Hey, sorry I haven't been on in a while; I've just been beside myself with family commitments, stressing out about work, money, etc. Excuses, excuses, right? Anyway, I'm still here, doing my thing every week; I've thought very seriously about changing my employment situation, but I hesitate, for reasons I've already mentioned. You know the grass is always greener, etc. The physical nature of this job is really starting to take its toll, though. I think to myself, "I'm getting too old for this kind of work!" I could very easily go drive for someone, but it really would have to be an ideal situation; no OTR, just something regional midwest, or dedicated, I dunno. I talk to the old lady about it and she's like, "Hey, do what you want," but when those health benefits go, it'll be a real hardship for her and my kid, ya know? So I stay, and I stew, mainly over a bunch of meaningless bullshit that I have no control over anyway. Part of this job is just stuff that you have to grit your teeth and bear; complaining really does you no good, because it doesn't change anything.
Anyhow, I've just been detailing my impressions here; driving, drivers, my job (and all the BS that goes with it), my general ideas about the trucking industry. Again, I'm not a know-it-all, so I welcome any criticisms, opposing ideas, shit, even if you agree with me, feel free to leave a comment. Thank you to those who've already chimed in; I've even made a couple online buddies
through this blog, so I guess it's not a complete waste of time. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me lately; I guess I feel kind of old and jaded. Same shit every week - even my vacations were not incredibly satisfying. I think I know what my problem is: I need to get laid!
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Tidbits, #5
I don't have a good quote for today's post; I've taken a little time off, for a couple of reasons: First, I'm not really sure how many people are even reading this damn thing, so I've become somewhat discouraged about the whole process. I KNOW nobody's checked out my sponsors (or very few anyway), so the $ I'm spending on adwords to promote this blog is not getting me many results. Secondly, I guess I just needed some time to gather my thoughts. Really, I'm running out of bullshit! I've been posting these blog articles for 8 months now, and, my job being so repetetive, there's really not much new going on. Same ol' bullshit, different month/year.
Anyway, I thought I'd review my positions here, for those of you who may not have read my earlier posts, so here goes.
I don't consider myself an actual "trucker" despite the handle trucker44; the job I'm in right now is different from what OTR truckers do. Not better or worse, just different. Perhaps the day will come when I actually go over-the-road, right now I can't say. I guess I'm content, if not happy, with what I do, although every week I ask God to deliver me from this f'ing BS. Maybe I do need a change, I dunno. But, I have mixed emotions about you OTR people: I respect what you do, don't know if I really would or could do it. On the other hand, the way some of you present yourselves, and the way many of you drive, kinda disgusts me, ya know? Sorry, that's the way I feel.
I've talked about the different places I've gone, some of the more interesting occurences I've seen, truckstops, drivers, the sweet little waitress I never really got to know, that kind of stuff.
To those who have responded with comments, I thank you, and will be more than happy to check out your sites as well. I've also mentioned my strong desire to get out of this line of work altogether. I still feel that way, although it's becoming more and more apparent that my "retirement" from trucking is still a long way off. I mean, I'm sure like many of you out there, I can't afford to quit working (still playing the lottery, though, lol). My bills seem to be growing far faster than my income, that's for sure. Now, the wife is talking about buying a house next year, and my daughter turns 16, so she'll be wanting a car of her own. It all seems so overwhelming sometimes, ya know? Shit I can't even afford to have the transmission (slipping) on my car looked at. But, I suppose it could be worse; hell, I'm still able-bodied, and willing to bust-ass for my paycheck. Turning 45 this year makes me start to think about how long my body is going to hold out, though. And this fucking smoking is really starting to kill me. My next vacation is next month, so I'm commited to quitting, this time for good. Can't afford to go anywhere, besides the kid goes back to school that week, so that puts a damper on any travel plans.
I know I sound like just another guy bitching about his job, but this is my forum, so I guess I'm entitled. People ask me "Do you enjoy your work?" Enjoy? WTF is that? I don't know the meaning of that word. My job is something that I "get through" till the next weekend. Yeah, and I'm lonely out there by myself too. The family doesn't care. They barely even talk to me when I call. They have their own issues to deal with, I guess. Yeah, so I reflect about my life, my work, home, family, etc., and I find I'm not as satisfied as I'd like to be. But, truth be told, I'm kind of scared of the alternative: being an OTR driver, with no sense of when I'll be back home again. I know there's middle ground out there, but, like I said before, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and sometimes it's best to just stay put.
So, grit yer teeth and bear it, that's my situation at the moment. When a change might happen, I couldn't tell you. I have to keep my family's needs first, which helps them, but makes me unhappy. Oh, well, that's life in the big city. Speaking of which, my next post will be about Chicago. Again, thanks to all who've read this rambling idiot's warped view of the world, or my little piece of it, anyway.
More soon,
Steve
Anyway, I thought I'd review my positions here, for those of you who may not have read my earlier posts, so here goes.
I don't consider myself an actual "trucker" despite the handle trucker44; the job I'm in right now is different from what OTR truckers do. Not better or worse, just different. Perhaps the day will come when I actually go over-the-road, right now I can't say. I guess I'm content, if not happy, with what I do, although every week I ask God to deliver me from this f'ing BS. Maybe I do need a change, I dunno. But, I have mixed emotions about you OTR people: I respect what you do, don't know if I really would or could do it. On the other hand, the way some of you present yourselves, and the way many of you drive, kinda disgusts me, ya know? Sorry, that's the way I feel.
I've talked about the different places I've gone, some of the more interesting occurences I've seen, truckstops, drivers, the sweet little waitress I never really got to know, that kind of stuff.
To those who have responded with comments, I thank you, and will be more than happy to check out your sites as well. I've also mentioned my strong desire to get out of this line of work altogether. I still feel that way, although it's becoming more and more apparent that my "retirement" from trucking is still a long way off. I mean, I'm sure like many of you out there, I can't afford to quit working (still playing the lottery, though, lol). My bills seem to be growing far faster than my income, that's for sure. Now, the wife is talking about buying a house next year, and my daughter turns 16, so she'll be wanting a car of her own. It all seems so overwhelming sometimes, ya know? Shit I can't even afford to have the transmission (slipping) on my car looked at. But, I suppose it could be worse; hell, I'm still able-bodied, and willing to bust-ass for my paycheck. Turning 45 this year makes me start to think about how long my body is going to hold out, though. And this fucking smoking is really starting to kill me. My next vacation is next month, so I'm commited to quitting, this time for good. Can't afford to go anywhere, besides the kid goes back to school that week, so that puts a damper on any travel plans.
I know I sound like just another guy bitching about his job, but this is my forum, so I guess I'm entitled. People ask me "Do you enjoy your work?" Enjoy? WTF is that? I don't know the meaning of that word. My job is something that I "get through" till the next weekend. Yeah, and I'm lonely out there by myself too. The family doesn't care. They barely even talk to me when I call. They have their own issues to deal with, I guess. Yeah, so I reflect about my life, my work, home, family, etc., and I find I'm not as satisfied as I'd like to be. But, truth be told, I'm kind of scared of the alternative: being an OTR driver, with no sense of when I'll be back home again. I know there's middle ground out there, but, like I said before, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and sometimes it's best to just stay put.
So, grit yer teeth and bear it, that's my situation at the moment. When a change might happen, I couldn't tell you. I have to keep my family's needs first, which helps them, but makes me unhappy. Oh, well, that's life in the big city. Speaking of which, my next post will be about Chicago. Again, thanks to all who've read this rambling idiot's warped view of the world, or my little piece of it, anyway.
More soon,
Steve
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Illinois
"Illinois, I'm your boy..." Dan Fogleberg
Ah, good ol' Dan Fogleberg. When I was in Peoria in the late 70's, he was one of our "claims to fame," along with Richard Pryor. In fact, I think I went to high school with Richard Pryor's son,
but I'm not certain. So, I live in the flatlands, anyone know why I love it so? Well, speaking as a truck driver, it sure beats the shit out of hilly states like Missouri, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, etc.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure those places are lovely, I just don't wanna drive thru them, especially if I have a full load on, that's all. Hell, and I won't even mention the mountain states, in the winter time. I've had plenty of blizzard and white-out conditions right here in the midwest, thank you very much. Yep, just give me my flatlands, the central plains, and I'm a happy man. Now, I know all you OTR truckers are experience driving through the hills and all, and I tip my hat to ya, really. I remember when I had to pick up pepperoni in small-town central IA, and you'd have to make a right turn out onto the main road, which was a steep hill going up. So, you're starting off from a stop, turning onto a busy road, and going uphill in winter, with a full load on. It's not really scary, just challenging in it's own right. Shit, I've been watching this wonderful program on the History Channel called "Ice Road Truckers" - Sunday nights - now these guys are nuts! Hauling heavy mining equipment over frozen lakes in sub-zero temps, with little daylight, and, because there's no DOT (in Northern Canada), they put in 17+ hour-days. Now that's dangerous! Not worth risking your life to make some good cash. Obviously, it's worth it to them, but, like I said, they're a little crazy.
Look, I'm not like most of you guys. I'm happy just to put in my time (kinda like prison) at my job, and then go home. This is not a lifestyle to me, like I've said before, it's just a means to an end. I can appreciate those who DO choose trucking as a lifestyle; it's a big commitment: you have equipment to buy to furnish your truck, supplies. You have to be away from home days and weeks at a time. The larger vehicles you drive are more difficult to maneuver (backing, docking, etc.) You have to eat sub-standard truckstop food (it's not that bad, is it?) I actually prefer it to Mickey D's all the time, ya know? Anyway, I couldn't do what you guys and gals do, just like I'm sure you wouldn't want to do my job.
The other aspect of my home state that I want to address is speed; yeah, I'm kind of protective
of that, if that makes any sense. Look, I know you people are from states where the speed limit is 65+mph, but here in IL it's generally only 55 for trucks. In fact, coming out of IA on I80, we go from 70 for all vehicles, to 65 when you hit the quad cities ( I usually jump onto 280 to bypass, plus I have a delivery in Rock Island just off 280) and then 55 for trucks once you cross the river. I know 55mph is antiquated, and pretty unreasonable. I mean, no one should have to travel that slowly. But people, it's the damn LAW! This isn't friggin Montana, where you can drive as fast as you please, because there's nobody around. This is civilization; there are populated areas here! The rule of thumb I live by is this: "Nine is fine, 10 you're mine..." thanks to the Bob and Tom radio program (funny as hell, by the way) who apparently know some state troopers that use this "over-the-speed-limit" rule. I don't drive 55, like I said, it's unreasonable, but I don't blow the speed limit away, either. Many of you people do, don't deny it, you know who you are. I'm not an agent for the Illinois State Police or anything, although sometimes I wish I had them on speed dial to report some of you assholes. In fact, I point and laugh when I see one of 'em pulled over ("Ha-ha" Nelson from The Simpsons). Look, I don't wish any misfortune to anyone, but if you're driving like an asshole, then, you should suffer the consequences. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. So, I'm usually in the middle of the pack: I'll pass a few slower trucks ("obeyers" is what I call them - tip of the hat to Eric Idle from Monty Python "Is your wife a goer? Nudge, nudge, wink wink" "Are you an obeyer?"), but most
trucks are passing me, and not just passing, but blowing me away. Like I've said before, I don't give a shit if everyone and their grandmother passes me, as long as they don't fuck with me. That means tailgating me before they pass, cutting right in front, and not acknowledging my signal to pass. That last one pisses me off more than anything (along with not using turn signals). It's very rude, but most drivers don't give a shit anymore. Courtesy is going the way of the cab over engine truck - fading out of existence. So, it's every man and woman for themselves, now, right? Kinda sad, as far as I'm concerned.
Ok, that's my rant for this week - I just wish some of you would slow the fuck down a bit, that's all. What's the damn hurry? I have a schedule, too, and I am able to keep it, without driving like a maniac (like many of our 4-wheel friends out there - I'll discuss them in an upcoming post).
Yeah, so I'm happy as a pig in shit just to be here, and to be from IL. Wanna make something of it?
More soon,
Steve
Ah, good ol' Dan Fogleberg. When I was in Peoria in the late 70's, he was one of our "claims to fame," along with Richard Pryor. In fact, I think I went to high school with Richard Pryor's son,
but I'm not certain. So, I live in the flatlands, anyone know why I love it so? Well, speaking as a truck driver, it sure beats the shit out of hilly states like Missouri, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, etc.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure those places are lovely, I just don't wanna drive thru them, especially if I have a full load on, that's all. Hell, and I won't even mention the mountain states, in the winter time. I've had plenty of blizzard and white-out conditions right here in the midwest, thank you very much. Yep, just give me my flatlands, the central plains, and I'm a happy man. Now, I know all you OTR truckers are experience driving through the hills and all, and I tip my hat to ya, really. I remember when I had to pick up pepperoni in small-town central IA, and you'd have to make a right turn out onto the main road, which was a steep hill going up. So, you're starting off from a stop, turning onto a busy road, and going uphill in winter, with a full load on. It's not really scary, just challenging in it's own right. Shit, I've been watching this wonderful program on the History Channel called "Ice Road Truckers" - Sunday nights - now these guys are nuts! Hauling heavy mining equipment over frozen lakes in sub-zero temps, with little daylight, and, because there's no DOT (in Northern Canada), they put in 17+ hour-days. Now that's dangerous! Not worth risking your life to make some good cash. Obviously, it's worth it to them, but, like I said, they're a little crazy.
Look, I'm not like most of you guys. I'm happy just to put in my time (kinda like prison) at my job, and then go home. This is not a lifestyle to me, like I've said before, it's just a means to an end. I can appreciate those who DO choose trucking as a lifestyle; it's a big commitment: you have equipment to buy to furnish your truck, supplies. You have to be away from home days and weeks at a time. The larger vehicles you drive are more difficult to maneuver (backing, docking, etc.) You have to eat sub-standard truckstop food (it's not that bad, is it?) I actually prefer it to Mickey D's all the time, ya know? Anyway, I couldn't do what you guys and gals do, just like I'm sure you wouldn't want to do my job.
The other aspect of my home state that I want to address is speed; yeah, I'm kind of protective
of that, if that makes any sense. Look, I know you people are from states where the speed limit is 65+mph, but here in IL it's generally only 55 for trucks. In fact, coming out of IA on I80, we go from 70 for all vehicles, to 65 when you hit the quad cities ( I usually jump onto 280 to bypass, plus I have a delivery in Rock Island just off 280) and then 55 for trucks once you cross the river. I know 55mph is antiquated, and pretty unreasonable. I mean, no one should have to travel that slowly. But people, it's the damn LAW! This isn't friggin Montana, where you can drive as fast as you please, because there's nobody around. This is civilization; there are populated areas here! The rule of thumb I live by is this: "Nine is fine, 10 you're mine..." thanks to the Bob and Tom radio program (funny as hell, by the way) who apparently know some state troopers that use this "over-the-speed-limit" rule. I don't drive 55, like I said, it's unreasonable, but I don't blow the speed limit away, either. Many of you people do, don't deny it, you know who you are. I'm not an agent for the Illinois State Police or anything, although sometimes I wish I had them on speed dial to report some of you assholes. In fact, I point and laugh when I see one of 'em pulled over ("Ha-ha" Nelson from The Simpsons). Look, I don't wish any misfortune to anyone, but if you're driving like an asshole, then, you should suffer the consequences. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. So, I'm usually in the middle of the pack: I'll pass a few slower trucks ("obeyers" is what I call them - tip of the hat to Eric Idle from Monty Python "Is your wife a goer? Nudge, nudge, wink wink" "Are you an obeyer?"), but most
trucks are passing me, and not just passing, but blowing me away. Like I've said before, I don't give a shit if everyone and their grandmother passes me, as long as they don't fuck with me. That means tailgating me before they pass, cutting right in front, and not acknowledging my signal to pass. That last one pisses me off more than anything (along with not using turn signals). It's very rude, but most drivers don't give a shit anymore. Courtesy is going the way of the cab over engine truck - fading out of existence. So, it's every man and woman for themselves, now, right? Kinda sad, as far as I'm concerned.
Ok, that's my rant for this week - I just wish some of you would slow the fuck down a bit, that's all. What's the damn hurry? I have a schedule, too, and I am able to keep it, without driving like a maniac (like many of our 4-wheel friends out there - I'll discuss them in an upcoming post).
Yeah, so I'm happy as a pig in shit just to be here, and to be from IL. Wanna make something of it?
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Grumblings
"I can't get from the cab to the curb without some little jerk on my back..." Pretenders "Middle of the Road"
Yeah, so I'm back from vacation; it was really nice to get away. Me and the family unit went to
Starved Rock State Park here in Illinois. Really nice, very peaceful. We all got a little bit of what we wanted; my wife got pampered, my daughter got to go swimming, and I got to commune with nature a little bit. Then, I came back! Uggg! They changed the routes around again, so, I'm not going to Cheeseland any more (yay!), but I'm out in central Iowa again. Here's what happened: I pull out of the dock, and I notice the reefer is completely dead, won't come on at all.
So, I have to get re-loaded into another trailer, an hour delay. So now I'm behind the gun, so to speak. I guess it could be worse, but man, that first day just friggin' kills me. These company stores (and I've bitched about them before) just don't quit. The one in Machesney Park is the worst, not because of their ordering, but they've torn up the street you use to get back into the parking lot, and you just can't get back there any more. Like a dummy, I tried, and I made it, but wound up scraping up against a dumpster, knocking off a marker light on the side of the truck. So, after delivering their 200 pieces in 85 degree heat and humidity (yes, even at 8:30 in the morning, sweat was pouring off me), now I have to bring the truck in to have the marker replaced. I must have lost 10lbs that day! Then, because I had to blow off the Rockford store, I had to start earlier on Wed., go do that store at 3:00am, then run off to Dubuque. I told my bosses that we would have to deliver the Machesney store from the front, which is difficult during the day (busy strip mall), so it looks like a night-time delivery.
I know, I know, I sound like just another guy bitching about his job. But damn! They make it so difficult, ya know? I shouldn't be this hard. The good thing is, I've been to all these stores before, so I kind of know what to expect. I mean, there may be a few minor changes here & there, but it's pretty much the same, for the most part. But, sad to say, I'm not making it out to Des Moines, to see the lovely Marissa. I sent her a birthday card and all, but still not a peep from her, so I guess I'll just have to write her off. Chances are I won't be heading out that way, but it's still possible I suppose. They told me if the Nebraska driver was over-weight, that I'd have to catch his overflow, so perhaps I'll get a chance to see her again, I dunno. That would be really nice, but I'm also a realist, and, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter much.
Anyway, I've had the chance to run into some of my other favorite Iowans, so that's cool.
Now I'm getting back on Thur. about noon or so, and I rest up to do my local route in the city and 'burbs. I got there early, 'cause I finished early, but I forgot the first store in Chicago doesn't close'til 11:00, so I get there at 11:20, and they're just shutting the place down. I had to sit there for 40min. before I could start delivering. Then, I had a special stop in Rolling Meadows, before heading out to Hoffman Estates, the two Aurora stores I also do on my Iowa run, and finally, Chicago Heights. See, I used to do this route many moons ago, but it was on Friday night/Saturday morning, which is a lot different than Thursday night/Friday morning. There's a lot more traffic on the weekday, so as you're moving from middle of the night to morning, you have more traffic to deal with. It's ok if you're going the opposite direction, but with early morning rush in Chicago, it can take forever, especially with the construction zones on the toll roads. And, as I've said before, I hate delays! It's one of the worst parts about this job; I want to get in and out of these places, and especially the last couple of stores, get done before the workers start coming in and bossing you around. Sometimes the delays are unavoidable (like traffic); there's nothing you can do but grit your teeth and bear it. The one really nice thing about finishing up in Chicago Heights is that you're on the south side, and Ryder is just up the street (they opened up the fuel islands early, after telling us it would be two months). You don't even have to get back onto the expressway if you don't want to; it's a leisurely drive back to Cal City. So, that's something to look foreward to, as you move through the night and into the morning. We'll see how it works out.
More soon,
Steve
Yeah, so I'm back from vacation; it was really nice to get away. Me and the family unit went to
Starved Rock State Park here in Illinois. Really nice, very peaceful. We all got a little bit of what we wanted; my wife got pampered, my daughter got to go swimming, and I got to commune with nature a little bit. Then, I came back! Uggg! They changed the routes around again, so, I'm not going to Cheeseland any more (yay!), but I'm out in central Iowa again. Here's what happened: I pull out of the dock, and I notice the reefer is completely dead, won't come on at all.
