The load to Virginia

Well I did eventually get out of that insane asylum, but it was just before they turned off the lights at the place. So five hours after I arrived I was on my way, which I think is a record for that place, especially since I didn't get sent home empty like the person I found in our Toledo yard that night. Lucky her, she got to go back again today to try for that load again.

After loading I gave dispatch a call and let them know my expected ETA for Strasburg, and had them find out if anyone would even be there today in the afternoon, the answer was no, so I deliver first thing Friday morning. I looks like it will be a nice enough drive down, and hopefully they will be true to word and be there at 7 AM like they said they would be.

Then it will either be a broker load to some other location, or head for home with an empty trailer and check Monday for my next load. Either way, it will be some decent miles, a lot more this week than I expected, so it will really help since the last three weeks were so light on miles.

It will be interesting to see what the new year will bring, hopefully some other customers than the GM. Though we did get some good runs after getting the loads out of this failed supplier, the hard part was getting the loads.

Chesterfield, MI

I have now been here for almost three hours to get loaded, since arriving at 1 PM. Apparently this is not to be considered a long time, since there are more than a few people that have been here since the early morning. We are all here to help unload a component manufacturer that has gone bankrupt. Every place that this place supplied has reps here to make sure they get their stuff out of here. This includes molds, dies, machinery, tools, and any other thing needed to make what ever part was made here. The name of the place is Cadence Innovation and it is insane.

When I got here there were trucks parked everywhere, and apparently on Saturday there were even more, a lot more. The line went out the gate and onto 23 Mile road, where apparently a lot of people got tickets.

This load is supposed to be in Strasburg, VA, tomorrow morning. As of right now there are four pallets assembled for this load. How many more they are waiting on, I have no idea. They guy next to me has been here since around 6 AM, and is just now getting loaded. Despite the fact that his load has been staged behind his trailer since before I got here.

I am thinking that this might end up getting delivered on Friday, since I don't particularly feel like being stuck in VA over the new year waiting for this place to open.

Franklin, OH

Last week I got out out of the Buffalo area with less trouble than I thought I would. Though the drive through Pennsylvania's whiteouts along I-90 was something I will not forget anytime soon.

This week I started out on Sunday with a nice load down to Alpharetta, GA. The miles from this one load are better than any one of my last three weeks. It was a quick run down to warm weather, it was in the sixties in the Atlanta area, and now I am back in the cold of Ohio. It will take about three hours or so to get to the Toledo yard, and then I will find out if there is more to do this week or just head for home.

On the way up I did have the misfortune to witness a very serious accident occur behind me. Not as it happened, but the results of what ever contact there was. All I know is that after some sort of contact a semi truck was pulling off the road to the right shoulder, and a car was rotating in several directions as it flipped off the highway. I think the air this car got was enough to come close to being able to clear a truck which is over thirteen feet high. Even worse it would have been landing in the median, which is filled with trees and rocks. Hopefully nothing to bad happened, but I am not too optimistic. I did try to call it in to 911, as did every other person with a cell phone since it took almost a minute for them to pick up the phone, mutter something and hang up. Apparently the state patrol emergency number is something else, easy to remember to, *847, who could forget that?

Back to the pilot in Franklin, as I was doing paperwork in the truck I heard over the CB that two girls were trying to get gas money to go somewhere, and shortly after that I saw them wandering the lot. To bad for me, I had my light on doing paperwork so they made a quick beeline to the truck. I just shook my head and waved them off to one girls dismayed cry of, "were not lot lizards." All I can say, female wandering a truck stop for money, and the difference to me is where? Who knows how young they really were, but I am betting under eighteen, looked to young for college.

Trapped in Buffalo

This morning I awoke to a less blowy and snowy day, unfortunately enough snow has fallen that the main route out, I-90, is shut down from Rochester, NY to the Pennsylvania line. So at this point I am just going to clear the truck off and wait for a go signal from dispatch on picking up the load, which still could end up being cancelled anyway.

One thing is for sure I have gotten a lot of fun pictures of my truck in the snow the past few days, and will be posting some soon.

Buffalo, NY

Well I am actually in Hamburg, NY, near Buffalo. I got up here Friday night in some snow that slowed traffic and driving a bit but not too seriously. We only had to slow to around 45-50 MPH for most of it. The intent was that I would run a trailer to our Buffalo yard, actually it is in Blasdell, NY, and then grab a trailer for a pick-up at a GM plant in New Hampshire. Unfortunitly when I got to the yard Friday night, I found the load was no longer planned on me. Saturday morning my guess was confirmed, the run was cancelled. After a few calls back and forth to dispatch, I found out that I was basically stuck for the weekend. They did manage to find me a quick run to move a trailer back to Blasdell, but that only took a little bit before I was back heading for a hotel.

Beofre I went I decided to do some quick shopping and get some food for the stay, it took almost 45 minutes to drive the five miles to Walmart, the shopping traffic was absolutely insane. Once that was done, with a quick lunch at a Perkins, it was off to another Red Roof Inn. Check in was quick and painless, and once again it was a nice room, but more snow was on its way.

This morning I awoke to find the truck covered and at least 12 inches on the ground, it is still snowing and the wind is making it white out conditions on a regular basis. I am really glad I am not driving today, but need to drive tomorrow to get home. Hopefully the load doesn't cancel, but even worse I hope the weather cooperates. Fortunitly the pick-up isn't far from the yard, but it will be along and slow drive home in this lake effect snow. It is usually in a narrow band so once I get far enough South I should be clear of it for good.

Lunch and dinner tonight will be at a restaurant that is in front of the Red Roof Inn. Lunch is a gyro and dinner will be a to go chicken ceaser salad. Not the healthiest, but good food. Well time to eat and read some more news.

Bear Attack

Well not a real bear but it looked like one. The other day I was traveling along the Ohio turnpike when I saw something that shocked me a bit. There was a state trooper clocking form the center, like usual I knew several miles away due to the CB bear reports. Of course the four wheelers, cars, had no clue, which is why one got nailed by the laser he was using. All fairly normal right? What wasn't normal was how this trooper stopped the car, which immediately earned him the nick name of grizzly bear. He got out of his patrol car, ran out into the left lane with his hands above his head to basically grab the van in the center lane and make him pull over a few feet down from him. The van braked and swerved, must have thought what I was thinking, bear road kill, but they did stop where indicated with no trauma, well until they saw the ticket that is.

Now another time on I-75 in Ohio, those Ohio troopers just have all the fun, I watched as a trooper earned himself the CB nick name of super trooper for pulling over two cars, at once. The first car was the one he had pulled out to chase down after catching them with his laser. The second was a girl that was chatting away on her cell phone in the hammer lane (left lane, passing lane, etc). More than a few of us watched in amazement as for more than a mile or two she just kept tooling along with this trooper right behind her with all his lights on. Not the first time I have seen someone who failed to yield right away, but definitely the longest.

Austintown, OH

Tonight I will be hanging out at the TA at exit 223 off of I-80. It is fairly standard as TA's go, the buffett has plenty of decent options, and some not so good, stay away from the ground beef for tacos, dry is an understatment. Other than that I am plugged into the IdleAire for the night and plan to be up early tomorrow for a shower then a drive to Warren, OH to pick up another load of tannin. At least this time I will have a a lighter trailer and know where I am going, so this time I should make it down in plenty of time to be unloaded tomorrow. I won't have to worry about another visit from the local drug dealer as I spend the night down there.

