou and crane my neck to see all of this. It is also fun to drive though is Kansas City as you get to go under some of the walk ways but the road is so twisty turny I do not get to see much as I have to drive slow and easy so as not to wake Bob up by screeching around the corners!

I should really enjoy seeing Manhattan NY as you can see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building but I just associate that area with to much tension and to much traffic and while driving I cannot enjoy any of it.

If it is snowing and early in the morning another city that can just about give you goosebumps with the lights is downtown Chicago! Wow do they have some buildings. I know part of why I like that city is that we had so much fun with Brandy when we would go see her and wander around the downtown area.

We all know that the number one city for lights is Las Vegas and I enjoy seeing the lights as you come into the valley since as you get close to the hotels it is overwhelming and just not as stately as some of the other cities I am able to see first thing in the morning.

Now you should see how goofy I get at Christmas time and some of the lights we get to see...

Well we are lucky and lucky to see some of the amazing sites we get to see.

Has everyones turn signal bulbs burned out?

2009-04-10T17:36:00.002-04:00

Pet Peeve here:

Worst part of my Pet Peeve is truck drivers who cannot use their turn signals and whip in and out of traffic. We are professionals here and want to be treated as such and then you have these IDIOTS who cannot even be bothered to hit their turn signals. Now I know their lights probably work because even with Pre Pass we still end up in at least one scale a day. For you guys not lucky enough to have Pre Pass or drive a truck this system is pretty awesome but that is a discussion for another day. When we go through a scale we are looked at as we cross the scale and also weighed and at times pulled around back so the DOT can give us a little closer look. Needless to say usually all of our lights work as none of us want to go behind the scale. The next one that drives me nuts in the Police. What traffic school did they go to where they were not educated on the use of turn signals? It amazes me how seldom we see an officer of the law not use a turn signal maybe they are above the law? Then we have the young person talking on the phone while holding it. Now we all know we have to have our priorities and if you are driving and talking on the phone there are just not enough arms to use the turn signals. How about the young mother that whips in front of us at as we are coming to a red stop light and causes us to hit our brakes harder then planned? Then you see the top of the child's head in the car seat and are very glad you brakes held.

I know we are a straight truck but when we are loaded heavy we have a hard time stopping or avoiding some of these people that whip in and out.

I see no reason to not use your turn signals and this is a very easy habit to get into. Maybe this could become a very doable New Years Resolution? We are lucky have a LOUD reminder if we forget to use our turn signals as we have the Lane Departure Warning System and if you do not turn your turn signal on when changing lane you get those wonderful electronic rumble strip sounds in your ears! Maybe all vehicles need to have some kind of reminder before switching lanes.

Ok enough pet peeve for one day... I have several other Pet Peeves also.

Staying Awake and getting my eleven hours driving in

2009-04-07T15:18:00.004-04:00

How do you do it?

We split our shifts at about 3 in the morning to about about 3 in the afternoon. I am a morning person so I am the lucky one to watch the sun come up! Sometimes I find myself going through a drowsy period and have different ways to combat this. I will often stop which I hate to do as it wakes Bob up for a bit then he goes back to sleep. If we are on a surveillance load it is really rough to stop as the other one has to get up and sit in the front seat. I listen to a lot of books on my IPOD and as long as the topic is good with a good reader I often do not get sleepy at all. If I have a slow book or reader I have to take a break. That is when it gets lively in the truck! Since another is sleeping there is no singing out loud and neither of us can sing even if we think we can. I have some pretty radical music I listen to on my IPOD and no slow or sappy songs allowed. This usually perks me up pretty quick. I also keep the cab cool and I eat pumpkin seeds which are a pain to shell. We both drink a lot of water and I usually only have one cup of coffee in the morning which I make as soon as I get up. I eat breakfast running down the road which consists of finger food. I like crackers and cheese and berries not to much though as a full stomach also can make me drowsy. As the day progresses I will listed to my IPOD and catch up on my podcasts that I really enjoy; A way with words , Stuff you should know, 60 Minutes, and The word Nerds. Then I listen to my small Pioneer radio which record XM shows I like. I usually listen to Kevin Rutherford's show Business and Beyond and some of Dr. Laura' show. Then it will be back to my books on the IPOD. I try to get a mixture of learning books and also some just for fun books. I have to admit the just for fun books often take a back burner to my learning books or self help books. Yep I need a lot of help so I have a lot more listening to do. I am often on the phone with my head set catching up with the lives of other drivers and my girls. Once Bob gets up and is starting to stir around I take my IPOD off as he will want to know how close are we to delivery, where we are at, what the weather is like, what the traffic is like and where the next fuel stop is. There are areas of the country that are just so pretty you cannot take it all in and you want no distractions from the IPOD and you feel so lucky to be seeing all of this wonderful country. At times when going into a city or the traffic gets tricky and you do not need any distractions I will take my IPOD off and just I will just keep my eyes on the road. It is really amazing how fast my shift will fly by and then Bob starts driving and it is time to catch up on my computer work and get receipts entered. It is amazing how much there is to do in the truck to keep us our here on the road.

Unexpected Home Time

2009-04-05T06:09:00.002-04:00

We unloaded within 300 miles of the house Friday morning and did not get a load so we choice to come home instead of spend the weekend at a truck stop.

I like to plan and that sounds funny in our line of business as we never know what we are going to be doing just about any minute of the day or night! But I have scheduled home times and this was not one of them.

When you get home and know you are not here long how far do you clean the truck out? Do you get everything laundered and back in the truck? Do you scrub the floors and wipe down the truck? or do you just do as much laundry as you have to and enjoy being home?

Well I love mail so my first thing no matter when we come home is to sort the mail, file what needs to be filed, get the permits that always come while we are gone in a pile for the truck, get all magazines in the pile for the truck, and see if we have any correspondence our daughter might have missed that needs a reply or a check. She does a great job at this and it is not often that I have an over due bill. I keep up with all of my bank statements on line so I do not have do any of that at home just file the statements. When I finish that I am back to my decisions and decide to wash everything in the truck including the dog! Molly hates to come home as she gets a bath and has to put up with 3 outdoor cats and our daughters two indoor cats. And she is not the center of our attention while at home. She hates the house and if she gets near the truck she tries to get in.

I then have to decide make something I have in the truck for supper or go to the grocery store? The grocery store almost always wins out as I have a few more options while at home when cooking and today I am going to introduce her to a new recipe I received from a fellow truck driver that I made in the truck and it is awesome. She is a true pasta lover and this is a great sauce.

We will be back on the road tomorrow and my stress will be gone from having this unexpected break!