So, I have to get re-loaded into another trailer, an hour delay. So now I'm behind the gun, so to speak. I guess it could be worse, but man, that first day just friggin' kills me. These company stores (and I've bitched about them before) just don't quit. The one in Machesney Park is the worst, not because of their ordering, but they've torn up the street you use to get back into the parking lot, and you just can't get back there any more. Like a dummy, I tried, and I made it, but wound up scraping up against a dumpster, knocking off a marker light on the side of the truck. So, after delivering their 200 pieces in 85 degree heat and humidity (yes, even at 8:30 in the morning, sweat was pouring off me), now I have to bring the truck in to have the marker replaced. I must have lost 10lbs that day! Then, because I had to blow off the Rockford store, I had to start earlier on Wed., go do that store at 3:00am, then run off to Dubuque. I told my bosses that we would have to deliver the Machesney store from the front, which is difficult during the day (busy strip mall), so it looks like a night-time delivery.
I know, I know, I sound like just another guy bitching about his job. But damn! They make it so difficult, ya know? I shouldn't be this hard. The good thing is, I've been to all these stores before, so I kind of know what to expect. I mean, there may be a few minor changes here & there, but it's pretty much the same, for the most part. But, sad to say, I'm not making it out to Des Moines, to see the lovely Marissa. I sent her a birthday card and all, but still not a peep from her, so I guess I'll just have to write her off. Chances are I won't be heading out that way, but it's still possible I suppose. They told me if the Nebraska driver was over-weight, that I'd have to catch his overflow, so perhaps I'll get a chance to see her again, I dunno. That would be really nice, but I'm also a realist, and, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter much.
Anyway, I've had the chance to run into some of my other favorite Iowans, so that's cool.
Now I'm getting back on Thur. about noon or so, and I rest up to do my local route in the city and 'burbs. I got there early, 'cause I finished early, but I forgot the first store in Chicago doesn't close'til 11:00, so I get there at 11:20, and they're just shutting the place down. I had to sit there for 40min. before I could start delivering. Then, I had a special stop in Rolling Meadows, before heading out to Hoffman Estates, the two Aurora stores I also do on my Iowa run, and finally, Chicago Heights. See, I used to do this route many moons ago, but it was on Friday night/Saturday morning, which is a lot different than Thursday night/Friday morning. There's a lot more traffic on the weekday, so as you're moving from middle of the night to morning, you have more traffic to deal with. It's ok if you're going the opposite direction, but with early morning rush in Chicago, it can take forever, especially with the construction zones on the toll roads. And, as I've said before, I hate delays! It's one of the worst parts about this job; I want to get in and out of these places, and especially the last couple of stores, get done before the workers start coming in and bossing you around. Sometimes the delays are unavoidable (like traffic); there's nothing you can do but grit your teeth and bear it. The one really nice thing about finishing up in Chicago Heights is that you're on the south side, and Ryder is just up the street (they opened up the fuel islands early, after telling us it would be two months). You don't even have to get back onto the expressway if you don't want to; it's a leisurely drive back to Cal City. So, that's something to look foreward to, as you move through the night and into the morning. We'll see how it works out.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Tidbits, #4
"Keep your pecker hard and your powder dry, and the world will turn..." From the movie
"Platoon"
Two-wheel hand dollys ("2 wheelers" for short), curb plate, strap for pizza boxes, ramp on trailer - all these things are necessary for me to do my job properly & efficiently. In addition, I use: gloves, knife for cutting thru shrinkwrap, and even a flashlight (for pre-trip inspection, and if the interior trailer lights aren't working). If any one of these items is missing or fucked-up, then it creates problems. And, I think you guys all know by now how much I HATE problems.
I'll give you a prime example, and why I call myself "King of the Freak Accident!" So, I'm finishing up the other night at one of the Aurora, IL stores, and I'm pretty frustrated; I've been rained on practically the whole time, I'm out there cursing & swearing, and I have an hour drive to Elgin in front of me. So, I finish up and get moving. I get to the Elgin store and, I'm not kidding, the tailgate is open, and my 2-wheeler is missing. I don't know how the fuck it happened. I didn't hear or see a thing. I mean, usually if your tailgate isn't secured properly, the door's going to be flapping around like crazy, making all kinds of noise. So, I'm standing there, trying to think "What happened, and what do I do now?" First thing I did was call it in, and told them I was going to backtrack and look for the fucking thing. See, my worst fear was to have the 2-wheeler come flying out the ass end, and hit someone's car, etc. So, I drove, in the dawn's early light, all the way back to Aurora, scanning the other direction of traffic, then all the way back again to Elgin. No sign of the 2-wheeler anywhere, and now two more hours out of my life.
At least there also didn't appear to be any traffic incidents involving a foreign object in the road.
So, I go back to Elgin, and I have to wait for another driver to bring me another 2-wheeler (the job is virtually impossible without it, although I did manage to hand-deliver everything except the flour, while I waited), another two-hour delay. By the time I got done in Elgin it's what, 10:00 or later, and now my time's running low. I called ahead to both the Rockford stores, found out what they needed to get by with, and delivered just that stuff. Even doing only that, the delays were enough to put me in violation by about 20 mins or so. Then I just had to start earlier (about 1:30am) on Wed. to deliver the bulk of the two Rockford stores, and get on the road to Dubuque by 5-5:30 or so, which I did. But then I only had till 3:30pm to get back to the base, which I also accomplished. See, I'm very good at planning, timing, etc. I know about how fast I can get the deliveries done, and so forth, but man, what a friggin' nightmare! Then I gotta explain to my boss what happened (I don't know myself), and he says he has to write me up for it. Whatever!
So, you try to ignore the fire in your back, and your legs. I always seem to get it in my right thigh on a longer trip. I just rub my thigh, and that usually helps, but sometimes it gets so bad I have to put my leg up on the dash, which is kinda dangerous, but, with the cruise control on, and hopefully not too much traffic (you watch closely for cops), I can stretch my leg for a few minutes anyway. The back thing, I dunno. Sometimes adjusting the seat can help. On occasion, I lean foreward onto the steering wheel, with my forearms resting on top of the wheel. That alleviates some of the stress on the back, at least temporarily, but you lose some control steering the truck. The lumbar ballons in the seat also can be helpful, but what happens is, you have them blown up all the way, and get used to them, and don't deflate 'em, so you just wind up riding like that the whole time, so they lose their impact as a help, ya know? I'm sure all you truckers out there have experience this stuff, so I'm not saying anything new here. I've even seen some guys put small pillows under their lower backs to help with lumbar support. It really doesn't work for me (I've tried it) 'cause I'm in and out of the truck so often.
Getting recognized for doing a good job is another thing that happens all too infrequently. I mean, my lead man will say "Hey good job," or "Keep up the good work," which is (makes jerking-off motion) ya know? I recently found out that they're now keeping track of our piece-count, in other words, how much we average delivering per hour. I was near the top with something like 130 pieces per hour. The standard is gonna be like 100 per hour. But there are variables to that. Some stores take longer just because how they're laid out, how far you have to walk, the way the damn trailer is loaded, etc. I try to be efficient without killing myself. Hurrying, to me, is just not worth it. That, more than anything causes mistakes, and mistakes can become accidents very quickly. On the other hand, I don't dick around, either. Some of these guys were at 30-40 pieces per hour, staying at the stores for 3 or 4 hours. Why? I want to get in and out of these places, and get my damn day over with. That's not totally unreasonable, is it?
More soon,
Steve
"Platoon"
Two-wheel hand dollys ("2 wheelers" for short), curb plate, strap for pizza boxes, ramp on trailer - all these things are necessary for me to do my job properly & efficiently. In addition, I use: gloves, knife for cutting thru shrinkwrap, and even a flashlight (for pre-trip inspection, and if the interior trailer lights aren't working). If any one of these items is missing or fucked-up, then it creates problems. And, I think you guys all know by now how much I HATE problems.
I'll give you a prime example, and why I call myself "King of the Freak Accident!" So, I'm finishing up the other night at one of the Aurora, IL stores, and I'm pretty frustrated; I've been rained on practically the whole time, I'm out there cursing & swearing, and I have an hour drive to Elgin in front of me. So, I finish up and get moving. I get to the Elgin store and, I'm not kidding, the tailgate is open, and my 2-wheeler is missing. I don't know how the fuck it happened. I didn't hear or see a thing. I mean, usually if your tailgate isn't secured properly, the door's going to be flapping around like crazy, making all kinds of noise. So, I'm standing there, trying to think "What happened, and what do I do now?" First thing I did was call it in, and told them I was going to backtrack and look for the fucking thing. See, my worst fear was to have the 2-wheeler come flying out the ass end, and hit someone's car, etc. So, I drove, in the dawn's early light, all the way back to Aurora, scanning the other direction of traffic, then all the way back again to Elgin. No sign of the 2-wheeler anywhere, and now two more hours out of my life.
At least there also didn't appear to be any traffic incidents involving a foreign object in the road.
So, I go back to Elgin, and I have to wait for another driver to bring me another 2-wheeler (the job is virtually impossible without it, although I did manage to hand-deliver everything except the flour, while I waited), another two-hour delay. By the time I got done in Elgin it's what, 10:00 or later, and now my time's running low. I called ahead to both the Rockford stores, found out what they needed to get by with, and delivered just that stuff. Even doing only that, the delays were enough to put me in violation by about 20 mins or so. Then I just had to start earlier (about 1:30am) on Wed. to deliver the bulk of the two Rockford stores, and get on the road to Dubuque by 5-5:30 or so, which I did. But then I only had till 3:30pm to get back to the base, which I also accomplished. See, I'm very good at planning, timing, etc. I know about how fast I can get the deliveries done, and so forth, but man, what a friggin' nightmare! Then I gotta explain to my boss what happened (I don't know myself), and he says he has to write me up for it. Whatever!
So, you try to ignore the fire in your back, and your legs. I always seem to get it in my right thigh on a longer trip. I just rub my thigh, and that usually helps, but sometimes it gets so bad I have to put my leg up on the dash, which is kinda dangerous, but, with the cruise control on, and hopefully not too much traffic (you watch closely for cops), I can stretch my leg for a few minutes anyway. The back thing, I dunno. Sometimes adjusting the seat can help. On occasion, I lean foreward onto the steering wheel, with my forearms resting on top of the wheel. That alleviates some of the stress on the back, at least temporarily, but you lose some control steering the truck. The lumbar ballons in the seat also can be helpful, but what happens is, you have them blown up all the way, and get used to them, and don't deflate 'em, so you just wind up riding like that the whole time, so they lose their impact as a help, ya know? I'm sure all you truckers out there have experience this stuff, so I'm not saying anything new here. I've even seen some guys put small pillows under their lower backs to help with lumbar support. It really doesn't work for me (I've tried it) 'cause I'm in and out of the truck so often.
Getting recognized for doing a good job is another thing that happens all too infrequently. I mean, my lead man will say "Hey good job," or "Keep up the good work," which is (makes jerking-off motion) ya know? I recently found out that they're now keeping track of our piece-count, in other words, how much we average delivering per hour. I was near the top with something like 130 pieces per hour. The standard is gonna be like 100 per hour. But there are variables to that. Some stores take longer just because how they're laid out, how far you have to walk, the way the damn trailer is loaded, etc. I try to be efficient without killing myself. Hurrying, to me, is just not worth it. That, more than anything causes mistakes, and mistakes can become accidents very quickly. On the other hand, I don't dick around, either. Some of these guys were at 30-40 pieces per hour, staying at the stores for 3 or 4 hours. Why? I want to get in and out of these places, and get my damn day over with. That's not totally unreasonable, is it?
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Bodily Functions
"Isn't it funny how we say 'take a piss' and 'take a shit;' you don't take 'em, ya leave 'em!"
George Carlin
*NOTE: If you are squeamish, you might not want to read the following post :0)
So, we truck drivers are a nasty bunch, aren't we? I mean, carrying around our urine in empty
milk jugs (or other containers) is a disgusting habit. But it's necessary at times - I'm just speaking for myself, but I don't run into rest areas or truckstops "in synch" with my bladder, so
I go when I'm stopped, usually when I'm at a store. Sure, I'll use the store's restroom, if it's available. That's a big IF. Sometimes there's a bunch of crap (no pun intended) piled into the restroom (garbage cans, racks, etc.) or, if it's a long walk to the men's room, I'll just break out the ol' milk jug. You get a little paranoid, because there's invariably people walking or driving past. I always say "You vants to see me pecker?" Yeah, I'm a little strange. Before I became
familiar with using the milk jugs, I'd just go in my empty coffee thermos, pour it out onto the grass, and just make sure I rinsed it out real good before putting more coffee in there. Who wants salty coffee? Shit, I've even gone while in motion: it's tricky; you have to lower the seat down all the way, undo yer zipper, whip it out, kinda stand up, then position the container under your Johnson, all while keeping the truck between the lines. I don't recommend doing it, but if your on a tight schedule and can't/don't wanna stop, it can be done! I don't think you can do it with your seatbelt on, so the times I've done it have been middle of the night, when there's hardly any traffic.
Urinating outdoors is a wonderful thing. There's the freedom of having your willie out in the fresh air (ahh!), and the thrill and excitement of doing something naughty, which you could get in trouble for, if you're caught. Usually, when I do it, it's pitch dark, and I go behind a dumpster.
It's smelly back there anyway, so what's the diff? I know you lady drivers can't really do it, and there's a whole different set of rules when it comes to women drivers, so I won't comment on that. All I know is, the milk jug is "the way" when it comes to me, as a guy, out there on the road. Look in any truckstop garbage can, and you'll probably see a container full of yellow liquid. Hint: it ain't apple juice! I've heard all kinds of stories about drivers and their filled jugs - one guy in IA was tossing his over a fence, right into someone's back yard - I heard this on the radio about a year ago, and laughed my ass off when I heard it. Drivers can be inconsiderate when it comes to disposing of their jugs, even at my company. My boss has told me that, on more than one occasion, he's had to throw out jugs of piss left by dumbass, selfish drivers. Geez! I mean, I've said before, I'm not the cleanest guy in the world, but I'll at least police up my own garbage and toss it out at the end of my run.
Now we come to #2. Yeah, it's a topic (again, paraphrasing George Carlin:) everybody does, but nobody wants to talk about. Look, we're all human beings, and our bodies all work pretty much the same way. The differences are basically in the intensity. So, whether you're in a line of stalls
at the truckstop, or all alone in the wide-open store in the middle of the night, "when ya gotta go, ya gotta go!" Yeah, I've heard the most outrageous sounding passing of gas (I always make
the "oooh, me likey" face, then try to stop myself from busting out laughing - told ya I was sick!)
Well, here's my worst exploding-bowel story: I'm sitting at the truckstop in Dubuque. I don't remember what the fuck I had to eat, but it sure as hell didn't agree with me. So, it's about 10 at night, and my gut is just on fire! I wake up, look outside, and, sure as shit, it's raining cats and dogs. I know something bad is gonna happen soon. I usually have some Pepto-Bismol with me, and that generally will settle me down, but not on this night. So, thinking quickly, I grab my knife, cut the top off the milk jug, squat over it, and let 'er rip! Had plenty of TP, as I mentioned before (I just steal a roll from the stores). But, and this is the disgusting part, I just left the container in the cab overnight, drew the curtains, and went back to sleep. I figured, "Shit, I'm the only one that has to smell it, and I'll have plenty of time to air out the cab tomorrow."
Anyway, my problem lately is actually the opposite: my body kind of "locks up," so I can't go,
and I'm bound-up for a couple of days till I get home, then (ahhh!) it's like my whole body just relaxes, and I'm on the pot for a half hour. I compare it to a fist: it's clenched-up during the week, then unclenches when the stress is taken away. I know it's purely psychological, although the wife has recommended I use her all-natural laxative (maybe I'll try it). So, are you thoroughly disgusted yet? Anyway, that's it, not too painful, right?
More soon,
Steve
George Carlin
*NOTE: If you are squeamish, you might not want to read the following post :0)
So, we truck drivers are a nasty bunch, aren't we? I mean, carrying around our urine in empty
milk jugs (or other containers) is a disgusting habit. But it's necessary at times - I'm just speaking for myself, but I don't run into rest areas or truckstops "in synch" with my bladder, so
I go when I'm stopped, usually when I'm at a store. Sure, I'll use the store's restroom, if it's available. That's a big IF. Sometimes there's a bunch of crap (no pun intended) piled into the restroom (garbage cans, racks, etc.) or, if it's a long walk to the men's room, I'll just break out the ol' milk jug. You get a little paranoid, because there's invariably people walking or driving past. I always say "You vants to see me pecker?" Yeah, I'm a little strange. Before I became
familiar with using the milk jugs, I'd just go in my empty coffee thermos, pour it out onto the grass, and just make sure I rinsed it out real good before putting more coffee in there. Who wants salty coffee? Shit, I've even gone while in motion: it's tricky; you have to lower the seat down all the way, undo yer zipper, whip it out, kinda stand up, then position the container under your Johnson, all while keeping the truck between the lines. I don't recommend doing it, but if your on a tight schedule and can't/don't wanna stop, it can be done! I don't think you can do it with your seatbelt on, so the times I've done it have been middle of the night, when there's hardly any traffic.
Urinating outdoors is a wonderful thing. There's the freedom of having your willie out in the fresh air (ahh!), and the thrill and excitement of doing something naughty, which you could get in trouble for, if you're caught. Usually, when I do it, it's pitch dark, and I go behind a dumpster.
It's smelly back there anyway, so what's the diff? I know you lady drivers can't really do it, and there's a whole different set of rules when it comes to women drivers, so I won't comment on that. All I know is, the milk jug is "the way" when it comes to me, as a guy, out there on the road. Look in any truckstop garbage can, and you'll probably see a container full of yellow liquid. Hint: it ain't apple juice! I've heard all kinds of stories about drivers and their filled jugs - one guy in IA was tossing his over a fence, right into someone's back yard - I heard this on the radio about a year ago, and laughed my ass off when I heard it. Drivers can be inconsiderate when it comes to disposing of their jugs, even at my company. My boss has told me that, on more than one occasion, he's had to throw out jugs of piss left by dumbass, selfish drivers. Geez! I mean, I've said before, I'm not the cleanest guy in the world, but I'll at least police up my own garbage and toss it out at the end of my run.
Now we come to #2. Yeah, it's a topic (again, paraphrasing George Carlin:) everybody does, but nobody wants to talk about. Look, we're all human beings, and our bodies all work pretty much the same way. The differences are basically in the intensity. So, whether you're in a line of stalls
at the truckstop, or all alone in the wide-open store in the middle of the night, "when ya gotta go, ya gotta go!" Yeah, I've heard the most outrageous sounding passing of gas (I always make
the "oooh, me likey" face, then try to stop myself from busting out laughing - told ya I was sick!)
Well, here's my worst exploding-bowel story: I'm sitting at the truckstop in Dubuque. I don't remember what the fuck I had to eat, but it sure as hell didn't agree with me. So, it's about 10 at night, and my gut is just on fire! I wake up, look outside, and, sure as shit, it's raining cats and dogs. I know something bad is gonna happen soon. I usually have some Pepto-Bismol with me, and that generally will settle me down, but not on this night. So, thinking quickly, I grab my knife, cut the top off the milk jug, squat over it, and let 'er rip! Had plenty of TP, as I mentioned before (I just steal a roll from the stores). But, and this is the disgusting part, I just left the container in the cab overnight, drew the curtains, and went back to sleep. I figured, "Shit, I'm the only one that has to smell it, and I'll have plenty of time to air out the cab tomorrow."
Anyway, my problem lately is actually the opposite: my body kind of "locks up," so I can't go,
and I'm bound-up for a couple of days till I get home, then (ahhh!) it's like my whole body just relaxes, and I'm on the pot for a half hour. I compare it to a fist: it's clenched-up during the week, then unclenches when the stress is taken away. I know it's purely psychological, although the wife has recommended I use her all-natural laxative (maybe I'll try it). So, are you thoroughly disgusted yet? Anyway, that's it, not too painful, right?
