CAUTION: Detour Ahead

Auctions..... What can I say?

Last week after making the rounds on Long Island, I was sent to Adesa Auto Auction to grab a load. First off, I must say this is my favorite auction so far. Why, you ask? Because it is small! But, then I seem to have very good luck when it comes to the auctions, but that is another post. My directions were to grab 8 out of 12 and return to Mt. Juliet, TN. Being so new to this, I am finding myself looking to be challenged. So with the list of cars, I decide that I am going to load 9 if at all possible. After spending a little extra time jumping off batteries and airing up tires, I manage to get my chosen 9 cars pulled.

It was a big load... It was my first BIG LOAD!! And you better believe I was proud. I had several fellow car-haulers tell it me was a good looking load too!  Oh yeah, I am beaming! I manage to make it back to central PA before calling it a night.

The next morning, the boss calls and changes my destination. I have been told nothing is ever an absolute until the cars are back on the ground. So I am rerouted to Manheim in Grove City, OH. At this point I have only added a few extra miles, good thing I am no longer eager to jump out of bed and go to work. This job is going to make me lazy.... So I head west with the intention of getting unloaded that evening. My next load is waiting for me, and while I may not be up at the crack of dawn everyday, I still do some serious trucking (when I see fit)!

I make it nearly to Ohio when the CB comes alive with warnings of impending delays. There is an accident which has the Interstate closed near Washington, PA. After listening to several alternate routes around the melee, I opted to take my chances. After all, I have my handy dandy Rand McNally that likes to route me to 4 ton ferries, so how bad could it be?

I gingerly make my way to the surface roads and get a little nervous when I see the first overpass ahead. I still suck at gauging height with the naked eye, but at 13'11", I had plenty of room for clearance. I was beginning to enjoy my little scenic route of Washington. I had the CB on just in case any one had any vital information to offer, but I honestly don't really expect it anymore. I passed several other trucks en route and not a single peep was heard... But, the area around Pittsburgh is notorious for low clearance, and Washington is not that far away, so I was cautiously apprehensive. I make my final turn onto the road that should lead me back to the Interstate. I can almost smell the acceleration. That is until......

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING

No where along this route was a low clearance ever indicated. Especially 2 miles back where I made the fatal turn. I pulled over to the edge of the road and pondered my next move. I could back into a gravel lot on the left, but this would require a little precision on  my part,  as well as a few irritated local residents. This little four lane was bustling with traffic between the traffic lights. There was also a road that eased upwards to the left, but I really had no desire to get become trapped in this area. I then noticed a fellow on the sidewalk just about to get in his car, so I jumped out of the truck to ask about the road on my right.

Oh what a nice man!! Introducing Mr Ed. Ed was kind enough to confirm that several trucks actually get wedged under that overpass every year. After determining that it was indeed 13'4", if not lower, Ed volunteered to help me find a more appropriate exit route. We jumped in his car and took a little trip around town. Every time we thought we found a route, it was culled due to one reason or another. We spent about 30 minutes driving around before determining my best option. Oh, Mr Ed, I think I love you!! I finally was able to make my escape and arrived at the auction just 15 minutes before the gate closed. I could have unloaded, but hey, the motel was right around the corner.. And it had been a very eventful day already.

Below is the route I took, if you care to watch it! And, it is set to a nice country song. Who doesn't love a good trucking video set to a nice country song? Well, at least the title is Country Song.

A Little Entertainment...

There has been so much going these past few months and I promise to return to the blog soon. Perhaps with some exciting changes. Exciting for me, that is. But first...

Here is my latest video creation. ENJOY!!

In continuation of the Gravy Run, this is how a car-hauler does it!

I was recently approached by a car-hauler to help him with a video project. He had just finished watching Gravy Run and was determined to have his own standout video representing what he does. I agreed to the challenge. Armed with over 100gb of raw video and a systematically chaotic song, I attempted the impossible. This is the result....

Oops, I did it Again !!

After only 2 years of waiting, I finally made another video...

Speed Zones

It seems that Atlanta is finally taking measures to ensure the enforcement of speed zones!!

