Part of the schedule I keep involves, of course, sleep. I'll go through an average week for ya, then you tell me if it's normal, fair enough? Sunday, being my only "real" day off, is usually filled with catching up on stuff I haven't got around to during the week, again, because of my schedule. And, this time of year, add mowing the lawn to the list. Of course, if it's Father's Day (yesterday) or if it's rained in the recent past, then you can kiss that one goodbye. So, I putz around, and try to get stuff done, as much as I can. After dinner, about 7:30 - 8:00pm, I start to get REALLY sleepy. So, after watching "Ice Road Truckers," I'm done, off to bed (9:00). I sleep a few hours, and I'm up Monday am about 2-2:30. On the computer all night, in the morning, run around and do errands, get ready to go out Monday night. I usually hit the sack about 2-3:00pm, and sleep till 9:00 or so. Get ready, and make it over to work by 10:30 or thereabouts. My Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday route takes me until about 6:30-7:00am, and I'm done for the day. Then comes the tricky part: trying to sleep in the damn truck!
I can't remember how long this has been going on, or if I have EVER slept in the truck, but I JUST CAN'T DO IT! I don't know why; I've tried pills, potions, herbal supplements, you name it (almost). No luck; in the 12-14hrs I spend in the berth, I'm lucky if I can manage 1-2 hours of sleep. That's it. So, needless to say, when I "wake up," I'm groggy as hell, just draggin' ass.
Once I get to my first store, and I'm actually moving around and working, I'm ok, but the coffe and other (legal) chemical stimulants need to be working. Of course, I've already spoken about truckstop coffee previously, so no more; beggars can't be choosers. I've found that, as daylight breaks, I get a little bit of a "second wind," but still, when you think about it, it's pretty dangerous having me out there in my condition. Get home Wednesday, and I sleep from noon till midnite? I mean, it's insane, really. Then, up all night on the computer. So Wed. is a wasted day. Thursday is a repeat of Monday, basically, except I don't have to start as early, so I can go to bed an hour later, if I choose (about 3:00pm). Then I repeat the process; get done with work on Friday, off to the truckstop, where I pop my pills & eat, then try to rest. Sam story for Friday night; go to work, get done about 7-7:30 Saturday morning, go home and collapse. For some reason, I don't sleep as long on Saturdays as I do on Wednesdays. So, I get up at 2 in the afternoon, watch sports on TV (I'm useless for anything else), eat dinner, crash, and up all night again. It's not a fun schedule, but I can't really do much about it.
I've talked to other drivers, some who have the same problem, most don't. One guy summed it up perfectly "It's not home..." Same holds true for a motel, which I rarely do anymore. Can't sleep there, either, because it's just not home. Well, I might have to resort to one final trick (and this leads up to my next post): drinking. Yeah maybe a couple of beers will do the trick. Hell, I've tried everything else...
More soon,
Steve
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Weights
So, I've been focusing a lot on my internet marketing - for those of you interested, click on the "Rolling into money" link to the right ; )
Ok, so we're not talking about how much truckers weigh, although I've seen a few "fatties" out there (hey, can't take a joke?). And, of course, it's not about "Weight a minute!" No, this post is all about truck (axle, to be more precise) weight, of course. Now, I want to again distinguish between "truck driver," (which I am) and "trucker." Truckers have to deal with the weight issue much more than people in my end of the business. I know, because when I first started out, it was with an over-the-road company, and we had to scale our loads pretty much every time. I had a trainer who was very meticulous, and would make sure it was correct, if we had to stay there all day. We went so far as to move the fifth wheel, and I don't think I've ever had to do that since. So, my sympathies to all you guys & gals who have to deal with that on a regular basis, "I feel ya."
When I went to work for this company, I DID have to deal with scaling the loads, at first, when going to MI. I remember taking overweight loads out (40k +), and, in the ice and sleet, trying to pull the damn pin, and slide the frozen, rusted slider. Not fun. In fact (and I'm sure others discovered similar tricks) I would purposely take the toll-road (I90 in IN) to US 31 north at South Bend, then back to 94E to get to Grand Rapids, or Detroit. Though there's another scale at Grass Lake, I believe, so, in that case, I ride either US20 or the Ohio turnpike over to Toledo, then jump on US24 north, up to 94 or 96, I can't remember. Better to pay $7 for the toll-road, than $10 for a scale ticket, then possibly have to re-scale several times. That scale at New Buffalo would ALWAYS be open, too, and no pre-pass. They STILL don't have it in Michigan. Even Wisconsin has pre-pass now; I mean, I don't mean to belittle someone's home-state, but c'mon, let's get with the 21st century here. I guess they just want to be A-holes...