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Cheeseland
"I'm going to Cheeseland, Cheeseland, the
Dells and Door County..." parody of "Graceland" by Paul Simon, dunno who sang it (sorry)
So, what can I say about our hefty neighbors to the north? I mean, besides the fact that they talk funny? Well, they do make fine dairy products, beer, and bratwurst up there. See, I'm starting off nice! Anyway, I've been going up there for basically as long as I can remember, sometimes to deliver, almost always to pick up (you guessed it!) CHEESE! We pick up all our mozzarella from a little dairy in the central part of the state (can't say which) - most of it is for
our own distribution center, but not all. Some truckloads get shipped off to Ohio, Georgia and other states. There must be other cheese suppliers for our company, but I don't know who/where they are. But again, it's the whole thing with the backhauls; cleaning out the trailers,
pre-cooling in the summer time, etc. The nice thing is that they're open good and early (5:00am I think) so you can get your last delivery off, and go right over there - kind of a pain to get to -
still, sometimes you have guys in there before you & have to wait, it's all part of the job. They load you up w/20 pallets usually on a 45foot trailer, and yer off! Of course you have to scale, 'cause it's about 38, 39K they put on, but they have one right there that you can use for free - you gotta scale each axle, the subtract the weight, etc., but it beats paying the $10, & $11 at a truckstop. I mean, the only weigh station you worry about is the Racine scale, which is not always open, but better safe than sorry. I always used the "7-hole" rule that I spoke of earlier, and I would slide the tandems before I got loaded, and damn if it didn't scale out perfect every time. That's on a 45 footer, 48's might be different, but not too much.
I haven't had to go pick up mozzarella on my current route, thank God! But there's other chit, like frozen thin crusts in Green Bay and parmesan in Plymouth. Oh, joy! I guess it's not too bad - both those place are real efficient, so you can get in & out relatively quickly, so I can't bitch too much. Yeah, so I'm coming south the other day, just having done my pickup in Green Bay, and lo and behold, I come up to the scales at Manitowoc. No problem, 7:00 am almost always closed, right? Not today. So, I roll in, turn off lights, roll down windows, roll onto the scale. I know I'm not heavy, 'cause I got 8 pallets at just over 10k. But the guy says "OK, pull around for a routine inspection." I'm like wtf! So, I bring all my paperwork in, everything was fine, just a routine check. The trooper was the nicest guy, so it was just the incovenience of having to stop. I have never been stopped before, so I was shitting my pants there for a minute. Now with the big inspections coming up (6/5 - 6/7) I can understand. Shit, I'd rather be certified legal than have to dick around with getting red flagged or something, ya know? I'm actually surprised the guy didn't inspect my brakes. Anyway, 15 minutes later I was rolling again, so no biggie.
Look, I rail against the Cheese-dicks and YaHeyDer and the ultra-Germanics of WI, but I really got no problem with any one person or place. I mean, I lived in Sheboygan for a year and a half.
It was an experiment that failed miserably, but it wasn't anyone's fault, except maybe mine & my wife's. Our daughter was like 1 1/2, and the place we were living was becoming more and more "dangerous" (you notice these things when you have kids). So, my old man lived up in Sheboygan, a wholesome-enough place, so we took the plunge. Well, it was a nightmare from the start. I couldn't find work, at least nothing in the "white-collar" area, where I was used to being at the time. The employment office said that 42% of all jobs in the area were in manufacturing.
That's quite a bit! So, I found a customer service job at a furniture manufacturer; that whole
period of time was a friggin' nightmare. It was winter, I had the car, so my wife and baby daughter were stuck in the house. Plus, as the downstairs tenants, we were responsible for shoveling the snow, mowing the lawn, etc. WTF! The idiots upstairs didn't have to do a damn thing. Well, I got fired from the furniture place after 3 or 4 months; I just didn't get all the engineering bullshit they made us learn. But, looking back, that's ok. I found a job at a window-screen company, where I was "working", ya know; simple pretty mindless stuff, which was fine.
Then, I come home one day, and the wife's gone, she took the kid & moved back to Chicago without warning (that's a book by itself). She left me the dog to take care of though, geesh!
Anyhow, 6 months later, we reconciled, I moved back to Chicago, and the "experiment" was over. Our biggest complaints was that the things we were used to (24 hr. grocery store, for example) they just didn't have up there. It seemed everything closed by like 6 or 7pm, and nothing was open on Sundays, except the churches of course. The weather was kinda cold there, too, 'cause that part of WI juts out into Lake Michigan (check yer atlas) so the cool lake breezes come in and freeze ya!
But it's done; now it's just a drive-by. I had a couple friends I stayed in touch with, but eventually, well, you know. So, now I'm just up there part of Thurs. and Fri. - everything has gone fairly smoothly, maybe except for the weather, but that's coming around, too. I really can't complain too much. Just glad I'm not in Michigan. Anyway, the talk of keeping me out in IA for three days, with one overnight in Chicago (my previous schedule) has become more serious, so it appears I won't be long for America's Dairyland.
More soon,
Steve
P.S. All you drivers watch out for the roadside inspections (see above) 'cause I'm "crappin' you negative"
Dells and Door County..." parody of "Graceland" by Paul Simon, dunno who sang it (sorry)
So, what can I say about our hefty neighbors to the north? I mean, besides the fact that they talk funny? Well, they do make fine dairy products, beer, and bratwurst up there. See, I'm starting off nice! Anyway, I've been going up there for basically as long as I can remember, sometimes to deliver, almost always to pick up (you guessed it!) CHEESE! We pick up all our mozzarella from a little dairy in the central part of the state (can't say which) - most of it is for
our own distribution center, but not all. Some truckloads get shipped off to Ohio, Georgia and other states. There must be other cheese suppliers for our company, but I don't know who/where they are. But again, it's the whole thing with the backhauls; cleaning out the trailers,
pre-cooling in the summer time, etc. The nice thing is that they're open good and early (5:00am I think) so you can get your last delivery off, and go right over there - kind of a pain to get to -
still, sometimes you have guys in there before you & have to wait, it's all part of the job. They load you up w/20 pallets usually on a 45foot trailer, and yer off! Of course you have to scale, 'cause it's about 38, 39K they put on, but they have one right there that you can use for free - you gotta scale each axle, the subtract the weight, etc., but it beats paying the $10, & $11 at a truckstop. I mean, the only weigh station you worry about is the Racine scale, which is not always open, but better safe than sorry. I always used the "7-hole" rule that I spoke of earlier, and I would slide the tandems before I got loaded, and damn if it didn't scale out perfect every time. That's on a 45 footer, 48's might be different, but not too much.
I haven't had to go pick up mozzarella on my current route, thank God! But there's other chit, like frozen thin crusts in Green Bay and parmesan in Plymouth. Oh, joy! I guess it's not too bad - both those place are real efficient, so you can get in & out relatively quickly, so I can't bitch too much. Yeah, so I'm coming south the other day, just having done my pickup in Green Bay, and lo and behold, I come up to the scales at Manitowoc. No problem, 7:00 am almost always closed, right? Not today. So, I roll in, turn off lights, roll down windows, roll onto the scale. I know I'm not heavy, 'cause I got 8 pallets at just over 10k. But the guy says "OK, pull around for a routine inspection." I'm like wtf! So, I bring all my paperwork in, everything was fine, just a routine check. The trooper was the nicest guy, so it was just the incovenience of having to stop. I have never been stopped before, so I was shitting my pants there for a minute. Now with the big inspections coming up (6/5 - 6/7) I can understand. Shit, I'd rather be certified legal than have to dick around with getting red flagged or something, ya know? I'm actually surprised the guy didn't inspect my brakes. Anyway, 15 minutes later I was rolling again, so no biggie.
Look, I rail against the Cheese-dicks and YaHeyDer and the ultra-Germanics of WI, but I really got no problem with any one person or place. I mean, I lived in Sheboygan for a year and a half.
It was an experiment that failed miserably, but it wasn't anyone's fault, except maybe mine & my wife's. Our daughter was like 1 1/2, and the place we were living was becoming more and more "dangerous" (you notice these things when you have kids). So, my old man lived up in Sheboygan, a wholesome-enough place, so we took the plunge. Well, it was a nightmare from the start. I couldn't find work, at least nothing in the "white-collar" area, where I was used to being at the time. The employment office said that 42% of all jobs in the area were in manufacturing.
That's quite a bit! So, I found a customer service job at a furniture manufacturer; that whole
period of time was a friggin' nightmare. It was winter, I had the car, so my wife and baby daughter were stuck in the house. Plus, as the downstairs tenants, we were responsible for shoveling the snow, mowing the lawn, etc. WTF! The idiots upstairs didn't have to do a damn thing. Well, I got fired from the furniture place after 3 or 4 months; I just didn't get all the engineering bullshit they made us learn. But, looking back, that's ok. I found a job at a window-screen company, where I was "working", ya know; simple pretty mindless stuff, which was fine.
Then, I come home one day, and the wife's gone, she took the kid & moved back to Chicago without warning (that's a book by itself). She left me the dog to take care of though, geesh!
Anyhow, 6 months later, we reconciled, I moved back to Chicago, and the "experiment" was over. Our biggest complaints was that the things we were used to (24 hr. grocery store, for example) they just didn't have up there. It seemed everything closed by like 6 or 7pm, and nothing was open on Sundays, except the churches of course. The weather was kinda cold there, too, 'cause that part of WI juts out into Lake Michigan (check yer atlas) so the cool lake breezes come in and freeze ya!
But it's done; now it's just a drive-by. I had a couple friends I stayed in touch with, but eventually, well, you know. So, now I'm just up there part of Thurs. and Fri. - everything has gone fairly smoothly, maybe except for the weather, but that's coming around, too. I really can't complain too much. Just glad I'm not in Michigan. Anyway, the talk of keeping me out in IA for three days, with one overnight in Chicago (my previous schedule) has become more serious, so it appears I won't be long for America's Dairyland.
More soon,
Steve
P.S. All you drivers watch out for the roadside inspections (see above) 'cause I'm "crappin' you negative"
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Truckstops
"I gotta find a hole, in more ways than one..." me
Our home away from home, the fabulous truckstop. Oh, yes! Well, not being a true OTR trucker, I'm not as familiar with them as most of y'all, but I'll give you my impressions anyway.
We have the "Big 4," as I call them; you know them, right? Petro, Pilot, TA, and Flying J. I have my personal faves, for different reasons. Some I like because of the food, some because of the easy-ness of fueling, etc. I'm the kind of driver who likes the larger ones, with 24hr services. These little "hole-in-the-wall" places that shut down at 10pm, and open again at 5am are for the birds. I mean, sometimes you have to stop there, either because you're low on hours, nothing else around, breakdown, etc. But since I start at 2:00 in the morning sometimes, I need to have
a store where I can get coffee, cigs, etc. in the "middle of the night." I used to love to go to the World's Largest (debateable) Truckstop in Walcott, IA, usually on my way back from Des Moines. They have an incredible gift shop, and they added on this section with a truck showroom, with life-sized models of the more popular trucks, all shiny and chromed-out. Pretty
cool.
Then you have the "2nd tier" level of truckstops, not as many, but some still pretty big. Loves, Williams, AM Best, Sapp Bros., et al. Some of the larger gasoline chains have them as well: Citgo, BP, Mobil - I see a lot of these in WI, outside the larger cities. But again, ya gotta worry about the hours they're open. And many times, the only food they have is fast-food, chains that are
right there in the truckstop (Pilot/Arby's comes to mind). Some you can't even get hot food at, you have to do the old "chips and soda" routine, which gets old pretty fast. I dunno, after a hard day's work, I like the idea of being able to go in, sit down at a restaurant, and be served a hot meal (preferably by a hot waitress - those are few and far-between). Call me crazy, but that's my preference. Then, I'll go into the shop and buy a bunch of desserty kind of junk food for later. See, once I go back to the truck, I'm pretty much done. Once I take my workboots off, I really don't want to have to put them back on again. Sometimes I have to, like when the reefer's fucking up, or another driver's meeting me to bring/take something. I bought a pair of shower shoes (flip-flops) a long time ago, so sometimes I'll throw them on if I have to walk back into the truckstop to take a dump or whatever.
Rest stops are popular with some guys, I dunno why. Again, I thinks it's probably out of necesssity rather than anything else. I've often cruised by them at 4 or 5am, and they're totally packed. The "Oasis" system on the Illinois tollroads are kinda like "mini-truckstops," only the parking is very limited, and those poor bastards that don't get a spot have to park on the shoulders and walk. The ones I can't figure out for the life of me are the drivers who park on offramps and onramps. Nothing else around, out in the middle of nowhere. I guess if you have the shits in the middle of the night, you have to go in the bushes. Not my idea of a good time, although I do carry a roll of toilet paper with me just in case of such an emergency. I'll talk more about "Bodily Functions" in an upcoming post. But again, no hot coffee in the "wee hours" is my biggest reason for not parking on shoulders or rest stops (unless you enjoy vending machine coffee - blecchhh!).
I think all you non-truck drivers should experience a truckstop at least once in your lifetimes,
to see how "the other half" lives. And believe me, they are the "other half." I mean, c'mon people! Let's not perpetuate the stereotype of truckers as inbred, toothless, tobacco-spitting
morons. But I'll bet money if you non-truckers go to one, you'll see exactly that. Look, I ain't the cleanest, best smelling guy in the world, but at least I believe in getting a haircut once in a while, and I "own a comb." (tip of the hat to Chris Farley). Some truckstops are more "family-friendly" than others (I won't say which), and some truckers resent that. I mean, it's understandable - who wants to hear a baby crying when you're trying to enjoy your meal after a particularly grueling day? Not me, although it really doesn't bother me all that much. Shit, I only stay at them a couple nights a week, so standing behind the old foagies that can't make up their minds as to what they want to eat ain't that big of a deal. Sure, I get impatient, but not enough to say anything.
The best resource for a truck driver is the truckstop directory. I mean, you can "wing it" and hope you find one along the way. When I first started out with Werner, they told you which truckstops you had to go to, so there really wasn't much choice (wtf?). But that little book has saved my ass on more than one occasion. I remember going up to the UP of Michigan, and there
might be 2 truckstops up there. But I found one - it wasn't the greatest, but...See, that's one of my biggest concerns; being out there and not having a safe place to shut down. Next to getting lost, it's probably my biggest fear. You know, just roaming around, looking for a place, while your hours dwindle down. Not a pleasant thought, is it? Shit, for $10 you can at least have a little sense of security. It's the same with a trucker's atlas; I don't know why anyone who considers themselves a professional truck driver would NOT have a trucker's atlas. It's the best source of info. you could possibly want. Yes, they are expensive, but how much $ is "peace of mind" worth? Think about it.
More soon,
Steve
Our home away from home, the fabulous truckstop. Oh, yes! Well, not being a true OTR trucker, I'm not as familiar with them as most of y'all, but I'll give you my impressions anyway.
We have the "Big 4," as I call them; you know them, right? Petro, Pilot, TA, and Flying J. I have my personal faves, for different reasons. Some I like because of the food, some because of the easy-ness of fueling, etc. I'm the kind of driver who likes the larger ones, with 24hr services. These little "hole-in-the-wall" places that shut down at 10pm, and open again at 5am are for the birds. I mean, sometimes you have to stop there, either because you're low on hours, nothing else around, breakdown, etc. But since I start at 2:00 in the morning sometimes, I need to have
a store where I can get coffee, cigs, etc. in the "middle of the night." I used to love to go to the World's Largest (debateable) Truckstop in Walcott, IA, usually on my way back from Des Moines. They have an incredible gift shop, and they added on this section with a truck showroom, with life-sized models of the more popular trucks, all shiny and chromed-out. Pretty
cool.
Then you have the "2nd tier" level of truckstops, not as many, but some still pretty big. Loves, Williams, AM Best, Sapp Bros., et al. Some of the larger gasoline chains have them as well: Citgo, BP, Mobil - I see a lot of these in WI, outside the larger cities. But again, ya gotta worry about the hours they're open. And many times, the only food they have is fast-food, chains that are
right there in the truckstop (Pilot/Arby's comes to mind). Some you can't even get hot food at, you have to do the old "chips and soda" routine, which gets old pretty fast. I dunno, after a hard day's work, I like the idea of being able to go in, sit down at a restaurant, and be served a hot meal (preferably by a hot waitress - those are few and far-between). Call me crazy, but that's my preference. Then, I'll go into the shop and buy a bunch of desserty kind of junk food for later. See, once I go back to the truck, I'm pretty much done. Once I take my workboots off, I really don't want to have to put them back on again. Sometimes I have to, like when the reefer's fucking up, or another driver's meeting me to bring/take something. I bought a pair of shower shoes (flip-flops) a long time ago, so sometimes I'll throw them on if I have to walk back into the truckstop to take a dump or whatever.
Rest stops are popular with some guys, I dunno why. Again, I thinks it's probably out of necesssity rather than anything else. I've often cruised by them at 4 or 5am, and they're totally packed. The "Oasis" system on the Illinois tollroads are kinda like "mini-truckstops," only the parking is very limited, and those poor bastards that don't get a spot have to park on the shoulders and walk. The ones I can't figure out for the life of me are the drivers who park on offramps and onramps. Nothing else around, out in the middle of nowhere. I guess if you have the shits in the middle of the night, you have to go in the bushes. Not my idea of a good time, although I do carry a roll of toilet paper with me just in case of such an emergency. I'll talk more about "Bodily Functions" in an upcoming post. But again, no hot coffee in the "wee hours" is my biggest reason for not parking on shoulders or rest stops (unless you enjoy vending machine coffee - blecchhh!).
I think all you non-truck drivers should experience a truckstop at least once in your lifetimes,
to see how "the other half" lives. And believe me, they are the "other half." I mean, c'mon people! Let's not perpetuate the stereotype of truckers as inbred, toothless, tobacco-spitting
morons. But I'll bet money if you non-truckers go to one, you'll see exactly that. Look, I ain't the cleanest, best smelling guy in the world, but at least I believe in getting a haircut once in a while, and I "own a comb." (tip of the hat to Chris Farley). Some truckstops are more "family-friendly" than others (I won't say which), and some truckers resent that. I mean, it's understandable - who wants to hear a baby crying when you're trying to enjoy your meal after a particularly grueling day? Not me, although it really doesn't bother me all that much. Shit, I only stay at them a couple nights a week, so standing behind the old foagies that can't make up their minds as to what they want to eat ain't that big of a deal. Sure, I get impatient, but not enough to say anything.
The best resource for a truck driver is the truckstop directory. I mean, you can "wing it" and hope you find one along the way. When I first started out with Werner, they told you which truckstops you had to go to, so there really wasn't much choice (wtf?). But that little book has saved my ass on more than one occasion. I remember going up to the UP of Michigan, and there
might be 2 truckstops up there. But I found one - it wasn't the greatest, but...See, that's one of my biggest concerns; being out there and not having a safe place to shut down. Next to getting lost, it's probably my biggest fear. You know, just roaming around, looking for a place, while your hours dwindle down. Not a pleasant thought, is it? Shit, for $10 you can at least have a little sense of security. It's the same with a trucker's atlas; I don't know why anyone who considers themselves a professional truck driver would NOT have a trucker's atlas. It's the best source of info. you could possibly want. Yes, they are expensive, but how much $ is "peace of mind" worth? Think about it.
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Tidbits, pt. 3
"What we have here, is a failure to communicate..." from the movie "Cool Hand Luke"
I am a fucking warrior, ok? In my line of work, you really have to be. I mean, I can take anything these a-holes dish out, come out smelling like a rose, and come back asking for more.
I take no prisoners, and I absolutely take no shit off anyone. That includes my bosses! I figure,
if push comes to shove, I can just tell 'em "Kiss my ass" and walk out the door. There is still a nationwide shortage of drivers ( I mean good drivers), so I'm pretty safe in the knowledge that I can find a job quickly if necessary.
Here's an example of what I mean: last week I get to my Rockford store at 3:30 am and there's a guy in there stripping and waxing the floors. I knew there was going to be trouble when I saw his van parked in front, but I went in anyway. He said "Don't come in here! I just put stripper down..." So, despite the fact that I always delivered this store thru the front door, I went around back and tried to get in. The floor guy was nice enough to open the back door for me.
No dice. The door opened about two feet, blocked on one side by a concrete post, and there's this gigantic dumpster right on the other side - no way for me to squeeze the two-wheeler through.