A Code of Ethics Checklist

2009-04-02T09:50:00.002-04:00

I drive to protect the motoring public and myself.
I do my best to present a neat, clean appearance.
I maintain and operate my vehicle in a safe, professional manner at all times.
I comply with all safety rules, regulations, and laws.
I treat shipper/receiver personnel with courtesy and respect. Despite what they do, I act professionally.
I am courteous to all other drivers.
I set a good example for less experienced large vehicle drivers.
I am always professional when dealing with four-wheel vehicle drivers.
I practice driving defensively every day, and I avoid:
Speeding
Deliberately tailgating other vehicles
Driving aggressively
“Getting back” at other drivers

I work to improve highway safety by reporting:
Crashes to traffic safety agencies
Unsafe drivers
Unsafe road conditions
Situations that could cause a crash
I do my best to deliver my load safely and on time.
I take pride in my profession and encourage other drivers to do the same.
I do my best to inform the motoring public about how to share the road safely with trucks.

Source: South Carolina Trucking Association

The above list is awesome and a great code to live by. I have a problem with one of these items that I am constantly trying to work on. I am able to control road rage in the truck until it comes to a lane being closed and the cars that just insist on trying to cut me off. They wait till the last second to get over when I have been in line for up to several miles and I just have a very hard time backing off and letting them in. Since our truck is smaller I am often able to "tail gate' the car or truck in front of me and make the car on the shoulder stop and try to push their way in behind me. I am have been working at trying to relax more in these situations and just worry about getting on down the road and if a car squeezes in who cares.

I have also found that when faced with a rude clerk or forklift operator I want to get rude right back in their face. That is why Bob now deals with most of these situations. When we have a inside delivery and pickup, or a load that needs specialized wrapping and handling I will help but I let Bob take the lead and I follow. He is very good at dealing with unreasonable and rude people.

We will continue to put our best foot forward and try to lead by example.

The Out House!

2009-03-31T07:41:00.002-04:00

For many of us out here that do not have a full facility bathroom we must trudge inside to take care of business! You learn when out here to not drink anything late at night as you do not want the call of nature to wake you up at 2:00 in the morning.

I was thinking of the settlers on my way to find the building this morning and how I should really feel as if I am suffering here but for some reason I do not. I have become accustomed to the morning walk to the building and do not mind it. I am usually up before daylight, we always park near the back (good grass for Molly her needs come first) and sometimes if I am asleep when we park I have to do a little searching to find the building. I like to stay in the lanes of travel first thing in the morning as I am not comfortable walking between trailers at night as you just never know.

I, unlike the settlers at least have a nice warm or cool bathroom, running water, soap, light, and usually paper towels to dry my hands on. Sometimes the facilities are less then desirable but such is life. Sometimes the walk into the building is very interesting as it is pouring down rain or snowing or the lot is covered in ice. Ice is the worst as far as I am concerned. I have always loved the rain and the snow so for me the walk inside in this weather is OK as everyone knows you have to go inside the building. I love it when I can put my rubber boots on and walk through the puddles of rain, or to walk when there are HUGE flakes of snow falling it is just beautiful and peaceful.

Someday we might have a "super" sleeper and have our own facilities but for now I will continue to enjoy my walk. Someday I will blog on the how others handle or do not handle this situation.

Rolling Pantry!

2009-03-29T17:23:00.003-04:00

I use a combination of baskets and bungee cords to keep my groceries where I want them and to keep them from falling on my heard when I open the doors. I have found the baskets work great to hold canned goods, baggies, spices, and small tuna bags. I love the new easy open cans. The bungee cords keep all of my boxed items where they need to be. With the way Bob set the shelves up it is amazing what all I can carry in this cupboard.

This is a picture of cooking in bed! This truck does not have a table so you do what you have to do. I am able to cook going down the road as I use a recessed sink to contain my rice cooker and my crock pot. The Rocket Grill has cool sides so I do not worry about getting burned. I use a rice cooker for many things. Boil water, stir fry, "bake" ham and potatoes casserole, and to make sauces the limit a rice cooker can be used for is your imagination. I have to admit I have only made rice in the rice cooker a few times. I also use the awesome crock pot liners when I use the crock pot for ease of cleanup.

When I am at home and cook I make enough for left overs and freeze them for the truck. I have found this works well for pasta also. I put the left overs in baggies and then shape them to the size of a book so that my freezer looks a lot like a book case. I have found that the cheap tension rods you can get at Wal-Mart help hold my food in the freezer where I want it. We have also fallen in love with the new Steam Fresh vegetables as they beat canned stuff all to heck. With the size of our refrigerator and freezer we are able to have some awesome meals in the truck.

This is a picture of the Rocket Grill http://www.buyrocketgrill.com/. I compare it to a George Foreman Grill but this stands up and uses parchment paper to catch the fat and grease. Works great for hamburgers, steaks, chicken breasts and grilled cheese sandwiches. I found our grill at Wal-Mart and believe they were made for trucks! The ease of cleanup and the cool sides just make it perfect. With that said of course Wal-Mart quit carrying it and you have to now order the parchment paper on line.

We do not always eat in the truck as sometimes the walls start to close in on us and it is time to get out. Other times I am to tired to cook or I tell Bob it is his turn to cook and out we go! I am still learning new ways to cook in the truck and am always looking for new recipes.

Where are you?

2009-03-29T07:10:00.002-04:00

We are always asked this question and after you reply you know if you are talking to a fellow driver or not.

The fellow driver will usually say oh are you at? and name off ALL of the trucks stops in the local area and sometimes a Wal-Mart or local place you can park and while they are at it name off the mile markers.

The non - driver will often say oh I love that city, and name of local points of interest that you will probably never see or you are no where close to. We sometimes get to SEE some of these places as we have carried high value loads that go to museums, traveling exhibits, or to upscale businesses. But do we stay? No as there is usually no room for us to park or huge signs saying NO TRUCKS. Love those signs. See is the key word here as we SEE those places as we drive by.

We have rented a car a couple of times and went and actually visited local points of interest and we probably should do it more often. We often find we do not have the time or we have housekeeping duties we need to get caught up on.

Our mind set is also funny as when the wheels are turning we are making money and when sitting nope no money! Try to explain that to all of the various panhandlers that knock on the door. So for us to go sight seeing means we might have to turn down a load making money. When the situation is right we do get out and see but in reality that does not happen often.

We have found the longer we do this the smaller the United States and Canada have become. It is great fun to talk with other drivers and discuss places to sit that are 4000 miles apart but you have been there, done that and have the t-shirt! What an awesome way of life we have.

So for us we will continue to "SEE" things as we go on by and keep the wheels turning!

LDWS Drives you nuts!

2009-03-26T16:15:00.002-04:00

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/report/lane-departure-warning-systems.htm

This technology is interesting and a hard sell. We have had one on our truck for a couple of years and it is still a pain at times.... The problem is when it is a pain is when you are not staying in your lane of traffic. We have been lucky enough with FedEx Custom Critical to be able to beta test different items and this one really changed our driving habits.