Anyway, I recall many an instance of slippery, wet roads, and watching all the Amish in Indiana, coming toward me in their covered horse-drawn carriages. Quite a sight. When I reached my destination, I'd usually have some down-time, get reloaded and head back, but this time it would be like "screw it, I'll just scale the load, and take 94 back..." I'd generally have less weight coming back, so not as much to fret about.
About 3-4 years ago, my company re-vamped their equipment, giving us new Freightliner trucks, and brand-new 48 foot reefers with the nice Thermoking reefer-units. Until then, we pulled 45-foot trailers, which were beat to hell, with these Carrier units that sounded like small aircraft engines. I've discussed these before in my "Reefer Madness" post : ) The stories I could tell. So, now I don't worry as much. These days, my only concern (and it really isn't one) is when I go pick up cheese in WI on Wednesdays. It's not a big deal, though, because I know EXACTLY how much weight I have, so I know exactly how many holes I have to go back to make the load scale out perfect. I usually do the "dicking around" with the tandems the day before, either at my last stop the first day, or at the truckstop. That way, it's all taken care of far in advance of me running into the weigh stations. Only problem is: either way we come back, there's a scale.
I generally come back via Madison, WI, and just south on 90 is a nice new "scale-in-motion" weigh station. Depending on the time of morning I'm cruising past, about 50/50 chance of them being open. But, like I said, if I've been able to get my "9 holes back" then it ust becomes a pain in the ass, nothing more. I HAVE had a couple of times, where, for some reason, the slider just would not budge, or the pin wouldn't come out. In that case, it's the back roads - always have a back-up plan, a MUST for any "trucker," or "truck driver."
More soon,
Steve
Ok, so we're not talking about how much truckers weigh, although I've seen a few "fatties" out there (hey, can't take a joke?). And, of course, it's not about "Weight a minute!" No, this post is all about truck (axle, to be more precise) weight, of course. Now, I want to again distinguish between "truck driver," (which I am) and "trucker." Truckers have to deal with the weight issue much more than people in my end of the business. I know, because when I first started out, it was with an over-the-road company, and we had to scale our loads pretty much every time. I had a trainer who was very meticulous, and would make sure it was correct, if we had to stay there all day. We went so far as to move the fifth wheel, and I don't think I've ever had to do that since. So, my sympathies to all you guys & gals who have to deal with that on a regular basis, "I feel ya."
When I went to work for this company, I DID have to deal with scaling the loads, at first, when going to MI. I remember taking overweight loads out (40k +), and, in the ice and sleet, trying to pull the damn pin, and slide the frozen, rusted slider. Not fun. In fact (and I'm sure others discovered similar tricks) I would purposely take the toll-road (I90 in IN) to US 31 north at South Bend, then back to 94E to get to Grand Rapids, or Detroit. Though there's another scale at Grass Lake, I believe, so, in that case, I ride either US20 or the Ohio turnpike over to Toledo, then jump on US24 north, up to 94 or 96, I can't remember. Better to pay $7 for the toll-road, than $10 for a scale ticket, then possibly have to re-scale several times. That scale at New Buffalo would ALWAYS be open, too, and no pre-pass. They STILL don't have it in Michigan. Even Wisconsin has pre-pass now; I mean, I don't mean to belittle someone's home-state, but c'mon, let's get with the 21st century here. I guess they just want to be A-holes...
Anyway, I recall many an instance of slippery, wet roads, and watching all the Amish in Indiana, coming toward me in their covered horse-drawn carriages. Quite a sight. When I reached my destination, I'd usually have some down-time, get reloaded and head back, but this time it would be like "screw it, I'll just scale the load, and take 94 back..." I'd generally have less weight coming back, so not as much to fret about.
About 3-4 years ago, my company re-vamped their equipment, giving us new Freightliner trucks, and brand-new 48 foot reefers with the nice Thermoking reefer-units. Until then, we pulled 45-foot trailers, which were beat to hell, with these Carrier units that sounded like small aircraft engines. I've discussed these before in my "Reefer Madness" post : ) The stories I could tell. So, now I don't worry as much. These days, my only concern (and it really isn't one) is when I go pick up cheese in WI on Wednesdays. It's not a big deal, though, because I know EXACTLY how much weight I have, so I know exactly how many holes I have to go back to make the load scale out perfect. I usually do the "dicking around" with the tandems the day before, either at my last stop the first day, or at the truckstop. That way, it's all taken care of far in advance of me running into the weigh stations. Only problem is: either way we come back, there's a scale.
