A NON TYPICAL DAY IN CENTRAL TEXAS


I had a load assingment to get me closer to home since I have requested time to go help clean up the damage from the Ice Storm that hit Missouri. This trip turned out to be very much a work out for a rookie driver. My air ride driving seat will never be the same again. I think it has a permanent crease in the middle after today.
I left Laredo headed for Dallas Sunday with an early Monday morning delivery time. I shut down and notifed operations that I was holding up for the weather. I started hitting a bit of ice about 1:00 in the morning and said I would attempt to continue in the daylight. I had to hole up for 8 hours in order to split my sleeper berth time to stop my 14 hour clock so I could continue to drive. I had only made it up to Temple TX. Anyway I left out of Temple at 9:00 am and immediatly started hitting icy slick spots. It only got worse as I went north. The Ice front had moved down into the Waco area with a vengence. It does not make a rookie feel very confident when he eases past 4 wrecked 18 wheelers. Also passed a wrecked straight box truck and numerous 4 wheelers. I even witnessed a pickup truck spin out on the oppisite side of the interstate as I was venturing north. I made it to Lancaster where we have a terminal and had decided to not go on into Dallas for delivery as the reports I had was that Dallas was even worse. After a two hour break to settle down a bit, the terminal manager here advised me that the roads had improved greatly and I decided to finish my run. It is amazing what the sun will do even in still freezing tempatures. It had only rising to 28 degrees. The roads in Dallas were dry and easiily manipulated. I had to deliver over at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport.
I am back now in our Lancaster terminal awaiting a new assigment to me home.


I had to take a hammer to my landing gear before I could drop this trailer after hauling it from Laredo, TX to Dallas.











A cold day in Texas makes for some unusual sites.

Oh no a nightmare! I'll get back to the dream tomorrow :)

BIG WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING

Hi All! Well this will be just a really quick update since I've allready used about two hours out of my 10 hour break for tonight. I've got one thing to say about the new hours of service rules that were put into effect last year. I've seen many drivers complain about especially the 14 hour rule wich forces us to complete our 11 hour driving day within the 14 hour window. IT SUCKS! There are times when a driver is very well rested, but can not drive due to this rule. Example.... You drive only 4 hours to get to a pick up point, but they may not be ready for you. So you lay down in you bunk and take a nap. Say 6 hours of napping. At this point I am very well rested and could make a good run. But you see the day started when you made that first 4 hour run. The 6 hour nap is not a "qualifying" break so you now have eat up 10 hours out of your 14 hour shut down time and can only drive an additional 4 hours. Since your not sleepy yet, you sit up and watch a bit of TV or whatever and don't get your needed 7 or 8 hours of sleep to be ready for the next day. The next day, you need to make that full 11 hours of driving to complete the run but your dead tired about half way thru. See the rule is a stupid rule and we need to make our lawmakers get it changed. Now I like the 11 hour rule... After 11 hours, I guarantee that most any of you are ready for a good nap.

Well I've not even completed two months yet of driving. That's including the time spent with Jerry, my trainer. But I have covered over 14,000 miles and visited 20 states.
I've been to... AL - LA - TX - OK - MO - IL - OH - PA - NJ - MD - CT - WI - NY - DE - KY - TN - WV - IN - MS and AR so far.

Note to self...
DO NOT BLOW BY AN OPEN SCALE HOUSE
It really pisses em off.

Well, got to get to bed, I have a long run from Milwaukee, WI to Laredo, TX and still have almost 1200 miles of it left to run for a Saturday morning delivery time.

WooHoo, I'm not having to head back into the NE.

Living my Dream

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!


Hello to all my Fans.
I'm behind again but will try to bring you all up to date. After spending a wonderful few days with my family for Christmas, it's time to get back to work. This time I left Joplin solo... well almost solo. I have Paco our little 6 pounds of pure terror to keep me company as I travel. We left Joplin, MO headed for Federick, MD to deliver some roofing products. The load was very heavy and the hills in PA really made me work to get over them. Then when I got to Federick to make my first dock all by myself, this is what I had to do....


Here is my truck all backed into place and being unloaded on my first solo run. Do you notice that the trailer is back into a hole with concrete walls down both sides!!.


Here is another view from the side to give you an idea of a tight hole.



From there we left for Winchester, VA to get a new load and take it to Twinsburg, OH. Then it was off to Florence, KY to get a new load for Swedesboro, NJ. Don't let that Kentucky thing fool you. Florence, KY is actually just a southern part of Cincinnati, OH. That is one big city!!!
We went on to Swedesboro, NJ and then had to pick our next load up in Somerville, NJ.
That Somerville load needed to be taken to Milwaukee, WI. The only problem I see with Milwaukee is that You must go thru Chicago to get there. I can truly say that I do not like Chicago!!! I think I had rather go back to Ney York. Well why do I say things like that??? LOL
So they are not sending me back to New York yet, but I am headed for the east cost again. I am to pick up a load in the morning from Sturtevant, WI and take it to Seaford, DE.

So as you can see I have been quite busy. I think I'll go back home about middle of the month to visit with my lovey bride for a day or two.

Mean while here is something I found and then put some thoughts to it.
Paco and I spent one evening at a truck stop in Smithton, PA. I chose this spot since it would let me get up and run the turnpike in the daylight next day. I took Paco for a walk and climbed a grassy hill. Anyway there is a fellow buried there that died in 1818. I'd like to think maybe he was a teamster and ran wagons over these hills. But then across the street was The Filly Corral...
Either way, I figure the guy is quite happy with his resting place. If he was a teamster he is overlooking a large truck stop and can see how things have progressed over the years. And if he wasn't, I'm sure he enjoys seeing the girls over at the Corral. hahahaha



The Filly Corral... Paco kept pulling me toward the Corral, but I finally won over him and got us back to the truck before we got into trouble.