Hey everybody,
I mentioned the Big Kahuna before, and I am all in on this amazing opportunity. It will change your life, if you believe in yourself and apply the concepts. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, rich or poor, educated or not. All you need is the desire to change your life. But there is more, much more.
I believe in helping as many people as I can, and there is a world of information and opportunity out there. If you engage with me, and let me know about yourself and what your needs are, I will be able to offer other programs that are more affordable to the average person. Your only job is to MARKET!
In other words, get other people to join under you. You do this through social media. There are paid sources of traffic I would be happy to share with you if you join me. But you CAN start with free traffic sources. Facebook and Instagram are the best ways, but Twitter is good as well. LinkedIn may be a possibility, but you must have the right message.
I will be bringing new opportunities to my website within the next few weeks, so keep your eyes open. The money is right at your fingertips, all you have to do is take ACTION!
I am always on the lookout for business opportunities, and I am always ready to engage with you, just drop me a line. My social media links are on my site. I am easy to get a hold of.
My website is www.shamilton.co
Skype: trucker4572
email: insanetruckdriver@gmail.com
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Friday, August 25, 2017
The Big Kahuna
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For years, even before the internet (some of you may remember that), I have been looking for ways to make money from home. Back then, we had things like chain letters (which turned out to be illegal), mlm, real estate ponzi schemes, and the like. I have spent literally hundreds of dollars on books, tapes cd's, and dvd's making these get rich quick promises. Of course, they were all lies, and I never earned a dime back.
More recently, after I hurt my back in 2011, I looked at, and became, an Amazon seller. That is not a bad business to get into, but you really need to know what you are doing, and the support I got was less than ideal. Also, the profit margins on the products you sell are not that great, meaning you have to sell a whole lot to rank and make a good profit. Amazon is very particular. They change their Terms of Service on a regular basis, and without notice, so you need to be super vigilant in order not to get blackballed from seller central. I made a few bucks on Amazon, it was going quite well, but not well enough to replace my income from my job. After a couple of years, and a series of business blunders on my part, the business has ground to a halt. I am still technically a seller, but only get a sale once in a while.
I was depressed about the whole Amazon fiasco, but I never lost hope. I knew deep in my bones that there was an opportunity out there that would make me rich. I have finally found it. I call it "The Big Kahuna," although it is called something else in real life (you'll have to join to find out.) This is the one I've been searching for: it has everything a good company should have. Great people to provide answers to any questions you may have. A profitable pay structure that you can start earning from within a matter of days. Live events to actually meet the successful people who are building 6, 7 even 8 figure incomes from this program.
I am currently building my team. I am seeking people who are sick and tired of the 9-5 grind, truckers who are sick and tired of all the BS in their line of work, and working people who can't seem to make ends meet. Not month at the end of your money? Consider joining me, and let's start an adventure together. Click the link below for more info.
More soon,
Steve
www.shamilton.co
For years, even before the internet (some of you may remember that), I have been looking for ways to make money from home. Back then, we had things like chain letters (which turned out to be illegal), mlm, real estate ponzi schemes, and the like. I have spent literally hundreds of dollars on books, tapes cd's, and dvd's making these get rich quick promises. Of course, they were all lies, and I never earned a dime back.
More recently, after I hurt my back in 2011, I looked at, and became, an Amazon seller. That is not a bad business to get into, but you really need to know what you are doing, and the support I got was less than ideal. Also, the profit margins on the products you sell are not that great, meaning you have to sell a whole lot to rank and make a good profit. Amazon is very particular. They change their Terms of Service on a regular basis, and without notice, so you need to be super vigilant in order not to get blackballed from seller central. I made a few bucks on Amazon, it was going quite well, but not well enough to replace my income from my job. After a couple of years, and a series of business blunders on my part, the business has ground to a halt. I am still technically a seller, but only get a sale once in a while.
I was depressed about the whole Amazon fiasco, but I never lost hope. I knew deep in my bones that there was an opportunity out there that would make me rich. I have finally found it. I call it "The Big Kahuna," although it is called something else in real life (you'll have to join to find out.) This is the one I've been searching for: it has everything a good company should have. Great people to provide answers to any questions you may have. A profitable pay structure that you can start earning from within a matter of days. Live events to actually meet the successful people who are building 6, 7 even 8 figure incomes from this program.
I am currently building my team. I am seeking people who are sick and tired of the 9-5 grind, truckers who are sick and tired of all the BS in their line of work, and working people who can't seem to make ends meet. Not month at the end of your money? Consider joining me, and let's start an adventure together. Click the link below for more info.
More soon,
Steve
www.shamilton.co
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Lateral Moves
Ok, so this is gonna sound counter-intuitive, but I'm changing jobs. You know what JOB is an acronym for? Just Over Broke. And I'm changing mine. You may as "Who does this guy think he is, telling us about getting rich, and he's still working?" or something to that effect. Well, I just couldn't see myself unloading trailers any more, so I found a job where I can just drop & hook and drive. No, I am not a success yet, but I have the desire and the will to make it happen. Do you?
Remember the Big Kahuna I was talking about? Well, the ocean is starting to shift and swell, and that big wave is getting ready, so don't get left behind on this thing. I can assure you, that I am ALL IN on becoming rich with this program, even if I don't know all the nuts & bolts techie stuff just yet. That stuff will come, you just need the hunger and desire to go get it. Will it be easy? No, no one said it would, but nothing in life worth having is easy.
If you are serious about joining me and my team, please sign up on my mailing list. You will receive a link to a very special video which will describe this incredible opportunity for you.
Do you want to be your own boss, and get off those dangerous highways? Think about it. Wouldn't your family appreciate it if you were around more often? Wouldn't you love to have a business that runs all by itself, cranking out cash for you, while you're on the lake fishing or watching your kids play? That's what we have here
As for me, I will work this new job until I can afford to quit trucking for good, and that day can't come soon enough, no offense guys and gals. That's just how I feel.
More soon,
Steve
Remember the Big Kahuna I was talking about? Well, the ocean is starting to shift and swell, and that big wave is getting ready, so don't get left behind on this thing. I can assure you, that I am ALL IN on becoming rich with this program, even if I don't know all the nuts & bolts techie stuff just yet. That stuff will come, you just need the hunger and desire to go get it. Will it be easy? No, no one said it would, but nothing in life worth having is easy.
If you are serious about joining me and my team, please sign up on my mailing list. You will receive a link to a very special video which will describe this incredible opportunity for you.
Do you want to be your own boss, and get off those dangerous highways? Think about it. Wouldn't your family appreciate it if you were around more often? Wouldn't you love to have a business that runs all by itself, cranking out cash for you, while you're on the lake fishing or watching your kids play? That's what we have here
As for me, I will work this new job until I can afford to quit trucking for good, and that day can't come soon enough, no offense guys and gals. That's just how I feel.
More soon,
Steve
Friday, July 21, 2017
I'm Baaaack!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I know I've been gone for a while. I got injured back in February of 2011, and was laid up for over a year. It was not a happy time in my life, but it made me look at my future and make some hard decisions. Then I got involved with a business that ultimately failed, and I wound up losing a lot of money.
Did you choose trucking, or did trucking choose you? I know for a lot of you reading this, trucking chose you: It is in your blood, you were born to drive, and couldn't see yourself doing anything else.
To these people I say "God Bless You."
However, there are those of you like me who chose trucking. For me, it was a means to an end. I learned how to drive a big rig, got my CDL, and went to work. I made a decent living at it, put food on the family table, and kept a roof over our heads. Sure, I made a few mistakes along the way, but I'd say I've done a pretty good job But unloading trailers over the last 15 years has taken its toll on my body, and I'm looking to get out. The roads are getting more and more dangerous from where I sit.
Let me make something clear: I am not trying to convince you to quit your job or get out of trucking.
On the contrary, we need good drivers out there. Maybe you know someone who is unhappy with their life, perhaps a friend or relative, maybe even your wife. Maybe someone is not living up to their full potential. It is to those people that this site speaks.
The business that I'm going to show you costs peanuts to join, gives you not only one-on-one tutoring, but you become part of a team of like-minded small business owners who are willing and able to help you achieve success. They come from all walks of life, and are from all over the world. The one thing we all have in common is the desire to help each other out.
So please accept this gift from me as a token of friendship, a welcome handshake if you will. Just put your name and email in the box and I will send you the free ebook "Web Marketing For Dummies," a 400 page guide worth $40. Then, when the time is right, I will unveil this new program to you. Keep in touch with me. I am all over the interwebs, and together we will make each other rich.
More soon,
Steve
I know I've been gone for a while. I got injured back in February of 2011, and was laid up for over a year. It was not a happy time in my life, but it made me look at my future and make some hard decisions. Then I got involved with a business that ultimately failed, and I wound up losing a lot of money.
Did you choose trucking, or did trucking choose you? I know for a lot of you reading this, trucking chose you: It is in your blood, you were born to drive, and couldn't see yourself doing anything else.
To these people I say "God Bless You."
However, there are those of you like me who chose trucking. For me, it was a means to an end. I learned how to drive a big rig, got my CDL, and went to work. I made a decent living at it, put food on the family table, and kept a roof over our heads. Sure, I made a few mistakes along the way, but I'd say I've done a pretty good job But unloading trailers over the last 15 years has taken its toll on my body, and I'm looking to get out. The roads are getting more and more dangerous from where I sit.
Let me make something clear: I am not trying to convince you to quit your job or get out of trucking.
On the contrary, we need good drivers out there. Maybe you know someone who is unhappy with their life, perhaps a friend or relative, maybe even your wife. Maybe someone is not living up to their full potential. It is to those people that this site speaks.
The business that I'm going to show you costs peanuts to join, gives you not only one-on-one tutoring, but you become part of a team of like-minded small business owners who are willing and able to help you achieve success. They come from all walks of life, and are from all over the world. The one thing we all have in common is the desire to help each other out.
So please accept this gift from me as a token of friendship, a welcome handshake if you will. Just put your name and email in the box and I will send you the free ebook "Web Marketing For Dummies," a 400 page guide worth $40. Then, when the time is right, I will unveil this new program to you. Keep in touch with me. I am all over the interwebs, and together we will make each other rich.
More soon,
Steve
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Just an Update
So, I haven't posted to this thing in a while, as you can see. I ran out of B.S., basically (who, me?)
I've been spending a lot of time on Twitter lately, so, if you're on there, hit me @insanetruckdriv.
I've been thinking about some phrases I've used, not only to describe other "drivers" out there, but stupid little rhymes I say to myself. For example, when backing the truck into a door, I'll say "Easy there, Stevie Square," or "One-shot Charlie is in the house!" (if I back up perfectly, without pulling up.) Of course, if I don't get it right (nobody's perfect) I'll say "One-shot Charlie doesn't live here any more. Sometimes, I'll say "Break it down, Charlie Brown," if I'm on an exit ramp, see a cop, that kind of thing.