We had the LDWS installed in California and it was not a quick process as we were the first straight truck they had installed the unit on. The LDWS is a small camera and is mounted on the windshield with our other passes. The LDWS is a awesome little unit as it is constantly watching the lines and as you get any one of your tires on the white line you get an electronic rumble strip noise. We have a small speaker mounted on both side of the truck about shoulder high and as you start towards the white line on the passenger side that speaker goes off and the same happens on the drivers side. It is a very obnoxious sound! If you are a tractor trailer the camera is set up for that combination.

We immediately found that when we reach for anything we had a tendency to steer in that direction. Before we realize we are getting tired we have found we wobble around in our lane setting off the LDWS and we know it is time to take a break and walk around. Since we have had the system neither one of us have run over anymore "real" rumble strips as you just do not get that far out of your lane. Another benefit we quickly found was the system is great while driving in road construction as it will let you know if you get close to the lines. You can shut the system off with a toggle switch for 15 minutes at a time which is helpful when you are on really twisty turny lanes. The system also does not work below 37 mph.

We really enjoy getting to test new ideas and products and giving our feedback. We can see the benefits of this unit but it is hard to convince other drivers but sure not the safety department at a carrier.

Hot Topic SHOWERS

2009-03-23T08:25:00.002-04:00

We are asked this question a lot by women looking at getting into trucking men not so much. I wonder why that is... Anyway I finally remembered to take my camera into the shower. Now I did hide my camera as I could just imagine the guys watching TV and standing around playing games seeing that camera and we all know exactly what they would be thinking. This is a typical shower room at a TA truck stop. Those that drive I am sure recognized it. You have a shower, toilet, sink and not much room. We do shower in the same room and it gets crowded. I one time was mad at Bob and said we need separate showers. Wow was that a mistake I will never repeat. I felt very vulnerable in the shower as men and women talking kept going by the door. Having Bob between me and the door just feels safe. We always ask for at least one extra towel and if I can get away with it I ask for two. One for the floor and one to dry with. I know we have been asked why do we not just use our own towels and we do not as there is just no place to dry the towels after we use them.

Overall most showers are just not that bad. We use shower shoes just in case, we do not set anything on the floor we either use a towel or a mat to set our shampoos on and after use dry the bottles off and put back in our carry ins. We buy bulk products and refill smaller bottles as you sure get tired of carrying a heavy bag in and out as it is often a pretty good walk back to the truck. No we do not get to shower everyday or twice a day. On the days we cannot get a shower you can wipe yourself down or Wal-Mart has a little product that you warm in the microwave with several moist towelettes that is just awesome.

MATS

2009-03-22T14:33:00.007-04:00

Wow what a year for a truck show! I am not sure how the show sponsors are going to feel but I hope the vendors are thrilled. I know we as attendees could not have asked for anything else. The weather was great, the crowds were thin and the vendors actually had time to talk to you. We had a fantastic time and met two amazing individuals that will have such a impact on our business and I am sure they have no clue. The first individual was Miguel Soetaert (Sweetheart in english) and the other was Henry Albert of the Slice of Life and 1 Extraordinary Truck. Miguel's title is Group Leader Component Optimization which means he knows how to put a truck together to fit what you want it to do. We want comfort and fuel mileage while our friend is more concerned with cost and fuel mileage. He talked two different trucks. Miguel is from Belgium and the first thing you figure out about Miguel is he likes to talk, he is very interesting, and he loves life and trucks. Talk about a great combination! We were lucky enough to be able to spend enough time with him to consider him a start to a great friendship! He introduced us to Henry Albert who was the 2007 Overdrive trucker of the year. Henry was also one of the drivers chosen to drive the new Cascadia for a year to blog and attend events talking about his experience. One of the first things you notice about Henry is you have to look up and so does Bob! That does not happen often to Bob. Henry has tons of ideas on running a truck smarter and also being a smarter O/O and driver. Henry was silly enough to give us his number so... Talk about a person to bounce ideas off of. Here is Henry's Blog http://sliceoftruckerlife.com/blogs/henry-albert/ and here is the home site http://sliceoftruckerlife.com/#/home/

We also had a great time with other Expediters and had a few BBQ's in the parking lot. Weather would get a little chilly in the evening when the sun when down but we added our coats and enjoyed each others company. A couple who has been reading on ExpeditersOnline came up from Georgia and we were able to spend some time with them at the show and they were able to come over one evening and meet the crowd. They were also able to view what all a truck will carry after they have been on the road and also ask questions of several drivers from different companies. We were all happy to meet them and to sit down and chat! Hope they make a decision that is right for them and that we get to meet with them on down the road.

Silent Night

2009-03-16T06:49:00.003-04:00

The joys of sleeping without truck engines running, reefers running, and people pulling in and leaving beside you setting their breaks is just a treat. We took a chance yesterday after stopping in Louisville and had some awesome BBQ that has long been recommended by a trucker friend. While at the BBQ place we had Buttermilk Pie and if you had a diabetic problem I think that pie would put you over the edge. I read a little about the pie after getting back in the truck. Five hours to prepare and 1 1/2 hours to bake at 400 calories a slice. Only the south could discover something so sweet to go along with your sweet tea! After our meal we decided to get closer to our delivery which was a chemical plant out in the middle of no where. We could not find a place to stay on the way to the plant so we decided to ask the guard shack if they knew of anything. Well lo and behold they have reserved three spots for trucks over to the side under a tree and next to some very nice grass! Talk about luck we were thrilled. Bob got out his polishing stuff and cleaned on the truck and I got out my lawn chair and worked on the computer. I had done my cleaning earlier in the day. We had a great evening and really appreciated this customer for providing such a nice area to wait. We are always very careful that no signs of our cleaning will be left behind. We do not want to ever be one of those truck drivers who gets anyone banned from parking at any location. This morning I woke up to birds chirping and the weather was just perfect to leave the windows open a tad. Great way to start a new week!

Escort / Hotel

2009-03-12T15:38:00.002-04:00

We had to have an police escort to cross a bridge yesterday. What made this one interesting is they shut down the bridge to on coming traffic as we were going to cross with an oversize truck! It is really the pits when you have to have an escort on a bridge. You must call one hour ahead of time and if you mess that up and get to the bridge without calling you can receive a fine. We called in plenty of time made it to the bridge and had a car follow us in. Now that can get touchy real fast on these loads. Lucky he identified himself quickly and said he wanted to have us come inside and buy us coffee as he had been following our posts on Expediters Online. He recognized the truck and our Flying Pig! We told him sorry we are waiting on the police but we can chat for a bit here at the truck. He was a very nice guy and just wanted to know more information about the Expediting business. Our escort arrived and told us he would block traffic and we would lead the parade with him behind us and the oversize truck behind him. It is kind of fun to go across the bridge with a police car following you with lights on and then to see all the cars and trucks waiting on the other side now looking at you what a funny feeling!

