HELLO FROM EFFINGHAM, IL

I promised myself that I would update my journal at least once a week while out on the road. I'm running a bit behind in keeping this promise. I'll try to do better in the future. Maybe in a few months when I get Belinda on board with me, she can help me keep it up.

Ole Blue wanting to get rolling.


For now, let me bring you all up to date. I left Laredo TX headed for Smyrna, TN. This trip took me back thru Austin, Dallas/Ft Worth/Little Rock and Memphis TN. We had spent our second night in W. Memphis with the final leg to take us thru Nashville and down into Smyrna. Just as I pulled out of our West Memphis terminal and pointed across the Mississippi River bridge, Jerry said something ugly and then said he had left his blanket in the dryer at the terminal. Now Jerry is very fond of his blanket. Actually I think he resembles Linus on Charlie Brown and must have his blanket. So I start making plans as I cross the river on how to get him and his blanket back together again. Actually Jerry starts telling me this is practice for when I miss my turn when looking for a customer and it would be good for me. I'm looking for a place during morning rush hour traffic to do a U-turn pulling a 53 foot trailer with an over the road tractor. We spot that "Danny Thomas Blvd" actually makes an over pass of the interstate, so I whip her off on that exit, smartly cross three lanes of traffic and catch the on ramp headed back west across the river. I seem to always hit the major cities at rush hour.

Ok, we now have Jerry and his blanket reunited and I head back across the river and point her east. A few hours later and I'm in Nashville for the first time. I head on south from there and deliver my freight to a small company in Smyrna. I then get a dispatch that send me to Dover TN. I head north thru Nashville about 5 PM that afternoon. Did I mention I love to hit all the major cities during rush hour traffic. I just grin and laugh and love every minute of it. We go north just across the Kentucky state line and spend the night there at a nice Pilot truck stop. Early the next morning I head along a very nice two lane highway that takes me thru the "Land between the Lakes" It was a most enjoyable drive. I pick up my freight at a well tucked away little place in Dover TN headed back to Texas.

The job from Dover was needed in Mansfield TX. This is a suburb of Ft Worth. The morning of my delivery was very foggy. I'd rather drive on ice then I had in fog. Anyway that delivery went well and we had a dispatch to pick up north of Ft Worth in Roanoke TX. Actually, the day before I had called Lancaster TX terminal since they handle the Dallas/Ft Worth area and explained that I was a student driver in training and had not yet been challenged with area that I had driven for the past two weeks. I said I needed some East coast or mountain driving experience while I had a trainer on the truck with me. So he pre planned me a load from Roanoke TX to Farmingdale NY. I had no idea where Farmingdale was but gladly accepted the load and then looked to see where it was. NEW YORK! BIG TIME! Whoo Hooo, I'm going to New York, Not just New York, but the big Apple itself. Yep, Farmingdale just happens to be on Long Island and my trip plan is telling me to go across the George Washington Bridge, across the Bronx and on to Long Island where I will find my customer in Farmingdale. I should be there Tuesday and hope to get unloaded then. My expected time of arrival is actually Wednesday morning, but I may get lucky. My next post will tell of the experience and we shall see if I still love the big cities at rush hour after I have been thru the Big Apple. LOL

Living my Dream