Here are some expressions I use when describing other drivers: Warning! Explicit!
1) "Perhaps you'll grow a brain some day - not today, fortunately"
2) "Please don't be a Douchebag. Ooops, too late!"
3) "If you have the cojones to pass me, go ahead! Otherwise, get off my ass!"
4) "Slowpokes in front, Speed Demons riding my ass"
5) Various other unpleasantries
Hey, am I the world's best driver? No, but at least I use a little common sense. You know, I've said this before: 55mph is an antiquated system, we all realize that. I try to be some where in the middle, between the "Nervous Nellies" and the "Speed Demons." More and more, it seems, I'm the one being passed, rather than passing others.
George Carlin, one of my all-time favorite comedians, described driving perfectly: "Anyone who drives slower than you is a moron, and anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac!" I've modified that to: "Anyone that drives faster than me is a Douchebag, and anyone that drives slower than me is a Turd Ferguson"
Crazy drivers, we all have to live with them. If you are one of them, I only have one thing to say: SIMMER THE FUCK DOWN, ASSHOLE!
More soon?
Steve
I've been spending a lot of time on Twitter lately, so, if you're on there, hit me @insanetruckdriv.
I've been thinking about some phrases I've used, not only to describe other "drivers" out there, but stupid little rhymes I say to myself. For example, when backing the truck into a door, I'll say "Easy there, Stevie Square," or "One-shot Charlie is in the house!" (if I back up perfectly, without pulling up.) Of course, if I don't get it right (nobody's perfect) I'll say "One-shot Charlie doesn't live here any more. Sometimes, I'll say "Break it down, Charlie Brown," if I'm on an exit ramp, see a cop, that kind of thing.
Here are some expressions I use when describing other drivers: Warning! Explicit!
1) "Perhaps you'll grow a brain some day - not today, fortunately"
2) "Please don't be a Douchebag. Ooops, too late!"
3) "If you have the cojones to pass me, go ahead! Otherwise, get off my ass!"
4) "Slowpokes in front, Speed Demons riding my ass"
5) Various other unpleasantries
Hey, am I the world's best driver? No, but at least I use a little common sense. You know, I've said this before: 55mph is an antiquated system, we all realize that. I try to be some where in the middle, between the "Nervous Nellies" and the "Speed Demons." More and more, it seems, I'm the one being passed, rather than passing others.
George Carlin, one of my all-time favorite comedians, described driving perfectly: "Anyone who drives slower than you is a moron, and anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac!" I've modified that to: "Anyone that drives faster than me is a Douchebag, and anyone that drives slower than me is a Turd Ferguson"
Crazy drivers, we all have to live with them. If you are one of them, I only have one thing to say: SIMMER THE FUCK DOWN, ASSHOLE!
More soon?
Steve
Monday, August 24, 2009
Time & Space
"If you have the space, take it!" - old truck driver's axiom
I know I've used the phrase above before, but it's actually very important; we, as truckers/drivers are managers: of our own time and space. It's important as we're driving down the road, to make sure we are aware of everything around our vehicle (Trucking 101). Even moreso with me, I have to manage the space inside my trailer, since I'm in there half the time I'm working (probably more). So, I'm constantly moving empty pallets out of the way, clearing out garbage, cardboard, etc. to allow more room to maneuver. It gets especially important during the winter months, when your footing becomes absolutely crucial. The absolute LAST thing you want is to lose your balance as you're bringing a heavy load down the ramp.
Time is another thing. I know most of you experienced drivers out there know how to manage your 14 hours/11 driving, and it's very important. Of course, if you run paper logs you can always fudge the numbers. Heck, I've done it myself. Just don't get caught! ; )
Recently, I've had a different problem; we use onboard recorders, so it's impossible to cheat. I mean, my routes are usually 10-12 hrs at MOST, so I sometimes "pad" my hours, by staying on duty, once I get to the truckstop. Problem is, I get distracted, and forget to go into the berth (on the computer), and by the time I realize it, it's too late. So, I wind up starting too soon, which puts me in violation for TWO days, not just one. There's a pretty tight timeframe that we work with, so having to wait the 10 hours (computer time) would throw things all helter-skelter. Here's an example: I did this the other week, and I didn't realize I hadn't hit the "berth" button on the computer til about 4 in the afternoon (my shift should have ended about 12:30pm). So, you hit the berth button, but now you can't start till 2am. Screw that - I gotta get moving by midnite, so I'm in violation for that whole day, plus having "worked" 3.5 hrs too much the first day. It's a stupid mistake, but that's what you get when you deal with computers. If I were on paper, then it would be no probs to change the numbers accordingly - see what I mean?
Anyways, even the best of us make mistakes like that. I hit an overhanging storefront a couple months ago, busting up not only the overhang, but putting a nice dent in the front of the trailer as well. It was again, a stupid mistake - I was trying to avoid an island in the parking lot, and didn't look to my left, and crunch! One of our top guys rolled his unit in Indiana not long ago, coming back from MI - said it was due to the wind, but some of us think otherwise. Even empty, I've never had it so windy that the truck rolled (or even came close). I've heard of those who've
been "blown over," but those incidents were in open areas, where nothing shielded the trucks from the wind. Ths was on the 80/94 corridor between Michigan City, IN and the southeast Chicago burbs. Something fishy there - I think he fell asleep...
More soon,
Steve
I know I've used the phrase above before, but it's actually very important; we, as truckers/drivers are managers: of our own time and space. It's important as we're driving down the road, to make sure we are aware of everything around our vehicle (Trucking 101). Even moreso with me, I have to manage the space inside my trailer, since I'm in there half the time I'm working (probably more). So, I'm constantly moving empty pallets out of the way, clearing out garbage, cardboard, etc. to allow more room to maneuver. It gets especially important during the winter months, when your footing becomes absolutely crucial. The absolute LAST thing you want is to lose your balance as you're bringing a heavy load down the ramp.
Time is another thing. I know most of you experienced drivers out there know how to manage your 14 hours/11 driving, and it's very important. Of course, if you run paper logs you can always fudge the numbers. Heck, I've done it myself. Just don't get caught! ; )
Recently, I've had a different problem; we use onboard recorders, so it's impossible to cheat. I mean, my routes are usually 10-12 hrs at MOST, so I sometimes "pad" my hours, by staying on duty, once I get to the truckstop. Problem is, I get distracted, and forget to go into the berth (on the computer), and by the time I realize it, it's too late. So, I wind up starting too soon, which puts me in violation for TWO days, not just one. There's a pretty tight timeframe that we work with, so having to wait the 10 hours (computer time) would throw things all helter-skelter. Here's an example: I did this the other week, and I didn't realize I hadn't hit the "berth" button on the computer til about 4 in the afternoon (my shift should have ended about 12:30pm). So, you hit the berth button, but now you can't start till 2am. Screw that - I gotta get moving by midnite, so I'm in violation for that whole day, plus having "worked" 3.5 hrs too much the first day. It's a stupid mistake, but that's what you get when you deal with computers. If I were on paper, then it would be no probs to change the numbers accordingly - see what I mean?
Anyways, even the best of us make mistakes like that. I hit an overhanging storefront a couple months ago, busting up not only the overhang, but putting a nice dent in the front of the trailer as well. It was again, a stupid mistake - I was trying to avoid an island in the parking lot, and didn't look to my left, and crunch! One of our top guys rolled his unit in Indiana not long ago, coming back from MI - said it was due to the wind, but some of us think otherwise. Even empty, I've never had it so windy that the truck rolled (or even came close). I've heard of those who've
been "blown over," but those incidents were in open areas, where nothing shielded the trucks from the wind. Ths was on the 80/94 corridor between Michigan City, IN and the southeast Chicago burbs. Something fishy there - I think he fell asleep...
More soon,
Steve
Monday, July 6, 2009
Back to the Grind...
Yeah, I've been on vacation this past week, and, as usual, got squat done. I dunno what it is, but I have absolutely NO motivation when I'm off. I make a long list of things to do ( I know I've whined about this in the past), and, before you know it, it's time to get back to work, and the whole list is still there. The wife is very supportive - "You should relax, you're on vacation," she
says, but it's of little comfort. Then I get down on myself for not accomplishing anything.
So, I wanted to talk about drinking: I "quit" drinking a few years back, a conscious choice on my part. It really had nothing to do with outside influences, social or otherwise. I just decided that I really didn't need alcohol to make me feel good. Besides, alcohol depresses the brain, which is the last thing I need (being depressed and all). Why not choose stimulants, one might ask. Well, most are illegal (caffeine is my drug of choice), and I really need to be more aware of what I'm putting into the ol' body, a know? Of course, this past week was also the week I was to quit smoking - HA! I always refer back to the saying "If at first you don't succeed, quit, quit again..."
See, the difference is that nicotine is highly addictive, where, at least for me, alcohol is not. Just like when I gave up smoking pot in my 20's, I had no "withdrawals" or even missed it that much. Same with booze. I realize it's a big part of our society and culture. "Hey, let's get together for a drink..." But, I guess I try not to put myself into those situations, consciously or un.
There are occasions when I'll have the random beer; my wife's aunt & uncle used to have a big party Christmas Eve, called the "open house," where relatives and friends would gather for great Italian cooking, and, of course, a couple of cocktails. That was the one night of the year when I would indulge. They didn't live far from us, and all the food absorbed most of the alcohol anyway.
Do I sound like an addict? I dunno, my wife would drive home if I ever drank too much, which was rare. However, in recent years, her uncle passed away, and her aunt was a little too frail and overwhelmed to continue the "open house" tradition. It's kind of sad, 'cause it was a really fun occasion. So, I have to find another day to have my one beer. We went out for father's day, and I had a Sam Adams Summer Ale. Boy, was that good.
I guess I believe that drinking is part of the "dumbing down" of our society: I'm not a prude, and moderate consumption of alcohol is OK with me. It's just these people every weekend, and every holiday, who have to get liquored up, just to have a good time. We just had Fourth of July, and mixing alcohol with high explosives is a sure way to get into trouble. I don't wish harm to anyone, but people just don't THINK! Same is true for those who get behind the wheel after drinking; I just don't understand it. I suppose growing up with an alcoholic father has something to do with my attitude. He recovered, thank God, but the just horrific stories and incidents I could tell you has left me a bit jaded on the whole "partying" scene. I came to learn about, and be on the fringes of 12-step recovery milieu. I never really got into the whole ACOA/Al-Anon life, but perhaps I should have, I don't know. Anyway, all I know is, I don't miss the "sauce," and can have a nice time without it.
More soon,
Steve
says, but it's of little comfort. Then I get down on myself for not accomplishing anything.