We finally made it to our destination to find out we could not stay with our truck. Now this is really the pits as we have a very comfortable bed and everything we need. No hotel (ok not many) are as comfortable as our truck is. But that was neither here nor there as the MP's took us off to the rooms where the enlisted stay when visiting a base. We were told nope you cannot stay here you have to stay in the officers quarters. Well the MP's thought that was pretty cool as it is a lot nicer then the enlisted area. I know there are proper terms for these places but for the heck of me I cannot remember them. Yep we get to the officers rooms and we have a pretty nice room with coffee pot.! Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Molly was not impressed as she had to stay and guard the truck all night! She does not appreciate sleeping by herself but sometimes it really is a dogs life. All turned out well we got a good nights sleep and a ride back to our truck to be unloaded! Molly took one look at us and fell exhausted into bed.

Now we just wait for our next load.

Bob Published Writer!

2009-03-10T09:35:00.002-04:00

Bob has started writing a weekly article for the Expedite Now magazine and also for the Expediters Online home page. One of his articles is located under EO Truck Topics on the home page. You just need to scroll down a little to see the Truck Topics. His first published article should come out this month in the Magazine that is sent all over the country. If you are interested in seeing the magazine article you can sign up and receive the magazine for free.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/

Since Bob does not type or I should say he does not really want to type so he types poorly this is a joint venture. He writes out his article then I decipher what he has wrote and between the two of us we try to get the article into a final format. Neither one of us were English majors so there are a lot of flaws but Bob does have some very good info for new people or even people in a money crunch wanting to do more themselves.

So far Bob is enjoying his new project and he has been getting some very positive feedback!

Quebec

2009-03-09T11:53:00.003-04:00

We had to take a load to just above Montreal QC and after we crossed into Quebec I remembered why I dislike that area SO much! What frustrates me and I am sure many other Canadians is French! My gosh that is the language, the signs, the road signs everywhere is French and NO English. Before you jump on me I know that this is the language spoke in Quebec but what bothers me is the REST of Canada and even parts of the USA have signs in English and in French for these people. Now why in gods name does the USA have to have signs in French and English? French is not our language. I feel as if the least they could do in Quebec is have their signs in French and English to help out the rest of the area and us non French speakers. We do not take or haul loads out of this area unless they pay very well and we do stay in that area we head back to the English speaking side of Canada or back to the good ole United States. Now crossing that border back into the United States can be another challenge! This past time we came out empty at the prettiest border crossing in the United States. We crossed at Landsdown, ON or Thousand Island. What a site to behold on the river. There are so many little islands with houses on them and their garage which looks like a normal garage is for a boat. What a great area and one we hope to go back and visit. This time coming out it was pouring down rain and there were no trucks at the border. We were empty but the USA Customs Agent still decided we needed to be x-rayed. So we go into the little building they run the x-ray over us and then have us pull outside so they can look inside the truck. Now I do not mind getting out in the rain but there is no excuse to make Molly get out in the rain. So as they stood in the rain waiting I looked for Molly's raincoat so she would not get wet! I know I was playing with fire but still. All they did was poke their head in from the door and look into the sleeper. Well I can say this at least they were a lot wetter then Molly was! We then were told to proceed with no more problems!

Nike + iPod

2009-03-05T12:05:00.002-05:00

We all face a challenge of getting out and exercising and when driving a truck you can really think of several good reasons not to exercise. One is you are in unfamiliar territory most of the time, truck stops are not often built with sidewalks and even walking beside the road is dangerous, walking in the truck parking lot can really be a challenge, you are tired from driving all night and the list goes on and on....

This year I had set a goal of eating less and exercising more by getting out and walking. So far so good with a little incentive! Several things all happened at once I started reading a very good book called People are Idiots and I can Prove it by Larry Winget that pretty much said any excuse is an excuse and what YOU put in YOUR mouth ends up on YOUR behind! Got my attention. Then our youngest daughter sent me a Nano and the Nike Plus which is just awesome! Talk about incentive! The Nano is calibrated to my walking stride and keeps track of how far I walk, how fast I walk, and also how many calories I am am burning. Then to top it off you can challenge people so that when you hook your Nano up to the computer it records how far you have walked or ran. So you can challenge each other to go so far in a certain amount of time. The people in your challenge can also see when you are slacking as you cannot record miles if you do not walk them! While you are walking you can listen to music you have downloaded to your Nano so the time just flies by.

So far I have lost some weight and my knees feel so much better since I have been exercising them. I have been spending more time learning about nutrition and cooking more meals in the truck so that I can control our portions and how the meal is made. That benefits us in two ways, we eat less and it costs less then eating out. I like both of those reasons.

Bob does get out and walk some with me but he gets a lot more exercise then I do on a day to day bases. He deals with our customers and he also spends a lot of time polishing our truck. The inside in much easier to clean and I sure do not get much exercise while I am working on the computer. Molly does not go for our walks as she just cannot keep up anymore. She gets to go for short strolls, then she gets a treat and takes an hour or so nap!

Back to Work!

2009-03-04T07:54:00.004-05:00

We are waiting to unload! What a deal though supposed to be an escort on a load and get to our pickup and we were given the wrong info. We were the lucky ones to haul the freight. We are supposed to load at 15:00 and get to our pickup and there are trucks everywhere no way are we getting loaded at that time. We go through our inspection, our escort goes through their inspection and we are good to go now just wait till freight is ready. We wait till 19:30 to get loaded and find out we are not getting 850lbs but 12,500lbs. No change in pay just more weight. We know we are going to a place that does not have a safe haven where we can stay with the truck so we ask if we can stay where we are. Nope what we are picking up there they want rid of we cannot stay. The problem with where we are delivering to is you have to leave your truck and get a taxi to a hotel. Well the hotel is about twenty miles away and smells. FedEx Custom Critical does pick up the tab but who wants to leave their comfy truck in the middle of the night to go to stinking hotel? So after we are loaded we drive slow and stop often. We were lucky our escorts understood and did not complain and just went along. We have made it to our delivery now have to wait for a different escort to take us back to unload! What a start to coming back to work. The load did pay well and even knowing all of this we would have accepted it so that helps a lot.

Computer withdrawals

2009-03-02T16:49:00.002-05:00

I am finally getting caught up on all of my emails and also the forums I am involved with. You think only being gone from your computer for three full days would not be that big of deal. WRONG! This last trip will be the last time I travel without my computer. Each morning I would get up and my day would just start odd. I was not able to catch up on the headlines, check on the weather, check on my email, check out the forums and felt totally out of it. Once the day would start and we were off doing activities we normally would not do I did not even think of or miss the computer till in the evening when we would get back to the hotel.

It was very overwhelming when I was finally able to turn my computer on and just sit down and get caught up. After a few hours working on the computer things started to get back to normal. Most of our transactions while we traveled were in cash as if I had receipts to enter I am sure I would have been even more nervous. Very hard for me to go to bed with paperwork still to be done!