Hopefully I will have another load fairly quickly so I can keep moving over the weekend. I guess it will just be wait and see, but if I need to I can always plant myself in a hotel for the weekend.

Slow Day

It appears today is going to be one that gets very little driving done in it. I have a new load, that loads tomorrow morning at 7AM in Warren, OH. The only driving I will do today will be to get myself up to our terminal in Hermitage, PA, and grab a lighter trailer, then position myself in Warren for the load tomorrow. Hopefully they will find me something that will get me going over the weekend, but at this time I am expecting very little.

At least this week is better than last week miles wise, but it still hasn't equaled a two run week to Spring Hill, TN. It might not even equal a one run week. Yes, GM's problems affect me.

Ice Road Trucking

Now I am sure a lot of peple have seen the television show about the ice road up in Canada. Showing the dangers and all the other fun things they get to deal with driving on frozen lakes. The one thing I have never seen them deal with are idiots in automobiles. Driving Tuesday night along I-75 South in Ohio, It might as well have been an ice road, since it was solid ice low traction, and idiots in cars driving faster than they should. The number of times I had to slow down due to accidents was unbelivible. Fortunitly none were big trucks, though there was a Werner stuck on an ice covered hill, just couldn't get any traction to get moving. About the same spot there was a box truck in the median, way down in the median, it must have been a real treat pulling him out. Once I got down to Kentucky the driving was a lot better with the roads being only patchy ice, not solid.

Today I am in Washington, PA, unloading at Washington Penn Plastics. Unfortunitly I had a late start due to a flat tire, it had a broken off screw in it so a slow leak over night killed it. So I was only an hour late to deliver after getting that fixed. Now after waiting almost an hour for the dock they wanted me in, eventually I will get this unloaded.

On the Road

After a schedule change before Thanksgiving, I now deliver my loads at 11:30 AM in Spring Hill, I find myself traveling around Ohio as my loads have been cancelled by GM. Part of this is due to their problems, and the rest is that they also get engines out of Mexico. So I get to do random things until they have another load for me to go south with. I still have a load scheduled for this weekend, so this week will not be a total loss.

Monday I started out doing a relay out in Indiana and then some local truck movements, not much but better than nothing. Tuesday I headed north making three stops to pick up a load heading to GM's Wilmington Assembly Plant in Delaware. Having not been there before, I was looking forward to seeing Delaware, but this was not to be as I realized that I would end up being late with it. So it was relayed in Hermitage, PA at the Falcon Terminal there.

From Hermitage I went to Warren, OH, to pick up a load of tannin from a government stockpile, and haul it down to Point Pleasant, WV. There they repackage it in large pallet sized bags to ship it over seas. Arriving in Point Pleasant I rapidly discovered how bad my directions were. Following them lead me to a dead end and a beauty shop where I asked for some better directions. While attempting to turn around by making several left turns, I was at a one way street, I found myself stuck again, in a place trucks really should not be. Managing to get myself turned around yet again I see a local police officer and flag him down for some better local information. It was then that I found that I had just gotten myself turned around the wrong way for the easiest way to get out of where I was. Fortunately he was amiable to me backing up to make a right hand turn at the street he felt I should go down. After the second time trying the turn I was able to get myself out of there and back on the road I know knew I should be on.

The easiest description of this town is narrow streets with either a telephone pole or a street sign on every corner. To make it even easier to find things all the street signs are made of painted iron, that does not reflect an iota of light at night.

Back to finding my way to this place, after many false dodges to make a left as I tried to read signs, I finally got exasperated and turned at the next street, put on my hazards for the third time that night and while talking to dispatch started walking around reading signs. To my surprise I was on 22nd street, the one I was looking for all that time. With dispatch reading me street names as I drove back in to this subdivision I soon found myself at the gate to where I was going. Unfortunately I also found myself unable to leave without going through that gate. So I got to spend the night parked there.

Even more unfortunately at around 11:30 that night the local dealer swung by to check if I was good. He did this by honking his horn outside the truck until I showed my head, and then he asked if I was good, I was like I am stuck here, can't leave till morning, then he asked if I wanted to buy some dope, I said nope, I am good, rolled up my window and decided I wasn't answering any more horns till morning.

When morning rolled around I found that I was the second truck to be unloaded, the first had spent the night locked in this place. It then took a while to get my next load, apparently due to the fact that I was hauling what we call a bullet proof trailer. This is a steel reinforced trailer that is a lot heavier than regular ones. Eventually I had a load, initially to be picked up prior to two, but then changed to 7AM on Friday morning. It is likely to be another heavy one, but it will at least get me back towards home.

Tonight I am spending the night in a Knights Inn in Parkersburg, WV. Hopefully it will not be the sheet of ice I am expecting in the morning, but I am not to optimistic. At least I am close to Hannibal where I pick up my next load, so hopefully the driving will not be to bad.

Red Roof Inn: Bowling Green, KY

I know it sounds a bit like an advertisement, but with the remodel that is going on through out the chain there have been some great improvements. Every room has a fridge and microwave in them. It also seems that most have free wi-fi for the internet. The design is also bright and bold, definitly not the hotel I used back in my college days for drinking parties and sex with girlfriends.


Falcon Transport is one of the few trucking companies that I know of, that pays for its drivers to use a hotel once a week. While most of

the time I don't make use of it, preferring to use Idle Aire most of the time. When I do feel the need for it, it is there, and it is good. It is amazing how nice the ability to take a shower at night and again in the morning, for free, can be.

Well time to get driving, until the next post.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

We all know how dangerous carbon monoxide can be, and today I got a little bit of a reminder. I had to switch to a different truck today because mine needed to be sent out for engine repairs at a Cummins dealer. So I did a little more thorough pretrip than I do for a truck I know. Even so, I missed the leak that I found later in the day, actually both leaks. As I was driving south down I-75 in Ohio, I realized that something was wrong. I first noticed a little bit of an exhaust smell in the cab, initially I thought it was another vehicle with bad exhaust. It wasn't to long after that I did a little head bob with a swerve to the right and realized that it was my exhaust in the cab. The head bob was from the carbon monoxide putting me to sleep without my even knowing that it was happening. Once I knew what was going on, I rolled down the windows to vent the cab, and checked for leaks at my fuel stop in Franklin, OH. When I looked for a leak, what I found was the first picture.

After I got to Spring Hill I took another look at the entire truck. Looking for anything that had changed since I looked in the morning, and for anything else that would have required a closer look to notice in the first place. To do this I took a flash light and looked at the dark corners under the truck to see if I found any other surprises, of course there was one.

The second picture shows the leak on the opposite side of the first leak. This leak likely would be missed by any inspection not using a flash light, which is really no excuse since I should have seen it. This one is a major issue because immediately to the left of the leak is the pass through into the cab for the gear shift (the vertical thing to the left of the blackened pipe). Looking at the area near the leak, you can see how much the soot has darkened the underside of the cab, indicating that this has likely been around for a while.

Anyway, after finding this, I decided to go with it. I am now driving with the windows down almost completely to vent any fumes, and found out that the heater only shoots to the floor, not to the vent or the defrost, so another item to write up when I get home. So it will be a very interesting, and chilly, drive home.

Now technically, I should shut myself down because of this and get it repaired immediately. This is a serious safety issue, and if DOT catches it they will shut me down for repairs. However I have already driven this far with it, and knowing about it will allow me to vent the cab to prevent any fumes from building up. Frankly, I don't feel like being stuck at a shop while I wait for this to get repaired. Letting my home terminal take care of it will make everything easier.