So, I wanted to talk about drinking: I "quit" drinking a few years back, a conscious choice on my part. It really had nothing to do with outside influences, social or otherwise. I just decided that I really didn't need alcohol to make me feel good. Besides, alcohol depresses the brain, which is the last thing I need (being depressed and all). Why not choose stimulants, one might ask. Well, most are illegal (caffeine is my drug of choice), and I really need to be more aware of what I'm putting into the ol' body, a know? Of course, this past week was also the week I was to quit smoking - HA! I always refer back to the saying "If at first you don't succeed, quit, quit again..."
See, the difference is that nicotine is highly addictive, where, at least for me, alcohol is not. Just like when I gave up smoking pot in my 20's, I had no "withdrawals" or even missed it that much. Same with booze. I realize it's a big part of our society and culture. "Hey, let's get together for a drink..." But, I guess I try not to put myself into those situations, consciously or un.
There are occasions when I'll have the random beer; my wife's aunt & uncle used to have a big party Christmas Eve, called the "open house," where relatives and friends would gather for great Italian cooking, and, of course, a couple of cocktails. That was the one night of the year when I would indulge. They didn't live far from us, and all the food absorbed most of the alcohol anyway.
Do I sound like an addict? I dunno, my wife would drive home if I ever drank too much, which was rare. However, in recent years, her uncle passed away, and her aunt was a little too frail and overwhelmed to continue the "open house" tradition. It's kind of sad, 'cause it was a really fun occasion. So, I have to find another day to have my one beer. We went out for father's day, and I had a Sam Adams Summer Ale. Boy, was that good.
I guess I believe that drinking is part of the "dumbing down" of our society: I'm not a prude, and moderate consumption of alcohol is OK with me. It's just these people every weekend, and every holiday, who have to get liquored up, just to have a good time. We just had Fourth of July, and mixing alcohol with high explosives is a sure way to get into trouble. I don't wish harm to anyone, but people just don't THINK! Same is true for those who get behind the wheel after drinking; I just don't understand it. I suppose growing up with an alcoholic father has something to do with my attitude. He recovered, thank God, but the just horrific stories and incidents I could tell you has left me a bit jaded on the whole "partying" scene. I came to learn about, and be on the fringes of 12-step recovery milieu. I never really got into the whole ACOA/Al-Anon life, but perhaps I should have, I don't know. Anyway, all I know is, I don't miss the "sauce," and can have a nice time without it.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, June 22, 2009
You're Getting Sleeeeeepy!
Part of the schedule I keep involves, of course, sleep. I'll go through an average week for ya, then you tell me if it's normal, fair enough? Sunday, being my only "real" day off, is usually filled with catching up on stuff I haven't got around to during the week, again, because of my schedule. And, this time of year, add mowing the lawn to the list. Of course, if it's Father's Day (yesterday) or if it's rained in the recent past, then you can kiss that one goodbye. So, I putz around, and try to get stuff done, as much as I can. After dinner, about 7:30 - 8:00pm, I start to get REALLY sleepy. So, after watching "Ice Road Truckers," I'm done, off to bed (9:00). I sleep a few hours, and I'm up Monday am about 2-2:30. On the computer all night, in the morning, run around and do errands, get ready to go out Monday night. I usually hit the sack about 2-3:00pm, and sleep till 9:00 or so. Get ready, and make it over to work by 10:30 or thereabouts. My Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday route takes me until about 6:30-7:00am, and I'm done for the day. Then comes the tricky part: trying to sleep in the damn truck!
I can't remember how long this has been going on, or if I have EVER slept in the truck, but I JUST CAN'T DO IT! I don't know why; I've tried pills, potions, herbal supplements, you name it (almost). No luck; in the 12-14hrs I spend in the berth, I'm lucky if I can manage 1-2 hours of sleep. That's it. So, needless to say, when I "wake up," I'm groggy as hell, just draggin' ass.
Once I get to my first store, and I'm actually moving around and working, I'm ok, but the coffe and other (legal) chemical stimulants need to be working. Of course, I've already spoken about truckstop coffee previously, so no more; beggars can't be choosers. I've found that, as daylight breaks, I get a little bit of a "second wind," but still, when you think about it, it's pretty dangerous having me out there in my condition. Get home Wednesday, and I sleep from noon till midnite? I mean, it's insane, really. Then, up all night on the computer. So Wed. is a wasted day. Thursday is a repeat of Monday, basically, except I don't have to start as early, so I can go to bed an hour later, if I choose (about 3:00pm). Then I repeat the process; get done with work on Friday, off to the truckstop, where I pop my pills & eat, then try to rest. Sam story for Friday night; go to work, get done about 7-7:30 Saturday morning, go home and collapse. For some reason, I don't sleep as long on Saturdays as I do on Wednesdays. So, I get up at 2 in the afternoon, watch sports on TV (I'm useless for anything else), eat dinner, crash, and up all night again. It's not a fun schedule, but I can't really do much about it.
I've talked to other drivers, some who have the same problem, most don't. One guy summed it up perfectly "It's not home..." Same holds true for a motel, which I rarely do anymore. Can't sleep there, either, because it's just not home. Well, I might have to resort to one final trick (and this leads up to my next post): drinking. Yeah maybe a couple of beers will do the trick. Hell, I've tried everything else...
More soon,
Steve
I can't remember how long this has been going on, or if I have EVER slept in the truck, but I JUST CAN'T DO IT! I don't know why; I've tried pills, potions, herbal supplements, you name it (almost). No luck; in the 12-14hrs I spend in the berth, I'm lucky if I can manage 1-2 hours of sleep. That's it. So, needless to say, when I "wake up," I'm groggy as hell, just draggin' ass.
Once I get to my first store, and I'm actually moving around and working, I'm ok, but the coffe and other (legal) chemical stimulants need to be working. Of course, I've already spoken about truckstop coffee previously, so no more; beggars can't be choosers. I've found that, as daylight breaks, I get a little bit of a "second wind," but still, when you think about it, it's pretty dangerous having me out there in my condition. Get home Wednesday, and I sleep from noon till midnite? I mean, it's insane, really. Then, up all night on the computer. So Wed. is a wasted day. Thursday is a repeat of Monday, basically, except I don't have to start as early, so I can go to bed an hour later, if I choose (about 3:00pm). Then I repeat the process; get done with work on Friday, off to the truckstop, where I pop my pills & eat, then try to rest. Sam story for Friday night; go to work, get done about 7-7:30 Saturday morning, go home and collapse. For some reason, I don't sleep as long on Saturdays as I do on Wednesdays. So, I get up at 2 in the afternoon, watch sports on TV (I'm useless for anything else), eat dinner, crash, and up all night again. It's not a fun schedule, but I can't really do much about it.
I've talked to other drivers, some who have the same problem, most don't. One guy summed it up perfectly "It's not home..." Same holds true for a motel, which I rarely do anymore. Can't sleep there, either, because it's just not home. Well, I might have to resort to one final trick (and this leads up to my next post): drinking. Yeah maybe a couple of beers will do the trick. Hell, I've tried everything else...
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Weights
So, I've been focusing a lot on my internet marketing - for those of you interested, click on the "Rolling into money" link to the right ; )
Ok, so we're not talking about how much truckers weigh, although I've seen a few "fatties" out there (hey, can't take a joke?). And, of course, it's not about "Weight a minute!" No, this post is all about truck (axle, to be more precise) weight, of course. Now, I want to again distinguish between "truck driver," (which I am) and "trucker." Truckers have to deal with the weight issue much more than people in my end of the business. I know, because when I first started out, it was with an over-the-road company, and we had to scale our loads pretty much every time. I had a trainer who was very meticulous, and would make sure it was correct, if we had to stay there all day. We went so far as to move the fifth wheel, and I don't think I've ever had to do that since. So, my sympathies to all you guys & gals who have to deal with that on a regular basis, "I feel ya."
When I went to work for this company, I DID have to deal with scaling the loads, at first, when going to MI. I remember taking overweight loads out (40k +), and, in the ice and sleet, trying to pull the damn pin, and slide the frozen, rusted slider. Not fun. In fact (and I'm sure others discovered similar tricks) I would purposely take the toll-road (I90 in IN) to US 31 north at South Bend, then back to 94E to get to Grand Rapids, or Detroit. Though there's another scale at Grass Lake, I believe, so, in that case, I ride either US20 or the Ohio turnpike over to Toledo, then jump on US24 north, up to 94 or 96, I can't remember. Better to pay $7 for the toll-road, than $10 for a scale ticket, then possibly have to re-scale several times. That scale at New Buffalo would ALWAYS be open, too, and no pre-pass. They STILL don't have it in Michigan. Even Wisconsin has pre-pass now; I mean, I don't mean to belittle someone's home-state, but c'mon, let's get with the 21st century here. I guess they just want to be A-holes...
Anyway, I recall many an instance of slippery, wet roads, and watching all the Amish in Indiana, coming toward me in their covered horse-drawn carriages. Quite a sight. When I reached my destination, I'd usually have some down-time, get reloaded and head back, but this time it would be like "screw it, I'll just scale the load, and take 94 back..." I'd generally have less weight coming back, so not as much to fret about.
About 3-4 years ago, my company re-vamped their equipment, giving us new Freightliner trucks, and brand-new 48 foot reefers with the nice Thermoking reefer-units. Until then, we pulled 45-foot trailers, which were beat to hell, with these Carrier units that sounded like small aircraft engines. I've discussed these before in my "Reefer Madness" post : ) The stories I could tell. So, now I don't worry as much. These days, my only concern (and it really isn't one) is when I go pick up cheese in WI on Wednesdays. It's not a big deal, though, because I know EXACTLY how much weight I have, so I know exactly how many holes I have to go back to make the load scale out perfect. I usually do the "dicking around" with the tandems the day before, either at my last stop the first day, or at the truckstop. That way, it's all taken care of far in advance of me running into the weigh stations. Only problem is: either way we come back, there's a scale.
I generally come back via Madison, WI, and just south on 90 is a nice new "scale-in-motion" weigh station. Depending on the time of morning I'm cruising past, about 50/50 chance of them being open. But, like I said, if I've been able to get my "9 holes back" then it ust becomes a pain in the ass, nothing more. I HAVE had a couple of times, where, for some reason, the slider just would not budge, or the pin wouldn't come out. In that case, it's the back roads - always have a back-up plan, a MUST for any "trucker," or "truck driver."