So I called it in - dispatch said bypass it, move on to the next stop, and double-back to get that store later. I'm also having reefer troubles, and it's raining like a son of a bitch, right? So, I get the reefer taken care of, do my other stops, but I have to make it back to base within 14 hours, and in enough time to do my Thurs. route up to WI. So, I'm done in Rock Island, dreading having to go back to Rockford (a 2hour trip), my dispatcher says, "Why don't we just put it on your WI route?" I said "Fine." But that opened up another world of problems. Now on Thurs.,
I gotta go Mundelein, then Rockford, then all the way back to Kenosha, Racine, etc. I managed it fine, it was just a major pain in the ass.
So, the following week, I do the Rockford store on the first day (Tue) and my last stop is Machesney Park, just north of Rockford. I fucked up and forgot to deliver 20 bales of flour and 20 bales of pizza boxes, which the store had added on and I didn't notice on the invoice. So, I thought "No problem, I'm shut down in Rockford, I'll just leave early, go back to Machesney, drop their stuff off, and boom, off to Dubuque," right? Well, I also figured I'd go through the front door there, because they're digging up the back road/alley there and it's a pain to get into the back parking lot these days. So I pull in the front lot (this time about 4:30am) and, guess who's there? You got it, the floor guy! I'm like, "What the fuck?" So, again, I go back around back, deliver the load, and go. But the full moon must really be fucking with me, ya know?
The bigger problem here is not me running out of time - it's the fact that the morons at the stores did not inform us there would be a floor guy at either location, nor did they tell him that we would be there doing deliveries overnight. So we kind of have to get out of each other's way.
Sometimes there will be construction guys working, doing remodeling at one of the stores; those guys are pretty cool, and it's not a huge inconvenience "working around" them. But not being able to walk on the floor, that's a little different... The aggravating thing is, it won't change: there's no real communication between the store level and the distribution system (at least as far as I can tell), so surprises like this will continue to occur, you just have to deal with it, and go with the flow.
Since I started at 4:00 am, I have until 6:00pm ( 14 hrs) before my time runs out, right?
Ok, so I have my 2 Dubuque stores, then I have a "special" up in Bumblefuck, WI at 11:00am
then down to Rock Island, I figure by 1:30 or so, then I have to do a pickup in Bettendorf (some plastic pallets or something) and back to Chicago before 6:00. Question is, can I make it? I've never been to either the special location or the pickup in Bettendorf, but I have maps to both places. And it's 3 hours from the Quad Cities to Chicago, so I have to be out of Bettendorf before 3:00. Well, the key here was the special delivery. Since I normally get done in Dubuque around 9:30am, I just called the guy and asked for directions ("Can I get a semi into your place?" etc)
As a side note, you just say "Oh, by the way, is it ok if I get there a few minutes early?" Nine times out of ten they'll say "Sure, come on over," which is exactly what this guy said. So, I was able to get to his place by 10:25 or so, and out by 10:45. Now I'm a good 45 mins ahead of schedule, which allows me to do the Rock Island delivery (12:45 - 1:30) get to Bettendorf by 2:00, out by 2:30, and on the road back to Chicago. I made it to the base at almost exactly 5:30.
That's what I mean. See, a lesser driver (less organized, etc.) would not have made it, would have been forced to shut down on the side of the road, then wait 10 hrs before finishing the trip.
Our onboard recorders are basically "bypass-proof," so you can't cheat, like you could if you were on paper logs. And there have been times when guys have had to shut down on the side of the road, because they ran out of time. That's the way it is, and they enforce it like a son of a bitch.
More soon,
Steve
I am a fucking warrior, ok? In my line of work, you really have to be. I mean, I can take anything these a-holes dish out, come out smelling like a rose, and come back asking for more.
I take no prisoners, and I absolutely take no shit off anyone. That includes my bosses! I figure,
if push comes to shove, I can just tell 'em "Kiss my ass" and walk out the door. There is still a nationwide shortage of drivers ( I mean good drivers), so I'm pretty safe in the knowledge that I can find a job quickly if necessary.
Here's an example of what I mean: last week I get to my Rockford store at 3:30 am and there's a guy in there stripping and waxing the floors. I knew there was going to be trouble when I saw his van parked in front, but I went in anyway. He said "Don't come in here! I just put stripper down..." So, despite the fact that I always delivered this store thru the front door, I went around back and tried to get in. The floor guy was nice enough to open the back door for me.
No dice. The door opened about two feet, blocked on one side by a concrete post, and there's this gigantic dumpster right on the other side - no way for me to squeeze the two-wheeler through.
So I called it in - dispatch said bypass it, move on to the next stop, and double-back to get that store later. I'm also having reefer troubles, and it's raining like a son of a bitch, right? So, I get the reefer taken care of, do my other stops, but I have to make it back to base within 14 hours, and in enough time to do my Thurs. route up to WI. So, I'm done in Rock Island, dreading having to go back to Rockford (a 2hour trip), my dispatcher says, "Why don't we just put it on your WI route?" I said "Fine." But that opened up another world of problems. Now on Thurs.,
I gotta go Mundelein, then Rockford, then all the way back to Kenosha, Racine, etc. I managed it fine, it was just a major pain in the ass.
So, the following week, I do the Rockford store on the first day (Tue) and my last stop is Machesney Park, just north of Rockford. I fucked up and forgot to deliver 20 bales of flour and 20 bales of pizza boxes, which the store had added on and I didn't notice on the invoice. So, I thought "No problem, I'm shut down in Rockford, I'll just leave early, go back to Machesney, drop their stuff off, and boom, off to Dubuque," right? Well, I also figured I'd go through the front door there, because they're digging up the back road/alley there and it's a pain to get into the back parking lot these days. So I pull in the front lot (this time about 4:30am) and, guess who's there? You got it, the floor guy! I'm like, "What the fuck?" So, again, I go back around back, deliver the load, and go. But the full moon must really be fucking with me, ya know?
The bigger problem here is not me running out of time - it's the fact that the morons at the stores did not inform us there would be a floor guy at either location, nor did they tell him that we would be there doing deliveries overnight. So we kind of have to get out of each other's way.
Sometimes there will be construction guys working, doing remodeling at one of the stores; those guys are pretty cool, and it's not a huge inconvenience "working around" them. But not being able to walk on the floor, that's a little different... The aggravating thing is, it won't change: there's no real communication between the store level and the distribution system (at least as far as I can tell), so surprises like this will continue to occur, you just have to deal with it, and go with the flow.
Since I started at 4:00 am, I have until 6:00pm ( 14 hrs) before my time runs out, right?
Ok, so I have my 2 Dubuque stores, then I have a "special" up in Bumblefuck, WI at 11:00am
then down to Rock Island, I figure by 1:30 or so, then I have to do a pickup in Bettendorf (some plastic pallets or something) and back to Chicago before 6:00. Question is, can I make it? I've never been to either the special location or the pickup in Bettendorf, but I have maps to both places. And it's 3 hours from the Quad Cities to Chicago, so I have to be out of Bettendorf before 3:00. Well, the key here was the special delivery. Since I normally get done in Dubuque around 9:30am, I just called the guy and asked for directions ("Can I get a semi into your place?" etc)
As a side note, you just say "Oh, by the way, is it ok if I get there a few minutes early?" Nine times out of ten they'll say "Sure, come on over," which is exactly what this guy said. So, I was able to get to his place by 10:25 or so, and out by 10:45. Now I'm a good 45 mins ahead of schedule, which allows me to do the Rock Island delivery (12:45 - 1:30) get to Bettendorf by 2:00, out by 2:30, and on the road back to Chicago. I made it to the base at almost exactly 5:30.
That's what I mean. See, a lesser driver (less organized, etc.) would not have made it, would have been forced to shut down on the side of the road, then wait 10 hrs before finishing the trip.
Our onboard recorders are basically "bypass-proof," so you can't cheat, like you could if you were on paper logs. And there have been times when guys have had to shut down on the side of the road, because they ran out of time. That's the way it is, and they enforce it like a son of a bitch.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, April 30, 2007
Night People
"Have you ever been accosted/assaulted by a street person?" question I'd like to ask my boss
Yeah, working at night is different: there isn't as much traffic, which is a good thing, although you don't know about the people that are out there; what they've been doing, toxins they've been ingesting, etc., so in a way you need to be even more careful. I've seen some very peculiar behavior. Look, it's bad enough that we have to do this job at night, because you cannot get into these strip malls during the day, but then to have someone "fuck" with you, sometimes it's all I can do to not just lose it, ya know? Not only the vagrants, etc., I've also had to deal with cops, firefighters, garbage guys, you name it. And all I want to do is my friggin' job!
I guess the craziest thing I've seen happened on the road; I was coming back from Milwaukee
(I think) last summer and, heading southbound on the Dan Ryan, I was a mile or so from the I57 split. So I'm in the correct lane to stay on 94eastbound (Bishop Ford) when I see this black Caddy come flying past me in the far right lane, he lost control right under the overpass (95th
street?), scraped up against the wall, went flying out into traffic, hit at least one car, spun around, and bam! hit the same concrete wall he'd just scraped up against. I was about a quarter mile back, but I saw the whole thing happen right in front of me. Then, as if it wasn't weird enough, the guy jumps out of the car, doubled over in pain, and takes off running, up the embankment and into the night. As I passed by, I could not believe my eyes. I figured, yeah that car's stolen, and who knows what other kind of mischief the dude was wanted for.
Usually, though, you'll be doing your delivery, and someone will approach you begging for money. If I have an extra dollar I'll usually give it to them, saying "That's all I got, man."
I remember there was this guy on Leonard (?) St. in Grand Rapids, he'd show up every week
at the same time, always offering to help unload, then he'd hit you up. But this was no "spare change" guy, he'd ask for $5 or $10. I be like "What?" He'd say "Yeah, you truck drivers make a lot of money, right?" I'd give him a couple bucks and say "Now, get the fuck outta here!"
Then, he'd wave to me as I drove past on my way out of there.
Usually a dollar or a cigarette will satisfy the beggar; one guy wanted to "look at" my truck:
he said he used to be a driver, lost his license, etc. (violins). So, he walked slowly around the truck and trailer, as if he were doing a thorough pre-trip inspection - very strange. I had to keep my eye on him as I delivered, to make sure he didn't reach into the cab or something.
I've been propositioned a couple of times; once the woman just said "Would you like some company?" I said "Sorry, I'm working." Another one, a homely-ass broad, drove up in her car,
said she needed gas money, and offered to give me a blow job. "I swallow," she said. I thought "Yeah, good for you." Those three incidents happened in Rockford, in a seedier part of town.
I dunno, maybe I'm an easy touch, or look like one anyway. See, I rather be "flashed," which has never happened to me, than propositioned by a "crack-ho." Another point about street beggars:
I am always aware of the knife I keep in my left pants pocket (for cutting through shrink-wrap, etc.) just in case someone gets pushy, ya know? I mean, I have a lot more to lose than they do, but, if it comes down to it...
The cops have usually showed up when I've set alarms off; that's happend a couple times, no big deal. Sometimes they want your I.D., but I always cooperate. I learned long ago that it's not worth it to give the cops a hard time; they're just doing their job, too. There were a couple of instances, especially with this bagel company (which we no longer deal with) when we got complaints from the neighbors about noise. You know, the truck idling, the reefer raging, etc.
Of course, me cursing and swearing out loud (usually about the fucked-up job the warehouse guys do) didn't help. But they just gave you a warning: tone it down or you have to come back later in the day. "Yes sir!" is about all you can say at that point. I set a smoke alarm off once in
Kalamazoo, it was the strangest thing. I thought I'd set off the store alarm, but the fire dept.
showed up, not the cops. So, they checked the store out, but the manager had to be called, etc.
It was a big mess. I think what happened (shhhhh, don't tell anyone!) is that, as I entered the store, I had a cig in my mouth; I was only in there for a minute before getting rid of it, but that must have set off the smoke alarm - wierd.
And, of course, you have our friends the garbage guys. Talk about noise! Geesh! And smell!
Anyway, I haven't had any real run-ins with 'em. In fact, I'll go out of my way to cooperate with them (kinda like the cops). I figue the sooner they get in and out of the spot, the sooner I can get my job done. So, I'll move outta the way if they need me to. Sometimes it's a pain, especially if you already have your ramp set up and everything, but...Now I know to try and park so they
have access to the dumpsters without hitting me, or having to go through major changes. Hey, I know what it feels like to have obstacles thrown in your way, when, like I said, all you want to do is your friggin' job!
I'd say the "night" people are pretty much done, and the "morning" people are getting up, somewhere between 3 and 4 in the morning. I dunno, I haven't studied it that closely. I'm always grateful for the sunrise. Not only have the "vampires" gone away, but, since I've been busting my ass for several hours now, the daylight gives me that "second wind" I need to finish off my day.
More soon,
Steve
Yeah, working at night is different: there isn't as much traffic, which is a good thing, although you don't know about the people that are out there; what they've been doing, toxins they've been ingesting, etc., so in a way you need to be even more careful. I've seen some very peculiar behavior. Look, it's bad enough that we have to do this job at night, because you cannot get into these strip malls during the day, but then to have someone "fuck" with you, sometimes it's all I can do to not just lose it, ya know? Not only the vagrants, etc., I've also had to deal with cops, firefighters, garbage guys, you name it. And all I want to do is my friggin' job!
I guess the craziest thing I've seen happened on the road; I was coming back from Milwaukee
(I think) last summer and, heading southbound on the Dan Ryan, I was a mile or so from the I57 split. So I'm in the correct lane to stay on 94eastbound (Bishop Ford) when I see this black Caddy come flying past me in the far right lane, he lost control right under the overpass (95th
street?), scraped up against the wall, went flying out into traffic, hit at least one car, spun around, and bam! hit the same concrete wall he'd just scraped up against. I was about a quarter mile back, but I saw the whole thing happen right in front of me. Then, as if it wasn't weird enough, the guy jumps out of the car, doubled over in pain, and takes off running, up the embankment and into the night. As I passed by, I could not believe my eyes. I figured, yeah that car's stolen, and who knows what other kind of mischief the dude was wanted for.
Usually, though, you'll be doing your delivery, and someone will approach you begging for money. If I have an extra dollar I'll usually give it to them, saying "That's all I got, man."
I remember there was this guy on Leonard (?) St. in Grand Rapids, he'd show up every week
at the same time, always offering to help unload, then he'd hit you up. But this was no "spare change" guy, he'd ask for $5 or $10. I be like "What?" He'd say "Yeah, you truck drivers make a lot of money, right?" I'd give him a couple bucks and say "Now, get the fuck outta here!"
Then, he'd wave to me as I drove past on my way out of there.
Usually a dollar or a cigarette will satisfy the beggar; one guy wanted to "look at" my truck:
he said he used to be a driver, lost his license, etc. (violins). So, he walked slowly around the truck and trailer, as if he were doing a thorough pre-trip inspection - very strange. I had to keep my eye on him as I delivered, to make sure he didn't reach into the cab or something.
I've been propositioned a couple of times; once the woman just said "Would you like some company?" I said "Sorry, I'm working." Another one, a homely-ass broad, drove up in her car,
said she needed gas money, and offered to give me a blow job. "I swallow," she said. I thought "Yeah, good for you." Those three incidents happened in Rockford, in a seedier part of town.
I dunno, maybe I'm an easy touch, or look like one anyway. See, I rather be "flashed," which has never happened to me, than propositioned by a "crack-ho." Another point about street beggars:
I am always aware of the knife I keep in my left pants pocket (for cutting through shrink-wrap, etc.) just in case someone gets pushy, ya know? I mean, I have a lot more to lose than they do, but, if it comes down to it...
The cops have usually showed up when I've set alarms off; that's happend a couple times, no big deal. Sometimes they want your I.D., but I always cooperate. I learned long ago that it's not worth it to give the cops a hard time; they're just doing their job, too. There were a couple of instances, especially with this bagel company (which we no longer deal with) when we got complaints from the neighbors about noise. You know, the truck idling, the reefer raging, etc.
Of course, me cursing and swearing out loud (usually about the fucked-up job the warehouse guys do) didn't help. But they just gave you a warning: tone it down or you have to come back later in the day. "Yes sir!" is about all you can say at that point. I set a smoke alarm off once in
Kalamazoo, it was the strangest thing. I thought I'd set off the store alarm, but the fire dept.
showed up, not the cops. So, they checked the store out, but the manager had to be called, etc.
It was a big mess. I think what happened (shhhhh, don't tell anyone!) is that, as I entered the store, I had a cig in my mouth; I was only in there for a minute before getting rid of it, but that must have set off the smoke alarm - wierd.
And, of course, you have our friends the garbage guys. Talk about noise! Geesh! And smell!
Anyway, I haven't had any real run-ins with 'em. In fact, I'll go out of my way to cooperate with them (kinda like the cops). I figue the sooner they get in and out of the spot, the sooner I can get my job done. So, I'll move outta the way if they need me to. Sometimes it's a pain, especially if you already have your ramp set up and everything, but...Now I know to try and park so they
have access to the dumpsters without hitting me, or having to go through major changes. Hey, I know what it feels like to have obstacles thrown in your way, when, like I said, all you want to do is your friggin' job!
I'd say the "night" people are pretty much done, and the "morning" people are getting up, somewhere between 3 and 4 in the morning. I dunno, I haven't studied it that closely. I'm always grateful for the sunrise. Not only have the "vampires" gone away, but, since I've been busting my ass for several hours now, the daylight gives me that "second wind" I need to finish off my day.
More soon,
Steve
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Tidbits, pt. 2
"I don't know what it is you're doing, but it sure as hell AIN'T professional truck driving!" - me
There was a horrible accident two weeks ago (Fri., 4/6): A Wisconsin driver, coming up on 94 West through Chicago (by the way, we call it the Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressways), got cut off by an SUV, hit a concrete pillar, rolled the truck, which burst into flames, killing the driver. It happened about 4:15 in the morning. I was in the city delivering at the time, so I didn't see the accident, but caught some of the aftermath while travelling eastbound around 7:30. I had a helper with me, and we were heading out to the far southern burbs to do our final delivery of the day. He quick turned on the radio, to get more details on the crash. All I could see, besides the bumper-to-bumper traffic in front of me, was the rolled-over trailer (yep, bright orange plate - WI). The truck was basically unrecognizable; we looked over in horror, at about 10mph, as crews cleaned up the scene. Needless to say, westbound traffic was backed up for miles. Traffic at that time on Friday morning is bad enough, and we were glad to make it through without too much trouble.
Now, let me just say that I'm sorry it happened - my sympathies go out to the driver's famly; however, these guys from Wisconsin (yes, Cheese-dicks) and points further north, wanting to avoid paying those "darn tolls" on 294 (the Tri-State), use the Ryan/Kennedy to come through the city. That's bad enough, ('cause, even at midnight, there's a bunch of 'em) but they drive "balls to the wall." They come flying through the Ryan construction zone (speed limit is 45) at
I dunno how fast. I mean, look, I'm not a prude; you don't HAVE to go 45 the whole time, but I just stay to the right and let 'em go. I'm sure the accident was the fault of the four-wheeler (I'm not sure of the percentage, but most accidents involving four-wheelers and trucks are the four-wheelers' fault), but I'm equally sure the truck was driving too fast. In fact, I'd bet money on it.
Here's a hint, all you Cheese-dicks out there: if you're tailgating a four-wheeler (and most of them fly!) you're driving too damn fast! It shouldn't take an accident for people to get the message, but you want to know the sad truth? Most of 'em won't. They'll just keep doing what they're doing, and forget about this driver, his family, even the driver of the four-wheeler (don't know what happenened to that person). How many more people will completely ignore the rules, and wind up crispy critters on the pavement? It's mind-boggling to me.
Anyway, that's my rant for the moment. By the way, I left the last post (Marissa) up for a couple weeks, because I wanted it to be viewed by as many as possible, maybe even her. Actually, I sent her a hard-copy in the mail, so maybe she'll actually read it, I dunno.
So, I've been going up to Cheeseland for the past couple of weeks (Green Bay- haven't run into Brett Favre, though, lol) It's a pretty nice drive, once you get past all the congestion in Milwaukee. Other drivers complain about Chicago, and how congested it is. I'm from there, so I actually have a clue as to how to get around. But places like Milwaukee (St. Louis is the worst I've run into) kind of piss me off. I was doing a route up there last summer, and I remember they closed the expressway down for several miles (how the fuck do you justify closing an interstate down?). Not only that, the detour was all fucked up; I couldn't, for the life of me, find my way back to the friggin' highway. I thought I'd never get out of Beerfart, er, Milwaukee.