I do know that in the future I will be more though and use a flash light to check both sides and the full length of the exhaust system, rather than just the easy parts to see.

Bowling Green, Kentucky: Weekend Car Show

Driving South on Saturday I saw quite a few nice old cars on the road. This Thunderbird was one of them. At the time I didn't really think about it, it was a nice day to be out and about with a classic car.

It wasn't until that night when I checked into my hotel, that I found out that they were actually all out for a car show. It was the 1st Nostalgia Nationals, complete with classic cars drag racing. These cars looked fantastic, and they out numbered the modern cars in the parking lot. So there were quite a few to look at while wandering through the parking lot that night, and again in the morning. the pictures are of the cars, and of course the truck I was driving for contrast.

Cancelled Run = Shuttles

I found out Wednesday night that my Thursday run was cancelled. So Thursday I ended up on a local shuttle run from a sister company to Falcon, Comprehensive Logistics, to GM Powertrain in Toledo, OH. I have done these shuttles before, my very first week driving for the company, while waiting for a road truck. I didn't like them much then, and that opinion hasn't changed.

It is a short run that takes about ten to fifteen minutes of driving between the two locations on city streets, in a day cab. A quick drop and hook, swapping trailers, at each end and back to do it again. Both nights I did this round trip five times. The second night went a little faster because I was able to pick up the rhythm, knew what to do, and got it done.

The reason I don't like them, is because of the shortness of the runs. I did not get into truck driving to see the same thing over and over. Of course this doesn't mesh with my like of a long regular run, but at least with that I am not seeing the same thing five times a day, every day. I also like knowing what I am doing, and where I am going.

Back when I first drove truck for Werner, my favorite runs were with a dedicated account that went some of the same places repeatedly, but not daily. So you got to know where you were going, how to get there, without using directions from the Qualcom, on board computer.

Well need to get going, I am running this weekend, so need to get moving. Will likely have more to say from the Red Roof Inn, in Bowling Green, KY.

Turned Down

While my truck was in the shop this weekend getting its wheel seal fixed, it was also serviced. Unfortunately during the service it got turned down from 68 mph to 65 mph. When I go the truck I was pleasantly surprised to find that it could go 68 MPH both with the cruise on and with it off, some of our trucks can only do this with the cruise control on. I think this is because these trucks also have the Vorad system, much like the truck I borrowed this weekend. The annoying part is that it will, and did add 15 minutes to my trip down to Spring Hill yesterday.

I can expect to lose 3 miles every hour assuming a constant top speed, considering I only slow down when I have to, this can add up. Of course in Ohio there is no way I reach this top speed, but for at least four hours I am in a 70 MPH zone, which adds up to 12 miles lost, thus the extra 15 minutes added to the trip.

Looking at it, I really don't think I am going to be saving that much fuel, but we shall see, since I have been keeping track of my miles per gallon for the past several weeks. The reason that this is annoying is that sometimes to I need every bit of three hours to get to Glendale, KY where IdleAire is available. So if I am for some reason unable to make it there, I may end up idling the night away, which pretty much blows the theory of fuel savings out of the water.

Tonight I will put all my data into a spread sheet and really take a look at it. If I can prove that it results in not enough fuel savings, maybe I can get them to turn me back up. It will also be interesting to compare directly the fuel savings between the automatic I drove over the weekend to my truck. I can do this because I have the exact same fuel points for both trips.

Time to get going, have to pretrip the truck and get myself on the road, my ten hour break is over.

No Rush Needed

It turned out that when I got down to GM, there was no emergency. The dock supervisor thought my dispatch was insane to feel the need to try and get me there earlier. The only thing we could figure out is that someone looked at the number of engines inside the plant and panicked when they figured out when the next truck was due. The panic was because for what ever reason this person wasn't aware of all the trailers of engines in their drop lot. So I called my dispatch on the way home so they were aware of those trailers full of engines from Mexico. That way they could ask who ever may call in a panic last night, if they have checked the drop lot for more engines.

We will be working again this Saturday, so I can plan on another good meal down there at GM. I am going to be bringing a cold six pack with me to contribute to the food, of IBC root beer. From a distance, or even up close, the bottle looks just like a beer bottle. Sure to give us some fun making people think we are drinking on the job.

1:37 AM

That is what time they called me. They wanted to know how soon I could get my load down to GM in Tennessee today. Apparently another plant that uses the same engines I take there was in danger of shutting down due to a lack of parts. To my sleep filled head it sounded like they were taking engines from where I go to to keep this other place running. Since I usually get down there two hours earlier than I am supposed to be, that is what I had told her, 6PM Eastern. I had just gotten to sleep around 11:30 the night before, there was no way I was getting up any earlier to get moving.

Well we shall see what is going on when I get there this morning, and this afternoon. I think I will make it there by 5PM Eastern just so I can miss the rush hour traffic in Nashville.

The Weekend

This past weekend I ended up working Saturday and Sunday. This was because the plant was running on Saturday and needed parts. So this weekend I earned Premium pay, whatever that is, plus got to stay in a motel. The motel was needed more because I wasn't driving my own truck due to a mechanical issue. Friday night while they fixed some other issues they discovered that the front right wheel seal was blown (leaking). It had just started so it was good to catch, unfortunately it meant my truck was going nowhere Saturday morning. So instead I had to borrow someone else's truck.

Now borrowing someone else's truck is like borrowing someone else's car, plus their bedroom, and storage space, all at the same time. Uncomfortable doesn't begin to describe it. Nothing is where I keep it in my truck, and I have to put my stuff where I can around their stuff. Not to mention the extra checking that I have to do to make sure there are no surprises under the hood. This truck was obviously taken care of, clean on the inside, and no surprises under the hood, just some topping off of fluids.

Next issue was that this was an automatic, equipped with the Vorad radar system that I liked in my first truck. I wasn't thrilled about the automatic, since I felt it wouldn't handle the hills as well as I could with a manual. It turned out the automatic had none of the problems I was expecting, the Vorad caused all the difficulties. Where in my regular truck I could climb a hill without worry, in this truck I had to watch the Vorad to make sure it didn't try to slow me down to much while climbing a hill and catching up to another truck. What made this really tricky was the fact that with the cruise on, this truck could do 68 MPH like my truck, however with the cruise off, it couldn't, unlike my truck. Once the cruise control was off the fastest this truck could go was 65 MPH. On the flats this was no problem, but on I-71 with all the hills, it was a definite problem.

Anyway, got down there just fine and was surprised to find out that the dock supervisor had brought in BBQ pulled pork, cole slaw, and pancake style corn bread. All of which was excellent. Finding out that this was a regular thing when they worked Saturdays, I said I would bring down some IBC root beer next Saturday, so we can all get in trouble. This is because these bottles look just like a beer bottle, have to get close to see it isn't.

Saturday night I spent in a Red Roof Inn, in Bowling Green, KY. This was the second Red Roof I have stayed at recently, and they have really upgraded the look of the hotel. The interior is no longer the college party dive room rental of years gone by. Here is a picture of my borrowed truck parked at the hotel.