More soon,
Steve
Ok, so we're not talking about how much truckers weigh, although I've seen a few "fatties" out there (hey, can't take a joke?). And, of course, it's not about "Weight a minute!" No, this post is all about truck (axle, to be more precise) weight, of course. Now, I want to again distinguish between "truck driver," (which I am) and "trucker." Truckers have to deal with the weight issue much more than people in my end of the business. I know, because when I first started out, it was with an over-the-road company, and we had to scale our loads pretty much every time. I had a trainer who was very meticulous, and would make sure it was correct, if we had to stay there all day. We went so far as to move the fifth wheel, and I don't think I've ever had to do that since. So, my sympathies to all you guys & gals who have to deal with that on a regular basis, "I feel ya."
When I went to work for this company, I DID have to deal with scaling the loads, at first, when going to MI. I remember taking overweight loads out (40k +), and, in the ice and sleet, trying to pull the damn pin, and slide the frozen, rusted slider. Not fun. In fact (and I'm sure others discovered similar tricks) I would purposely take the toll-road (I90 in IN) to US 31 north at South Bend, then back to 94E to get to Grand Rapids, or Detroit. Though there's another scale at Grass Lake, I believe, so, in that case, I ride either US20 or the Ohio turnpike over to Toledo, then jump on US24 north, up to 94 or 96, I can't remember. Better to pay $7 for the toll-road, than $10 for a scale ticket, then possibly have to re-scale several times. That scale at New Buffalo would ALWAYS be open, too, and no pre-pass. They STILL don't have it in Michigan. Even Wisconsin has pre-pass now; I mean, I don't mean to belittle someone's home-state, but c'mon, let's get with the 21st century here. I guess they just want to be A-holes...
Anyway, I recall many an instance of slippery, wet roads, and watching all the Amish in Indiana, coming toward me in their covered horse-drawn carriages. Quite a sight. When I reached my destination, I'd usually have some down-time, get reloaded and head back, but this time it would be like "screw it, I'll just scale the load, and take 94 back..." I'd generally have less weight coming back, so not as much to fret about.
About 3-4 years ago, my company re-vamped their equipment, giving us new Freightliner trucks, and brand-new 48 foot reefers with the nice Thermoking reefer-units. Until then, we pulled 45-foot trailers, which were beat to hell, with these Carrier units that sounded like small aircraft engines. I've discussed these before in my "Reefer Madness" post : ) The stories I could tell. So, now I don't worry as much. These days, my only concern (and it really isn't one) is when I go pick up cheese in WI on Wednesdays. It's not a big deal, though, because I know EXACTLY how much weight I have, so I know exactly how many holes I have to go back to make the load scale out perfect. I usually do the "dicking around" with the tandems the day before, either at my last stop the first day, or at the truckstop. That way, it's all taken care of far in advance of me running into the weigh stations. Only problem is: either way we come back, there's a scale.
I generally come back via Madison, WI, and just south on 90 is a nice new "scale-in-motion" weigh station. Depending on the time of morning I'm cruising past, about 50/50 chance of them being open. But, like I said, if I've been able to get my "9 holes back" then it ust becomes a pain in the ass, nothing more. I HAVE had a couple of times, where, for some reason, the slider just would not budge, or the pin wouldn't come out. In that case, it's the back roads - always have a back-up plan, a MUST for any "trucker," or "truck driver."
More soon,
Steve
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sickness
I've decided to make a concerted effort to post more often on here, so stay tuned...
Yeah, I've been sick the last couple days. It's weird, not like other jobs, where you can take just one day off (mental health day?). No, I have to take 2, because 80% of what we do are 2-day runs, so you use up your sick days pretty quick. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have the extra time to recuperate, but I only get 8 hours for each day off, as opposed to the 10-12 I put in while working. Sure, sometimes there's other local stuff to do, but it's usually "bottom-of-the-barrel" B.S., so I really don't want to deal with it. I'm pretty much a creature of habit, and when the habit gets broken, I get angry.
I won't mention the gory details, suffice to say it was a "gastro-intestinal" issue, for lack of a better euphemism. I woke up to a sharp pain in the gut, and the rest is history. As I write this, I'm still not 100%, but good enough to go tonight. It feels strange, being around the house, watching daytime TV, hanging with the family unit. The same is true on vacation, which I just wrote about. You make a list of things you want to accomplish, then after the week is up, look at the list and say "Well, that didn't go so well..."
At least the "sickness" didn't come during the run; I've had that happen. In fact, I think I've already blogged about it, so I won't touch too much on it here. The same symptoms, though, and it has happened not only in the sleeper, when you can actually do something about it, but on the road as well. I've made good use of my milk carton (pee jug) and my knife, if you know what I mean. Hey, it's better than doing it all over the inside of the cab. How do you explain that to your boss? If you own the truck it's one thing, but having to spend a couple hours cleaning up after yourself, so the next driver doesn't choke on the stench is quite another.
A rule of thumb: bring an extra roll of toilet paper. It should be in every trucker's cab, because
you never know when you'll eat that bad piece of ______, then you're literally "up shit's creek."
Having some Gatorade or water handy is probably a good idea as well. I bring that stuff to hydrate myself during the sweaty summer months. That's my main problem - my diet. I eat a lot of crap (I know a lot of truckers do), and don't take proper care of myself. Not enough fruits & veggies (don't preach, I've heard it all before), too much fried, processed, junk. That, along with the smoking, are probably going to do me in.
See, my eating/sleeping schedule is all out of whack, and has been since I started this friggin' job. When you're eating lunch at 10:30 in the morning, and your next meal doesn't come till the following morning, it screws your body all up. The wife wanted me to go to the doctor's office; she even looked the number up in the phone book. However, when I called, they didn't have a chart on me (it's been more than 4 years), nor could they even see me this week anyway - so much for that idea. I mean, since the other night, my body has clenched up, and I have the opposite problem - yep, I can't go! So, better pick up some laxative at the drugstore today...
More soon,
Steve
Yeah, I've been sick the last couple days. It's weird, not like other jobs, where you can take just one day off (mental health day?). No, I have to take 2, because 80% of what we do are 2-day runs, so you use up your sick days pretty quick. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have the extra time to recuperate, but I only get 8 hours for each day off, as opposed to the 10-12 I put in while working. Sure, sometimes there's other local stuff to do, but it's usually "bottom-of-the-barrel" B.S., so I really don't want to deal with it. I'm pretty much a creature of habit, and when the habit gets broken, I get angry.
I won't mention the gory details, suffice to say it was a "gastro-intestinal" issue, for lack of a better euphemism. I woke up to a sharp pain in the gut, and the rest is history. As I write this, I'm still not 100%, but good enough to go tonight. It feels strange, being around the house, watching daytime TV, hanging with the family unit. The same is true on vacation, which I just wrote about. You make a list of things you want to accomplish, then after the week is up, look at the list and say "Well, that didn't go so well..."
At least the "sickness" didn't come during the run; I've had that happen. In fact, I think I've already blogged about it, so I won't touch too much on it here. The same symptoms, though, and it has happened not only in the sleeper, when you can actually do something about it, but on the road as well. I've made good use of my milk carton (pee jug) and my knife, if you know what I mean. Hey, it's better than doing it all over the inside of the cab. How do you explain that to your boss? If you own the truck it's one thing, but having to spend a couple hours cleaning up after yourself, so the next driver doesn't choke on the stench is quite another.
A rule of thumb: bring an extra roll of toilet paper. It should be in every trucker's cab, because
you never know when you'll eat that bad piece of ______, then you're literally "up shit's creek."
Having some Gatorade or water handy is probably a good idea as well. I bring that stuff to hydrate myself during the sweaty summer months. That's my main problem - my diet. I eat a lot of crap (I know a lot of truckers do), and don't take proper care of myself. Not enough fruits & veggies (don't preach, I've heard it all before), too much fried, processed, junk. That, along with the smoking, are probably going to do me in.
See, my eating/sleeping schedule is all out of whack, and has been since I started this friggin' job. When you're eating lunch at 10:30 in the morning, and your next meal doesn't come till the following morning, it screws your body all up. The wife wanted me to go to the doctor's office; she even looked the number up in the phone book. However, when I called, they didn't have a chart on me (it's been more than 4 years), nor could they even see me this week anyway - so much for that idea. I mean, since the other night, my body has clenched up, and I have the opposite problem - yep, I can't go! So, better pick up some laxative at the drugstore today...
More soon,
Steve
Monday, June 8, 2009
Summa Time
Hey yo,
It's that time of year again, when the coolness of winter/spring gives way to the heat & humidity of summer. One more note on vacations: It's really nice to be able to actually get away for a week, to go (drive or fly, doesn't matter) somewhere you've never been, or some favorite place. That's why Florida was such a big deal for me. I hadn't even flown since '04, when I flew to Ireland for my bro's wedding. Having said that, it's good just to be away from that friggin' place for a week, even if you don't go anywhere or do anything. This year was the first time I got three weeks vacation, so I'm able to spread things out a bit. The next one, coming up in a couple weeks, we're just going to stay around Chicago I think. We might go downtown for the Taste of Chicago, but it's always so damn crowded. Haven't been in years, though.
Summer is always a time when you worry about two things: thunderstorms and street people.
Don't get me wrong, driving in a thunderstorm is ten times more preferable than a blizzard, but it still kinda sucks, not to mention delivering in a downpour, that's the absolute worst! I always make sure I have a change of clothes handy, and plenty of towels, because I've been literally soaked to the skin before.
Street people come out when the weather gets warmer, that's just a fact of life. And, if you think it's only in the large cities, think again. Most of my encounters have come either in suburban areas, or in towns not far from Chicago (Rockford, Madison, etc). See my older post on "Night People" for examples. Yeah, I got propositioned by a hooker about 10 days ago. I was just about to start my delivery, when, seemingly out of nowhere, she comes shuffling down the sidewalk. I was flabbergasted when she suggested what she did, but not entirely surprised. In fact, I actually thought about it for a second. But, with my luck she'd either have been a cop, or had some horrible STD. Besides that, I only had about $20 on me. I dunno if you can even get anything for that these days. Still, it made me feel, in a strange way, wanted, ya know?
So, it's that time of year: BBQ's ,baseball games, amusement parks, fun stuff. The work is the pain in the ass (as usual).
More soon,
Steve
It's that time of year again, when the coolness of winter/spring gives way to the heat & humidity of summer. One more note on vacations: It's really nice to be able to actually get away for a week, to go (drive or fly, doesn't matter) somewhere you've never been, or some favorite place. That's why Florida was such a big deal for me. I hadn't even flown since '04, when I flew to Ireland for my bro's wedding. Having said that, it's good just to be away from that friggin' place for a week, even if you don't go anywhere or do anything. This year was the first time I got three weeks vacation, so I'm able to spread things out a bit. The next one, coming up in a couple weeks, we're just going to stay around Chicago I think. We might go downtown for the Taste of Chicago, but it's always so damn crowded. Haven't been in years, though.
Summer is always a time when you worry about two things: thunderstorms and street people.