And, like with most big cities now, they've got it under construction again. In Chicago, the saying used to be "We got two seasons here, winter and construction season," but now it seems like it's construction season all year round. Anyway, my route is pretty bearable; sometimes after my deliveries, I do a pickup or two, then head back home. Hell, now they're talking about sending me back out Marissa's way (Des Moines), which I obviously wouldn't mind one bit (wink!). In my line of work, nothing is constant but change. Speaking of pickups, I'm not the biggest fan of backhauls: I mean, I've busted my ass for two days, and now I have to clean out the trailer (dumping my shit into someone else's dumpsters - always had a problem with that), stack the pallets nice and neat, pre-cool the trailer, especially in summer, and do the damn pickup. Then, of course, you deal with the weight issues, because, in their sweet, backward fashion, Wisconsin doesn't use pre-pass, and I have not one, but two scales to deal with (Manitowoc and Racine).
Granted, my loads aren't usually that heavy, so I don't worry too much; I guess it's just the principle of the whole thing that bugs me. I'm doing not only my job (food service delivery), but
a trucker's job too (bumping docks, scaling, etc.). So we shall see how this pans out; whether I stay going up to Cheeseland or go back out to central Iowa - I will keep you all posted.
More soon,
Steve
There was a horrible accident two weeks ago (Fri., 4/6): A Wisconsin driver, coming up on 94 West through Chicago (by the way, we call it the Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressways), got cut off by an SUV, hit a concrete pillar, rolled the truck, which burst into flames, killing the driver. It happened about 4:15 in the morning. I was in the city delivering at the time, so I didn't see the accident, but caught some of the aftermath while travelling eastbound around 7:30. I had a helper with me, and we were heading out to the far southern burbs to do our final delivery of the day. He quick turned on the radio, to get more details on the crash. All I could see, besides the bumper-to-bumper traffic in front of me, was the rolled-over trailer (yep, bright orange plate - WI). The truck was basically unrecognizable; we looked over in horror, at about 10mph, as crews cleaned up the scene. Needless to say, westbound traffic was backed up for miles. Traffic at that time on Friday morning is bad enough, and we were glad to make it through without too much trouble.
Now, let me just say that I'm sorry it happened - my sympathies go out to the driver's famly; however, these guys from Wisconsin (yes, Cheese-dicks) and points further north, wanting to avoid paying those "darn tolls" on 294 (the Tri-State), use the Ryan/Kennedy to come through the city. That's bad enough, ('cause, even at midnight, there's a bunch of 'em) but they drive "balls to the wall." They come flying through the Ryan construction zone (speed limit is 45) at
I dunno how fast. I mean, look, I'm not a prude; you don't HAVE to go 45 the whole time, but I just stay to the right and let 'em go. I'm sure the accident was the fault of the four-wheeler (I'm not sure of the percentage, but most accidents involving four-wheelers and trucks are the four-wheelers' fault), but I'm equally sure the truck was driving too fast. In fact, I'd bet money on it.
Here's a hint, all you Cheese-dicks out there: if you're tailgating a four-wheeler (and most of them fly!) you're driving too damn fast! It shouldn't take an accident for people to get the message, but you want to know the sad truth? Most of 'em won't. They'll just keep doing what they're doing, and forget about this driver, his family, even the driver of the four-wheeler (don't know what happenened to that person). How many more people will completely ignore the rules, and wind up crispy critters on the pavement? It's mind-boggling to me.
Anyway, that's my rant for the moment. By the way, I left the last post (Marissa) up for a couple weeks, because I wanted it to be viewed by as many as possible, maybe even her. Actually, I sent her a hard-copy in the mail, so maybe she'll actually read it, I dunno.
So, I've been going up to Cheeseland for the past couple of weeks (Green Bay- haven't run into Brett Favre, though, lol) It's a pretty nice drive, once you get past all the congestion in Milwaukee. Other drivers complain about Chicago, and how congested it is. I'm from there, so I actually have a clue as to how to get around. But places like Milwaukee (St. Louis is the worst I've run into) kind of piss me off. I was doing a route up there last summer, and I remember they closed the expressway down for several miles (how the fuck do you justify closing an interstate down?). Not only that, the detour was all fucked up; I couldn't, for the life of me, find my way back to the friggin' highway. I thought I'd never get out of Beerfart, er, Milwaukee.
And, like with most big cities now, they've got it under construction again. In Chicago, the saying used to be "We got two seasons here, winter and construction season," but now it seems like it's construction season all year round. Anyway, my route is pretty bearable; sometimes after my deliveries, I do a pickup or two, then head back home. Hell, now they're talking about sending me back out Marissa's way (Des Moines), which I obviously wouldn't mind one bit (wink!). In my line of work, nothing is constant but change. Speaking of pickups, I'm not the biggest fan of backhauls: I mean, I've busted my ass for two days, and now I have to clean out the trailer (dumping my shit into someone else's dumpsters - always had a problem with that), stack the pallets nice and neat, pre-cool the trailer, especially in summer, and do the damn pickup. Then, of course, you deal with the weight issues, because, in their sweet, backward fashion, Wisconsin doesn't use pre-pass, and I have not one, but two scales to deal with (Manitowoc and Racine).
Granted, my loads aren't usually that heavy, so I don't worry too much; I guess it's just the principle of the whole thing that bugs me. I'm doing not only my job (food service delivery), but
a trucker's job too (bumping docks, scaling, etc.). So we shall see how this pans out; whether I stay going up to Cheeseland or go back out to central Iowa - I will keep you all posted.
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Lovely Marissa
"Once you seep in, under my skin, there's nothing in this world that could wash you away..."
Limp Bizkit "Eat you Alive"
Happy Easter, Everyone! This one is a bit difficult for me, because there are some emotions here that I'm still sorting through. What can I tell you about Marissa? Sounds like something from "The Sound of Music," doesn't it? All I'm going to say for now is that she works at a truckstop in Des Moines. I don't want her to catch too much hell for this. If you're a driver, and you visit the Des Moines area on a regular basis, you may have already run into her. See, I've seen my share of truckstop waitresses, and, with the exception of only a couple, they seem to be
middle-aged women, somewhat surly, most are not particularly attractive. Maybe they work because they have kids to support, maybe they're married, maybe not. And I'm sure they've
heard every "line" in the book from all you a-holes. Yeah, the first one I "noticed" was at the Worlds Largest Truckstop in Walcott, IA - I'll call her Susan. She was beautiful, friendly, very good waitress, and I would look foreward to seeing her every week (don't remember what day).
She must have been in her early 30's, with a couple of kids. Then one day I go in there and it's "She doesn't work here any more..." Oh shit! I didn't get a chance to...
Now comes Marissa (obviously not her real name). I first met her probably late spring/early summer of '06. You know how, when you see someone on a regular basis, but don't really "notice" them for several weeks, or even longer? That's the way it was with Marissa. I would go in there on Wednesdays, and yeah, she's beautiful and all, but I didn't really notice her until I started talking to her. See, there's where the problems started, I think, because I was immediately attracted to her. She is charming, clever, witty, great sense of humor, and sharp as a damn tack! She could match wits with me, line for line, and even make me look foolish - and I went to college, for Chrissakes! That really impressed me. Any questions I had about the place and their policies, she knew right off the top of her head. Those are the qualities that just knocked me out. I mean yeah, there was that killer smile, that jet black hair, her beautiful face. She has this accent, like Southern California, but I never got a chance to ask her if that's where she's from. I'd come in after a grueling trip out there, and I'd get a double shot: first the air conditioning would hit you, then that smile. It was like being shot with a laser. My old heart could barely stand it, lol.
Anyway, things went on like this for a while; I'd wake up Wednesday mornings in Rockford and think "Damn, today's the day I get to see Marissa (whooppeee!)" Hell, I'd bust my ass even
harder, so I could get my work done faster, so I could see her sooner. Is that insane, or what?
And it was sort of anti-climactic; I'd go in there, and she'd be so damn busy, I couldn't get but
30 seconds of her time ("sound bites," as I came to call them), and then my hour-long dinner would be over, and time to try and get some sleep. I'd try to eat slower and stuff, but you know, I still had to make it back to Chicago. Otherwise, I'd sit at the damn counter all night, just so I could watch her, ya know? The way she made those desserts, I'd think "Damn, I wish she'd pour chocolate on me like that!" (just kidding) And I'd walk in there and she'd say "Oh yeah, it's Wednesday..." like I became her personal calender or something. So I started falling for this young woman, and I mean hard. I pulled some really stupid moves, that, looking back, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking about. The first of these was over the holidays and, yep, you guessed it, I got her a Christmas present. It wasn't really that big or much, whatever, but that was probably the beginning of the end. See, I was trying to get close to her, establish some sort of a connection that could possibly lead to a friendship, but she would have none of it. The "chemistry"that I thought we shared was just in my mind, and it's a hard thing to accept now, because I could have sworn she felt it too, although she never let on. And it's not that I ever "wanted"anything, you know, physical, from her. I mean, I'm a married man, probably twice her age. Like Susan, she has many admirers, not that I ever felt "jealous" or in competition with any other truckers. I just wanted to talk with her, get to know her a little better; but to do that, I needed some of her time. That was the one commodity she absolutely would not share. In fact, she shared only what she wanted you to know about her, nothing more. I think part of that smile and attitude is from training, so they can get a bigger tip, I dunno. But I would always tip her more, just 'cause I liked her, and she really did do a wonderful job.
One time, I even offered to walk her to her car (how scary is that?) after she got off work. So, I'm standing outside, waiting for her to come out, and I'm thinking "Steve, what the FUCK are you doing?" And just then, I kid you not, a black cat walked past me. I was like "I gotta get outta here." That foolish and immature act, I think, is what turned her off to me for good. After that, even though I apologized, her smile didn't seem quite as dazzling. There were days when I'd go in, and she barely said "boo" to me. So I'm really kicking myself for that one. I don't know what the hell came over me.
So, now it's time to say goodbye. There were several weeks where I thought it was the end, when in fact, it wasn't. I'd say "Good luck, I'll miss you, have a nice life..." and she'd laugh and say "You make it sound as if you're dying." In a way, part of me was. Now it's over, and I have regrets, just like with Susan. I wish I'd had the chance to say some things, something that would maybe change her mind about me, but, I guess I'll never know. I gave her my number and everything, but she hasn't called, and now I realize that she never will. I mean, why would she?
What would she want with an old bastard like me? I'm just another trucker to her, just another customer, just another tip.
To Marissa: Hey, sweetie! I hope you get a chance to read this. Listen, I wanted to say "Thank you again for everything." You have been absolutely wonderful to me. I'm really sorry for behaving like a jerk in the past, and I hope you can forgive me. I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I sure wish I had had the chance to know you a little better. I think you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life, and I know you'll succeed in whatever you decide to do. So good luck, have a nice life, and yes, I will miss you terribly. If it sounds as if I'm dying, it's because part of me is. If you ever have a change of heart (they say "absense makes the heart grow fonder") you know how to reach me. I will never forget you.
More soon,
Steve
Limp Bizkit "Eat you Alive"
Happy Easter, Everyone! This one is a bit difficult for me, because there are some emotions here that I'm still sorting through. What can I tell you about Marissa? Sounds like something from "The Sound of Music," doesn't it? All I'm going to say for now is that she works at a truckstop in Des Moines. I don't want her to catch too much hell for this. If you're a driver, and you visit the Des Moines area on a regular basis, you may have already run into her. See, I've seen my share of truckstop waitresses, and, with the exception of only a couple, they seem to be
middle-aged women, somewhat surly, most are not particularly attractive. Maybe they work because they have kids to support, maybe they're married, maybe not. And I'm sure they've
heard every "line" in the book from all you a-holes. Yeah, the first one I "noticed" was at the Worlds Largest Truckstop in Walcott, IA - I'll call her Susan. She was beautiful, friendly, very good waitress, and I would look foreward to seeing her every week (don't remember what day).
She must have been in her early 30's, with a couple of kids. Then one day I go in there and it's "She doesn't work here any more..." Oh shit! I didn't get a chance to...
Now comes Marissa (obviously not her real name). I first met her probably late spring/early summer of '06. You know how, when you see someone on a regular basis, but don't really "notice" them for several weeks, or even longer? That's the way it was with Marissa. I would go in there on Wednesdays, and yeah, she's beautiful and all, but I didn't really notice her until I started talking to her. See, there's where the problems started, I think, because I was immediately attracted to her. She is charming, clever, witty, great sense of humor, and sharp as a damn tack! She could match wits with me, line for line, and even make me look foolish - and I went to college, for Chrissakes! That really impressed me. Any questions I had about the place and their policies, she knew right off the top of her head. Those are the qualities that just knocked me out. I mean yeah, there was that killer smile, that jet black hair, her beautiful face. She has this accent, like Southern California, but I never got a chance to ask her if that's where she's from. I'd come in after a grueling trip out there, and I'd get a double shot: first the air conditioning would hit you, then that smile. It was like being shot with a laser. My old heart could barely stand it, lol.
Anyway, things went on like this for a while; I'd wake up Wednesday mornings in Rockford and think "Damn, today's the day I get to see Marissa (whooppeee!)" Hell, I'd bust my ass even
harder, so I could get my work done faster, so I could see her sooner. Is that insane, or what?
And it was sort of anti-climactic; I'd go in there, and she'd be so damn busy, I couldn't get but
30 seconds of her time ("sound bites," as I came to call them), and then my hour-long dinner would be over, and time to try and get some sleep. I'd try to eat slower and stuff, but you know, I still had to make it back to Chicago. Otherwise, I'd sit at the damn counter all night, just so I could watch her, ya know? The way she made those desserts, I'd think "Damn, I wish she'd pour chocolate on me like that!" (just kidding) And I'd walk in there and she'd say "Oh yeah, it's Wednesday..." like I became her personal calender or something. So I started falling for this young woman, and I mean hard. I pulled some really stupid moves, that, looking back, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking about. The first of these was over the holidays and, yep, you guessed it, I got her a Christmas present. It wasn't really that big or much, whatever, but that was probably the beginning of the end. See, I was trying to get close to her, establish some sort of a connection that could possibly lead to a friendship, but she would have none of it. The "chemistry"that I thought we shared was just in my mind, and it's a hard thing to accept now, because I could have sworn she felt it too, although she never let on. And it's not that I ever "wanted"anything, you know, physical, from her. I mean, I'm a married man, probably twice her age. Like Susan, she has many admirers, not that I ever felt "jealous" or in competition with any other truckers. I just wanted to talk with her, get to know her a little better; but to do that, I needed some of her time. That was the one commodity she absolutely would not share. In fact, she shared only what she wanted you to know about her, nothing more. I think part of that smile and attitude is from training, so they can get a bigger tip, I dunno. But I would always tip her more, just 'cause I liked her, and she really did do a wonderful job.
One time, I even offered to walk her to her car (how scary is that?) after she got off work. So, I'm standing outside, waiting for her to come out, and I'm thinking "Steve, what the FUCK are you doing?" And just then, I kid you not, a black cat walked past me. I was like "I gotta get outta here." That foolish and immature act, I think, is what turned her off to me for good. After that, even though I apologized, her smile didn't seem quite as dazzling. There were days when I'd go in, and she barely said "boo" to me. So I'm really kicking myself for that one. I don't know what the hell came over me.
So, now it's time to say goodbye. There were several weeks where I thought it was the end, when in fact, it wasn't. I'd say "Good luck, I'll miss you, have a nice life..." and she'd laugh and say "You make it sound as if you're dying." In a way, part of me was. Now it's over, and I have regrets, just like with Susan. I wish I'd had the chance to say some things, something that would maybe change her mind about me, but, I guess I'll never know. I gave her my number and everything, but she hasn't called, and now I realize that she never will. I mean, why would she?
What would she want with an old bastard like me? I'm just another trucker to her, just another customer, just another tip.
To Marissa: Hey, sweetie! I hope you get a chance to read this. Listen, I wanted to say "Thank you again for everything." You have been absolutely wonderful to me. I'm really sorry for behaving like a jerk in the past, and I hope you can forgive me. I never meant to make you uncomfortable. I sure wish I had had the chance to know you a little better. I think you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life, and I know you'll succeed in whatever you decide to do. So good luck, have a nice life, and yes, I will miss you terribly. If it sounds as if I'm dying, it's because part of me is. If you ever have a change of heart (they say "absense makes the heart grow fonder") you know how to reach me. I will never forget you.
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Iowa, pt. 2
"People on 'ludes should not drive, huhh, huhhhhhh...." Jeff Spiccoli (Sean Penn), in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
So, I've had my adventures out there in Iowa, but nothing really spectacular or out of the ordinary. Other than the "reefer" troubles I've mentioned before, the one that sticks out in my mind is the time I almost got caught in a blizzard. By the way, if you are from the State of Iowa, or have a particular affinity for that state, please don't be offended by my remarks here. I really have nothing against Iowa at all. In fact, they've treated me quite nicely out there, unlike other states (Michigan, et al). Yeah, so I have a special delivery up by Mason City (about an hour north of Des Moines on I35), and all goes pretty smoothly. This must be about January, and they're predicting some heavy weather, but it hasn't hit yet. I think "No big deal..." So I get done, and I'm running out of time. The only truckstop around was this dinky little place, but I have no choice, so I stop. They have a restaurant, and I eat, go into the berth, my regular routine. I wake up about 3 in the morning, and there's like 2 feet of snow on the ground. Great.
The bigger problem is the store doesn't open til 5 or something, and I'm Jonesing for coffee - I HAVE to have my coffee in the morning, no matter how bad it is. I remember I had to rock the truck just to get outta there, and I head south. I was lucky to even get back onto the highway, because they have these gates at the exit ramps, when they shut down the interstates. Maybe someone forgot, I dunno, or I just made it outta there, but it was blowing and drifting real good.
I remember passing a Flying J on the way, so I pull in there, 'cause I'm really hurting for coffee right now, find a hole, pull in (now I gotta back out), and go get my coffee. It was pretty harrowing, but you just keep your composure, take it easy, and it all works out in the end. By the time I got back to Des Moines, not a drop of snow on the ground. That was actually the worst experience I've had out there, and that wasn't too bad. I've heard of guys being stranded for hours, even days, when they close the roads. I'm talking Minnesota, Nebraska, etc. Those gates on the exit ramps really surprised me, though. I'd never seen that before.
So, here are my impressions of the towns of Iowa, at least those I've been to: Dubuque, nice, small city, right on the Mighty Miss., I'm not a big fan of hills, though, especially in winter, so I don't think I'd want to live on a "bluff". Very pretty, scenic, even. Waterloo, again, nice little city
I deliver to, I don't really go through the heart of the town, so I can't comment on the town as a whole, but it seems nice. Lots of college cuties from UNI (University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, "sister city"?). Anyway, there's a Ryder right there in Cedar Falls, and I used to deliver a couple of stores over there, so I kinda know my way around. See, my impression is that a lot of Iowa is pretty "white bread," (as most of the Midwest is) you know, a lot of white people, lots of farmers, not too much in the way of trouble, crime, etc. I may be wrong, and I'm sure there are trouble spots, especially in the bigger towns, but most of the places I've delivered to (malls and strip malls), I just keep the truck running, do my delivery, no problems. I mean, the biggest challenges I've faced out there are just dealing with other truck traffic. Shit, if that's the only problem I ever have, I'll be a happy man! Now Cedar Rapids ("Smelly Town," as I call it); I'm sure it has some nice ares, suburbs, whatever, but the smell! OMG! I think of that song by the Police ("Factories belching filth into the air...) I dunno what kind, I think there's at least one or two chemical plants, a food processing plant or two, maybe even paper mill, but God, I don't know how people can live there, honestly! It's that yeasty, sulphury smell that makes ya wanna hurl! I shouldn't complain too much, I only had to deliver there once every other week.