The Last Straw

My last post was written in Mt Jackson, Virginia. I had decided to wait on AA, who was only a few hours behind me. I figured as long as we were running together, I might not be so volatile in regards to the behavior of my truck. I was more than willing to wait, even though it would require a 12 hour break. If you know me at all, you should be well aware that I do not linger..The second I am able to roll, I am gone. So this should reveal how distraught I was.

We proceeded south first thing Wednesday morning. Surprisingly, even though the noise was still unbearable, the performance was up to par. I still maintain that I was having injector cup problems but they seem to have reseated themselves after the engine cooled off. Such as the first telltale signs of cups going bad. We made it 200 miles before parting ways. During this time, AA complained that his truck was not running efficiently. My spare was racing down the interstate like hell on wheels. But as soon as we parted company, the truck I was driving decided enough was enough. I immediately began to have performance problems again. I later joked with AA that his truck was having sympathy pains for me.

The next 400 miles had me dropping gears like crazy, pulling my empty wagon over the crest of tiny mounds, that normally offer no resistance even with the heaviest of loads. I could barely do the speed limit of the flat stretches.

I finally made it back to the plant and was feeling so dismal, that I just about lost it when I did the final write-up before turning the truck back into maintenance. It was after hours, so I had no one to yell at.

First I noticed that the previous driver had not been turning in any of his write-ups. How are the mechanics supposed to fix anything if they don't know it is broken?

Next, I noticed the previous driver's write-ups were marked NO DEFECTS. How can this be, if even the Stooges knew to tell me that the truck had problems.

The previous driver was The Mayor....This is the second time I have followed him into a truck. This is the second time his write-ups were not turned in to maintenance. This is the second time his write-ups were bull-shit and left me driving faulty equipment.

So I wrote up everything I could remember ( I did forget to mention the inverter did not work, but I am sure someone else will figure that out, maybe even the effing Mayor..) And before saying my farewells, I had a little fun !!

This picture was suppose to show the carelessness of previous drivers, with the broken pieces, but it you look closer, you will notice I did a little 10 wheel mudding to alleviate my rage.

On Friday, I received the news that Frankentruck is back in action, with a shiny new motor donated by Volvo. I am going to test this motor, and I am pretty sure any small glitches I stumble upon will be more readily acceptable than to continue to endure what I have already become accustomed to . Thank God this is over!!

Enclosed you will find a short clip I produced to show you just how miserable this week has been. WARNING...when you get to the portion that says OUTSIDE THE TRUCK, you may want to turn your volume down. I did not alter these noises at all. This is what I dealt with all week. The last segment of the video is so you can hear how terribly the engine was performing. ENJOY!!

With those noises and performance, the traffic issues I encountered seemed somewhat trivial...Well, except for the embarrassment factor.

PA Toll Booth I-78 (3 mile back-up)

Bruckner Expressway, Bronx, New York @ 1pm

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Change Of Plans

Over the course of the previous weeks (and years) I have run into a fair bit of incidents that have left me feeling a little tense.  It is mostly due to work related issues, but occasionally some real life occurrences play a role. Frankentruck and Maggie have almost drove me crazy, and last week I found 3 fresh scratches on the Pony Car. Had I received an apology (and yes, I know who did it) I would have probably been a little more forgiving, but the culprit first denied, then made excuses, but never apologized. Grrrrrrr..... Had it been an accident, I would have definitely been more forgiving.   But it was not, and I was MAD!!  And no, it was not intentional. Lets just say that it was the same careless action repeated three separate times, each leaving a visible scar.

But enough of that. Also last week, I lost all cellular service for two days. As a truck driver, cell phones have become an essential piece of equipment. I honestly think that if I did not travel so much, I could live without one.  But this loss in communications came at a very inopportune time. Frantic to reach out and touch someone, I felt a tremendous amount of stress. Had it been any other time, I would have relished in the solitude!! The reason...my 2G sim card was not compatible with my 3G phone.....This after having worked for 2 years, and why did I have a 2G card in my phone to begin with??

I am happy to report that after 21 days of rain, I finally found clear blue skies!  21 consecutive days!  That tends to dampen the mood!