Don't get me wrong, driving in a thunderstorm is ten times more preferable than a blizzard, but it still kinda sucks, not to mention delivering in a downpour, that's the absolute worst! I always make sure I have a change of clothes handy, and plenty of towels, because I've been literally soaked to the skin before.
Street people come out when the weather gets warmer, that's just a fact of life. And, if you think it's only in the large cities, think again. Most of my encounters have come either in suburban areas, or in towns not far from Chicago (Rockford, Madison, etc). See my older post on "Night People" for examples. Yeah, I got propositioned by a hooker about 10 days ago. I was just about to start my delivery, when, seemingly out of nowhere, she comes shuffling down the sidewalk. I was flabbergasted when she suggested what she did, but not entirely surprised. In fact, I actually thought about it for a second. But, with my luck she'd either have been a cop, or had some horrible STD. Besides that, I only had about $20 on me. I dunno if you can even get anything for that these days. Still, it made me feel, in a strange way, wanted, ya know?
So, it's that time of year: BBQ's ,baseball games, amusement parks, fun stuff. The work is the pain in the ass (as usual).
More soon,
Steve
Monday, May 25, 2009
Vacatione
tip of the hat to Kevin James, Doug Heffernan on "King of Queens"
Well, hello again, I know it's been a while. What can I say? I've been busy doing the internet marketing thing, living life, etc. I wanted to mention that I had not been to Florida since I was a sophomore in college, and since my old man retired down there over 10 years ago, I thought the time was ripe to pay him a visit. So, since I was able to schedule my vacation the same week as my daughter's spring break (the wife didn't want to go, for reasons I won't discuss here), we decided to make the 2.75hr flight from Midway to Orlando. Booking the flight online was no prob., but finding parking (again, the wife wouldn't drive us) was another story. I found a place whose parking lot was a mile or two from the airport, but damn! Like $75 to park for 5 days.
Well, needless to say, things did not get off to an auspicious start: first, I inadvertently left a small knife (which I use for work) in my backpack, and the security screeners at Midway were none to happy with me. They let us pass, confiscating the knife, of course. My daughter was livid, which I can't blame her for. The flight (airline withheld) was uneventful, save for some turbulence near Orlando. When we touched down in Orlando, I was soon on the phone with the old man, who was waiting in a nearby spot (they use "kiss & ride" or something). We got our bags, and met them outside baggage claim, when, what to my wondering eyes, my wallet was missing. My daughter nearly had a coniption; she went sprinting back to the terminal, as I ran into the "lost luggage" room to report the incident. Well, long story short, they had found my wallet (containing my cash, credit cards, basically my whole life) on the airplane. It had somehow fallen out of my back pocket as I was getting up. Unbelievable. My daughter had to go all the way back to the gate, where she retrieved it & brought it to me. Again, not a happy camper.
From there, things improved; we had decent weather (Tuesday it stormed all day), although cool for Florida in April, and we got to swim, sun, shop, and even hit a few balls at the driving range. My dad & stepmom live in a retirement community in central Florida called The Villages, which is basically a small city unto itself, with shopping,gas stations, you name it. Golf, of course is the big deal down there, and there are dozens of courses, ranging from the small par 3's to the Championship Arnold Palmer & Nancy Lopez courses. Alas, we didn't actually get out, but still enjoyed motoring around on the golfcarts. They're everywhere down there. In the evenings, we would go down to the village "squares" where people would congregate to hear live music (the line-dancers were hysterical), mingle about, shop, etc. Very neat. And all Spanish-themed, so pretty cool.
Thursday we drove 1.5 hrs to New Smyrna Beach, on the Atlantic - that was nice; you can drive your car right down on to the beach, set up your umbrella, chairs, and all. It was quite windy that day, but that didn't phase us much. I went running into the surf at full speed, letting the cold salt water swallow me up, but always aware not to venture out too far, lest the rip currents take me away. But I can truthfully say that I swam (and peed) in the Atlantic Ocean;) A very nice day. We strolled around the streets, picked up a couple souvenirs, then had dinner at a little fish place near the inland waterway, before heading back. Lots of tourists and spring-breakers there.
Before you knew it, Saturday had rolled around, and it was time to come home - not a welcome
feeling, but whatcha gonna do? I had secured my wallet in my FRONT pocket throughout the entire trip, after the fiasco on our arrival. Looking back, I was very lucky. Anyway, back to the windy city, which was living up to it's monniker that day. We got home at 6:30 - 7pm and collapse, with a ton of laundry awaiting us the next day. But, all in all, it was an enjoyable experience; I had fun, and I know the kid did.
More soon,
Steve
Well, hello again, I know it's been a while. What can I say? I've been busy doing the internet marketing thing, living life, etc. I wanted to mention that I had not been to Florida since I was a sophomore in college, and since my old man retired down there over 10 years ago, I thought the time was ripe to pay him a visit. So, since I was able to schedule my vacation the same week as my daughter's spring break (the wife didn't want to go, for reasons I won't discuss here), we decided to make the 2.75hr flight from Midway to Orlando. Booking the flight online was no prob., but finding parking (again, the wife wouldn't drive us) was another story. I found a place whose parking lot was a mile or two from the airport, but damn! Like $75 to park for 5 days.
Well, needless to say, things did not get off to an auspicious start: first, I inadvertently left a small knife (which I use for work) in my backpack, and the security screeners at Midway were none to happy with me. They let us pass, confiscating the knife, of course. My daughter was livid, which I can't blame her for. The flight (airline withheld) was uneventful, save for some turbulence near Orlando. When we touched down in Orlando, I was soon on the phone with the old man, who was waiting in a nearby spot (they use "kiss & ride" or something). We got our bags, and met them outside baggage claim, when, what to my wondering eyes, my wallet was missing. My daughter nearly had a coniption; she went sprinting back to the terminal, as I ran into the "lost luggage" room to report the incident. Well, long story short, they had found my wallet (containing my cash, credit cards, basically my whole life) on the airplane. It had somehow fallen out of my back pocket as I was getting up. Unbelievable. My daughter had to go all the way back to the gate, where she retrieved it & brought it to me. Again, not a happy camper.
From there, things improved; we had decent weather (Tuesday it stormed all day), although cool for Florida in April, and we got to swim, sun, shop, and even hit a few balls at the driving range. My dad & stepmom live in a retirement community in central Florida called The Villages, which is basically a small city unto itself, with shopping,gas stations, you name it. Golf, of course is the big deal down there, and there are dozens of courses, ranging from the small par 3's to the Championship Arnold Palmer & Nancy Lopez courses. Alas, we didn't actually get out, but still enjoyed motoring around on the golfcarts. They're everywhere down there. In the evenings, we would go down to the village "squares" where people would congregate to hear live music (the line-dancers were hysterical), mingle about, shop, etc. Very neat. And all Spanish-themed, so pretty cool.
Thursday we drove 1.5 hrs to New Smyrna Beach, on the Atlantic - that was nice; you can drive your car right down on to the beach, set up your umbrella, chairs, and all. It was quite windy that day, but that didn't phase us much. I went running into the surf at full speed, letting the cold salt water swallow me up, but always aware not to venture out too far, lest the rip currents take me away. But I can truthfully say that I swam (and peed) in the Atlantic Ocean;) A very nice day. We strolled around the streets, picked up a couple souvenirs, then had dinner at a little fish place near the inland waterway, before heading back. Lots of tourists and spring-breakers there.
Before you knew it, Saturday had rolled around, and it was time to come home - not a welcome
feeling, but whatcha gonna do? I had secured my wallet in my FRONT pocket throughout the entire trip, after the fiasco on our arrival. Looking back, I was very lucky. Anyway, back to the windy city, which was living up to it's monniker that day. We got home at 6:30 - 7pm and collapse, with a ton of laundry awaiting us the next day. But, all in all, it was an enjoyable experience; I had fun, and I know the kid did.
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Boredom
Hello again!
I've been thinking a lot lately about life, my place in it, etc. This job of mine can become so tedious, especially in winter. Week after week, the same old BS, and sloshing through the snow,
it's all very monotonous. I guess I'm just tired of being cold all the time. I must admit, though,
this temporary warmup we're having is a nice respite. The snowpack is melting, and they're calling for rain next week. Rain! Did you hear me? Rain! Not snow, not ice, not hail, but sweet, wonderful rain! Thank God!
I've been having problems dealing with all the bullshit at my workplace. I'm sorry (I know you're probably thinking "Not more whining!"), but there ya go. It's like, some people at our facility don't give a shit, and just refuse to do their job the right way. You know, I have become aggravated in the past, but no more. If I let the screwups of a few ne'er-do-wells bother me, I'll just lose my mind. Let them deal with the consequences, because I will not. My "major premise" or "state of being" is going to be love & happiness, no matter what. This petty squabbling is beneath me, and that is where it will stay. I've done my complaining, and I'll do no more (although I've taken some juicy pictures of the fucked-up loads, just in case).
A "funk," I think is what they call it. Soooo, I'm waiting for my vacation, which isn't until April, but it should come quickly. I suppose I should be grateful that I'm still employed in this economy and all. And, despite all the talk of "a glut" of drivers, I'm pretty confident I could find work if I had to. I have almost 7 years experience, with no problems, so it wouldn't be a big deal. See, you can't let negativity, in any form, bring you down. I just have to focus on what I am grateful for, every day, and that should get me through. So, as I've said before, I make it a point to thank God for each day, each morning, each time I make it home safely.
So, that's where I'm at right now, kind of a reflective time for me (winters usually are). To quote a wonderful song by Genesis: "Spring will strike again, against the shield of winter..."
More soon,
Steve
I've been thinking a lot lately about life, my place in it, etc. This job of mine can become so tedious, especially in winter. Week after week, the same old BS, and sloshing through the snow,
it's all very monotonous. I guess I'm just tired of being cold all the time. I must admit, though,
this temporary warmup we're having is a nice respite. The snowpack is melting, and they're calling for rain next week. Rain! Did you hear me? Rain! Not snow, not ice, not hail, but sweet, wonderful rain! Thank God!
I've been having problems dealing with all the bullshit at my workplace. I'm sorry (I know you're probably thinking "Not more whining!"), but there ya go. It's like, some people at our facility don't give a shit, and just refuse to do their job the right way. You know, I have become aggravated in the past, but no more. If I let the screwups of a few ne'er-do-wells bother me, I'll just lose my mind. Let them deal with the consequences, because I will not. My "major premise" or "state of being" is going to be love & happiness, no matter what. This petty squabbling is beneath me, and that is where it will stay. I've done my complaining, and I'll do no more (although I've taken some juicy pictures of the fucked-up loads, just in case).