So before you take off on vacation think very hard about how often you use your computer for just daily communications and also keeping up with what the world is doing. I know I have learned me lesson and it will not happen again.

Disneyland

2009-03-01T17:37:00.008-05:00

We just arrived home after three and a half days in Disneyland! Disneyland has always been a very special place to me and a place to forget all troubles and just enjoy life. Once you walk in past the turn styles and under the bridge you are in another world. As a child once we reached that area we were given our ticket books and told what time to meet back with the adults. My sister and I spent many hours just wandering the park and being very picky about what rides we rode as when we ran out of our tickets we were done for the day. My sister and I loved every moment we spent in Disneyland and then adult life caught up with us. We moved and were only about to go back once when the kids were to small to enjoy the park. Through the years though I have always continued to collect and read about Disneyland and dream of the day being able to go back. Well lucky for me I finally got back in contact with my best friend from High school and she and her family are just as crazy if not crazier then I am about Disneyland. Her still living in Arizona take a trip just about every year to the park. Nicki and I were lucky enough to meet her and her family out there in 2007 and had a great time. There were a few new rides and a few rides were gone but the park was still just as perfect as I remembered it. What fun to show Nicki the park and find that she loved it just as much as I did! This year Nicki was not able to go and so Bob went. Bob enjoys Disneyland but not to the same degree as I do. Some of the rides do not sit well with him. Debbie, her son Mikey and I were able to make him pretty sick the first full morning there. The rest of the day we spent on flat non spinning rides. The next morning first thing we did was Space Mountain and that was the end of Bob! Anything that moved fast he became our official photographer! Poor Guy! There are many rides though that even a person with motion sickness can ride so he still had a very good time. We were lucky that it was the off season so we were able to ride a lot of the rides in a very short time. We walked at least a million miles but boy did we have a great time! I am not sure if we will be able to go back before 2012 but if not that is the year to go! There are plans for 3 new awesome rides on the California side of Disneyland and they look amazing.

How we do Disneyland:

When you walk in the park the first thing you want to see in Steve Martin and the first 50 years of Disneyland. Great show and lots of pictures and memorabilia of Disneyland. Next you head out quickly for the Tiki Room which is a must as it was my moms favorite and brings back many fond memories of her. After the Tiki ride is the new ride Indian Jones Jeep adventure all I can say is it is amazing and a lot of fun. Bob even liked this one. Next you have to ride Pirates of the Caribbean which you should ride many time while visiting the park. After Pirates you hustle on over to the Haunted House then it is on to Splash Mountain where you need to add your rain poncho. Next you go back around the lagoon and if you have time board the Mark Twain River boat, after that ride you go through Cinderellas Castle and ride Mr Toads Wild Adventure, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and the Snow White rides, then you are off to ride the Canal Boats of Storybookland. Then a must see is It's a Small World then you should ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds. We rode the Nemo Submarine ride but once was one time to many as none of us enjoyed the wait nor the ride. You can then get on the Monorail and take a tour of the parks for a nice break. Next is Space Mountain! That ride is just awesome a totally dark room with stars and a roller coaster! We usually hit Star Tours which is a virtual ride but a riot! Once you have finished that tour of Disneyland it is about time for lunch and then go back and fill in some of the rides you missed and of course hit the favorites once again.

My favorite ride is Pirates of the Caribbean!

Home Time

2009-02-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

This is going become a familiar site! The nose of the truck stuck into the shop.

We were in Knoxville TN and did not receive any load offers so on Friday evening Bob drove a couple hundred miles to get us a little closer to home. I got up at my normal time and started driving towards the house. The morning started out very nice as I was listening to a book on my IPOD, drinking my morning coffee, traffic was light and just waiting for the sun to come up! Well the sun did not come up all I saw was ominous clouds! Yep snow clouds. In a short period of time it starts raining then that turns to snow and ice. What a mess. Poor Bob gets out of bed looks out the window and says what the heck is all THAT!! I figure he must still be asleep as it is pretty plain to me it is snow and ice! He turns back around and goes back to bed! He gets up about the time we get to the bridge to Saint Louis where the arch is a great land mark and by that time it had quit snowing but the truck was not thawing very quickly. He starts getting excited with go here and go there so he can get PARTS!! His first time to really work on the truck in his SHOP!! Well I get him to the first parts store and off he goes. Like normal they only have a few off his parts so off we go again. After four parts stores he is happy and time to get fuel and head for the house! It has quit snowing the sun is out but boy is it bitter cold. That does not slow Bob down a bit. We pull up to the house and he is in a sprint to unload all the laundry, shower stuff, and some personal stuff and off he goes to his shop for a few hours. I look out the windows and he has his coveralls on and he is working away and I am sure if I had been closer I would have seen a smile on his face.

I know I was smiling as I started getting our laundry done and putting stuff away. It sure felt good to come home to the house. Nicki and her friend Jen had painted the kitchen and it is really gorgeous and I will post pictures later as next Sunday we are going to do a little more painting!

Well we are off to "Mouseland" for a few days. I am sure I will post one or two pictures of Disneyland the most wonderful place on earth!

Free Showers!!!!

2009-02-13T19:51:00.002-05:00

It is a truckers life out here! We tried a new thing today following the guidance of another FedEx Custom Critical truck we are running with. We stopped in Wendover, NV for a free shower and a two for one buffet. The deal is you have to show your CDL drivers license and you are then given a very nice fluffy towel and a shower key. Showers were clean and well lit and had nice water pressure. You can also get a coupon for a buffet at the two casinos next to the Truckers Lounge. We went to the Peppermill and they had a fantastic buffet with Prime Rib being the main item. Lots of food to choose from and many of the items really very healthy. The buffet was 12.99 for one person so we felt as if we got a bargain as I ate for free. Often showers are 9.00 if you have not purchased 50 gallons of fuel at that truck stop. So we felt as if we made out like bandits. We figure someone else will lose enough at the tables to cover the fact none of us gamble!

Our destination changed from Chicago to Green OH to work on our Driver Tech. The Driver Tech is our communication with FedEx Custom Critical and is the newest and best thing out here. That is what the sales people will tell you anyway. We have really enjoyed using the unit and we like it much better then the QualComm we used to use. We are having some new software installed and we will be testing a new printer and scanner. Amazing the technology out here going up and down our roads. Just thing the truck that is running next to you could be scanning all of their paperwork in and sending it across the country! Just amazing.

Chicago here we come.....

2009-02-12T18:58:00.002-05:00

We just made it over Donner Pass without having to chain and that is always a good thing. Since we have had our Super Single tires we have not had to use our chains and that is a very good thing as those chains are really heavy.

We have been sitting over in Gilroy CA the garlic capital of the world! It does smell odd as you pull in but then you get used to the smell. We always buy a jar of olive oil infused with garlic as it has awesome flavor. I do not cook with this in the truck as the smell would drive us out of this small space.