Everything was smooth on the way up, this time I didn't blow past my exit while passing someone. Until I got past Tipp City in Ohio, that was when the truck went insane. There would be a beeping noise, then a gauge would drop to the bottom, the another beep and another gauge would drop. Then all the sudden one would come back up, only to beep and die again. I had red lights flashing on the dash telling me my water temperature was too high, and that my oil pressure was too low, then they would shut off when the gauge would come back up. The only gauges that worked were the air pressure and fuel, both of which are not electronic.

I don't think I need to say I was a little disturbed by all of this. Though I wasn't too concerned, the only thing going wrong were the gauges, the truck wasn't making any horrible noises, spraying fluids, or smoking. So I kept driving while getting break down on the phone. This was so I could

confirm that I could just drive to Toledo and get it looked at there. After finally getting to the shop foreman in West Middlesex, our main terminal, I was told that it was likely a bad ground and to go ahead up to the Toledo yard and have it looked that there.

Of course it all stopped happening after I fueled in North Baltimore, OH at the Pilot there. Turning the truck off then on again must have reset what ever was going wrong, for a while at least. It didn't happen again the rest of the way home, and the mechanics were thrilled about having to look for a loose ground somewhere in those miles of wiring.

Don't Miss an Exit

One last thing from Thursday night. On the way back up I saw a car carrier (parking lot) , with a lot of strange shapes on it. As I got closer I realized it was loaded with new model cars that were being concealed with the bulky wraps to change their shape. They were all from Volkswagen, and the wrap was white with the VW symbol all over it. It is very rare to see these cars on the road during the day, to prevent people from getting good pictures of them. It being night I didn't even try for a shot with my camera, I knew it was to dark to get a clear one.

The next day went well until I unthinkingly moved over to avoid catching up to a school bus. As I passed the bus, I realized I had just missed my exit, I-265 N to I-71 N. Unfortunately I also did not realize that that was a part of a cloverleaf. So I could have taken the second exit, exit again, and then exit a third time to get the direction I wanted. So I blithely crossed my fingers and hoped for a place to turn around further up. There was nothing until I got to US-42. Not wanting to go backwards, I took that East, and still found no where to turn around. At a stop light I saw a Kentucky state route that would take me back to the highway. I knew I was likely making a mistake the second I decided to make the turn, since it led almost straight up a hill. That was what I dealt with for about half an hour, a road that made 31W look big. This road swooped and swerved with the reckless abandon of a drunken sailor. At one point there was a sign that said end 35 mph zone, as if I wanted to go faster on this roller coaster ride. I could hardly wait until I reached the end, it would be nice to visit again in a car, beautiful countryside, but never again in a truck. The pictures above are from that road most of the road was like the first picture, but I didn't dare try for a shot during the worst of it.

The last picture is from when I reached I-71, the difference in road size is obvious, though still beautiful. The smudges are from the many bugs that suicide on the truck each day.

The Run Thursday

The run down on Thursday was just about the fastest I have made to date. It took only eight hours to get down to Spring Hill with only a little slow down south of Nashville on I-65. Going through the construction in Dayton I passed I don't know how many people that don't know the trick to get through there quickly. The trick is to stay in the right lane to get passed the traffic merging into the center lane. Then when in the construction zone a third lane is added on the right. That is when you move over to that lane, because everyone else is staying in that center lane.

The picture is from the dock that I end up at every time I come down to GM. You can see how we have to drop the trailer, chock both wheels, and put a jack stand under the nose to be unloaded. The funny part is that the jack stand instructions include one that states, remove before hooking back up.

Heading back north I started hearing about backed up traffic due to night time construction. So I got to see the countryside again as several trucks jumped off to take US-31W North. A lot of the road, we used all of it, it just wasn't wide enough to drive in the lane we were supposed to. We passed something I thought I would never see in person, a Sleep in a Wigwam motel, I have seen them mentioned on the Travel Channel. Taking this detour we passed the worst back-up and then jumped back on just before the next bit, which was fortunately moving fairly quickly.

This morning's breakfast was interesting. On a whim I decided to sit in the drivers area at the Petro, mistake. almost immediately after spreading out my laptop, etc, a driver starts getting loud complaining about the air being on making his food cold, then went into a half hour rant about the non-smoking law here. I have a feeling he is one of those that bitch on the CB just to hear his voice. Of course his bitching got him a free meal, but was still funny afterward.

Time to get moving, more later.

After the Debate

I woke up to find it had been raining all night, so I would be finding out shortly if they plugged the leaky seal that my windshield has. You can also see from the picture, how small the parking lot was at that Red Roof Inn. All the spots were like this all the way around the building, with only one entrance to the lot from the street. Really not conducive for parking a truck, at least I didn't have to worry about a trailer.

I wanted to get going early so got moving right after my ten hour break was done, at 6 AM. There was still a leak in the windshield, and once I figured out how to lock in the second drive axle, have to have the parking brake off for it to work, I got out of that tight little place and back to the yard.

Finding the trailer went quickly, and it was back on the road in this steady rain. The CB immediately was telling be about a rolled truck just East of where I got on I-24. A FedEx trailer was overturned just past the onramp going the other way. I couldn't help but think of the rolled FedEx Truck in Texas when I heard that.

It wasn't to long until I was on I-65 heading North, since I was trying to get out of town traffic was really light for me. But it didn't take long until I found another accident. This was on my side but with one car off to the left side and the rest all the way to the right, I was able to get through with only a tap on the brakes to drop a few mph. The next big accident was at about the 92 MM on the south bound side. This one shut down three of the four lanes, and was backing up traffic for several miles. It was simply a sea of headlights as I drove past it.

The rest of the way home was fairly uneventful, I didn't run across any more accidents, though I heard there was one closer to Louisville on I-71 south. Which has had more state troopers, bears and diesel bears (DOT), working it the past two days than any time I have driven it so far.

It was early enough in the day that the construction mess through Dayton didn't slow me at all on I-75, a project due to be done in 2011.

Today I grab another trailer and head back down south. The air is cold and the sky is clear, so hopefully I shouldn't run into any accidents along the way.

Pictures from my travel

I have a bit of a back log of pictures to add here, so here goes.

The first one is from driving today, the car on the left is one who tried to dive in at the last minute to exit, the one on the right was one of the entire group that refused to let him in, until they started to move towards his truck then he gave way.

The second picture was taken at the Petro in Glendale, KY. This is a tank on its way to Lima, OH, to be rebuilt.

The last three were taken down in Texas near Dallas. This FedEx truck took a left hand turn to fast and rolled the first trailer, which brought the tractor with it. The FedEx hub was just to the right, on the corner, he didn't even make it out of sight of the terminal before rolling his truck.

Chilling in Nashville

Really, as I write this I am laying on a bed in a Nashville, TN Red Roof Inn.

Today I passed by one accident right after it happened on I-65 MM 58 in Kentucky (pictured above). Then had to detour around one that happened in Tennessee on I-65 MM 108. That one involved 15 vehicles and closed the road for hours.

That and I avoided downtown Nashville to avoid any possible Presidential candidate delays, road shut down due to their motorcades.

After doing all that and being on schedule to arrive within minutes of my usual time, my delivery was pushed back to past when I could do it. So instead I dropped the load in the Nashville yard for someone else to unload and reload, and headed for a hotel for the night. I will pick it up tomorrow and head back home.

So tonight I get to watch the debates while I relax in a comfy bed with an attached bathroom and shower. They are really good at gouging each other with each response.