A "funk," I think is what they call it. Soooo, I'm waiting for my vacation, which isn't until April, but it should come quickly. I suppose I should be grateful that I'm still employed in this economy and all. And, despite all the talk of "a glut" of drivers, I'm pretty confident I could find work if I had to. I have almost 7 years experience, with no problems, so it wouldn't be a big deal. See, you can't let negativity, in any form, bring you down. I just have to focus on what I am grateful for, every day, and that should get me through. So, as I've said before, I make it a point to thank God for each day, each morning, each time I make it home safely.
So, that's where I'm at right now, kind of a reflective time for me (winters usually are). To quote a wonderful song by Genesis: "Spring will strike again, against the shield of winter..."
More soon,
Steve
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Deep Freeze
Holy shit, it's cold!
I think I must be on an episode of "Ice Road Truckers" or something. Temp today in Chicago is supposed to be at -2 for a high, not to mention the wind chill. I know, I know, other places are going to be even colder but damn! Anyway, visions of Florida, California, the Carribean, etc. are flowing through my mind lately. My dad, who lives in central Florida, told me "yeah, it's going to cool down here, gonna get down to the upper 60's" He's always rubbing that stuff in my face, except in summer, when he & the old lady get outta there and come up here because of the heat. Kinda like "reverse snowbirds."
I uaed to make fun of those people, usually older folks, than went & hid "down south" for the winter. But now, I wish I were one of them. A gal I chat online with is moving to Clearwater, and she said "You should get a route down here..." If only. Actually, we do have a distribution center in Orlando - at least one of our drivers transferred down there- but I dunno. You have to take the bad with the good; hurricanes scare the crap outta me!
So, I bought this face/ski-type mask, where only your eyes & mouth are exposed; seems to work pretty well, in fact, too well. The two times I've used it already, my head became all hot & sweaty! I know I rhymed there, unintentional. But tough times call for tough measures, as they say, or something like that. It's a good thing to have on hand, rather than expose onesself to frostbite, which, I hear, can occur after only 10 minutes in these conditions. That's why I
enjoy watching "Ice Road Truckers," to see the techniques they use, not only for self-preservation, but also on their machines.
Only two months till spring - I hope that groundhog sees his friggin' shadow.
More soon,
Steve
I think I must be on an episode of "Ice Road Truckers" or something. Temp today in Chicago is supposed to be at -2 for a high, not to mention the wind chill. I know, I know, other places are going to be even colder but damn! Anyway, visions of Florida, California, the Carribean, etc. are flowing through my mind lately. My dad, who lives in central Florida, told me "yeah, it's going to cool down here, gonna get down to the upper 60's" He's always rubbing that stuff in my face, except in summer, when he & the old lady get outta there and come up here because of the heat. Kinda like "reverse snowbirds."
I uaed to make fun of those people, usually older folks, than went & hid "down south" for the winter. But now, I wish I were one of them. A gal I chat online with is moving to Clearwater, and she said "You should get a route down here..." If only. Actually, we do have a distribution center in Orlando - at least one of our drivers transferred down there- but I dunno. You have to take the bad with the good; hurricanes scare the crap outta me!
So, I bought this face/ski-type mask, where only your eyes & mouth are exposed; seems to work pretty well, in fact, too well. The two times I've used it already, my head became all hot & sweaty! I know I rhymed there, unintentional. But tough times call for tough measures, as they say, or something like that. It's a good thing to have on hand, rather than expose onesself to frostbite, which, I hear, can occur after only 10 minutes in these conditions. That's why I
enjoy watching "Ice Road Truckers," to see the techniques they use, not only for self-preservation, but also on their machines.
Only two months till spring - I hope that groundhog sees his friggin' shadow.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, January 5, 2009
Holi - daze
Hello,
So we've made it through another holiday season, I see. Hope all went well with you & yours.
Back to my regular schedule, Thank God. It really wasn't too bad, and the extra $ will come in handy. See, I not only have to deal with Christmas, but also my daughter's birthday, which is January 9th. She's turning 17, a weird age for girls. I asked her what she wants for her birthday, and she said "Oh, I dunno". Look, I know she wants a car of her own, and she's also talked of wanting a dog/puppy. I can't decide which of those two are worse, honestly. The winter actually helps, because it puts a damper on some of these things. I mean, who in their right mind is going to get a new dog in the middle of winter? Same thing with a car - I sure as hell am not going car shopping in these God-awful temperatures. Yeah, I know a lot of it can be done online, but you still have to test-drive the thing, right? Anyway, the winter buys me some time to get the dollars, and the head, together.
I would always think to myself, "OK, I've made it through Christmas, now just the kid's birthday." I know that sounds kind of callous ("Where's your holiday spirit?"), but it really has been something, at least over the last few years, that I've had to "make it through." It's almost like winter, especially for truck drivers in the snow areas. "Yep, made it through another winter." I see my job the same way, "Made it through another trip/route, whatever" Stopping to "smell the roses" is not in my vocabulary. If I stopped, all I'd smell is diesel and shit! So, you "keep on keeping on, till the day breaks, and the shadows flee away..." (one of my favorite quotes, by the way).
I've probably said this before, but, as I get older, I think I'm getting crabbier. It's funny, because
we always made fun of grumpy old men, and now I find myself turning into one. The Archie Bunker Syndrome, as I call it. I know, I can change, just as Ebeneezer Scrooge did, but it can be really tough, you know? I get annoyed more easily; it seems as if I'm being pulled in several different directions, by the demands of: my boss, my wife, my daughter, my sleep, my business, etc. I need a vacation. I get three weeks this year, Yipeeeee!
Look, I'm not a "Debbie Downer" (Wah, wah, wah...),. In fact, this time of year, the New Year, brings me a sense of hope. Not necessarily resolutions, which most of us fail at anyway, but a hope that the coming year will be better than the last. I hear song lyrics popping up all over the place here. It's definitely a time for reflection on life (for me) ; you know, where have I been, where am I going, that kind of thing. I still smoke, I still over eat, don't take particuluarly good care of myself, that has to change, because I DO want to dance at my daughter's wedding, and I DO want to hold my grandchildren in my arms, and I WILL!
Time to go car shopping...
More soon,
Steve
So we've made it through another holiday season, I see. Hope all went well with you & yours.
Back to my regular schedule, Thank God. It really wasn't too bad, and the extra $ will come in handy. See, I not only have to deal with Christmas, but also my daughter's birthday, which is January 9th. She's turning 17, a weird age for girls. I asked her what she wants for her birthday, and she said "Oh, I dunno". Look, I know she wants a car of her own, and she's also talked of wanting a dog/puppy. I can't decide which of those two are worse, honestly. The winter actually helps, because it puts a damper on some of these things. I mean, who in their right mind is going to get a new dog in the middle of winter? Same thing with a car - I sure as hell am not going car shopping in these God-awful temperatures. Yeah, I know a lot of it can be done online, but you still have to test-drive the thing, right? Anyway, the winter buys me some time to get the dollars, and the head, together.
I would always think to myself, "OK, I've made it through Christmas, now just the kid's birthday." I know that sounds kind of callous ("Where's your holiday spirit?"), but it really has been something, at least over the last few years, that I've had to "make it through." It's almost like winter, especially for truck drivers in the snow areas. "Yep, made it through another winter." I see my job the same way, "Made it through another trip/route, whatever" Stopping to "smell the roses" is not in my vocabulary. If I stopped, all I'd smell is diesel and shit! So, you "keep on keeping on, till the day breaks, and the shadows flee away..." (one of my favorite quotes, by the way).
I've probably said this before, but, as I get older, I think I'm getting crabbier. It's funny, because
we always made fun of grumpy old men, and now I find myself turning into one. The Archie Bunker Syndrome, as I call it. I know, I can change, just as Ebeneezer Scrooge did, but it can be really tough, you know? I get annoyed more easily; it seems as if I'm being pulled in several different directions, by the demands of: my boss, my wife, my daughter, my sleep, my business, etc. I need a vacation. I get three weeks this year, Yipeeeee!
Look, I'm not a "Debbie Downer" (Wah, wah, wah...),. In fact, this time of year, the New Year, brings me a sense of hope. Not necessarily resolutions, which most of us fail at anyway, but a hope that the coming year will be better than the last. I hear song lyrics popping up all over the place here. It's definitely a time for reflection on life (for me) ; you know, where have I been, where am I going, that kind of thing. I still smoke, I still over eat, don't take particuluarly good care of myself, that has to change, because I DO want to dance at my daughter's wedding, and I DO want to hold my grandchildren in my arms, and I WILL!
Time to go car shopping...
More soon,
Steve
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy Holidays!
Greetings!
It's been longer and longer in between posts here, my apologies, but the holiday season is here, and there is a lot to do. Besides the regular work, paying bills, groceries, etc., there's Christmas shopping! Yay! Actually, I did most of my shopping online, so I avoided much of the hassles of malls, crowds and traffic, but there is always that one or two items that either weren't available on Amazon, couldn't be delivered by Christmas, or just those things that popped up at the last minute. At first my wife said she didn't want anything, then, a couple of days before Christmas, she comes out and says "Oh, I'd like so-and-so's CD," which put the fear of God into me. I mean, not only am I working an altered schedule these two weeks (Christmas and New Years are the only two weeks my company changes it's delivery schedules), but now I have to run around trying to find last-minute gifts. Hooray!
Here's what happened the week of Christmas: I go out on Sunday night (as opposed to Monday) so I can be back on Tuesday, and have Christmas Eve Day (Wed) off. It was cold as a witch's tit outside (I'm talking 0 degrees as a high temperature). I actually picked up this ski mask the day before, the kind that covers all but the eyes and mouth, and I'm glad I did. It worked beautifully. I was already driving a substitute truck, because mine broke down the week before in Greencastle, IN (another story). Anyway, I get my deliveries done, go to the truckstop, and have to make a decision; do I let the truck run, go into the truckstop to eat, and risk the truck being stolen, or do I shut the truck off, and risk gelling the diesel? Had it been a regular company truck, we'd have more than one key, so the decision wouldn't have to be made, but, with a substitute, there was only one key, so I chose the latter. I shut the truck off, locked her up, and went in to eat. As I came back, however, the key wouldn't open the friggin lock! Damn! I thought I was gonna freeze out there! After trying the passenger side, and fiddling around with it for about 10 minutes (I always have the thought in mind, "Frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes in these temperatures"), I finally got the damn thing open. Not again, I said to myself.
So, I go to do my second night of deliveries, and, wouldn't you know it, when I arrive at the first store, there are construction guys there, remodeling the front lobby. I thought "Can you believe this F'ing s__t?" I asked the guy how long they'd be there, and he said "Oh, about an hour and a half, two hours tops." I said, "Ok , let me go deliver another store, and I'll come back" which I did, two hours later. Yep, you guessed it, they were still there. I sat there for another hour and a half, before telling my dispatcher I was blowing it off. Of course, it had started snowing by this time, and several inches had accumulated during the time I waited. For me, it was a real George Bailey moment ("It's a Wonderful Life" is my favorite movie). So, what to do?