This week, I had decided to head west and try my best to put all the grey moments behind me. I chose a trip that would take me into Kansas for a few days. First stop was to be Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which means I was in no hurry to leave the homestead. But it was not meant to be. I received a phone call early Sunday morning requiring my assistance. It seems AA (the other New England driver) was not going to be able to make his deliveries. This decision was made 7 hours into his trip, meaning I now had to chase him down and retrieve his trailer. I was 11 hours from his location.  I was officially 24 hours behind, before I ever even got started. And if you know me at all, I hate to be late. I am not one to shirk my duties in the slightest, and this, my friends,  also causes me tension. In fact, I have felt so many tiny little pricks of stress (none of which was significant enough to alter my mood) but the cumulative total......Well, lets just say, my muscles are so tight that my shoulders seem to be attached to my earlobes and the base of my skull is stiff, heck, even my eyebrows hurt from scrunching them up, making ugly faces.

I resigned myself early, to the fact that I would not be making deliveries until Tuesday. But it was a sincere struggle to not press on and try my damnedest.  I did indeed make one delivery on Monday afternoon and was able to get in a running session, which helped to alleviate some soreness, but that was it. Tuesday was not going to allow me to make up any lost time, as my second stop took over 4 hours to complete. By Wednesday morning, I had off loaded only 3 customers, with 6 to go, along with 4 return pickups.  Thursday morning finds me still in New Jersey, and a long way from the house. I am normally home at this point. Oh, and no running on Wednesday, as I worked a full 14 hour day, and am not about to attempt running in the darkness in this area at 10pm. (I was doing go good on my new running program, too!!) grrrrrr.

Why is this load taking so long?? Well, other than the fact that the drops are spread out in a random pattern (which I altered in order to make better time), I am also pulling the crane trailer. This can be very beneficial when unloading at certain customers, but I assure you, that not a single customer on this route absolutely needed the crane this week. It more than triples unloading time at even given customer.  

Oh did I mention, AA has been diagnosed with pneumonia, so he may be out for awhile, meaning I will almost immediately turn around with a new load when I return to Georgia. So much for birthday celebrations.

Below is a short video clip, exposing yet another dimension of my job! Hope you enjoy! This is the Crane Trailer!!

Stress Relief

This is a video I put together to illustrate exactly what I do when hauling scrap..I seemed to gotten a little creative with this one!!   Hope you enjoy!!

Stick Hauler Extraordinaire

Last week, after finishing up my dedicated route for the week, I was heading home when I received a phone call from the BossMan. There had been a request for a driver to assist in the delivery of another dedicated account, and because I lived so close to the facility, the option was mine for the choosing.

I made the decision, after all, when is extra income not appreciated. So, I grabbed my truck and took off on my new mission. Originally, the information that was related to me included the knowledge that I would be hauling a load of cabinets to several locations in the Carolinas. However, by the time I reached the Dedicated Facility, the load had changed dramatically. 

The new assignment was to deliver a trailer load of inexpensive bedroom furniture to several locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Very small discount furniture stores, where the product had to be delivered to the front door.

Initially I had extreme reservations about completing this task. The first being that I am a petite female, and the load required that the driver tailgate the entire load... (Tailgating is the expression used when a driver has to physically move all items to the rear opening of the trailer, then to be unloaded by the customer)   Tailgating is not so bad, but bedroom furniture !!!  We are talking dressers and chests and entertainment cabinets, along with many smaller items.  Items stacked well over my head. Bulky items with a substantial amount of bulky weight....ME....a little bitty girl.......and a trailer load of furniture.  

But, oh, how I love a challenge..

 The second issue that left me cringing was the fact that it was to be delivered in Illinois.

Now, I do not have a tremendous problem with the thought of traveling through the Land Of Lincoln (the speed restrictions are frustrating) but the real concern is that when someone mentions Illinois, I automatically think of Chicago.   I know, I run New York City with an absolute fierce loyalty. So, why should Chicago be so intimidating to me. Well, to answer your question, I have spent my fair share of time in the Windy City, and just have no desire to go back. The last time I made that trip, I saw a horrible fatality happen in my immediate proximity...Watched it happen...and well, I just do not think I could revisit the scene without reliving the emotions of that.

Because I had already obligated myself to this run, I pressed on.  Whew!!  Lucky for me, Chicago was not on the route!!