Half an Hour

It is amazing the difference half an hour can make in traffic conditions. Yesterday I managed to avoid a majority of the back-up I encountered on Wednesday going south of Nashville on I-65. Last night the back-up was only about a mile long, and was moving fairly quickly.

Apparently I have been referring to where I am going in Spring Hill, TN, incorrectly. It is no longer a Saturn Plant, most Saturns are built either in Mexico or Canada now. It is now a GM plant building the Traverse. Apparently they retooled the plant a year ago for this more fuel efficient large cross over vehicle. It is an eight seater that gets 17 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway. I have to admit that it looks pretty good sitting on the staging lots waiting for shipment. The color seems to trend towards black, white, and silver. I haven't seen any other bright colors, but it is a big place, they could be parked further back.

So the engines that I have been hauling, which are made at a GM plant in St Catherine, ONT, are destined for this vehicle. This sounds like it could turn into a nice regular run for me, assuming the Traverse sells well. I think it will do decently, but minivans might be making a comeback in this age of higher fuel prices.

Almost 10 miles backed up

Today I-71 in Kentucky had about a ten mile back-up due to construction. Fortunately for me it was on the Southbound side. Unfortunately for me, that is the same side that I will have to drive tomorrow. I am going to check into an alternate route just in case it is being worked on again tomorrow when I go through.

Today I almost got to wipe out a speeding motorcyclist, I had turned on my blinker and started to change lanes when he popped out of nowhere to pass me on the right, in a construction zone.

I also discovered that I was the victim of fuel theft last night. I needed fuel way before I usually do on the way home today. The gauge was also reading a bit lower than usual as I left Glendale, KY. It seems that sometime last night someone siphoned out about an eighth of a tank from my truck. So I reported it, and fueled early in Franklin, OH, rather than tomorrow morning on my way back South in Findlay, OH.

Put my truck in to have the windshield resealed tonight. When I started out yesterday there was water in my cup holder. I tracked a few drips to the top of the windshield. Talking to the mechanics tonight apparently they loosen a bit after being first replaced, so need resealing after they have been on the road for a while. Which is understandable with how much the truck shakes and bounces on some of the roads that I drive on.

Another Round

It seems as I drive this route that the traffic is different each time. Coming down there wasn't a single delay, until I hit Nashville, actually it was more until I tried to leave Nashville. It was another one of those experiences that shows you how much traffic can change by coming through a half hour later than before.

When going South on I-65 out of Nashville there comes a point where the five lanes very quickly change to just two lanes. It was here where I ended up losing all my time. It took almost a half an hour to travel two miles which isn't the worst but I will know which lane to aim myself at the next time I come through here.

It was also here that I got to see a four wheeled armored vehicle making its way through traffic. It definitely stuck out as something different in is desert camouflage, and it took everyone in it to drive it. There was a guy sticking out of the top, he served as both rear and side mirrors for changing lanes. He was also wearing goggles due to the wind as it moved with traffic a 55 MPH. Then both front hatches were open for the driver and another person to be able to see better than from inside. The top hatch looked a bit like a turret but the traffic was too heavy to pay much attention after I passed it.

The weather is definitely getting cooler, I might actually wear jeans on the way back up after my shower and breakfast this morning. But it does get warm in the truck so maybe not. I did have the unpleasant discovery yesterday morning to find out that my wind shield leaks along the top edge. I saw the most drips from above the steering wheel, but that is no guarantee that it is the only location. There was water on the floor and water in some of the cup holders in the dash, so the rains on Monday and Tuesday really had a chance to come in. Driving through rain I haven't seen any water come in due to the wind keeping it moving back from the windshield.

Well off for a shower, Glendale, KY, Petro.

Just waiting...

I am not sure why I didn't have a load scheduled for me on Monday, but I know why not today. It looks like i am going to be running down to Spring Hill, TN, as a dedicated run now. Which means I have to get slotted into the schedule. Last week I ran Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so logically this week it would be Tuesday and Thursday. Unfortunately logic does not apply, I missed Monday, I still don't know why, and am scheduled for Wednesday and Friday this week. Then next week it will be Tuesday and Thursday.

The reason for the three then two is so that the guy who ran opposite me this week gets the same amount of money, which is only fair. Unfortunately I will be alternating between a really good check and a good check every week, with two good checks in a row (which kind of sucks) So I will be trying to pick up extra work on my Tue + Thur weeks to get a bit more money.

So tomorrow it is up early and head on down South with another load of engines. At least I won't have to carry as many clothes, only will need a day with some spares vs a whole week with some spares.

It really needed replacement

Friday while pretripping my truck I noticed that the mechanic had decided to replace the tie rod and a set of shocks on the truck. These were the ones that the Kentucky DOT had flagged but the mechanic down there could not find what was wrong. So basically I put the truck and trailer in for a third opinion. I don't know if they did anything to the trailer, but I have a feeling they did.

It wasn't until I started driving it that I knew that it was handling a lot better. I was having to make a lot fewer minor adjustments while steering, it was never anything major, just an inch up or down to hold the straight line. The biggest difference was when I started hitting some of the major bumps in Kentucky along I-71. The new shocks improved the ride by so much that it makes me wonder about some of the other trucks I have driven for Falcon. I had just thought International tractors had a rougher ride, but with new shocks it was almost as good as the Freightliners I drove in the past.

Going down I had another driver catch a ride down to Nashville. He was a trainee that lived down there and was going to be getting he=is next trainer from the terminal in Nashville. He was nice enough, but I did feel a bit sorry for him since the passenger seat in my truck is not very comfortable at all. This did get him home two days earlier than he originally thought he would be there. He was originally going to be catching a ride down on Sunday.

The drive Friday was extremely frustrating as I caught extremely heavy traffic from Dayton all the way down to Cincinnati. The huge construction project going on through Dayton didn't help things either. That is apparently scheduled to be done in 2011. The traffic around Louisville was pretty bad as well, looked like a back-up due to an accident that was long gone by the time I got to the front of the line.

The funny thing was that even after all the delays I got to Saturn, oops, the GM Spring Hill Assembly Plant, GM is taking a more active roll down there. I just hope the changes don't kill the efficiency and flexibility that was a part of the Saturn culture. Anyway, I got there at about the same time I usually did. It just shows how much faster a truck is when empty than when loaded. Those hills through Kentucky really add time to a heavy load.

Driving home Saturday was fairly uneventful, the gray skies promised rain, but none ever fell. I was hoping the rain would wash some of the dust off the truck for once. I was annoyed to find out that nothing was planned for me yet on Monday. The person I talked to tried to make it my fault for not calling and talking to my driver manager on Friday. All I could say was that I didn't realize I needed to call to check and see if he was doing his job.

Hopefully it will be more of these runs down to Tennessee, they go pretty fast and rack up the miles fairly quickly.

The day after..

After sleeping rather well, I got cleaned up with the facial cleanser clothes and baby wipes as best I could. Why people think those baby wipes actually make one cleaner I will never know since I simply felt less icky. I always have some water in the truck so brushing my teeth last night and this morning were no problem. So after double checking things on the truck adding some coolant and wash fluid, down the road I went.

It wasn't to long until I started hearing about an accident that had shut down northbound I-65 for some time, which means huge back-up. So it seems I have time to stop for a shower after all. Swinging into a Love's at the 58, I found out that the accident was at the 77 or so and the back up was to the 71 mm (mile mark, yard sticker, etc). Checking out my map I found a way around it on 31W so off to the shower.