Des Moines, the largest city, and capitol, again very nice. I've had no problems there, either. There's traffic, but hell, there's traffic everywhere nowadays. People drive just about the same as they do in Chicago (badly!) Ya know, I think ,there's corn, then Des Moines, then corn. It does seem to be growing, judging by all the new construction, and probably a nice place to live. Anyway, the people I've met and dealt with have all been pretty terrific out in Iowa, so kudos to you! They're changing my route, so I won't be "penetrating" into the state westward as I've done. I'll just be going from Dubuque, down to the Quad Cities, then back to Chi-town (nobody ever calls it that, by the way). Then, in place of my local city route, they're sending me back up to Cheeseland! You know what state that is, don't you? Or do I have to spell it out? LOL
More soon,
Steve
So, I've had my adventures out there in Iowa, but nothing really spectacular or out of the ordinary. Other than the "reefer" troubles I've mentioned before, the one that sticks out in my mind is the time I almost got caught in a blizzard. By the way, if you are from the State of Iowa, or have a particular affinity for that state, please don't be offended by my remarks here. I really have nothing against Iowa at all. In fact, they've treated me quite nicely out there, unlike other states (Michigan, et al). Yeah, so I have a special delivery up by Mason City (about an hour north of Des Moines on I35), and all goes pretty smoothly. This must be about January, and they're predicting some heavy weather, but it hasn't hit yet. I think "No big deal..." So I get done, and I'm running out of time. The only truckstop around was this dinky little place, but I have no choice, so I stop. They have a restaurant, and I eat, go into the berth, my regular routine. I wake up about 3 in the morning, and there's like 2 feet of snow on the ground. Great.
The bigger problem is the store doesn't open til 5 or something, and I'm Jonesing for coffee - I HAVE to have my coffee in the morning, no matter how bad it is. I remember I had to rock the truck just to get outta there, and I head south. I was lucky to even get back onto the highway, because they have these gates at the exit ramps, when they shut down the interstates. Maybe someone forgot, I dunno, or I just made it outta there, but it was blowing and drifting real good.
I remember passing a Flying J on the way, so I pull in there, 'cause I'm really hurting for coffee right now, find a hole, pull in (now I gotta back out), and go get my coffee. It was pretty harrowing, but you just keep your composure, take it easy, and it all works out in the end. By the time I got back to Des Moines, not a drop of snow on the ground. That was actually the worst experience I've had out there, and that wasn't too bad. I've heard of guys being stranded for hours, even days, when they close the roads. I'm talking Minnesota, Nebraska, etc. Those gates on the exit ramps really surprised me, though. I'd never seen that before.
So, here are my impressions of the towns of Iowa, at least those I've been to: Dubuque, nice, small city, right on the Mighty Miss., I'm not a big fan of hills, though, especially in winter, so I don't think I'd want to live on a "bluff". Very pretty, scenic, even. Waterloo, again, nice little city
I deliver to, I don't really go through the heart of the town, so I can't comment on the town as a whole, but it seems nice. Lots of college cuties from UNI (University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, "sister city"?). Anyway, there's a Ryder right there in Cedar Falls, and I used to deliver a couple of stores over there, so I kinda know my way around. See, my impression is that a lot of Iowa is pretty "white bread," (as most of the Midwest is) you know, a lot of white people, lots of farmers, not too much in the way of trouble, crime, etc. I may be wrong, and I'm sure there are trouble spots, especially in the bigger towns, but most of the places I've delivered to (malls and strip malls), I just keep the truck running, do my delivery, no problems. I mean, the biggest challenges I've faced out there are just dealing with other truck traffic. Shit, if that's the only problem I ever have, I'll be a happy man! Now Cedar Rapids ("Smelly Town," as I call it); I'm sure it has some nice ares, suburbs, whatever, but the smell! OMG! I think of that song by the Police ("Factories belching filth into the air...) I dunno what kind, I think there's at least one or two chemical plants, a food processing plant or two, maybe even paper mill, but God, I don't know how people can live there, honestly! It's that yeasty, sulphury smell that makes ya wanna hurl! I shouldn't complain too much, I only had to deliver there once every other week.
Des Moines, the largest city, and capitol, again very nice. I've had no problems there, either. There's traffic, but hell, there's traffic everywhere nowadays. People drive just about the same as they do in Chicago (badly!) Ya know, I think ,there's corn, then Des Moines, then corn. It does seem to be growing, judging by all the new construction, and probably a nice place to live. Anyway, the people I've met and dealt with have all been pretty terrific out in Iowa, so kudos to you! They're changing my route, so I won't be "penetrating" into the state westward as I've done. I'll just be going from Dubuque, down to the Quad Cities, then back to Chi-town (nobody ever calls it that, by the way). Then, in place of my local city route, they're sending me back up to Cheeseland! You know what state that is, don't you? Or do I have to spell it out? LOL
More soon,
Steve
Monday, March 26, 2007
Bumble-whaa?
"keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin'..." Limp Bizkit, Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)
I've been doing this Iowa route now for about a year, year and a half. It's hard to remember.
They've changed things around on me quite a bit; adding stores, pickups, now we're losing a
customer, which means they're changing it around again, making it a two instead of three-day
run. My first day will be basically the same: six company-owned pizza stores out in the west-northwest burbs, ending up in Rockford. I can usually get 'em all done in 12 hours or so, sometimes more or less, depending on the volume of product ordered. These managers at the company stores, I wonder about them sometimes. I'll walk in, and they have stuff (flour, for example) stacked to the ceiling, yet they've ordered 35 or 40 more. WTF? But I try not to ask too many questions. Once, though, I delivered 140 bales of flour to this one store - they really pissed me off that week. And see, some of the stores get 2 deliveries a week, so, I dunno, just
idiotic behavior, I guess. The company stores (unlike the franchises) don't care, because they're not paying for anything, so they just order as much as they want, and nobody even raises an eyebrow.
Anyway, I'm shut down in Rockford for quite a while. See, if I start Monday night at 11:00 or so,
I'm done and at the truckstop by 10:30-11:00 Tuesday morning. Shit, I don't have to be in Dubuque till 8:00 Wednesday morning. So, it's about 17 hours or so in the sleeper. My bosses
were giving me a hard time about all the "idle time" (they're constantly worrying about "truck utilization"). But there's nothing I can do about it; these stores (most of which are in strip malls, etc.) have to be delivered in the middle of the night, otherwise you can't get to them. Hell, I wouldn't mind starting at 7:30 Tuesday morning, but there's all kinds of problems associated with that, not the least of which is the traffic on 294. Besides, I'd rather get in and out, without these $10/hour pizza store managers telling me what to do - I don't play that game. We're given the keys/alarm codes (if applicable) and bam! we do our thing and go. No problem. So, I get to the truckstop and eat, maybe take a nap, wake up, read, listen to tunes, whatever, then get ready for my "real sleep" about 7:30-8:00 Tuesday night. I take a "daddy's little helper" then
try to sleep (it's difficult for me to sleep in these damn trucks, especially when you have a loud reefer unit going off every 10-15 minutes) But the alternative is a motel room; well, they don't reimburse you as much as they used to, first off. Secondly, finding a place with truck parking ain't always easy. Third, there's no guarantee I'm gonna sleep any better anyway, and last, if there's a problem with the truck/trailer, I don't find out about it till the next morning. I remember going to a motel in Waterloo in the middle of winter one time, came back out, and the truck barely started. So I stay with the truck; I figure it's the lesser of two evils, plus, even though I rail at truckers, I feel like I belong.
I'm off to Dubuque about 5:00am Wed. - it's only a couple hours drive from Rockford, but I like to allow extra time, just in case. The twisting, turning, rising, falling trip on US20 can do some funny things to your load, so I'm always aware of how sharp my turns are (especially lefts). If the warehouse idiots haven't bothered to strap down the load properly, you have to figure out a way to secure the load (borrow a strap, lash two pallets together, etc.). I usually don't
go too much faster than 55 on my way out there (maybe 60). The traffic all seems to be coming the other direction anyway. So I usually get to Galena about 6:30 or so. There's a McDonald's there with truck parking. It's a good place to stop, check the load, grab a cup of Joe, etc. Then, having timed it out over the past year or so, I take off for Dubuque about 7:20 - that get's me to Charlie's (not his real name) parking lot about 7:45. Charlie is a franchisee, and because he knows people in the corporate office, he is treated with a LOT of respect. You must be there before 8:00 when he opens his back door; if not, a phone call to corporate. If his stuff is really f'ed up, a phone call to corporate. If you are not polite, etc., a phone call to corporate. He is actually a very nice guy, but he's a businessman, so his deliveries need to be on time and in decent shape, ya know? His delivery takes 45min -an hour, then I have a smaller delivery in Dubuque, then I'm off to the Hinterlands of Iowa (Bumble-whaa?).
Actually, from Dubuque, I go to either Cedar Rapids or Waterloo (frozen yogurt stores, they alternate weeks), then Marshalltown, then Des Moines, and I'm done. Of course, they would throw in these "specials," so that would foul things up as far as my schedule goes (I'll tell you what those are some day, as this blog nears it's end). It wasn't always that way: I used to have to go pick up pepperoni/frozen meats out there at a frozen storage warehouse (I won't mention the name of the company, but it's pretty much a household name).
That could wind up taking hours: the order might not be ready, no open door, shift change, any number of things could delay you. Once you were given a "hole", you backed in, dropped the trailer, and set the reefer at whatever temp they told you. In summer, we were told to "pre-cool" the trailer, just like when picking up cheese in WI. Then you waited. Those who had CB's tuned in to channel whatever; me, I just looked for the green light. Back in, hook up, go get your paperwork, stop at the guardhouse, then you were gone. I almost always had prepass, so I didn't worry too much about scaling the load. One of the senior drivers once told me that, on a 45-foot trailer, if you set the tandems 7 holes from the front (by the tires), you'd scale out perfect every time. So, I'd try to do that once I was empty, and you know what? It worked!
Anyway, they changed meat suppliers several months back, so I haven't had to pick that stuff up for a while, now. I remember I'd try to make it to the World's Largest Truckstop in Walcott, IA on my way back (before I ran out of time - I really liked the place). Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. Of course, I had my favorite waitress I'd always see over there. What a cutie!
There's been another one I've been "perving on" lately, but she's another chapter. I'll write more about Iowa next time...
More soon,
Steve
I've been doing this Iowa route now for about a year, year and a half. It's hard to remember.
They've changed things around on me quite a bit; adding stores, pickups, now we're losing a
customer, which means they're changing it around again, making it a two instead of three-day
run. My first day will be basically the same: six company-owned pizza stores out in the west-northwest burbs, ending up in Rockford. I can usually get 'em all done in 12 hours or so, sometimes more or less, depending on the volume of product ordered. These managers at the company stores, I wonder about them sometimes. I'll walk in, and they have stuff (flour, for example) stacked to the ceiling, yet they've ordered 35 or 40 more. WTF? But I try not to ask too many questions. Once, though, I delivered 140 bales of flour to this one store - they really pissed me off that week. And see, some of the stores get 2 deliveries a week, so, I dunno, just
idiotic behavior, I guess. The company stores (unlike the franchises) don't care, because they're not paying for anything, so they just order as much as they want, and nobody even raises an eyebrow.
Anyway, I'm shut down in Rockford for quite a while. See, if I start Monday night at 11:00 or so,
I'm done and at the truckstop by 10:30-11:00 Tuesday morning. Shit, I don't have to be in Dubuque till 8:00 Wednesday morning. So, it's about 17 hours or so in the sleeper. My bosses
were giving me a hard time about all the "idle time" (they're constantly worrying about "truck utilization"). But there's nothing I can do about it; these stores (most of which are in strip malls, etc.) have to be delivered in the middle of the night, otherwise you can't get to them. Hell, I wouldn't mind starting at 7:30 Tuesday morning, but there's all kinds of problems associated with that, not the least of which is the traffic on 294. Besides, I'd rather get in and out, without these $10/hour pizza store managers telling me what to do - I don't play that game. We're given the keys/alarm codes (if applicable) and bam! we do our thing and go. No problem. So, I get to the truckstop and eat, maybe take a nap, wake up, read, listen to tunes, whatever, then get ready for my "real sleep" about 7:30-8:00 Tuesday night. I take a "daddy's little helper" then
try to sleep (it's difficult for me to sleep in these damn trucks, especially when you have a loud reefer unit going off every 10-15 minutes) But the alternative is a motel room; well, they don't reimburse you as much as they used to, first off. Secondly, finding a place with truck parking ain't always easy. Third, there's no guarantee I'm gonna sleep any better anyway, and last, if there's a problem with the truck/trailer, I don't find out about it till the next morning. I remember going to a motel in Waterloo in the middle of winter one time, came back out, and the truck barely started. So I stay with the truck; I figure it's the lesser of two evils, plus, even though I rail at truckers, I feel like I belong.
I'm off to Dubuque about 5:00am Wed. - it's only a couple hours drive from Rockford, but I like to allow extra time, just in case. The twisting, turning, rising, falling trip on US20 can do some funny things to your load, so I'm always aware of how sharp my turns are (especially lefts). If the warehouse idiots haven't bothered to strap down the load properly, you have to figure out a way to secure the load (borrow a strap, lash two pallets together, etc.). I usually don't
go too much faster than 55 on my way out there (maybe 60). The traffic all seems to be coming the other direction anyway. So I usually get to Galena about 6:30 or so. There's a McDonald's there with truck parking. It's a good place to stop, check the load, grab a cup of Joe, etc. Then, having timed it out over the past year or so, I take off for Dubuque about 7:20 - that get's me to Charlie's (not his real name) parking lot about 7:45. Charlie is a franchisee, and because he knows people in the corporate office, he is treated with a LOT of respect. You must be there before 8:00 when he opens his back door; if not, a phone call to corporate. If his stuff is really f'ed up, a phone call to corporate. If you are not polite, etc., a phone call to corporate. He is actually a very nice guy, but he's a businessman, so his deliveries need to be on time and in decent shape, ya know? His delivery takes 45min -an hour, then I have a smaller delivery in Dubuque, then I'm off to the Hinterlands of Iowa (Bumble-whaa?).
Actually, from Dubuque, I go to either Cedar Rapids or Waterloo (frozen yogurt stores, they alternate weeks), then Marshalltown, then Des Moines, and I'm done. Of course, they would throw in these "specials," so that would foul things up as far as my schedule goes (I'll tell you what those are some day, as this blog nears it's end). It wasn't always that way: I used to have to go pick up pepperoni/frozen meats out there at a frozen storage warehouse (I won't mention the name of the company, but it's pretty much a household name).
That could wind up taking hours: the order might not be ready, no open door, shift change, any number of things could delay you. Once you were given a "hole", you backed in, dropped the trailer, and set the reefer at whatever temp they told you. In summer, we were told to "pre-cool" the trailer, just like when picking up cheese in WI. Then you waited. Those who had CB's tuned in to channel whatever; me, I just looked for the green light. Back in, hook up, go get your paperwork, stop at the guardhouse, then you were gone. I almost always had prepass, so I didn't worry too much about scaling the load. One of the senior drivers once told me that, on a 45-foot trailer, if you set the tandems 7 holes from the front (by the tires), you'd scale out perfect every time. So, I'd try to do that once I was empty, and you know what? It worked!
Anyway, they changed meat suppliers several months back, so I haven't had to pick that stuff up for a while, now. I remember I'd try to make it to the World's Largest Truckstop in Walcott, IA on my way back (before I ran out of time - I really liked the place). Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. Of course, I had my favorite waitress I'd always see over there. What a cutie!
There's been another one I've been "perving on" lately, but she's another chapter. I'll write more about Iowa next time...
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Tidbits
"If you have the space, take it!" - old truck driver's axiom
The above saying was relayed to be by one of our veteran drivers, who had heard it from an
old-timer, I guess. But isn't it true? Not a working day goes by when I don't think about this
simple phrase. I mean, it could be just pulling onto the shoulder a little to let an oversized load pass as your driving down the road, or using that empty left-turn lane as you make your right
turn in the city. Anyway, the following post (maybe more than one) are just bits & pieces that
don't fall into any particular category.
Here are some words/phrases/sayings I think to myself, or even say out loud while I'm driving:
"Any big dogs in the chute?" - Any big trucks coming down the entrance ramp (always look out for that)
"Put some giddyup on it!" - Usually I'm hollering this out to some four-wheeler I'm stuck behind (tip of the hat to Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, White Sox announcer). A related phrase is "Don't make me run this truck up yer ass!"
If I get behind someone, and I'm close, I'll say "I ain't gonna hit ya, I might cuss ya out a little, but..." or, "Not in your wildest dreams..." (Although I did almost hit some guy the other day, who couldn't decide whether or not to make a right turn)
Another one is "Kick it in the ass!" - speed up
"Break it down!" - step on the brakes
"Neighbor" - trucks next to/around me at the truckstop ("Howdy neighbor!")
"Guy wants to 'grow a pair'" - when you're trying to pass someone, and he/she all of a sudden speeds up so you can't pass, and have to duck in behind 'em.
Here's one I say as I'm backing into a spot: "Easy there, Stevie square..." it rhymes, ya know?
I always say this one as I see big trucks coming up fast from behind to pass me "Bring it on, muthafucka!"
There are some generic cuss words/names I holler at people(idiot drivers-I don't know how you can even refer to them as "people" sometimes, 4-wheelers and truckers alike) when they're doing something stupid:
"ass-wipe"
"Shit-for-brains" (my personal fave)
"shitwit"
"numbnuts"
"fucknuts"
"dumbass"
"fuckin' moron"
"fucking idiot"
"bitch-ass motherfucker" (tip of the hat to Xzibit, on Limp Bizkit's Getcha Groove On)
Those are the main ones I use, and I must say I'm using them more and more often, so you people must be driving worse and worse these days (tisk, tisk).
There are a few descriptions
of drivers from certain areas that I'll also use:
Wisconsin drivers: "Cheese-dicks"
Southern drivers: besides the obvious "redneck," "hillbilly," etc., I also like "shit-kicker," it's a
good, all-around descriptive phrase.
Farmers: "Shit-Farmers," or "Dirt-Farmers". Hey, I give farmers a hard time, but I realize what they do is not easy, so I really do appreciate them.
Of course, I've already mentioned "Fuckin' Hoosiers"
Here's another one I holler out at 4-wheelers who are obviously starved for attention:
"I'm scared of you!" (NOT!)
Anyway, those are just a few that I can come up with off the top of my head. I'll have more "Tidbits" in future postings. If you have any favorite sayings, please share them in the "Comments" section of this blog.
More soon,
Steve
The above saying was relayed to be by one of our veteran drivers, who had heard it from an
old-timer, I guess. But isn't it true? Not a working day goes by when I don't think about this
simple phrase. I mean, it could be just pulling onto the shoulder a little to let an oversized load pass as your driving down the road, or using that empty left-turn lane as you make your right
turn in the city. Anyway, the following post (maybe more than one) are just bits & pieces that
don't fall into any particular category.
Here are some words/phrases/sayings I think to myself, or even say out loud while I'm driving:
"Any big dogs in the chute?" - Any big trucks coming down the entrance ramp (always look out for that)
"Put some giddyup on it!" - Usually I'm hollering this out to some four-wheeler I'm stuck behind (tip of the hat to Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, White Sox announcer). A related phrase is "Don't make me run this truck up yer ass!"
If I get behind someone, and I'm close, I'll say "I ain't gonna hit ya, I might cuss ya out a little, but..." or, "Not in your wildest dreams..." (Although I did almost hit some guy the other day, who couldn't decide whether or not to make a right turn)
Another one is "Kick it in the ass!" - speed up
"Break it down!" - step on the brakes
"Neighbor" - trucks next to/around me at the truckstop ("Howdy neighbor!")
"Guy wants to 'grow a pair'" - when you're trying to pass someone, and he/she all of a sudden speeds up so you can't pass, and have to duck in behind 'em.
Here's one I say as I'm backing into a spot: "Easy there, Stevie square..." it rhymes, ya know?
I always say this one as I see big trucks coming up fast from behind to pass me "Bring it on, muthafucka!"
There are some generic cuss words/names I holler at people(idiot drivers-I don't know how you can even refer to them as "people" sometimes, 4-wheelers and truckers alike) when they're doing something stupid:
"ass-wipe"
"Shit-for-brains" (my personal fave)
"shitwit"
"numbnuts"
"fucknuts"
"dumbass"
"fuckin' moron"
"fucking idiot"
"bitch-ass motherfucker" (tip of the hat to Xzibit, on Limp Bizkit's Getcha Groove On)
Those are the main ones I use, and I must say I'm using them more and more often, so you people must be driving worse and worse these days (tisk, tisk).