I had several stops in each state, and quickly discovered that being a Stick Hauler was not so bad....Yes....I am SERIOUS.  You see, I like to work!!  I detest driving for two days to sit at a dock for hours before driving 2 more days to sit at a dock...I need activity..One of the reasons, I love my job....I have been known to tell people that I work in NYC, and I just have a really long commute to get to work.   So, you see, I really did enjoy this!  I made several stops and quickly learned the most efficient method to remove the items.  By the time it was over, I had hand delivered over 200 pieces of furniture...

Hopefully this little jewel will fall into my lap again. I told the manager of the account to give me a call anytime he had a load he needed to cover. He just happened to call back this week, while I was  in Miami, so I was unable to help.  But at least he thought of me.. He also told me that by the time I had finished delivering the load, he had already received a call asking if I could be permanently placed on this account because I was the most awesome stick hauler they had ever met..Okay, maybe that is a little extreme, but I was given recognition for a job very well done! Funny thing though, I was not looking to get recognition, I just wanted to get home, and well, I do enjoy working hard, so that made is easier for me!

I am the most awesome Stick Hauler ever!!!!

Min Min Lights

Owyagoinmate?    HA HA....

Recently, while having a chat with a new friend of mine, we got caught up in telling Old Trucker Stories...First I must caution you to be very careful what you believe when it comes to a Trucker telling you a story, they have been known to embellish a few details.

Anyways, he delighted me with a tale regarding the Australian Min Min Lights, and a ruse he had used to , shall we say, errrrr, motivate another driver!!

During his charismatic presentation of the aboriginal myth used in his harmless little prank, I realized that I HAVE SEEN these lights...Okay, so maybe not in OZ ( Australia), but I was in Kansas, and isn't that where Dorothy was from before she encountered the Wizard (of OZ).... And maybe these were not the actual Min Min Lights....But I did witness this very same phenomenon...And I must say, it scared the poo out of me.

Here is my tale, as best remembered from approximately 9 years ago...

I was traveling south on US 183 through Kansas, heading towards the Interstate... It was late into the night and traffic was light. Approximately 15 miles from the Big Road, I began to notice this strange occurrence in the heavens...I slowed, naturally , to get a better glimpse.  I had not seen any traffic for awhile, but as I crept further south, gazing into the night sky, I came upon 5 cars stopped in the middle of the highway.  Hey, if you cant beat em, join em... So, I stopped too, which allowed me to get an even better look. 

What I witnessed was truly mystifying. Terrifying even!!

There seemed to be a flock of lights....These lights were hovering in the air about 50 feet due east, and no more than 40 feet off the ground. The lights themselves were orb shaped with a brilliant beam shining forward into their trajectory. I say "flock" because their movement resembled that of a flock of geese...There was one brilliant illumination followed by 20-25 smaller orbs in a typical flock pattern.  The beam projected from a glowing sphere... Once the lights had passed, you could no longer see the glowing orbs, just the beam of light that extended forward. They moved in unison, much like birds, moderately changing elevation, but enough to know this was not a simple refraction of headlights on another road. These lights were moving on their own....At one point, the largest orb stopped, and its glowing beacon scanned an area of 180 degrees, before continuing north. That is when we all decided to get a move on!!!

Before stumbling upon this strange phenomenon, I had been very tired and in earnest pursuit of a place to bed down for the night.  Remarkably, however, when it had passed, I had absolutely no intention of stopping my truck and going to sleep any where in the entire state...

Often, I had wondered what exactly I had seen.. In telling this story to others, I often remarked that it was light seeing a flock of radio active ducks, with flashlights tape to their bills, except there were no ducks.....Just hovering flashlights.......

But now, thanks to the Man Of The Hour, I no longer have to fear aliens trying to track me down. Seriously, that whole probing thing sort of scares me!!!!

Up In Smoke

Where were we.....

Oh yeah, the door was opening....My week was planned...Scrap Haul to finish out and a few more truck repairs......ha ha ha ha ahaahhahhaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

But, even the best laid plans can be brought to destruction, by the hands of fate.

After leaving my final delivery point, I began my 4 hour journey back to the plant! Georgia On My Mind, if you will. Excited about the prospects of a no hassle finish to the week, I was in excellent spirit.

I was on track to make it back to the plant with plenty of time to head north through Atlanta before rush hour slowed things to a grinding halt. My intentions were to get through town, swap trailers, and hit the two lanes to avoid the impending congestion that is Atlanta at its finest.