The store is located in a small parking lot at the bottom of a hill, and, generally, once you make the commitment to go in there, you're commited. However, my frustration was such that I had to get outta there. So I carefully backed out onto the street, and, facing an uphill climb, spun my wheels, let my foot off the accelerator, and spun again, and again, until I finally climbed that sucker. Whew!
Needless to say, the rest of the night went about the same way: the bosses decided to have me skip the store entirely, go to my cheese pickup, and have them push the product still on my trailer foreward, putting a lesser number of pallets of cheese on behind. I still took 18 pallets (normally it's 20). So, to make a long story short, I got back to south-Chicagoland about 4:00pm
(I've been on duty, on paper, since midnight). Something was acting up on this truck too, so I had to have IT checked out. I got back to the base about 6:00 or so, got home by about 7. What a nightmare! And, I still have my wrapping, running around, etc. to take care of. See, this is the kind of thing that makes one lose the real meaning of Christmas. I try to take care of everything, so the family can have a nice holiday (heck, I even did most of the cooking), and, before you know it, it's gone...
I won't let that kind of thing happen ever again. If God is willing to have me around for another Christmas, I'll plan ahead, and WON'T be working that week!
More soon,
Steve
It's been longer and longer in between posts here, my apologies, but the holiday season is here, and there is a lot to do. Besides the regular work, paying bills, groceries, etc., there's Christmas shopping! Yay! Actually, I did most of my shopping online, so I avoided much of the hassles of malls, crowds and traffic, but there is always that one or two items that either weren't available on Amazon, couldn't be delivered by Christmas, or just those things that popped up at the last minute. At first my wife said she didn't want anything, then, a couple of days before Christmas, she comes out and says "Oh, I'd like so-and-so's CD," which put the fear of God into me. I mean, not only am I working an altered schedule these two weeks (Christmas and New Years are the only two weeks my company changes it's delivery schedules), but now I have to run around trying to find last-minute gifts. Hooray!
Here's what happened the week of Christmas: I go out on Sunday night (as opposed to Monday) so I can be back on Tuesday, and have Christmas Eve Day (Wed) off. It was cold as a witch's tit outside (I'm talking 0 degrees as a high temperature). I actually picked up this ski mask the day before, the kind that covers all but the eyes and mouth, and I'm glad I did. It worked beautifully. I was already driving a substitute truck, because mine broke down the week before in Greencastle, IN (another story). Anyway, I get my deliveries done, go to the truckstop, and have to make a decision; do I let the truck run, go into the truckstop to eat, and risk the truck being stolen, or do I shut the truck off, and risk gelling the diesel? Had it been a regular company truck, we'd have more than one key, so the decision wouldn't have to be made, but, with a substitute, there was only one key, so I chose the latter. I shut the truck off, locked her up, and went in to eat. As I came back, however, the key wouldn't open the friggin lock! Damn! I thought I was gonna freeze out there! After trying the passenger side, and fiddling around with it for about 10 minutes (I always have the thought in mind, "Frostbite can occur in as little as 10 minutes in these temperatures"), I finally got the damn thing open. Not again, I said to myself.
So, I go to do my second night of deliveries, and, wouldn't you know it, when I arrive at the first store, there are construction guys there, remodeling the front lobby. I thought "Can you believe this F'ing s__t?" I asked the guy how long they'd be there, and he said "Oh, about an hour and a half, two hours tops." I said, "Ok , let me go deliver another store, and I'll come back" which I did, two hours later. Yep, you guessed it, they were still there. I sat there for another hour and a half, before telling my dispatcher I was blowing it off. Of course, it had started snowing by this time, and several inches had accumulated during the time I waited. For me, it was a real George Bailey moment ("It's a Wonderful Life" is my favorite movie). So, what to do?
The store is located in a small parking lot at the bottom of a hill, and, generally, once you make the commitment to go in there, you're commited. However, my frustration was such that I had to get outta there. So I carefully backed out onto the street, and, facing an uphill climb, spun my wheels, let my foot off the accelerator, and spun again, and again, until I finally climbed that sucker. Whew!
Needless to say, the rest of the night went about the same way: the bosses decided to have me skip the store entirely, go to my cheese pickup, and have them push the product still on my trailer foreward, putting a lesser number of pallets of cheese on behind. I still took 18 pallets (normally it's 20). So, to make a long story short, I got back to south-Chicagoland about 4:00pm
(I've been on duty, on paper, since midnight). Something was acting up on this truck too, so I had to have IT checked out. I got back to the base about 6:00 or so, got home by about 7. What a nightmare! And, I still have my wrapping, running around, etc. to take care of. See, this is the kind of thing that makes one lose the real meaning of Christmas. I try to take care of everything, so the family can have a nice holiday (heck, I even did most of the cooking), and, before you know it, it's gone...
I won't let that kind of thing happen ever again. If God is willing to have me around for another Christmas, I'll plan ahead, and WON'T be working that week!
More soon,
Steve
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Early Chill
Hello, again!
It's early December, and we've already had a couple of snow storms here in Chicago. Today is Sunday, the 7th, and our high temperature is going to be about 19. Brrrrr! It's too damn early for this crap! Back in the deep freeze, already? You gotta be kiddin' me! It's almost a carbon-copy of last year (so far, at least). Let's just hope we don't get the snowfall like last year. I mean, I'm not in Madison this year, Thank God, but still, this is a bit ridiculous.
It wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact my company won't allow us do idle the truck unless in the berth. Shit, I do it anyway. I consider it a safety issue, and will not compromise when it comes to safety. I've heard that the company would rather pay however much for a jump start, rather than waste the fuel. Is that crazy, or what? What they don't realize, however, is that you have to sit and wait, in a frozen cab, for who knows how long, for the tow truck or jumpstart guy to come out, and that is not comfortable at all. It's downright dangerous.
So, what do you do? Just have to suck it up, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Am I going to have to file a grievance with OSHA? I don't know yet, but I'm prepared to, believe me. Like I said, safety is something I don't compromise on; the company expects me to act in a safe and responsible manner, I think they should have the same obligation.
Time for more long johns.
More soon,
Steve
It's early December, and we've already had a couple of snow storms here in Chicago. Today is Sunday, the 7th, and our high temperature is going to be about 19. Brrrrr! It's too damn early for this crap! Back in the deep freeze, already? You gotta be kiddin' me! It's almost a carbon-copy of last year (so far, at least). Let's just hope we don't get the snowfall like last year. I mean, I'm not in Madison this year, Thank God, but still, this is a bit ridiculous.
It wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact my company won't allow us do idle the truck unless in the berth. Shit, I do it anyway. I consider it a safety issue, and will not compromise when it comes to safety. I've heard that the company would rather pay however much for a jump start, rather than waste the fuel. Is that crazy, or what? What they don't realize, however, is that you have to sit and wait, in a frozen cab, for who knows how long, for the tow truck or jumpstart guy to come out, and that is not comfortable at all. It's downright dangerous.
So, what do you do? Just have to suck it up, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Am I going to have to file a grievance with OSHA? I don't know yet, but I'm prepared to, believe me. Like I said, safety is something I don't compromise on; the company expects me to act in a safe and responsible manner, I think they should have the same obligation.
Time for more long johns.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgivings
Hello, again!
I know it has been a while - like I said before, I'm running out of B.S. Anyway, I'm thankful for a lot this year: the usual, life, my family, I'm gainfully employed, still relatively healthy, etc. I am also thankful (as most of the truckers reading this should be) that fuel prices have dropped. I can't tell you how tired I became of all the bitching and whining about the government, market manipulation, the Arabs, etc. over the last several months, so hopefully the truckers in the forums will find something else to moan about. I mean, look, I could complain about my job: being way-laid at the cheese plant for 4 frickin' hours, the oncoming cold, my company's policy about idling, to name a few, but, in the end it really doesn't help matters. I've found that bitching and moaning only creates more problems, such as hurt feelings and bad attitudes, so I try not to as much as possible.
I just go on doing what I do, cruising down the road at my governed 62mph on cruise, and watch all the dipshits fly past. I don't care any more. As I've said before, I kind of glad I don't use a CB radio, because I'd probably be cussing these morons out, generating, yes, hurt feelings and bad attitudes. See how that works? I still do my Wisconsin route on Tues/Wed and now I'm going to Indiana on Fri/Sat. It's ok, I mean, I thought heading south might be a nice change, now that the cold weather is coming on, but it's really not far enough south to make much of a difference, so, what are ya gonna do? Sometimes I think I'm surrounded by idiots: by that I mean, people who can't or won't do their job the right way. Unlike a lot of truckers, my job is dependent on others doing their jobs properly. So, when the warehouse goofballs screw up a load, or even the office girls don't get the paperwork right, it kinda pisses me off. But, like I said, I'm starting not to give a shit any more. I guess I'm a little bit jaded, I dunno...
Back to what I'm thankful for: like I mentioned, my job is secure. Even in these tough economic times, people will still go for cheap grub, and as long as they do, my employment is safe. My company is going gangbusters; it's quite a phenomenon, and I've yet to figure it out. My car is running, yay! I had to spend about $800 to completely overhaul the brakes, and now I need to focus on the emissions because my registration is almost up, so more money will be going into the Neon, but it runs! Now, my daughter, who is only weeks away from obtaining her license, is startng to prod me about a car for her. Hmmmmm.
I started this blog two years ago now, amazing how time gets by you. I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to read my rantings & ravings. See, more to be thankful for. I've discovered, perhaps too late, but better late than never, that this life (even on the internet, where you can be mostly anonymous) is all about people. I have never been a "people" person, so it has been difficult for me to come to grips with. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely, and trying to be more understanding and tolerant of others. It's not always easy, with all the self-centeredness (euphemism) out there, but you do your best. The holidays seem particularly stressful, with crowds pushing and shoving, the commercialism of Christmas, and so forth. But you just have to keep on keeping on, for better or worse, and, with faith and purpose, you'll eventually get to where God wants you to be.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...
Steve
I know it has been a while - like I said before, I'm running out of B.S. Anyway, I'm thankful for a lot this year: the usual, life, my family, I'm gainfully employed, still relatively healthy, etc. I am also thankful (as most of the truckers reading this should be) that fuel prices have dropped. I can't tell you how tired I became of all the bitching and whining about the government, market manipulation, the Arabs, etc. over the last several months, so hopefully the truckers in the forums will find something else to moan about. I mean, look, I could complain about my job: being way-laid at the cheese plant for 4 frickin' hours, the oncoming cold, my company's policy about idling, to name a few, but, in the end it really doesn't help matters. I've found that bitching and moaning only creates more problems, such as hurt feelings and bad attitudes, so I try not to as much as possible.