After my shower the radio (cb, squawk box) still was telling how bad things were, but my initial reroute still sounded good so up to the 65 to catch 31W and then get back on at the 81. This detour rapidly turned into a line of trucks moving at a very slow pace. So to travel what would have taken less than half an hour on a clear highway, I managed to do it in about 90 minutes. Some pleasant scenery though, lots of cows staring at the trucks like this was the highlight of their day, or more like what the heck?

This entire traffic mess was made slightly more annoying by the fact that if I hadn't been stopped last night I would have spent the night at the 86, Glendale, KY, Petro, and missed all this pleasantness. Things moved pretty well after that until Cincinnati, then it was one slow down and back up after another. Mostly due to construction or long cleared accidents. It wasn't until after Dayton that the highway began flowing well again. I encountered my one bit of good luck that day when as I approached the north bound weigh station (scale house, chicken coop) north of North Baltimore, the sign changed from open to closed as I got close to it. Of course, the way my trip had gone so far, I was half expecting to have to ague with an officer that the sign changed to closed, really.

Back in the yard I wrote up the truck and trailer for what the DOT had said was bad, for a third opinion on it. This was mainly because both will be traveling through there again and it would be bad to have the same items noted twice for the same vehicle. Bad for me, bad for the mechanic that signed his name, and bad for the company. I also noted a few other things on the truck, and to home I went.

Friday I will be doing another round to Spring Hill, TN, unfortunately delivering at 11 PM eastern time. So I won't be home until Saturday afternoon at the earliest, more likely Saturday evening.

A night with the Kentucky DOT

Wednesday night I was heading back North along I-65 when something happened that I have never had happen before. While going through the weigh station the sign flipped to park from back to I-65, so to the back I went. This was going to be my first time having to go into a weigh station so as I updated my log and got together all the required paperwork, all I could wonder was why. For that matter why was I the second Falcon truck back there.

When I got inside I found out why, and that I forgot the trailer registration. The why was that while looking at our trucks with an infrared camera, it views heat in black and white, they noticed that one or more of our trailer brakes were cool compared to the rest of them. Watching the camera as other trucks when by, the glowing white brakes were quite obvious to see, so a dark one would be just as glaringly obvious. The paperwork check didn't take long as everything was in order, once I grabbed the trailer registration that is.

Then it was time for me to pull it into their inspection barn. It was here that I found out that all sorts of things were wrong with the underside of the truck, steering, suspension, and the two brakes that were misaligned. So I was now shut down until repairs were made and the sheet was signed off on by the mechanic. Looking at the clock it was at this point that I knew I would be spending the night here rather than at a truck stop two miles down the road, I was almost out of hours to drive, bumping the 14 hour limit.

The mechanic was there fairly quickly and got the other truck rolling just as fast, then it was my turn. As he was checking all the parts marked off by the DOT, he became more and more confused, since according to him all that he found was the brakes needed adjusting. So with a lot of phone calls to my breakdown department and his boss, and some more checks, he adjusted the brakes and signed off on the sheet that I was good to roll. By this point it was now a good hour or two after my 14 hour limit, so no driving on for me. I was stuck there for ten hours. The only thing remotely close to facilities a small porto pottie off in a corner, lovely.

Waiting

Of course now it is a waiting game. For some reason they never plan to far out on loads unless it is a regularly scheduled run. So here I am with my 14 hours up at 2:15 PM and 5 hours left to drive, killing time while my next move is calculated. According to the trip information I got, this was supposed to get here at around 5 PM today, like I am going to take that long to drive it up here from Glendale, KY (344 miles) . Round trip it wasn't bad over a thousand paid miles, but I wanted to get going as soon as I got here. What will most likely happen is that I will be taking a ten hour break and then start out again, on what I don't know.

Driving at night though Kentucky along I-71 I saw several groups of does and fawns along the highway nibbling at the grass. It looked as if they had mowed it recently, so they were probably after the new growth that mowing causes. The interesting thing is that even when I blew my air horn as I passed they barely flicked an ear. It is no wonder there are so many deer/vehicle accidents, we lay out a buffet and then wonder why they come to eat it.

Driving at night the past few months has also made me realize that for some reason newer cars have fewer reflectors on them. If you compare a car made even five years ago there is a significant difference between them. Going back even further it is even more pronounced. Then have people covering the most reflective part of their car, the license plate, you end up with vehicles that are basically invisible until you are already on them. There is no doubt in my mind that is a cause of a lot of accidents as well. I know on the Ohio Turnpike they will put two reflective pylons behind a disabled vehicle to make it more visible at night.

That is it until I find out what is going on next.

I have been to Saturn

The car company, though the other would be fun too.

After several weeks of a dedicated run from Bay City, MI to Parma, OH on a run going to the GM Powertrain plant there, I am now back to doing what ever I am assigned, over the road. I started this week late Sunday night with a load of engines out of Canada heading to Spring Hill, TN. I was able to get a decent amount of sleep prior to the run so only had to stop to get a quick 15 minute power nap once.

I arrived at my destination about an hour early, fortunately they allow you to be up to an hour early, otherwise I would have had to wait. The size of this plant is just staggering, from the gate it took me almost ten minutes to get to where I was going, and the longest section of that was at a posted 35 mph. Compared to the size of the Jeep plant in Toledo, the Jeep plant is small. Of course they had a lot of room to spread out down here, and they sure took advantage of it. They even have some sections leased out to farmers for crops since they didn't need the land yet.

Anyway I am now in the midst of my 10 hour break in Glendale, KY at the Petro there. IT was close making it here with my hours, since dispatch wanted me to start the run so early, but I made it ok and am now in the air conditioned comfort of Idle Aire, waiting for midnight when I will head back to Toledo with this return trailer of empty racks heading back to Canada. When I called earlier they didn't know what I was doing next yet, so I might be doing this again, or something else entirely, we shall see.

For some reason I am not getting as good a connection here as I have in the past, no idea why but it is irritating not being able to watch hulu for some good old fashioned tv.

First Week Driving....

Monday 21st --- nothing moving, waiting on truck assignment.

Tuesday 22nd --- assigned truck, did a thorough check on it and put it in the shop for repairs. The two biggest things were a new windshield and a seal leak in a drive axel. Then was able to do five rounds from the local GM transmission plant to a CLI, a shipper that combines loads of parts for GM assembly plants.

Wednesday 23rd --- I did one round the same as yesterday, then was able to get a run to Texas from Romulus. This is empty dunnage and racks on the way down and parts bound for Canada on the way back up.

Thursday 24th-- Covered a lot of ground on my way down to Texas. In Tennessee I was treated to the sight of a beautiful sunset, all pastel pink shades. I also got to see a true hillbilly type driving an old station wagon almost as dirty as his kids were in the back seat. He was truely god fearing, with a cross hanging from his mirror and a dusty bible on the dash.

Friday 25th -- Arkansas, which is where the above bad picture was taken. It is a little rough getting the camera to focus correctly through the windshield some times. But it is of a rice paddy, in Arkansas.

Saturday 26th -- Laredo, ended up doing a drop and hook in the drop yard there due to timing and hour issues. Unfortunitly the work I did prior to this run ended up messing me up a little for this run. Anyway I was able to get a bit north before stopping for the night.

Safety and Skills Center (SSC)

The past week was spent in West Middlesex, PA. This is basically a week long final exam testing everything we were supposed to have learned the past few weeks of training. It makes complete sense to make certain that every person that comes through here knows what they need to before setting them loose on their own in trucks.