My intentions were tossed out the window as I rounded the curve at mile marker 35, a mere 12 miles from the plant...

I had noticed this guy passing me just a few minutes prior to his collision. I make it a habit to look at each Trucker as we pass..Usually to return a friendly wave, YES, I still do that!! This particular fellow did not appear to be sleepy, but he definitely was in another zone.  He smacked the barrier wall at top speed, ripping the front axle and fuel tank completely off the truck, sending diesel fuel over the entire roadway. Do not know how the driver fared this event, but I think he made it out un~charred.. Certainly, if the poor bloke had sustained major trauma or even death, we would have been there a lot longer....NO one mentioned seeing him pulled from the wreckage, so I assume he walked away.

After a two and a half hour delay, we were finally set free. It was now 4:30 pm...All hopes of getting into the mill before they locked the gates had vanished.....Another 30 minutes to grab the scrap trailer, plus a 1.75 hour trip through Atlanta...in Gwinnett County Rush Hour....Not gonna happen...So, I opted for a shower and a meal, then spent an hour or so catching my breath. The gates reopened at 10pm, and at this point, the five hour drive to the dump was out of the question. I made the swap, hit North Georgia and called it a night.

After dumping my load and scheduling repairs for my return trip, I headed back south towards the mill. About an hour from the mill, I received a phone call telling me NOT to go back.. There was nothing there for me.......My attitude took a nose dive. The week was too young to head for home. Besides, I had not even earned a decent paycheck yet. But lucky for me, we were pulling some scrap trailers out of another mill...  I was instructed to bobtail into North Carolina, and grab the last one.  So that is what I did....My repairs would have to wait until another week....Grrrrrr... and the best news of all.... I would be making the trip with the "Mayor".....

to be continued...................

Cutting Up

I have been at it again....

To give you a little more insight as to who I am , and what I do, I submit this video for your approval.

What's Up With That?

This week, I was delighted to find myself heading westwardly bound into the old familiar places of yesteryear. 

My route included heading through Alabama, Mississippi (one stop), Tennessee (one stop), Arkansas, Oklahoma (one stop) Kansas (one stop)  I was only in Kansas for a grand total of 11 miles, and Missouri (4 stops).

I have a separate post to enlighten you with the details of that journey, but for now......I just have two comments.

1.  Is it just me or is there an unusually large number of tire marks in the medians?  I don't mean where Smokies are making flips to chase down the bad guy either. I mean out of control vehicles... Seriously!  I drive in some of the heaviest traffic areas, and while there are some major malfunctions, there is nothing that compares to the battle scars left on I-40.  Did you people forget how to drive, or is the monotony of the open road/wide open spaces lulling you to sleep?  It just seems like every quarter of a mile, there was a new path cutting through the middle...Skids marks of a helter skelter design where someone left the roadway and ended up facing Jupiter, and not just the cars! Oh no, there were plenty of duel marks suggesting that the Big Riggers had been offroading it as well.

and 

2. Someone is trying to burn up Oklahoma. In the first 50 miles , I noticed over a dozen stretches where the grassy shoulders had been burned into oblivion.  Continuing onto the Muskogee Turnpike, I decided to film for a bit. In all, in a hundred mile stretch, there were 27 burns!!  I am thinking you should not be throwing those lite cigarettes out the window, but that is just my opinion!!

South Carolina

One of my friends requested I make a video showing all the wonderful qualities of South Carolina.

Because I have passed through twice a week for the past 7 years, I should have been able to accommodate her request.

Alas, I could not!

Scenic Byways

Well Folks, the mighty recession has finally hit home...

We received some disturbing news a week ago about the projections for the next few months. At work, that is! Originally, this did not concern me too much... The New England routes pay the most and most of our drivers refuse to head in that direction... But with our freight slowing, the potential for these drivers to suddenly feel the need to spread their wings greatly increases. Now, I honestly don't believe any of them would take MY route. They will however take the PA, NJ load, which means AA takes my route...I do not begrudge him of this... Only those drivers who force him into that situation.

It happened this week! Mr T. !! Hopefully he will be unable to curb his nasty attitude while in the area, but once again, money is a powerful motivator. We shall see.