I generally come back via Madison, WI, and just south on 90 is a nice new "scale-in-motion" weigh station. Depending on the time of morning I'm cruising past, about 50/50 chance of them being open. But, like I said, if I've been able to get my "9 holes back" then it ust becomes a pain in the ass, nothing more. I HAVE had a couple of times, where, for some reason, the slider just would not budge, or the pin wouldn't come out. In that case, it's the back roads - always have a back-up plan, a MUST for any "trucker," or "truck driver."
More soon,
Steve
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sickness
I've decided to make a concerted effort to post more often on here, so stay tuned...
Yeah, I've been sick the last couple days. It's weird, not like other jobs, where you can take just one day off (mental health day?). No, I have to take 2, because 80% of what we do are 2-day runs, so you use up your sick days pretty quick. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have the extra time to recuperate, but I only get 8 hours for each day off, as opposed to the 10-12 I put in while working. Sure, sometimes there's other local stuff to do, but it's usually "bottom-of-the-barrel" B.S., so I really don't want to deal with it. I'm pretty much a creature of habit, and when the habit gets broken, I get angry.
I won't mention the gory details, suffice to say it was a "gastro-intestinal" issue, for lack of a better euphemism. I woke up to a sharp pain in the gut, and the rest is history. As I write this, I'm still not 100%, but good enough to go tonight. It feels strange, being around the house, watching daytime TV, hanging with the family unit. The same is true on vacation, which I just wrote about. You make a list of things you want to accomplish, then after the week is up, look at the list and say "Well, that didn't go so well..."
At least the "sickness" didn't come during the run; I've had that happen. In fact, I think I've already blogged about it, so I won't touch too much on it here. The same symptoms, though, and it has happened not only in the sleeper, when you can actually do something about it, but on the road as well. I've made good use of my milk carton (pee jug) and my knife, if you know what I mean. Hey, it's better than doing it all over the inside of the cab. How do you explain that to your boss? If you own the truck it's one thing, but having to spend a couple hours cleaning up after yourself, so the next driver doesn't choke on the stench is quite another.
A rule of thumb: bring an extra roll of toilet paper. It should be in every trucker's cab, because
you never know when you'll eat that bad piece of ______, then you're literally "up shit's creek."
Having some Gatorade or water handy is probably a good idea as well. I bring that stuff to hydrate myself during the sweaty summer months. That's my main problem - my diet. I eat a lot of crap (I know a lot of truckers do), and don't take proper care of myself. Not enough fruits & veggies (don't preach, I've heard it all before), too much fried, processed, junk. That, along with the smoking, are probably going to do me in.
See, my eating/sleeping schedule is all out of whack, and has been since I started this friggin' job. When you're eating lunch at 10:30 in the morning, and your next meal doesn't come till the following morning, it screws your body all up. The wife wanted me to go to the doctor's office; she even looked the number up in the phone book. However, when I called, they didn't have a chart on me (it's been more than 4 years), nor could they even see me this week anyway - so much for that idea. I mean, since the other night, my body has clenched up, and I have the opposite problem - yep, I can't go! So, better pick up some laxative at the drugstore today...
More soon,
Steve
Yeah, I've been sick the last couple days. It's weird, not like other jobs, where you can take just one day off (mental health day?). No, I have to take 2, because 80% of what we do are 2-day runs, so you use up your sick days pretty quick. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have the extra time to recuperate, but I only get 8 hours for each day off, as opposed to the 10-12 I put in while working. Sure, sometimes there's other local stuff to do, but it's usually "bottom-of-the-barrel" B.S., so I really don't want to deal with it. I'm pretty much a creature of habit, and when the habit gets broken, I get angry.
I won't mention the gory details, suffice to say it was a "gastro-intestinal" issue, for lack of a better euphemism. I woke up to a sharp pain in the gut, and the rest is history. As I write this, I'm still not 100%, but good enough to go tonight. It feels strange, being around the house, watching daytime TV, hanging with the family unit. The same is true on vacation, which I just wrote about. You make a list of things you want to accomplish, then after the week is up, look at the list and say "Well, that didn't go so well..."
At least the "sickness" didn't come during the run; I've had that happen. In fact, I think I've already blogged about it, so I won't touch too much on it here. The same symptoms, though, and it has happened not only in the sleeper, when you can actually do something about it, but on the road as well. I've made good use of my milk carton (pee jug) and my knife, if you know what I mean. Hey, it's better than doing it all over the inside of the cab. How do you explain that to your boss? If you own the truck it's one thing, but having to spend a couple hours cleaning up after yourself, so the next driver doesn't choke on the stench is quite another.
A rule of thumb: bring an extra roll of toilet paper. It should be in every trucker's cab, because
you never know when you'll eat that bad piece of ______, then you're literally "up shit's creek."