We had sad news this week as a fellow trucker passed away. Peggy was from New York and did she have an accent. She would set your teeth on edge when she got excited. She was an awesome women though and her and her husband had a truck just like us. She had many many hints she shared with me on how to store things in our truck. We did not talk daily but we talked often enough that she will be missed. The trucking world sure lost a character with a lot of heart.

We hauled one short load while in California of 200lbs which did not take up much room in our truck. The funny part was a semi was unloading right in front of us who by the way had loaded at the same place as us. The has one little bitty cylinder that they un nailed from the floor and carried off. We as a small truck had a pallet and he had a little cylinder it was really funny! Needless to say they were shipped this way as they were not a compatible hazmat.

We do some really funny things out here!

Time to sit and read!

2009-02-09T07:53:00.002-05:00

We made it to our delivery 28 hours early and have been waiting in the safe haven to get unloaded. When this happens after catching up a little on our sleep we usually get a lot done and this was no exception.

First is clean up the truck on the inside the wind and forecast was not good for the outside of the truck. It is amazing in such a small space with two people and a cocker spaniel how quick the truck gets dirty. After cleaning the sleeper and the cab of the truck it was time to exercise. Brandy gave me a IPOD Nano and a Niki + that is pretty darn cool. You put the little Niki sensor on your shoe and the reader into your Nano and then you take off walking. This neat gadget tells you how far you have walked or ran, how long it took you, the distance you went, and how many calories you used. Well I thought I had walked over a mile and looked at the Nano and nope .80 so I walked more. Love the little gadget and how easy it is to use. Anything that can get me out of the truck and moving is going to be worth it's weight in gold. That will not be to much on this new gadget as it is very light.

Then I was able to read for a bit in between watching a coyote come in and steal trash from a dumpster full of MRE's. He was a scrubby looking little thing and Bob was not sure what he really was. Molly of course never saw a coyote! Anyway the book I am reading is called People are Idiots and I Can PROVE it! By Larry Winget. Wow talk about an in your face book and he is blunt very blunt. Several of his ideas sure hit home and made me stop and think. There will be some life changes going on in our lives starting now. A lot of what he talks about are ideas I have played with and somewhat skirted around but after this book it is time to get real and fix a few things. The book is also good for couples as some of what he talks about is goal setting and I love goals but how much better they would work if our goals would match! We have been meandering now like a stream for to long it is time to become a straight canal. Anyway I really enjoyed reading this book and I will probably get it from audible.com and listen a few more times to it to stay motivated. I have liked all of Larry Winget's book but this one by far is the best.

Inspection Stations

2009-02-08T08:27:00.002-05:00

I found a really good use of having placards all over your truck that are orange and say Explosives on them! When you cross into California, Florida and Arizona you have to go through a inspection station where they ask you about fruits, vegetables and plants. Well when you have orange placards on they do not ask you anything just wave you on. Kind of funny to tell you the truth.

We have made it to California a little early so we will have to sit a day in a safe haven on a base. The safe havens come in all kinds. The safe haven is a place you can sit with explosives loaded on your truck. The haven is fenced and most have wires running across the tops to lightening rods in the ground. Some places let us stay with our truck and some do not. The semi's are lucky in this situation as they can drop their trailer and leave. If we cannot stay we have to get a cab go to usually a pretty nasty hotel room and then get a cab back to base. Sometimes you will only be in the hotel room a few hours before it is time to go back to base. We much prefer the lots where we can stay with the truck. The safe havens are usually in the middle of no where on the base and so they are quiet. This is one is really the pits as they do not provide a restroom. Our favorite base to go to is in New York and a place called Tobyhanna. This safe haven is in the Poconos and has a small lake you can go sit at or walk around. Really a very pretty place.

We will be looking forward to Monday and getting unloaded so we can go get a shower and start another week!

Back to Work sort of

2009-02-04T07:43:00.002-05:00

We went back in service yesterday morning! We are ready to go back to work and rest up after our hectic week. We had our first FedEx guests with a couple we know from Ohio delivering in Saint Louis came out to the house for breakfast. No we do not have breakfast items so they stopped by and got eggs and bacon and then proceeded to make them! Boy am I glad I just do not make eggs very well. I did stir the bacon a few times though. It was fun to show them the house and Bob did a tour of his shop. Dave has listened to Bob all through this house buying project talk about different houses we have looked at and sure been a support to us that we would find the right one.

We decided we would have better luck in Saint Louis getting a load so we came to town did not get a load but spent the night in the truck. We took the truck over to some friends and had a great dinner and then proceeded to get our butts whipped at Cribbage. It was really a lot of fun and we really enjoyed the company and the dinner! Molly also love to go visiting as there is always plenty of her favorite treats in the house! CARROTS her teeth are getting bad enough you have to give her small pieces but she loves them.

It was nice last night to sleep in the truck and we are ready to hit the road this morning!

Bob's Pride and Joy

2009-02-02T15:21:00.002-05:00

Here it is Bob's Pride and Joy!! I guess there are really two things in this picture Bob is very proud of. His truck and now his new shop. The shop as you can see in almost tall enough for the truck. Later we are going to try and lift the center of the roof so he can drive in side. Right now at least he can have all his tools and the truck close to where he is going to be working. He just installed his new air compressor and the first thing he did was put new shocks on the truck.

New House and what a move!

2009-02-01T08:46:00.006-05:00

Our new house! As you can see by the snow you should not buy a house nor move into a house in January. There is a lot less snow here then there was in Lake Saint Louis so that created a mess. On the day we moved all of our heavy stuff the snow was melting and the ground was very soft. As you can see in the back of the picture there is forest and we have about 3 acres of forest that is just gorgeous with a nice ravine and when the water flows a nice little water fall. Great area. The grass here is amazing and we cannot wait to get it all fenced in and an electric gate put up at the drive and I hope our real estate lady who is now our great friend will bring a horse or two to graze and make the house look complete.

Here is a great picture of Bob right after we signed our life away. His shop is 40X 60 and is awesome. We are going to have to raise the center peak of the roof at some time so the truck will fit. Right now though he has a great area to work in and to keep his tools. He is hoping to finally be able to do more work on the truck and do some special things to it that he has not been able to do. He also purchased a drill press and he is thrilled with that. The shop has lots of great shelves in it so he has plenty of storage. I will post a picture of the truck next to shop when we get the truck moved.