Over all when compared to the training I got from Werner back in 2000, there really is no comparison. They truly do want you to knowledgeable about everything to do about their operation. There were about seven people from my original orientation class at this session at SSC. Which is a good indication of how well we all performed. I even got my original roommate from orientation, we both figured that at least we knew how each other was so why not do it again.

I got to know another driver a bit better as well, we had gone a few places in Gary, to get out of the hotel, and here it wasn't much different. Even gave him a ride to Toledo to get him home a day earlier than Greyhound from there would have taken. Also made sure that he tried out Tony Packo's before catching his bus, you just can't visit Toledo and not try the original Packo's Hungarian Hot Dogs.

One place we ate at twice was Quaker Steak and Lube. My roommate had mentioned them in orientation, and told us that the original was near where we were staying. They had an excellent all you can eat wing buffet on Wednesday. We all over ate, it was so good. Then Thursday it was a discount on ribs, those were really good as well, but I wouldn't have wanted to pay the full price, they weren't that good.

Our entire group was passed through with flying colors, we were told that we were one of the better groups they have had. Which I am sure they have said before, but might actually have been true this time. At least no one hit anything or killed a truck, cones on the other hand we killed a plenty.

Last Week with a Trainer

This past week I was lucky enough to work locally again. We did several local runs up to the Detroit area to pick up and Twinsburg, OH to deliver. Since he is a trainer he still had a road truck, but it only had a single bunk for when a trainee from out of town needed to spend the night.

Monday his dedicated run was cancelled so we did a lot of short local moves, repositioning equipment for service. This was my first day trying out an automatic. Fortunitly a bit of the video we watched in Orientation stuck with me, so getting it moving wasn't a problem. It felt really odd not having to shift or use a clutch, but it did free the mind to other driving problems while driving, especially when turning.

The trainer shortage is still happening. There was another training class here in the terminal with four guys in it. I felt a little bad for two of them since they were in my group last week. However they should have very few problems backing once they are done due to the amount of practice they are getting. A small consolation, but it is likely to serve them well once they are out on their own.

Next week for me it is off to West Middlesex , PA for the final week of training. It is a course called SSC, Safety and Skills Center. Again I will be driving myself just to keep clear of the dreaded Greyhoud bus. That and keep my options open for dinner and other activities after class is over for the day.

The Week of the Fourth

This was a week of working in the yard, backing skills mostly. We also had time to work on the giant homework project that was given to us in orientation. This project basically an exercise in trip planning, logging and filling out the correct paperwork for a load. It would have been a bear to have to do in a truck. It was much easier being able to spread it out all over a table or the floor to work on it.

So I was really able to refine my backing skills, well blow the rust off them the rest of the way in a more realistic fashion than what we did in classes. Next week it sounds like I will be with my final trainer than off to my final week of training and evaluation. So two more weeks and I will be out on my own.

Team Driving North

This is condensing Thursday and Friday into one post. Thursday night I was just too tired to post anything, and my laptop battery is not holding up well with the additional load of the Sprint broadband attached. It is an older battery, but it does seem to die fast when it isn't plugged in.

We started out early Thursday morning, getting going at 3 AM to get our day started and on the road before the traffic starts. Which means that I headed off for an early shower at around 2 AM. Fortunately the late, or early hour allowed the staff time to get the showers clean. The rest of the place still looked like a garbage dump though.

After arriving at the shipping point we got our first load out right away. This was one that went to the drop yard, then we were supposed to get a second load. The second load left with an owner operator that slept there overnight. The next three loads were not going to be ready until the afternoon at that point. So after calling dispatch to find out what they wanted us to do we had to sit and wait. It was a really beautiful sunrise, and when the day shift came in at at dispatch my trainer was able to find out that we could just get going with the load we had already pulled out of the shipper. We then managed to get going around 5:30 or so north bound.

My trainer started out driving, and I took over after he had driven around eight hours. At this point we had seen so many police, state troopers, and DOT inspectors, it looked like a parade. There wasn't a mile that went by that we didn't see either a car pulled over, or one sitting waiting to catch a speeder, or cruising around. I think that was the most police that I have ever seen while driving ever. I don't remember what time we actually left Texas, but I do know that we passed the owner operator that left out before us at a rest stop in Arkansas.

It took a while but by 1:30 AM Friday morning I was out of driving hours. We ended up stopping at another Pilot, this time in Tennessee. My trainer wasn't able to sleep very well while I was driving, according to him he never was able to sleep in a truck while it was moving, so it wasn't my driving that kept him awake. We both were able to sleep in a stationary truck until around 5:30 AM when he started his driving. I went back to sleep until around ten in the morning, and took over driving at eleven thirty when my ten hour break was over. This got me the last miles from just north of Cincinnati until the Terminal in Perrysburg, OH. This was to give my trainer the ability to drive the rest of the way home to Romulus, MI. So I got home on Friday by 4 PM, not to bad for leaving Laredo around 34 hours ago.

Next week is the start of the automotive shutdown. This means that a lot of the trainers, well drivers period, will be going on vacation. So instead of going out with a trainer I will be going to the Perrysburg yard to do some group training. So I will definitely be home for the Fourth of July, and will be home every night that week.

Pilot: Laredo, TX

Today I did only a little driving, From McAllen, TX to Laredo, TX. We were able to sleep in this morning at the Red Roof, because our return load had been cancelled. The load we had coming down was simply empty dunnage, plastic used to hold car parts, which can be dropped off at any time. So after getting rid of part one in McAllen, we dropped the other three portions in Laredo. This really took very little time, and our new return load needs to be picked up tomorrow morning around 4AM, so we had a good part of the day open to us.

So after dropping our trailer in a drop lot, we went to find a movie theater. There was a fairly nice one not too far from where we were, it was still matinee prices ($6.25) and The Incredible Hulk was playing. The previews had made this out to be really good, and it truly was. This was almost as much fun to watch as Iron Man.

After the movie it was off to find a good place for dinner, hopefully somewhere that we had not been to before as individuals. We found an Italian Restaurant, Carino's Italian Grill, that was really good. Plenty of food at a reasonible price, and the service was excellent.

We are now plugged in to an IdleAire station at a Pilot Truckstop in Laredo. After a slow start it has cooled down the truck nicely, and is supplying electricity and television service to my trainers flat screen tv. The first thing we noticed was that all the fuel pumps were closed, apparently they sold out of fuel. The second thing we noticed was all the trash lying around. It looked like someone had upended a dumpster in the lot. The men's room was none to clean, which is really making us leary about taking a shower tomorrow morning. Hopefully by waiting, they will have had a chance to clean them really well prior to our using them. Right now they are just cleaning them quickly between uses.

Tomorrow after we pick up our delayed load we will team drive back up to Toledo so we can get back on Friday. A solo driver would take till sometime Saturday with this distance. Since tomorrow will start early, I need to get to sleep now, more enroute somewhere.

Pharr, Texas

For some reason the name of this town just makes me think of Sesame Street, when Grover would do near and far. But that is just a random association. We are staying the night in a Red Roof Inn, a big step up from the Super 8 in Gary, Indiana.

Dinner tonight was at a really good restaurant, Rudy's Country Store and Barbeque, it truly is a chain designed for low investment. Folding chairs and tables, paper for plates, all making it look like a picnic. They give a sample of the brisket and the turkey when you tell them that you are a new customer. Both were really good, but I went with baby back ribs, which were really good. It was a bit expensive for the meal, but it was really filling.