There are a few descriptions
of drivers from certain areas that I'll also use:
Wisconsin drivers: "Cheese-dicks"
Southern drivers: besides the obvious "redneck," "hillbilly," etc., I also like "shit-kicker," it's a
good, all-around descriptive phrase.
Farmers: "Shit-Farmers," or "Dirt-Farmers". Hey, I give farmers a hard time, but I realize what they do is not easy, so I really do appreciate them.
Of course, I've already mentioned "Fuckin' Hoosiers"
Here's another one I holler out at 4-wheelers who are obviously starved for attention:
"I'm scared of you!" (NOT!)
Anyway, those are just a few that I can come up with off the top of my head. I'll have more "Tidbits" in future postings. If you have any favorite sayings, please share them in the "Comments" section of this blog.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, March 5, 2007
Tuneage
"I'm just a crazy motherfucker, livin' it up, not giving a fuck, livin' life in the fast lane..."
Limp Bizkit - "Livin' it Up"
As you can probably guess, Limp Bizkit is my favorite band. I've really been into them for the last year, year and a half or so (new album in '07?). I'm the kind of guy who needs his music when he rides, ya know? And now, with the newer trucks (moving into the 21st century) that have CD players instead of just cassette players, I can bring my favorite CD's with and play them when I want. Some drivers prefer to drive in silence, or have their CB radios on so they can chatter (about nothing most of the time), others are content to listen to the regular radio (you can tell who's had the truck before you by turning on the radio - if it's an R&B station, chances are a black guy had it, etc.- not always). Still others, the lucky ones, have satellite radios
(maybe they're not so lucky, since they probably had to pay for it). But me, when I climb into my truck at midnite or 2:00 in the morning, I need something that's going to kick me right in the nuts, really get me going.
Yeah, I realize that my phone or my Nextel could be ringing, someone trying to reach me (why anyone would be calling in the middle of the night is beyond me), but I guess they'll just have to wait till the song is done. I remember when I used to drive to Grand Rapids in the old Volvos,
they only had cassette players, so I would bring my old classic rock tapes, which I had taped from the albums years ago. You know, Geneseis, Yes, Led Zeppelin, etc. I also had (and still have) several mix tapes, with some of my favorite tunes on them. It's funny, just within the past couple of years, I've moved away from the "classic rock" genre. Sure, I'll always stop and listen to a great Led Zeppelin song, or Pink Floyd, but I can't listen to those radio stations any more; I mean there's only so much Boston, or AC/DC that I can handle, no offense to anyone. So, I've
started getting more into "alternative" music, from the late '80's on. Bands like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, STP, Soundgarden, et al. And I like some of the newer bands as well, like Nickleback, Crossfade, Three Doors Down, Blue October, etc.
Actually, my musical tastes run the whole gambit: my dad was really into classical, so I became a nut for Mozart during the mid '80's, around the time the movie Amadeus was released.
Because I played trombone in high school and college, I got into jazz and it's offshoots early on
as well. So I'll bend my ear when a tune from Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, or Earth, Wind & Fire comes on the radio. I also really enjoy blues, R&B, even some country (although I prefer artists who are on the fringes of country, like Bonnie Raitt, Mindy Smith, even Shania Twain and
Faith Hill). I can handle just bits and pieces of rap (Cypress Hill, some Snoop Dogg, some Ice Cube, etc), but can't get into the really intense "gangsta" stuff.
I guess that's why I dig Limp Bizkit so much; they are multi-dimensional: mainly hard, "in your face" rock, but with some rap, some really sweet ballads, etc. thrown in there. I know other bands claim to be in the same genre (Korn, Linkin Park, etc.), but I think LB does it best - just my opinion. I'm no music critic, but I know what I like. To me, music falls into one of two categories: good or bad. But I remember my high school English teacher saying this: "All art is subjective." In other words, you can't say something is "good" or "bad" only that you like or don't like it. Some may not care for Mozart Symphonies, or Picasso paintings (they're morons),
while most of us love them. So "one man's trash is another man's treasure," I suppose.
It's funny - what's a 44 year-old doing listening to this kind of music? Am I trying to re-capture
my youth? Mid-age crisis? Maybe, I dunno. I just recently took my daughter to a concert in
Chicago, where the headlining band was Jack's Mannequin, with 3 (yes, I said three) opening
bands. I must have been one of about three people there over the age of, say 25. And we stood for 5 hours and, while all the bands were good (Jack's Mannequin is excellent), I was really feeling my age that night and a couple of days afterward. I mean, when there's a mosh pit going on twenty feet away from you, at my age, you know something just ain't right. My ears are still ringing, I think.
Despite all my other tastes, when it comes down "to it," I'm a rocker at heart. In fact, I love pulling into the truckstop, especially during the warmer months, so I can have my windows rolled down, just blasting "Gimme the Mic," or "Rollin" by Limp Bizkit, or some other kick-ass
tune, and watching the reaction I get from all the hillbillies ("That ain't no Hank Williams song!"
from The Blues Brothers) I laugh my ass off.
My other favorite CD these days is "Everything is Possible: The Very Best of Living Colour"
Awesome CD, awesome band - Vernon Reid is a fucking incredible guitar player. Being a frustrated guitarist myself, I really appreciate good guitarists, guys like Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Alex Lifeson, the aforementioned Mr. Reid, et al. There are too many of them to list here, but I think you know what I mean. Jimi Hendrix probably influenced all of them, ya know? So, I'll bring my Limp Bizkit, Stain'd, Living Colour, Pearl Jam, etc. all with me on the road, and I play them usually at the same points in my route every week - I'm a strange cookie. Then I have to have my mellow stuff for the end of the day, when I need to relax (Bonnie Raitt, Mindy Smith, Blue October, etc.) Heck, I'll even listen to my Beatles (still my favorite band of all time) CD's when I'm in the mood. There you have it - a reformed classic rocker!
More soon,
Steve
Limp Bizkit - "Livin' it Up"
As you can probably guess, Limp Bizkit is my favorite band. I've really been into them for the last year, year and a half or so (new album in '07?). I'm the kind of guy who needs his music when he rides, ya know? And now, with the newer trucks (moving into the 21st century) that have CD players instead of just cassette players, I can bring my favorite CD's with and play them when I want. Some drivers prefer to drive in silence, or have their CB radios on so they can chatter (about nothing most of the time), others are content to listen to the regular radio (you can tell who's had the truck before you by turning on the radio - if it's an R&B station, chances are a black guy had it, etc.- not always). Still others, the lucky ones, have satellite radios
(maybe they're not so lucky, since they probably had to pay for it). But me, when I climb into my truck at midnite or 2:00 in the morning, I need something that's going to kick me right in the nuts, really get me going.
Yeah, I realize that my phone or my Nextel could be ringing, someone trying to reach me (why anyone would be calling in the middle of the night is beyond me), but I guess they'll just have to wait till the song is done. I remember when I used to drive to Grand Rapids in the old Volvos,
they only had cassette players, so I would bring my old classic rock tapes, which I had taped from the albums years ago. You know, Geneseis, Yes, Led Zeppelin, etc. I also had (and still have) several mix tapes, with some of my favorite tunes on them. It's funny, just within the past couple of years, I've moved away from the "classic rock" genre. Sure, I'll always stop and listen to a great Led Zeppelin song, or Pink Floyd, but I can't listen to those radio stations any more; I mean there's only so much Boston, or AC/DC that I can handle, no offense to anyone. So, I've
started getting more into "alternative" music, from the late '80's on. Bands like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, STP, Soundgarden, et al. And I like some of the newer bands as well, like Nickleback, Crossfade, Three Doors Down, Blue October, etc.
Actually, my musical tastes run the whole gambit: my dad was really into classical, so I became a nut for Mozart during the mid '80's, around the time the movie Amadeus was released.
Because I played trombone in high school and college, I got into jazz and it's offshoots early on
as well. So I'll bend my ear when a tune from Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, or Earth, Wind & Fire comes on the radio. I also really enjoy blues, R&B, even some country (although I prefer artists who are on the fringes of country, like Bonnie Raitt, Mindy Smith, even Shania Twain and
Faith Hill). I can handle just bits and pieces of rap (Cypress Hill, some Snoop Dogg, some Ice Cube, etc), but can't get into the really intense "gangsta" stuff.
I guess that's why I dig Limp Bizkit so much; they are multi-dimensional: mainly hard, "in your face" rock, but with some rap, some really sweet ballads, etc. thrown in there. I know other bands claim to be in the same genre (Korn, Linkin Park, etc.), but I think LB does it best - just my opinion. I'm no music critic, but I know what I like. To me, music falls into one of two categories: good or bad. But I remember my high school English teacher saying this: "All art is subjective." In other words, you can't say something is "good" or "bad" only that you like or don't like it. Some may not care for Mozart Symphonies, or Picasso paintings (they're morons),
while most of us love them. So "one man's trash is another man's treasure," I suppose.
It's funny - what's a 44 year-old doing listening to this kind of music? Am I trying to re-capture
my youth? Mid-age crisis? Maybe, I dunno. I just recently took my daughter to a concert in
Chicago, where the headlining band was Jack's Mannequin, with 3 (yes, I said three) opening
bands. I must have been one of about three people there over the age of, say 25. And we stood for 5 hours and, while all the bands were good (Jack's Mannequin is excellent), I was really feeling my age that night and a couple of days afterward. I mean, when there's a mosh pit going on twenty feet away from you, at my age, you know something just ain't right. My ears are still ringing, I think.
Despite all my other tastes, when it comes down "to it," I'm a rocker at heart. In fact, I love pulling into the truckstop, especially during the warmer months, so I can have my windows rolled down, just blasting "Gimme the Mic," or "Rollin" by Limp Bizkit, or some other kick-ass
tune, and watching the reaction I get from all the hillbillies ("That ain't no Hank Williams song!"
from The Blues Brothers) I laugh my ass off.
My other favorite CD these days is "Everything is Possible: The Very Best of Living Colour"
Awesome CD, awesome band - Vernon Reid is a fucking incredible guitar player. Being a frustrated guitarist myself, I really appreciate good guitarists, guys like Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Alex Lifeson, the aforementioned Mr. Reid, et al. There are too many of them to list here, but I think you know what I mean. Jimi Hendrix probably influenced all of them, ya know? So, I'll bring my Limp Bizkit, Stain'd, Living Colour, Pearl Jam, etc. all with me on the road, and I play them usually at the same points in my route every week - I'm a strange cookie. Then I have to have my mellow stuff for the end of the day, when I need to relax (Bonnie Raitt, Mindy Smith, Blue October, etc.) Heck, I'll even listen to my Beatles (still my favorite band of all time) CD's when I'm in the mood. There you have it - a reformed classic rocker!
More soon,
Steve
Monday, February 26, 2007
Reefer Madness
"Light up, everybody! Join us in this celebration..." - Styx
Yeah, so, let me share with you my thoughts about reefers (refrigerated units). They're obviously a big part of the Food Service business. Naturally, customers would like to receive their refrigerated and frozen product at the proper temperature. Trouble is, it doesn't always happen like that. For you drivers who don't have to deal with them on a regular basis, let me just say "Congrats!" Also to guys/gals who just linehaul stuff from one warehouse to another, ya know, that's not terribly difficult. You just set your reefer to a particular temperature, put it on "start/stop" and go. However, for us poor bastards who have to really deal with them on a regular, continual basis, it can be kinda stressful. See, if you have nice new equipment, again, no biggie. But my company run these old ass trailers that are constantly breaking down - THAT'S
where the stress comes in. As a driver, I used to actually "care" about the customers getting their product in decent shape. Not any more. There is too much else for me to worry about out there these days; so, if the product comes in "f - ed up," oh well, at least ya got it, right? I've had sooo many problems with these things in the past, I can't even count them all - so I'll just relate a couple of them to you here.
This is what's supposed to happen: warehouse loads the frozen product into the nose of the trailer, hopefully leaving the side freezer door exposed. Often times they'll throw extra dry pieces in there they don't know what else to do with (flour, pizza boxes, etc.). That makes my
job more difficult because I have to either work around that stuff, or, more often than not, unload it first. Anyway, they (warehouse) then are supposed to put up a bulkhead (a plastic
"wall" that can be moved around inside the trailer, and which has a "door"), strap that puppy in place, then load the cooler product in the middle, another bulkhead, then the dry on the ass end.
The cooler, or "second" compartment, has a second cooling unit on the ceiling of the trailer, which can be separately turned on/off at the control panel outside. The freezer "main" unit is the important one, because if that ain't working, yer screwed. You can get by without the cooler compartment operating (just that in winter time the "fresh" veggies freeze - happens more than I care to admit), in fact sometimes you have to shut the second unit down, because it's preventing the thing from cycling properly. But I digress. The warehouse guy is then supposed to come outside, set both compartment temps, and wait there, making sure the unit is operating properly. Needless to say, this doesn't happen very often. Sometimes they just turn the thing on and walk away, or they'll set the wrong temp, or...I can't tell you how many times I've pulled up and seen either a reefer "raging" (running non-stop), or else not running at all. It blows my mind how some of these guys keep their jobs (I could go on and on about warehouse and their
screwed-up policies, behaviors, etc. - maybe in a future posting). You can set the reefer to either
run "continuously" or "start/stop" where the thing is supposed to "cycle." Cycling just means that when the "set point" is reached, the unit shuts off automatically, until the temperature climbs up to a pre-set level, where the unit then kicks in again. It's like your thermostat at home, just with two separate compartments. And it's supposed to run like that until you shut it off. The older units have a difficult time maintaining setpoints, especially in the warmer weather. They set the freezer at -4 degrees, and the cooler around 36 or so. The minus four I have a hard time with, unless you're hauling frozen yogurt and ice cream, which I can then understand (they sometimes have these thermal "boxes" to put the ice cream in, and put dry ice in a compartment inside the box - the boxes stand 6' tall, about 4' wide, and about 4' deep).
But for frozen meats and stuff, I've found that raising the temperature to 0 degrees often makes the unit run better - not as much stress, you know? Heck, I've even gone as high as 5-10 degrees, without any worries at all. My main concern is that the unit is running; only then do I
concern myself about whether it's cycling properly. Hey, as long as there's fuel in the reefer tank, it cool (no pun intended). But that's another area of concern: if you arrive for work, and you're doing a two or three-day route, and there's 1/2 tank of reefer fuel or less, then you know you're gonna have to make an extra stop for reefer fuel (that pisses me off).
I remember once being out in Iowa, and I had finished up for the day - I was shut down by Waterloo. So it's about 1:30 in the afternoon, and I go into the truckstop to have lunch. When I returned, the reefer was completely dead. I mean I tried EVERYTHING! No luck. So, I got on the phone and called her in. First, the leasing company sent out a local guy, who looked at it, then admitted to me he had no experience with this particular kind of unit. So I called again.
Basically, the only service centers were in Dubuque or Des Moines, and I'm halfway in between. They sent a guy from Des Moines. Now, understand this is like June, it's 75 degrees outside, and all my shit is melting. You could just see the water dripping out. Plus, I'm supposed to be resting, not babysitting this fucking thing. Anyway, the guy gets there about 7pm, diagnoses the problem (it was a switch or something) is there for an hour and leaves. But I'm a mess - you know, worrying about the cheese and the meat thawing out and everything. But I said absolutely nothing to my customers the next day. What they don't know (wont?) hurt them.
The other one that stands out in my mind was also up in Iowa - I had mad a delivery up in Charles City, and had stopped at the motel for the night. This was earlier in my career, so I was pretty "green" when it comes to these things. I remember I had stopped at the leasing co. maintenance shop, and the guy had looked at the reefer for some minor problem. Little did I know, he had switched the unit to run "continuously" without telling me. Now, a more seasoned driver would have caught this, but...So, I get to the motel, there's 5/8 tank of fuel, no problem, right? I go out the next morning, DEAD! The thing is out of fuel! So, I quick run down to Waterloo, and go to the nearest service center. They fucked around with that thing for hours; they had to prime the unit, ya know, and everything. I'm sitting there watching, and calling in to my guys, so they can tell the customers why I'm half a day late. I think they actually charged me with an accident (which they said they can do - "it's your job to make sure there's enough fuel, etc." BULLSHIT!)
Those are just two out of MANY incidents (most aren't that serious) in my experiences with reefers. If you're lucky, there's a service center in the general vicinity you can go to, if it's a serious problem. Sometimes, just shutting it off, and re-starting it will do the trick. You kind of learn how these things actually operate, without really knowing the mechanics, by experience, and by talking to the guys who work on them. I mean, the main unit is basically a diesel
motor with freon and a thermostat. It operates just like a regular diesel engine (battery, alternator, ignition, etc.). Not that I'm any expert on diesel engines, lol.
More soon,
Steve
Yeah, so, let me share with you my thoughts about reefers (refrigerated units). They're obviously a big part of the Food Service business. Naturally, customers would like to receive their refrigerated and frozen product at the proper temperature. Trouble is, it doesn't always happen like that. For you drivers who don't have to deal with them on a regular basis, let me just say "Congrats!" Also to guys/gals who just linehaul stuff from one warehouse to another, ya know, that's not terribly difficult. You just set your reefer to a particular temperature, put it on "start/stop" and go. However, for us poor bastards who have to really deal with them on a regular, continual basis, it can be kinda stressful. See, if you have nice new equipment, again, no biggie. But my company run these old ass trailers that are constantly breaking down - THAT'S
where the stress comes in. As a driver, I used to actually "care" about the customers getting their product in decent shape. Not any more. There is too much else for me to worry about out there these days; so, if the product comes in "f - ed up," oh well, at least ya got it, right? I've had sooo many problems with these things in the past, I can't even count them all - so I'll just relate a couple of them to you here.
This is what's supposed to happen: warehouse loads the frozen product into the nose of the trailer, hopefully leaving the side freezer door exposed. Often times they'll throw extra dry pieces in there they don't know what else to do with (flour, pizza boxes, etc.). That makes my
job more difficult because I have to either work around that stuff, or, more often than not, unload it first. Anyway, they (warehouse) then are supposed to put up a bulkhead (a plastic
"wall" that can be moved around inside the trailer, and which has a "door"), strap that puppy in place, then load the cooler product in the middle, another bulkhead, then the dry on the ass end.
The cooler, or "second" compartment, has a second cooling unit on the ceiling of the trailer, which can be separately turned on/off at the control panel outside. The freezer "main" unit is the important one, because if that ain't working, yer screwed. You can get by without the cooler compartment operating (just that in winter time the "fresh" veggies freeze - happens more than I care to admit), in fact sometimes you have to shut the second unit down, because it's preventing the thing from cycling properly. But I digress. The warehouse guy is then supposed to come outside, set both compartment temps, and wait there, making sure the unit is operating properly. Needless to say, this doesn't happen very often. Sometimes they just turn the thing on and walk away, or they'll set the wrong temp, or...I can't tell you how many times I've pulled up and seen either a reefer "raging" (running non-stop), or else not running at all. It blows my mind how some of these guys keep their jobs (I could go on and on about warehouse and their
screwed-up policies, behaviors, etc. - maybe in a future posting). You can set the reefer to either
run "continuously" or "start/stop" where the thing is supposed to "cycle." Cycling just means that when the "set point" is reached, the unit shuts off automatically, until the temperature climbs up to a pre-set level, where the unit then kicks in again. It's like your thermostat at home, just with two separate compartments. And it's supposed to run like that until you shut it off. The older units have a difficult time maintaining setpoints, especially in the warmer weather. They set the freezer at -4 degrees, and the cooler around 36 or so. The minus four I have a hard time with, unless you're hauling frozen yogurt and ice cream, which I can then understand (they sometimes have these thermal "boxes" to put the ice cream in, and put dry ice in a compartment inside the box - the boxes stand 6' tall, about 4' wide, and about 4' deep).
But for frozen meats and stuff, I've found that raising the temperature to 0 degrees often makes the unit run better - not as much stress, you know? Heck, I've even gone as high as 5-10 degrees, without any worries at all. My main concern is that the unit is running; only then do I
concern myself about whether it's cycling properly. Hey, as long as there's fuel in the reefer tank, it cool (no pun intended). But that's another area of concern: if you arrive for work, and you're doing a two or three-day route, and there's 1/2 tank of reefer fuel or less, then you know you're gonna have to make an extra stop for reefer fuel (that pisses me off).