Here we are backed up to the house, lift gate out and the help ready to unload the truck. We were very lucky that Nicki has exceptional friend to help us. Our main heavy duty mover was Josh and he really went above and beyond after getting all of the big stuff out of our second floor apartment he got it into the house and exactly where we wanted it. With out Josh, Ben and Jim and then Jen, Angie and Sara we would still be trying to get out of the apartment. After we got the truck unloaded Josh and Jen stayed and organized us. Jen unloaded box after box putting stuff away and Josh put up all of our heat detectors then helped Bob get the washer and dryer set and did tons of odds and ends. When we could just not go any longer we all went to supper a few miles down the road at JR Diamonds who has excellent food and is super reasonable. We have all ready grown to enjoy all of the homemade dishes. The desserts are all home made along with the ice cream. Anyone that comes to visit could get a homemade meal here at the house or we just might run down the road to the local cafe!

Limbo

2009-01-29T07:48:00.002-05:00

There is a reason most people do not move in January! It is cold and there is a lot of snow on the ground. In some ways we hope for it to warm up but if the weather warms up to much we will have mud! We were able to do our walk through of the house and the shed and the people still have a ways to go also to be out of the house and the shed. The house was not to bad but the shed really was a mess. You can get a lot of stuff in a 40 X 60 shed. Bob has all ready purchased several things to go in the shed so as they get their stuff out one door he will be adding his stuff in the other door!

Nicki our daughter has lots of friends she has helped move that will be helped us get the heavy stuff out of our second floor apartment and moved into the house. We will owe all of these guys and gals a lot. Nicki had a lot of stuff we do not use often packed and in the living room when we arrived home and Bob has that all loaded in the truck. He has all ready been up and down those stairs a million times.

Friday is our closing day and we want to get into the house and start cleaning. We will try and get some of the smaller stuff into the house on Friday so we will have a little more room in the truck for our larger items. Little less work to for all of our help.

We bought a new refrigerator that was supposed to be delivered on Saturday and now they changed the date to Sunday so that is kind of the pits. Other then that no snags as of yet we will see tomorrow when we get into the house and start making it ours.

Soon as we get into the house I will post pictures.

Homeward Bound!

2009-01-25T10:48:00.002-05:00

We finally had a load offer that we could take! We had turned down a really really nice load offer to California from near the Atlanta area as we could not be home in time to sign the finale papers on the new house. We picked up 1000 lbs of printing plates about 8:00 at night and took them to near Nashville TN. Bob had fun inside as the company was running a calender for Harley Davidson with some really neat pictures of motorcycles with some very skimpily clad women beside them! I was all ready in bed so lucky me I was able to miss the excitement. That load put us with three hundred miles of the house so Bob went to bed and I headed home.

We are planning on doing the last walk through of the house and shop on the 28th and then the signing of the papers on the 30th! We are all excited for many different reasons. Bob is cannot wait to sweep the floor of his new shop, Nicki cannot wait to organize the house, and I cannot wait to just wonder around outside and enjoy the grass and the small forest we will have. Molly and the indoor cats I am not so sure are looking forward to the move!

The house is coming with three out door cats so that will be interesting. Wish us luck and good weather on our moving. We are also lucky Nicki has helped many of her friends move and now it is their turn to help Nicki out.

Texas Size Avocado

2009-01-22T14:31:00.003-05:00

This has to be the biggest avocado I have ever seen! We purchased it down in Florida and I have it next to an avocado I bought in Saint Louis. I just finally turned the huge avocado into a salad and it has pretty good flavor. Seems as if it bruised easier then the small avocado did. The flavor also seems a little washed out compared to the smaller cousin! Over all though I would buy another one.

Jets

2009-01-22T07:02:00.002-05:00

We delivered to Tyndall AFB in Florida and a great show of fighter jets. While we went through security and had the truck inspected we were able to watch jet after jet fly overhead. The noise was deafening but the site was amazing. Often we would look up and they would be flying completely on their sides. We had to wait in the escort area for awhile and so had ample time to watch all of the activity. Our escorts finally came and got us and another truck to go back to our area to unload. We had to go around the runway and keep stopping to check that no planes were trying to land. After we made it back to our area and Bob was talking to the guys he said before they could move us they had to let the towers know so they could put the planes on a bigger loop to give us time to cross the runways!

This had to be one of the slowest bases we have ever been to. We had very little freight but it took us over two hours to get unloaded. One thing we always have to keep in mind at a base and a nuclear plant is do not even think of trying to rush anyone as they will follow protocol and even if you do not get "it" they will do what they have to do.

What a view the people as this base have though. The weather was awesome and base is somewhat situated on an island. I know this not the correct term but being from Arizona it sounds good to me. Water on both side of the base and many of the military houses with a back door to the water. Really a nice base.

Slow Slow!

2009-01-17T11:11:00.002-05:00

Molly is having a rough weekend! When I woke up this morning this is how I found her sleeping. She does not normally sleep on her back so it was kind of funny. She was so sound asleep she did not wake up when I took her picture!

We are in Birmingham Alabama and no load as of yet. We have been here since early Friday morning and are still hoping to get something out of here over the weekend. Every time I look at the weather though I think maybe here is not so bad. One thing about this job if the wheels are not turning we are not making any money. Right now the industry is in a slump and everyone is slow so we are just as normal as all of the trucks sitting around us. We are lucky in many ways as we have no consumer debt and the house payment that we are gaining is not huge. We did not buy over our heads so even in slow times we should be fine making our house payment.

Sitting is one of the hardest things we do out here. You are damned if you do and damned if you do not. In order to go entertain yourself you have to spend money. To get to a place we usually have to drive our truck which gets about ten miles to the gallon and then you have to find a place where they allow truck parking. Then you either go shopping or watch a movie. We can stay where we are parked and entertain ourselves in the truck without spending money. We have many movies we bought on discount, we have lots of books and magazines, we have the inter net, and we have our Wii for exercise. If the weather is good we go for walks or we ride our bikes. Again riding our bikes, going for walks, or watching movies or shopping can be tough or even sitting down to a nice meal in a restaurant. When we get a load opp most often it is an ASAP pickup. If you are a mile away on your walk you have to decide if you can get back in time and can you make pickup on time? If you cannot do this you could have to turn down a high paying load. That can make a good day bad real quick!

What a day!!

2009-01-15T18:39:00.002-05:00

One of the un fun days in the life of a truck driver / expediter hurry up and wait. After we deliverer our load we found out that there were many FedEx Custom Critical trucks in Florida and so we were one of many. There were more then enough trucks in Miami and also in Orlando. We get paid a small amount to move to a location given to us be FCC and if that does not work we can sometimes get another location to move to. We sat at a Travel Center on the Florida turnpike most of the afternoon and then were told for a relocate fee we will move you to Birmingham AL. Well with that many trucks sitting in Florida we jumped on that chance and are on our way.

You might think boredom sitting in a small space for many hours but really there is not enough hours in a day to do all that you want. Bob had drove till about 3 in the morning and then I am sure while we were being unloaded he was awoken again. He then was able to go back to sleep while I drove to Orlando and he did not get up till almost one in the afternoon! He has always loved sleeping in and this is the perfect job for that. While he sleeps I get all of computer work updated and if I finish that I will listen to my IPOD as I have many books downloaded. Right now I am reading The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand. Once Bob was up and while he was inside I made the bed and cleaned up the truck. He then read a few posts on the computer and I played Guitar Hero for a bit. We then had a head to head battle on Guitar Hero and while playing received the call that if we wanted we could move to Birmingham.