Tomorrow morning we will be getting rid of our load, in four different locations. However our return load has been cancelled. They found us a replacement load, that picks up Thursday morning. So if we drove it solo we would get back sometime Saturday. Since we both want to be back on Friday, and he feels that after one more week of training I could be done and on my own, we are thinking about team driving it back up. Which will get it there a lot faster, and get us both home. Of course plans could change if they find us a load to pick up tomorrow.

Time for some away from truck relaxing.....

Between there and here..

Some things I have seen in the past two days of driving:

The car from Ghostbusters II parked in front of a house along the highway in Texas. Again no idea if it is original or something someone did as a copy.

The rice paddies of Arkansas, now I knew that rice was grown in the US, but for some reason I had never seen them until today. One thing I found interesting was that they were all in curves like you see in the pictures from the Orient. It just isn't something you expect to see in a US farm.

There were more than a few crop dusters out and about yesterday. Having them doing their flips over the highway as I drove towards them. We also got a good look at them as a field was sprayed.

Several fields were being burned of stubble to ready them for planting, and there were quite a few road side fire scars that were obviously started by thrown cigarette butts.

The clean up of a major accident, burn scars all over the place. Lots of debris all over, including the twisted remains of a horse trailer.

The amount of construction going on in Texas is unbelievable. It seems like every road we were on was being resurfaced, widened, or otherwise worked on in some way along the way.

I-40 in Arkansas isn't as bad as it was when I drove for Werner, but they did leave a section of the bumps for old times sake.

Prescott, Arkansas: TA TravelCenters of America

Today I drove from our stop last night to Prescott, Arkansas. Tonight due to the humidity and heat we are using the IdleAire service. It really does cool the truck down quickly. Lunch and dinner today was a foot long Subway turkey sandwich, so at least some of what I ate today was healthy.

While driving I found out how the Vorad Collision Warning System worked. It was a great help, letting me know when I was creeping up on someone and when there was an obstacle in my blind spot on the right side of the tractor. An unexpected feature was how it connected into the cruise control to maintain a proper following distance by adjusting the truck's speed to match the vehicle in front of me. It does make me wonder how many accidents might be avoided if it was built into automobiles as well.

Vorad is quite simple an on board radar system that tracks objects with in its field of view. It can tell when an object is faster or slower than me, and can sound a warning, as well as show lights it a vehicle in a particular direction is a threat. Basically it is just a very cool thing to have on the truck.

Not much else is going on tonight, have about nine more hours until we can get going again.

Morning in Glendale, KY

I ended up waking up at around 7:30AM, well the last time. Sleeping in a truck at a truck stop, especially the first night, makes for a restless night. Lots of noises as trucks enter and leave the area, drivers getting in and out of their trucks, and the fact that the mattress wasn't the best didn't help either. One thing is for sure, this style of International was not really designed for two people. The bunk space begins immediately behind the front seats, allowing basically no room for storage. So right away you are sleeping with your gear. It can be put on the seats overnight, but that just means you need to move it again when you wake up. Since the area is divided by two bunks, there is very little vertical space either. The lower bunk has a bit more space, it might be a foot or less, but who is measuring. So it is very easy to clock your head when sitting up or getting into the top bunk. Over all I think my back will recover form last night, I just don't know about the other two nights I will be sleeping in it. Fortunately we are able to get a hotel room one night a week.

This morning I started with a nice hot shower, if you don't have a credit from fueling $10.00 at a Petro. The company reimburses with receipts for this so it isn't as bad as it sounds. If you have never been in a truck stop shower, it is basically a long hall way of bathrooms, each with a toilet, sink, mirror, and a shower stall. They are usually fairly roomy, and if at a busy and good enough chain clean. You are given a shower mat, wash cloth, towel, and a bar of soap. Other than the fact that section seems to be set on arctic for the air conditioning, I had a very pleasant shower.

Going back to the truck after my shower I found my trainer was still asleep, so I headed back into the truck stop with my computer and found some breakfast. One thing about truck stops, they always have a buffet, with way more than one needs on it. I can't understand why so many drivers are over weight. I ordered off the menu to get an omelet, home fries, and an ice tea, $9.41 + tip. Again more food than one needs, but I figure a light lunch today and then a normal dinner, if there is such a thing in a truck stop.

We are headed down to Laredo, Texas to pick up automotive parts that are meant for an assembly plant in Ontario, Canada. This is a dedicated run for my trainer, and seems fairly nice drive down and back once a week. He also doesn't have to take it into Canada, there are other drivers for that.

I am using Sprint Mobile Broadband again for this connection. It seems to be working out fairly well so far, at least it is keeping me connected. I am not impressed with the GPS feature though. It is supposed to be able to locate you and then show nearby restaurants, fuel, anything like that. So far both times I have used it, it has been incorrect in finding me. When I tried it initially in Perrysburg, it was only a few streets off. This morning I think it is more than 10 miles off. It is showing me in Cecilia, KY, when I am in Glendale, KY. At least I wasn't counting on this feature, it just comes standard with the modem.

One last thing, the water here is heavily chlorinated, yuck.

The Petro in Glendale, Kentucky

Yes, I am in a truck stop tonight. We left the Perrysburg terminal at about 6:15 and arrived here about six hours later. I am trying out my Sprint broadband connection for the first time away from good signal. It seems to be working quite well for this though the signal reads as a bit weak.

I didn't do any driving on the way down, but considering the storms that we went through I don't mind at all. Even though I have driven before, I would rather get back into the swing of things in good weather.

We are parked at an IdleAire station at the Petro. This allows us to get heating, cooling, electricity, internet, television, and a few other things from a window box. Fortunately the company reimburses for the use of it for heating and cooling.

Nothing more other than I am really tired right now.

A Weekend Summary

First I would like to add a tidbit about last Monday's driving test. I wasn't driving so was able to look around a bit more than everyone else. Even though, I was extremely surprised to see a car that looked a lot like KITT from Knight Rider. From the thirty second glimpse I had of it, the exterior was a dead ringer for KITT. Even though the sides were off the t-top, I didn't really look at the interior since the red light going back and forth on the front of the car really drew my attention.

Now more about Friday, we only had to stay half a day to wrap up final paperwork involved in signing on with the company. Out of a starting class of seventeen people, fifteen made it all the way through. It will be interesting to find out how many finish the entire training period. We all found out where and when we were meeting our trainers, fortunately I will be able to meet mine in Perrysburg, OH (the Toledo terminal).

The ride home was uneventful; I gave another driver a ride back to the area to save him from the horror that is Greyhound. I don't know how many people actually ride a Greyhound by choice, but it is a fairly horrible experience. It isn't fast by any means, and it can take up to three times as long riding as it does to drive because of all the stops between where you left from and your destination.

At this point I am just waiting for my trainer's truck to get down here. Apparently the shop wasn't done with it so he is waiting in Romulus to get it done, and I am waiting here in Perrysburg for him to get here. This isn't a very good sounding start to our week, but it can happen. Sometimes shop work, breakdowns, and other maintenance concerns can suck up a lot of time out of a driver's day. Hopefully this is the only time for the next several weeks that I will have to deal with it.

A last note, the spell check wasn't working at the time of this post, so I apologize for any and all misspellings contain here in.