I just go on doing what I do, cruising down the road at my governed 62mph on cruise, and watch all the dipshits fly past. I don't care any more. As I've said before, I kind of glad I don't use a CB radio, because I'd probably be cussing these morons out, generating, yes, hurt feelings and bad attitudes. See how that works? I still do my Wisconsin route on Tues/Wed and now I'm going to Indiana on Fri/Sat. It's ok, I mean, I thought heading south might be a nice change, now that the cold weather is coming on, but it's really not far enough south to make much of a difference, so, what are ya gonna do? Sometimes I think I'm surrounded by idiots: by that I mean, people who can't or won't do their job the right way. Unlike a lot of truckers, my job is dependent on others doing their jobs properly. So, when the warehouse goofballs screw up a load, or even the office girls don't get the paperwork right, it kinda pisses me off. But, like I said, I'm starting not to give a shit any more. I guess I'm a little bit jaded, I dunno...
Back to what I'm thankful for: like I mentioned, my job is secure. Even in these tough economic times, people will still go for cheap grub, and as long as they do, my employment is safe. My company is going gangbusters; it's quite a phenomenon, and I've yet to figure it out. My car is running, yay! I had to spend about $800 to completely overhaul the brakes, and now I need to focus on the emissions because my registration is almost up, so more money will be going into the Neon, but it runs! Now, my daughter, who is only weeks away from obtaining her license, is startng to prod me about a car for her. Hmmmmm.
I started this blog two years ago now, amazing how time gets by you. I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to read my rantings & ravings. See, more to be thankful for. I've discovered, perhaps too late, but better late than never, that this life (even on the internet, where you can be mostly anonymous) is all about people. I have never been a "people" person, so it has been difficult for me to come to grips with. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely, and trying to be more understanding and tolerant of others. It's not always easy, with all the self-centeredness (euphemism) out there, but you do your best. The holidays seem particularly stressful, with crowds pushing and shoving, the commercialism of Christmas, and so forth. But you just have to keep on keeping on, for better or worse, and, with faith and purpose, you'll eventually get to where God wants you to be.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...
More soon (?)
Steve
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Beliefs
So, what do you believe in? Interesting question. I've been hanging out a lot in trucker's forums lately, and boy, are they upset! Mostly over the cost of fuel - I can't blame them there. What I've noticed a lot of is an attitude of anger, mistrust (in the government, big oil, the media, you name it) and real bitterness. I realize it's their (our) livelihood we're talking about, but, man, have a little hope people! This "The world's against us" mentality is not going to make the situation better, in my view anyway. Activism is all well and good, and I've stated my support for the "cause" in my postings over there, but I honestly don't believe a shutdown, boycott or slowdown is going to do much good. The reason being is that not everyone can get on the same page, as they seem to have done in Europe. I don't know about over there, but here there are too many factions within the trucking industry. A shutdown means more business for the cheapshit carriers (I won't mention any names) who won't support a strike. What are we doing to help the victims of this flooding? Where's FEMA? People are asking for donations for the earthquake victims in China, but what about our own people?
I dunno, it just seems like it's every man for himself (sorry ladies). Instead of whining and bitching all the time, people should get off their arses and do something about it. Try other things. There is a freakin' WORLD of opportunity right in front of your faces (here, on the internet). You just have to open your eyes to the possibilities, that's all. Look, I'm not lashing out at any one group of truckers or people. I know the drivers that post on that forum all seem reasonably intelligent, and care about the crisis that's going on. It just seems there's a lot (too much) of negativity in the whole discussion.
I've been reading "The Secret" lately, and wow, are my eyes opened now. I've always believed that I would have abundance (wealth, etc.) in my life; I've just been too stubborn or negative to allow it to happen. Now, that is all going to change, and it can change for everybody, if they really want and expect it. My message here is one of hope. My life is about to change dramatically for the better, with or without the trucking industry, and I want that for all my fellow trucker brothers and sisters out there. It may sound corny, or hokey, but that's where I'm at right now, so deal with it. I wish all of you peace and prosperity, health and happiness in your lives, and most of all, love.
More soon,
Steve
I dunno, it just seems like it's every man for himself (sorry ladies). Instead of whining and bitching all the time, people should get off their arses and do something about it. Try other things. There is a freakin' WORLD of opportunity right in front of your faces (here, on the internet). You just have to open your eyes to the possibilities, that's all. Look, I'm not lashing out at any one group of truckers or people. I know the drivers that post on that forum all seem reasonably intelligent, and care about the crisis that's going on. It just seems there's a lot (too much) of negativity in the whole discussion.
I've been reading "The Secret" lately, and wow, are my eyes opened now. I've always believed that I would have abundance (wealth, etc.) in my life; I've just been too stubborn or negative to allow it to happen. Now, that is all going to change, and it can change for everybody, if they really want and expect it. My message here is one of hope. My life is about to change dramatically for the better, with or without the trucking industry, and I want that for all my fellow trucker brothers and sisters out there. It may sound corny, or hokey, but that's where I'm at right now, so deal with it. I wish all of you peace and prosperity, health and happiness in your lives, and most of all, love.
More soon,
Steve
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sticking Out
Yeah, so the company has these new decals they're putting on the trailers - hideous things!
I don't know how much money it's going to cost them, but...Hey, I don't give a rat's ass what they put on there, as long as the trailer's functional, and the reefer works, I'll pull the damn thing. Advertising, without spending money on traditional advertising, is the motivation. We
look like giant pumpkins rolling down the road; as long as I'm not confused with Schneider...lol
Since we don't use CBs (at least I don't), I'm sure I'll be getting more waves and "blow your horn" gestures from kids.
The past couple weeks (chit, the whole month of May) have been crazy: first, I get hit by a
speeding idiot while sitting at a light, south side of Chicago, at one in the morning. I was not a happy camper. The guy took out my left front quarter-panel, fucked up the front wheel. Had to wait 2 hours for a replacement unit (a daycab, which meant a motel room). They fixed the truck within about 10 days, and she rolls good as new. I tell ya, me and that Freightliner have been to
hell & back together. Anyway, the next thing that happened was I stabbed myself in the face with a knife. No kidding. I was cutting through some cardboard, then punched the cardboard, knife still in hand, bam! Right in the nose! Real smart, eh? And I bitch to my bosses about their
compromising on safety! Sheesh! After bleeding like a stuck pig for 10 minutes or so, I called my
dispatcher, told him what happened, and came on back. It's fine now, docs patched me up.
The knife thing was about 10 days ago. Last week, my lead driver took a key that I needed
off my keychain, so I couldn't deliver to my last store; I had to go pick up 14 (instead of the usual
20) pallets of cheese, put the customer's product on the ass end, then double back & do the delivery. After I was done, I had a little over 3 hours left. This was in West Bend, WI and I have
to get to the south 'burbs of Chicago. In 3 hours? Are you shittin' me? I mean, Milwaukee traffic's bad enough, but then you have the nightmare that is 94/294. So I found a truckstop and did my 10 hrs, then took off.
I've been taking alternate routes (mainly 90 thru Madison, Rockford) to stay away from that 294 mess. But, it turns out another driver needed the keys I did have and he was delivering in Milwaukee, so I found yet another truckstop, waited for him, handed off the keys, and came back via, you guessed it, 294. Actually, it's not too bad at midnight, mostly fast-drivin' trucks.
Again, not a happy camper.
Then, I'm heading up to Madison, and I find out the franchisee up there wants to see the new decals. So I go to the TA and find a spot on the end, so he can stop by any old time and check it out. All's I ask is he don't bug me when I'm trying to sleep (without A/C by the way - another story for another day). He never showed, so I go over to the store at closing time, and he's out there in the parking lot, creamin' his jeans over this new decal. He's like "Hey, that would be great advertising for our dinner rush!" So, basically he wants me up there every Friday, parked in his lot, so people driving by can see the trailer. Oh, JOY!
Let's see what they come up with this week - and give me something else to whine about.
More soon,
Steve
I don't know how much money it's going to cost them, but...Hey, I don't give a rat's ass what they put on there, as long as the trailer's functional, and the reefer works, I'll pull the damn thing. Advertising, without spending money on traditional advertising, is the motivation. We
look like giant pumpkins rolling down the road; as long as I'm not confused with Schneider...lol
Since we don't use CBs (at least I don't), I'm sure I'll be getting more waves and "blow your horn" gestures from kids.
The past couple weeks (chit, the whole month of May) have been crazy: first, I get hit by a
speeding idiot while sitting at a light, south side of Chicago, at one in the morning. I was not a happy camper. The guy took out my left front quarter-panel, fucked up the front wheel. Had to wait 2 hours for a replacement unit (a daycab, which meant a motel room). They fixed the truck within about 10 days, and she rolls good as new. I tell ya, me and that Freightliner have been to
hell & back together. Anyway, the next thing that happened was I stabbed myself in the face with a knife. No kidding. I was cutting through some cardboard, then punched the cardboard, knife still in hand, bam! Right in the nose! Real smart, eh? And I bitch to my bosses about their
compromising on safety! Sheesh! After bleeding like a stuck pig for 10 minutes or so, I called my
dispatcher, told him what happened, and came on back. It's fine now, docs patched me up.
The knife thing was about 10 days ago. Last week, my lead driver took a key that I needed
off my keychain, so I couldn't deliver to my last store; I had to go pick up 14 (instead of the usual
20) pallets of cheese, put the customer's product on the ass end, then double back & do the delivery. After I was done, I had a little over 3 hours left. This was in West Bend, WI and I have
to get to the south 'burbs of Chicago. In 3 hours? Are you shittin' me? I mean, Milwaukee traffic's bad enough, but then you have the nightmare that is 94/294. So I found a truckstop and did my 10 hrs, then took off.
I've been taking alternate routes (mainly 90 thru Madison, Rockford) to stay away from that 294 mess. But, it turns out another driver needed the keys I did have and he was delivering in Milwaukee, so I found yet another truckstop, waited for him, handed off the keys, and came back via, you guessed it, 294. Actually, it's not too bad at midnight, mostly fast-drivin' trucks.
Again, not a happy camper.
Then, I'm heading up to Madison, and I find out the franchisee up there wants to see the new decals. So I go to the TA and find a spot on the end, so he can stop by any old time and check it out. All's I ask is he don't bug me when I'm trying to sleep (without A/C by the way - another story for another day). He never showed, so I go over to the store at closing time, and he's out there in the parking lot, creamin' his jeans over this new decal. He's like "Hey, that would be great advertising for our dinner rush!" So, basically he wants me up there every Friday, parked in his lot, so people driving by can see the trailer. Oh, JOY!
Let's see what they come up with this week - and give me something else to whine about.
More soon,
Steve
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