Having some Gatorade or water handy is probably a good idea as well. I bring that stuff to hydrate myself during the sweaty summer months. That's my main problem - my diet. I eat a lot of crap (I know a lot of truckers do), and don't take proper care of myself. Not enough fruits & veggies (don't preach, I've heard it all before), too much fried, processed, junk. That, along with the smoking, are probably going to do me in.
See, my eating/sleeping schedule is all out of whack, and has been since I started this friggin' job. When you're eating lunch at 10:30 in the morning, and your next meal doesn't come till the following morning, it screws your body all up. The wife wanted me to go to the doctor's office; she even looked the number up in the phone book. However, when I called, they didn't have a chart on me (it's been more than 4 years), nor could they even see me this week anyway - so much for that idea. I mean, since the other night, my body has clenched up, and I have the opposite problem - yep, I can't go! So, better pick up some laxative at the drugstore today...
More soon,
Steve
Monday, June 8, 2009
Summa Time
Hey yo,
It's that time of year again, when the coolness of winter/spring gives way to the heat & humidity of summer. One more note on vacations: It's really nice to be able to actually get away for a week, to go (drive or fly, doesn't matter) somewhere you've never been, or some favorite place. That's why Florida was such a big deal for me. I hadn't even flown since '04, when I flew to Ireland for my bro's wedding. Having said that, it's good just to be away from that friggin' place for a week, even if you don't go anywhere or do anything. This year was the first time I got three weeks vacation, so I'm able to spread things out a bit. The next one, coming up in a couple weeks, we're just going to stay around Chicago I think. We might go downtown for the Taste of Chicago, but it's always so damn crowded. Haven't been in years, though.
Summer is always a time when you worry about two things: thunderstorms and street people.
Don't get me wrong, driving in a thunderstorm is ten times more preferable than a blizzard, but it still kinda sucks, not to mention delivering in a downpour, that's the absolute worst! I always make sure I have a change of clothes handy, and plenty of towels, because I've been literally soaked to the skin before.
Street people come out when the weather gets warmer, that's just a fact of life. And, if you think it's only in the large cities, think again. Most of my encounters have come either in suburban areas, or in towns not far from Chicago (Rockford, Madison, etc). See my older post on "Night People" for examples. Yeah, I got propositioned by a hooker about 10 days ago. I was just about to start my delivery, when, seemingly out of nowhere, she comes shuffling down the sidewalk. I was flabbergasted when she suggested what she did, but not entirely surprised. In fact, I actually thought about it for a second. But, with my luck she'd either have been a cop, or had some horrible STD. Besides that, I only had about $20 on me. I dunno if you can even get anything for that these days. Still, it made me feel, in a strange way, wanted, ya know?
So, it's that time of year: BBQ's ,baseball games, amusement parks, fun stuff. The work is the pain in the ass (as usual).
More soon,
Steve
It's that time of year again, when the coolness of winter/spring gives way to the heat & humidity of summer. One more note on vacations: It's really nice to be able to actually get away for a week, to go (drive or fly, doesn't matter) somewhere you've never been, or some favorite place. That's why Florida was such a big deal for me. I hadn't even flown since '04, when I flew to Ireland for my bro's wedding. Having said that, it's good just to be away from that friggin' place for a week, even if you don't go anywhere or do anything. This year was the first time I got three weeks vacation, so I'm able to spread things out a bit. The next one, coming up in a couple weeks, we're just going to stay around Chicago I think. We might go downtown for the Taste of Chicago, but it's always so damn crowded. Haven't been in years, though.
Summer is always a time when you worry about two things: thunderstorms and street people.
Don't get me wrong, driving in a thunderstorm is ten times more preferable than a blizzard, but it still kinda sucks, not to mention delivering in a downpour, that's the absolute worst! I always make sure I have a change of clothes handy, and plenty of towels, because I've been literally soaked to the skin before.
Street people come out when the weather gets warmer, that's just a fact of life. And, if you think it's only in the large cities, think again. Most of my encounters have come either in suburban areas, or in towns not far from Chicago (Rockford, Madison, etc). See my older post on "Night People" for examples. Yeah, I got propositioned by a hooker about 10 days ago. I was just about to start my delivery, when, seemingly out of nowhere, she comes shuffling down the sidewalk. I was flabbergasted when she suggested what she did, but not entirely surprised. In fact, I actually thought about it for a second. But, with my luck she'd either have been a cop, or had some horrible STD. Besides that, I only had about $20 on me. I dunno if you can even get anything for that these days. Still, it made me feel, in a strange way, wanted, ya know?
So, it's that time of year: BBQ's ,baseball games, amusement parks, fun stuff. The work is the pain in the ass (as usual).
More soon,
Steve
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