I remember once being out in Iowa, and I had finished up for the day - I was shut down by Waterloo. So it's about 1:30 in the afternoon, and I go into the truckstop to have lunch. When I returned, the reefer was completely dead. I mean I tried EVERYTHING! No luck. So, I got on the phone and called her in. First, the leasing company sent out a local guy, who looked at it, then admitted to me he had no experience with this particular kind of unit. So I called again.
Basically, the only service centers were in Dubuque or Des Moines, and I'm halfway in between. They sent a guy from Des Moines. Now, understand this is like June, it's 75 degrees outside, and all my shit is melting. You could just see the water dripping out. Plus, I'm supposed to be resting, not babysitting this fucking thing. Anyway, the guy gets there about 7pm, diagnoses the problem (it was a switch or something) is there for an hour and leaves. But I'm a mess - you know, worrying about the cheese and the meat thawing out and everything. But I said absolutely nothing to my customers the next day. What they don't know (wont?) hurt them.
The other one that stands out in my mind was also up in Iowa - I had mad a delivery up in Charles City, and had stopped at the motel for the night. This was earlier in my career, so I was pretty "green" when it comes to these things. I remember I had stopped at the leasing co. maintenance shop, and the guy had looked at the reefer for some minor problem. Little did I know, he had switched the unit to run "continuously" without telling me. Now, a more seasoned driver would have caught this, but...So, I get to the motel, there's 5/8 tank of fuel, no problem, right? I go out the next morning, DEAD! The thing is out of fuel! So, I quick run down to Waterloo, and go to the nearest service center. They fucked around with that thing for hours; they had to prime the unit, ya know, and everything. I'm sitting there watching, and calling in to my guys, so they can tell the customers why I'm half a day late. I think they actually charged me with an accident (which they said they can do - "it's your job to make sure there's enough fuel, etc." BULLSHIT!)
Those are just two out of MANY incidents (most aren't that serious) in my experiences with reefers. If you're lucky, there's a service center in the general vicinity you can go to, if it's a serious problem. Sometimes, just shutting it off, and re-starting it will do the trick. You kind of learn how these things actually operate, without really knowing the mechanics, by experience, and by talking to the guys who work on them. I mean, the main unit is basically a diesel
motor with freon and a thermostat. It operates just like a regular diesel engine (battery, alternator, ignition, etc.). Not that I'm any expert on diesel engines, lol.
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Back in the Saddle
"I'm back in the saddle again..." - Aerosmith
After four months of basically nightmarish trucking work, I decided to come back to the lesser
of the evils. Sure, I could have explored other "types" of trucking (and there are many), but I
chose to go back to the familiar, the comfortable. See, despite the "back-breaking" nature of this type of work, actually knowing where you're going every week is something very comforting. I
can't speak for other truck drivers out there, but my biggest fear while driving (besides a major accident) is getting lost. That was another headache with the P&D company: we were just given
addresses, no real directions, so we had to find the general location on our atlas, then just hope
the place is/was in the vicinity. Sometimes you could call the dispatcher, who, if he/she didn't know the location, could call the customer for you and get directions. But that's a real pain in the ass, you know? And, to be more efficient, you're trying to do all this while driving - not the safest situation in the world. At least in the foodservice joint, you know where the stores are, or have written directions to each location if you don't.
The other advantage to being in food service (and I've mentioned this before) is that much
of our work is done in the wee hours of the night/morning, so you don't have to deal with a million people on the roads. Sometimes coming back from the north shore to the southwest side at 6:00 - 7:00 in the evening was a complete nightmare. Those of you who have driven in and around Chicago can attest. I mean, the Edens southbound, to the Kennedy southbound, to the Stevenson southbound could sometimes take an hour and a half or more. Many, many cursewords would be flying out of my mouth as I witnessed one idiotic maneuver after another.
So I came back. My boss, Frank (not his real name) was able to get me a decent returning salary, but as far as seniority was concerned, I had to start at the bottom. That meant that
there were guys that I trained who were ahead of me on the "totem pole." Nothing I could do about it. I wasn't the only one who "came back," either; several guys were in the same boat (at different times) and, like me, discovered the grass wasn't greener on the other side. Hey, as long as you left the company on good terms (gave 2 weeks notice, etc.), they were happy to have you back. With a serious driver shortage approaching, guys who knew the system and the products were invaluable.
The other nice thing about coming back was that they had finally established some new leases
for some brand-new trucks and trailers; nice, new Freightliner and Volvo trucks (by different
leasing companies) and new 48' trailers with the company logo on the side. I actually noticed the new equipment four months before as I was leaving the company. Now I was able to operate the new trucks/trailers with a much lessened fear of breakdowns. It's a nice feeling to know your chances of a mechanical failure are diminished because you have some decent equipment!
The trucks were all 10-speeds; the Volvos acted a bit differently than the Freightliners, but you
learned to adapt to whatever truck you had. Probably the nicest thing was that the new trailers
had functioning interior lights, so you could see what the hell you were doing in the middle of the night, not to mention the reefers. I'll talk in detail about reefers in an upcoming post, so stay with me. The 48-footers were not much different than the older, 45-foot trailers, just as 53-footers aren't much different than 48'. So we can drive just about anything and feel comfortable.
The sleepers were still the "light" variety, with the bunk being pretty much directly behind the front seats. In this respect, the Freightliners offer a little more breathing room, but you still can't stand up in 'em. They aren't "condo" units, like most OTR drivers run (no upper bunk, etc).
Anyway, like when I first started, I had to do some B.S. stuff at first when I came back; primarily the "specials" that we ran in the straight trucks or maybe with a pup-trailer; doing backhauls of cheese, or tomato sauce or flour. Eventually I got a route (my old Iowa route, which I still do to this day), and I was satisfied. We also got new uniforms ("monkey suits" I like to call them), but it's better than wearing out your own clothes. Some guys just refuse to wear
them, like they're too good, or their shit don't stink, I dunno. I guess I just felt (like I'm sure we all do) a need to belong, you know? And, until I win the lottery, or someone pisses me off to the point of physical violence, I belong here...
More soon,
Steve
After four months of basically nightmarish trucking work, I decided to come back to the lesser
of the evils. Sure, I could have explored other "types" of trucking (and there are many), but I
chose to go back to the familiar, the comfortable. See, despite the "back-breaking" nature of this type of work, actually knowing where you're going every week is something very comforting. I
can't speak for other truck drivers out there, but my biggest fear while driving (besides a major accident) is getting lost. That was another headache with the P&D company: we were just given
addresses, no real directions, so we had to find the general location on our atlas, then just hope
the place is/was in the vicinity. Sometimes you could call the dispatcher, who, if he/she didn't know the location, could call the customer for you and get directions. But that's a real pain in the ass, you know? And, to be more efficient, you're trying to do all this while driving - not the safest situation in the world. At least in the foodservice joint, you know where the stores are, or have written directions to each location if you don't.
The other advantage to being in food service (and I've mentioned this before) is that much
of our work is done in the wee hours of the night/morning, so you don't have to deal with a million people on the roads. Sometimes coming back from the north shore to the southwest side at 6:00 - 7:00 in the evening was a complete nightmare. Those of you who have driven in and around Chicago can attest. I mean, the Edens southbound, to the Kennedy southbound, to the Stevenson southbound could sometimes take an hour and a half or more. Many, many cursewords would be flying out of my mouth as I witnessed one idiotic maneuver after another.
So I came back. My boss, Frank (not his real name) was able to get me a decent returning salary, but as far as seniority was concerned, I had to start at the bottom. That meant that
there were guys that I trained who were ahead of me on the "totem pole." Nothing I could do about it. I wasn't the only one who "came back," either; several guys were in the same boat (at different times) and, like me, discovered the grass wasn't greener on the other side. Hey, as long as you left the company on good terms (gave 2 weeks notice, etc.), they were happy to have you back. With a serious driver shortage approaching, guys who knew the system and the products were invaluable.
The other nice thing about coming back was that they had finally established some new leases
for some brand-new trucks and trailers; nice, new Freightliner and Volvo trucks (by different
leasing companies) and new 48' trailers with the company logo on the side. I actually noticed the new equipment four months before as I was leaving the company. Now I was able to operate the new trucks/trailers with a much lessened fear of breakdowns. It's a nice feeling to know your chances of a mechanical failure are diminished because you have some decent equipment!
The trucks were all 10-speeds; the Volvos acted a bit differently than the Freightliners, but you
learned to adapt to whatever truck you had. Probably the nicest thing was that the new trailers
had functioning interior lights, so you could see what the hell you were doing in the middle of the night, not to mention the reefers. I'll talk in detail about reefers in an upcoming post, so stay with me. The 48-footers were not much different than the older, 45-foot trailers, just as 53-footers aren't much different than 48'. So we can drive just about anything and feel comfortable.
The sleepers were still the "light" variety, with the bunk being pretty much directly behind the front seats. In this respect, the Freightliners offer a little more breathing room, but you still can't stand up in 'em. They aren't "condo" units, like most OTR drivers run (no upper bunk, etc).
Anyway, like when I first started, I had to do some B.S. stuff at first when I came back; primarily the "specials" that we ran in the straight trucks or maybe with a pup-trailer; doing backhauls of cheese, or tomato sauce or flour. Eventually I got a route (my old Iowa route, which I still do to this day), and I was satisfied. We also got new uniforms ("monkey suits" I like to call them), but it's better than wearing out your own clothes. Some guys just refuse to wear
them, like they're too good, or their shit don't stink, I dunno. I guess I just felt (like I'm sure we all do) a need to belong, you know? And, until I win the lottery, or someone pisses me off to the point of physical violence, I belong here...
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The Other Side
I'm baaack! Jury duty is over...for a year, anyway
They say "The grass is always greener on the other side." Well, I've been there, and it ain't
pretty. Now we're at the end of 2004, and I'm pretty much miserable - frustrated with the back-breaking job I'm working, pissed off about the prospect of another winter in Michigan.
So, I polish up the ol' resume, and start looking around. That's the one thing about this business - there are always people looking for drivers, sometimes more than others. It's like nurses - there always seems to be a need for experienced pros. I went out on a couple of interviews; I
remember one was a union job driving dump trucks, hauling gravel out of the Thornton Quarry.
I went in at like 7:00am; it was cold as hell, and I remember firing up this old Kenworth (must have been 100 years old), backing up to a gravel trailer and taking off for the quarry, my "road tester" watching my every move. That road test didn't go so well, and I didn't get the job. But there was another outfit that did offer me a job - and I took it!
Looking back, it was probably a mistake to accept the first job that was offered to me, but I
felt a sense of desperation, so I went for it. This was a smaller, family-owned company based in the south (I won't mention their name here), that was doing local P&D (pick-up and delivery)
in the Chicago area. Like many of the larger outfits (Yellow, FedEx, Watkins, et al), they would send us out on deliveries in the morning, and once the deliveries were done, we would go do pickups in the afternoon. All the logistics were done from the warehouse. However, unlike the larger companies, we would make deliveries in some unusual locations (nursing homes, country
clubs, even at people's homes). Undestand I'm driving a day-cab pulling a 13'6" high, 48' trailer,
and trying to wedge myself into some of these places was, let's say, a "challenge." They had a
couple of pup trailers, and one straight truck, which were always busy. So, we were forced to attempt the deliveries best we could under the circumstances.
I was assigned the near North Shore area (Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Glenview, north side, etc),
which was no picnic, let me tell you. I was "filling in" for an older driver, who had been on sick leave due to surgey of some sort. We would arrive at the base about, I dunno, 7:30, mandatory meeting at 8:00, and then assigned a trailer, given our paperwork, etc. The trucks were basically permanently assigned to us, so that was no worry (although we did have to turn our keys in each day). The trailers were all supposed to be loaded and ready to go when our meeting broke about 8:30, but it was rare that they were. I remember days waiting hours before I had a load ready to go. They might have to wait for another truck/trailer to come in and get unloaded.
Needless to say, the warehouse operations wasn't the most efficient in the world.
Then we would take off. It was usually an hour or so for me to get from the near southwest side to my first stop up north. Don't get me wrong: most of our stops were at actual companies, with actual docks we could back up to. You just had to learn the "procedure" at each one; sometimes you'd have to check in first, sometimes you'd have to wait for other trucks that "beat" you there, you might have to back in from the right side, and so on. I actually became pretty good at "blind-side" backing, which is a helluva lot easier with a day cab, where you could look out the back window (you had to make sure the window was clean - in the winter, salt dirties it up bigtime). Nonetheless, I did get into a couple fender-bender type accidents (no injuries, minimal damage at low speeds). Once I took down a tree branch in front of some guy's house. It was a pretty substantial branch, and it fell right on top of the cab. The person wasn't home (Thank God), so I removed the branch and took off. I would make sure to call dispatch in cases like this,
to cover my ass. Another time I was backing down an alley, and brought down a telephone wire that was hanging too low. And on a couple of occasions, while backing in from the blind side I cracked up the driver's side front quarter panel, which included the headlight housing, because I was not paying attention to both sides. I remember duct taping the fuck out of that headlight and housing to keep it in position (the headlight still worked!) Another driver even lent me some packaging tape one time, so I could reinforce the taped area. Nice guy! I almost took out a traffic
light standard at Devon and Western trying to make a right turn, from the right turn lane! (silly motherfucker!) Those right turns in the city are always fun, as are the low overpasses. As a driver, you soon find out which streets are "friendly" and which aren't (Thank God for Foster Ave.) The south side boasts(?) of having a lot of them, but the north side has many also, especially the city of Evanston - a truck-driver's nightmare! There is really only one street (that I know of) to enter the town, and you must be aware of exactly what streets you're taking to arrive at your destination. The east-west streets are the ones that pose a danger, due to the north-south elevated train tracks. Those are the underpasses that cause problems. I was on Howard St., heading eastbound toward the lake, and passed my delivery address. Lo and behold directly in front of me was a 12'6' or something overpass. What to do? This is a busy city street, one lane each direction, with cars parked along both sides. Fortunately, I was able to pull into a gas station on the left, and, with the help of a "street person" holding up traffic, I managed to back across into the parking lot of the garden center across the street, then pull out heading the opposite direction. Not fun. I had a few situations like that. Of course, I'm, cursing and swearing the whole time. WTF!
Believe it or not, the tricky situations I was put into was not my biggest complaint with this outfit: no, it was that they did not pay overtime! Can you believe that? You go out there, put into a fucking meat grinder, and just get paid straight time for all hours worked. You worked until all the work was done, even if you had to double-stack pallets, cramming stuff in any way possible. I had taken a pay cut to move over to this company, and I remember the manager dude telling me they didn't pay overtime. And I still took the job! Now, I ask you, is that sane? My wife was, obviously, livid. We got paid weekly, and I was bringing home $400-500 checks. It was not a good situation, and I'm actually surprised I hung in there as long as I did. After three months, though I was, again, looking around. I had actually been back in touch with my former boss, Frank, who was looking to see if he could fit me back in...
More soon,
Steve
They say "The grass is always greener on the other side." Well, I've been there, and it ain't
pretty. Now we're at the end of 2004, and I'm pretty much miserable - frustrated with the back-breaking job I'm working, pissed off about the prospect of another winter in Michigan.
So, I polish up the ol' resume, and start looking around. That's the one thing about this business - there are always people looking for drivers, sometimes more than others. It's like nurses - there always seems to be a need for experienced pros. I went out on a couple of interviews; I
remember one was a union job driving dump trucks, hauling gravel out of the Thornton Quarry.
I went in at like 7:00am; it was cold as hell, and I remember firing up this old Kenworth (must have been 100 years old), backing up to a gravel trailer and taking off for the quarry, my "road tester" watching my every move. That road test didn't go so well, and I didn't get the job. But there was another outfit that did offer me a job - and I took it!
Looking back, it was probably a mistake to accept the first job that was offered to me, but I
felt a sense of desperation, so I went for it. This was a smaller, family-owned company based in the south (I won't mention their name here), that was doing local P&D (pick-up and delivery)
in the Chicago area. Like many of the larger outfits (Yellow, FedEx, Watkins, et al), they would send us out on deliveries in the morning, and once the deliveries were done, we would go do pickups in the afternoon. All the logistics were done from the warehouse. However, unlike the larger companies, we would make deliveries in some unusual locations (nursing homes, country
clubs, even at people's homes). Undestand I'm driving a day-cab pulling a 13'6" high, 48' trailer,
and trying to wedge myself into some of these places was, let's say, a "challenge." They had a
couple of pup trailers, and one straight truck, which were always busy. So, we were forced to attempt the deliveries best we could under the circumstances.
I was assigned the near North Shore area (Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Glenview, north side, etc),
which was no picnic, let me tell you. I was "filling in" for an older driver, who had been on sick leave due to surgey of some sort. We would arrive at the base about, I dunno, 7:30, mandatory meeting at 8:00, and then assigned a trailer, given our paperwork, etc. The trucks were basically permanently assigned to us, so that was no worry (although we did have to turn our keys in each day). The trailers were all supposed to be loaded and ready to go when our meeting broke about 8:30, but it was rare that they were. I remember days waiting hours before I had a load ready to go. They might have to wait for another truck/trailer to come in and get unloaded.
Needless to say, the warehouse operations wasn't the most efficient in the world.
Then we would take off. It was usually an hour or so for me to get from the near southwest side to my first stop up north. Don't get me wrong: most of our stops were at actual companies, with actual docks we could back up to. You just had to learn the "procedure" at each one; sometimes you'd have to check in first, sometimes you'd have to wait for other trucks that "beat" you there, you might have to back in from the right side, and so on. I actually became pretty good at "blind-side" backing, which is a helluva lot easier with a day cab, where you could look out the back window (you had to make sure the window was clean - in the winter, salt dirties it up bigtime). Nonetheless, I did get into a couple fender-bender type accidents (no injuries, minimal damage at low speeds). Once I took down a tree branch in front of some guy's house. It was a pretty substantial branch, and it fell right on top of the cab. The person wasn't home (Thank God), so I removed the branch and took off. I would make sure to call dispatch in cases like this,
to cover my ass. Another time I was backing down an alley, and brought down a telephone wire that was hanging too low. And on a couple of occasions, while backing in from the blind side I cracked up the driver's side front quarter panel, which included the headlight housing, because I was not paying attention to both sides. I remember duct taping the fuck out of that headlight and housing to keep it in position (the headlight still worked!) Another driver even lent me some packaging tape one time, so I could reinforce the taped area. Nice guy! I almost took out a traffic
light standard at Devon and Western trying to make a right turn, from the right turn lane! (silly motherfucker!) Those right turns in the city are always fun, as are the low overpasses. As a driver, you soon find out which streets are "friendly" and which aren't (Thank God for Foster Ave.) The south side boasts(?) of having a lot of them, but the north side has many also, especially the city of Evanston - a truck-driver's nightmare! There is really only one street (that I know of) to enter the town, and you must be aware of exactly what streets you're taking to arrive at your destination. The east-west streets are the ones that pose a danger, due to the north-south elevated train tracks. Those are the underpasses that cause problems. I was on Howard St., heading eastbound toward the lake, and passed my delivery address. Lo and behold directly in front of me was a 12'6' or something overpass. What to do? This is a busy city street, one lane each direction, with cars parked along both sides. Fortunately, I was able to pull into a gas station on the left, and, with the help of a "street person" holding up traffic, I managed to back across into the parking lot of the garden center across the street, then pull out heading the opposite direction. Not fun. I had a few situations like that. Of course, I'm, cursing and swearing the whole time. WTF!
Believe it or not, the tricky situations I was put into was not my biggest complaint with this outfit: no, it was that they did not pay overtime! Can you believe that? You go out there, put into a fucking meat grinder, and just get paid straight time for all hours worked. You worked until all the work was done, even if you had to double-stack pallets, cramming stuff in any way possible. I had taken a pay cut to move over to this company, and I remember the manager dude telling me they didn't pay overtime. And I still took the job! Now, I ask you, is that sane? My wife was, obviously, livid. We got paid weekly, and I was bringing home $400-500 checks. It was not a good situation, and I'm actually surprised I hung in there as long as I did. After three months, though I was, again, looking around. I had actually been back in touch with my former boss, Frank, who was looking to see if he could fit me back in...
More soon,
Steve
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