So, this week, I am heading into Tennessee... From there, who knows! Having low miles, ensures I will be first in line for any additional runs, so that is a positive aspect... Most of our customers have opted to order on a "need" basis rather than warehousing additional stock. Our scrap pick-ups have just about dried up, as many in this industry have slowed as well. The next few months will be tight.

So what, life goes on...By the way, I just finished a 5 mile run, so I am on cloud nine with my endorphins kicking in!! Wooooooo hooooooo!! Nothing can get to me for at least 3 more hours! HA!!

Back to Tennessee..... A month ago, I rambled on about moving trailers from point A to point B. I might have even bragged about the incredible landscape that I had the pleasure of meandering through. In fact, I know I promised you a video! So here it is!

Sorry about the video's poor quality... My camera was just about to give up the ghost!

Old Man Winter Takes The Stage

On my journey home this week, I ran into several road blocks...Accidents with 15 mile back-ups, NYC traffic was stalled in the Bronx, Pennsylvania Interstates were closed due to snowfall....But after making several personal detours to try and make up for lost time, I finally stumbled upon my reward.

This is a little video I made in New Jersey that day. Hope you enjoy!!

It seems just maybe that Old Man Winter was just a little bit jealous of my praising Mother Nature for her graceful beauty.

Quick Updates

First things, first.....

As you know, I get the pleasure of delivering in New England almost every week. There are certain benefits that come with the territory. For instance, oh, about this time every year Mother Nature puts on her finest dress and struts her stuff. She is quite a show-off.I haven't noticed her looking quite this lovely in awhile. I missed capturing the peak of her fall foliage display this year. But, trust me, she was absolutely breath-taking. I still managed to capture some of her lingering charms and put together a little video for your viewing pleasure.

and now for the updates

Running~

• 2.34 miles in Bristol, Pa. Is it possible to get freezer burn on your ears? Time to buy winter gear.
• 2.13 miles in Glastonbury, Ct. Never could get warmed up. Legs were screaming in resentment.

Truck Repairs~

Would you be surprised if I told you that my Truck was not repaired? No big deal. I was told to swing back by my new favorite shop and let the day shift mechanic have a look at it to confirm the first diagnosis. When I got there, he had left for the day. It was only lunchtime, so I was surprised. But these things happen! Maybe next week!

Relaxation~

I had the time and opportunity to spend a weekend with my SIL and the kids a few weeks ago. My Brother was only present for a moment as he had other obligations to attend to. The highlight of the weekend was Karaoke Night! SIL's Mother came over and we all had such a wonderful time letting our hair hang down.

This weekend, I am attending a little gathering at the other Brother's house. I don't think I have been over there at all this year ?! So, it is long overdue.

The Big Move~

This weekends trip is also a great excuse to load up some of my unused items laying around the homestead, and put them into storage over in Bama. Storage being in my Father's attic. I find that I need a little incentive to get on the ball about transplanting myself back over that way. With the economy, the election, and the uncertain future that lies ahead, I have been a bit fearful of making any big decisions or drastic changes. So, I figure that if all my of belongings meandered over into Bama, I would begin to miss them and eventually follow them into a new life. Kind of silly, I know. But I do love my job! I just want more out of life, and it is not happening in my present location. I know everything will work out once I do make the big move, but I am very fearful of leaving my beloved New England route. I suppose it is just the fear of the unknown holding me back and Yes, there are trucking jobs all over the place. But my dedicated route has been very kind to me, and I don't want to get caught up in something less enjoyable. But it is like my Brother said to me, " You will ALWAYS be able to find a reason to NOT leave." Hmmmmm, you know, he has a point there!

So, I guess that should cover it. Hey, did you notice anything? It seems like perhaps, just maybe, my anger has subsided a little bit. Yay!! for me.

Tiny Trucker

Just a little video I put together with the help of my wonderful niece and a few of my YouTube Buddies!! Hope You Enjoy!!

Current Mood

Yes, I just returned from a weekend retreat with Family.

Yes, I had a good time.. Wonderful, actually.

But it took all of 2.5 hours for all my anxiety to return full force.

This is the first song I heard today that suited my mood .






Blech!!

Little Trucker Productions Presents

Another Little Trucker Video.......

Hope you enjoy!!

When The Cat's Away

Here is a little video my brother and I worked on this past weekend..



Hope you enjoy!