Well that brought out another project that I have been working on crocheting a blanket. Great hobby for winter time. The day usually just flies by due to all of the activities we have in the truck and also in maintaining the truck on nice days. There is not enough time in the day to get bored.

Pigs In Florida

2009-01-15T10:40:00.002-05:00

Has anyone heard of Florida having a wild pig problem?

I was driving up I95 and not in a remote area and a small brown pig with red spots was running in the median. I did think how odd but that was it. I turned onto the Florida Turnpike and started towards Orlando and here is another brown pig with red spots rooting along the highway about 30 miles from the first one. They looked to be related to me but what do I know.

We delivered just north of Miami but not even sure what we had 1000lb box. Was a long box and we picked it up at the manufacturer but still have no clue what they even make.

These light loads are really helping us to keep our fuel mileage up above ten miles to the gallon which really helps with our FSC. We need to stay above 9 miles per gallon to stay ahead of the fuel game. Our top speed is 56 to 57 mile per hour no matter where we are. In a couple states we actually are speeders! Our loads are figured on 47 mph so we have no trouble making our deliveries or our picking up a load. The secret is to keep the doors shut and get on down the road.

We are sitting at a Service Plaza now waiting for a load offer. I am considering going and buying a avocado as the thing is HUGE and I have never saw one so big. They cost $3.50 each so you can imagine how big they are.

Molly

2009-01-13T17:26:00.004-05:00

Here is a new picture of Molly watching me reach for her snacks in the truck. Today on EO or Expeditersonline.com I changed my avatar from a picture of Molly to a picture of our painted tires. I had a couple of emails asking if she was all right so I had to put a picture of her back. She knows many people from our travels and many people recognize her then try to figure out who we are! When we go to the home office at Green OH some of the girls bring her treats and when they go on break they take something out to Molly. She loves all the attention! Hard to believe this year we have had her 13 years.

Nuclear Plant

2009-01-13T09:32:00.003-05:00

We picked up a load of "clean tools" at a nuclear plant in North Carolina. The Nuclear Plants are so heavily regulated that you have to go through several hoops to pickup and deliver. We pulled into the first search area and had to open all of our side boxes, doors to the truck, and hood. We have to take Molly out of the truck and also stand away from the truck while the guard looks inside the truck and then in every box and then runs a mirror under the truck. The guard then told us we were very lucky as just six months ago they dropped the policy where you had to take everything out of your side boxes and from under your bunk for them to go through. We would have been there for hours taking all of our supplies out and then trying to put it all back in!

A forklift came from the interior of the plant with our barrel that weighed about 220lbs and was sealed to put on the truck. If we would have had to go into the interior of the plant Molly and I would have had to stay outside as no passengers or pets are allowed in the interior. If you go to the interior you also have to through an even more intensive search. We have been to several plants and we either pick up at a warehouse or a forklift will bring our freight out so us.

A new law that is going into affect or actually a old law that is going to be enforced is that if you deliver to the interior of a nuclear plant you have to have a Geiger counter run over the truck. If you do not have this done the company will put you our of service and they have a safety review to determine if they will terminate your lease.

We always enjoy going to the nuclear plants and seeing the cooling towers they are just amazing and huge.

We are now waiting for our next load and enjoying the warm weather in the south!

Odd Shower

2009-01-12T08:37:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we finished polishing up the truck, then took a very nice walk down a dirt road into a wooded area by the truck stop. It is not often we have an area like that for a nice peaceful walk and not hear the sounds of trucks idling. There were little streams all over the place and lots of birds. Was really pretty.

After the walk we went into the truck stop for a shower. The Flying J truck stops have a large TV room and usually the showers are down halls from the TV room. I guess I should explain the showers. When you buy 50 gallons of fuel you get a coupon that lasts 5 days for a "free" shower or you can pay$8.50 for a shower. We had to pay as we do not fuel at the Flying J. There was a football on the TV and about 30 men and a couple women watching this game and screaming bloody murder. I am not a football person so I do not know who was playing or why it required all the screaming you could them outside. So the shower I get is the handicapped shower and you got it the door to the shower is from the TV room. So you are standing there taking your shower and not ten feet away you hear all the screaming! Well that shower did not take long at all. Not very peaceful.

Today we finally pick up our load and we get to stay warm in the south.

Sunday January 11th 2009 Waiting

2009-01-11T11:08:00.004-05:00

We are in a waiting in a truck stop west of Raleigh NC on I40. We have been here since Friday and do not pick up our load until Monday afternoon.

We have done several things while here mainly clean the truck inside and out. We have been running up north and the truck was covered in road salt and we had tracked the salt into the cab. Molly has also added to the mess even though we keep her feet trimmed up to look like a poodles feet. We have been able to get our laundry done and cook a few things in the truck to get us prepared for the next week.

While we are sitting waiting for a load we keep pretty busy as we have many things to do in the truck. One of the ways Bob keeps busy is to keep the truck polished and waxed. This can take two full days to get done as people love to stop by as they walk towards the building to offer hints, ask if he will polish their truck or to just discuss ways to keep a truck clean. The inside of the truck always needs to be cleaned as black dust is always coming in off the road. When you live in such a small space it is much easier to keep the inside picked up and have a place for everything. For entertainment we have a Wii, Wii Fit and Guitar Hero that we spend time with, we have trucking forums we belong to and we have hundreds of DVD's as we do not watch TV. I also like to crochet and have a large blanket I am working on now. I also have an IPOD and I listen to books as often as I can. Right now I am listening to The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand.

I am reading a book called The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn which has some fantastic ideas and if I had this guide when the kids were small was a money saver that would have been. Really great book and if you can find it used you will really save some money.

While sitting yesterday towards evening a women approached the truck and introduced herself and she was wanting a hand out. She said her and her husband were going to have money wired to them but the money had not arrived yet. I have a very hard time understanding why in the world you would put two small kids in a truck and not have enough money to take care of them. It appeared that they owned their older Freightliner truck but they let the truck idle all night so they burnt up at least 12.00 in fuel and the weather was perfect last night to leave the windows open and use a blanket. I do not know if anyone gave her any money nor if the money they were expecting to be wired to them happened. We find that often in truck stops people asking for money as we are a captive audience. It is amazing the stories you hear and when you break down their stories they have made one bad choice after another and now they want you who are sitting not making money to help them out. When our wheels are not turning we also are not making money and I figure it they want money offer to do something I work for what I have and they are ALL that we see able bodied.

Day One

2009-01-10T17:36:00.001-05:00

Hey Nicki what do you think?