All Is Well That Ends Well

After awakening in New Jersey on Thursday, I had a decision to  make. I still had one stop left to deliver and two more to pick up before heading homeward bound. It is not often that I am still in the truck on Thursdays and to be quite honest, I never got into the trucking mood at all this week. Could have been the fact that the load I was to deliver was not my intended load. Could have been that I was instantaneously 24 hours behind at the moment I was dispatched. Or it just could have been a very off week for me. The decision, should I travel south 84 miles to retrieve some damaged material and then head northwest to my final delivery. Or should I head west (what I thought was going to be) 112 miles to finish unloading and catch the pickups (somewhat) on the way home.

I opted for making the delivery first. Good thing, too!! The 112 miles miles ended up being quite a bit further. At this point it became a race against the clock. Just after lunch, I phoned the Boss and mentioned my concerns about making the pickup before the customer closed. Had I attempted it and failed, I would have traveled at least another hundred miles out of my way. I had already informed the site manager that I would NOT layover for return pickups. The Boss came to my rescue and gave me the go ahead to forget the rest of the schedule and head for home. We have a truck in the area every week, so it is not like someone could not retrieve the damaged material at a later date.

I had previously forgotten that next Monday is Memorial Day, so I was very delighted to realize that I would indeed be able to get a full weekend at the house. Well, it appears to be full. I am returning to New England next week, but because of the closures on Monday, I will not have to embark on next weeks trip until Sunday evening.

I just hope I can unwind a little this weekend..I have been having severe headaches and the muscular tension is almost distracting...and don't worry, I have not forgotten that some of you are waiting to hear what the Best Birthday Present Evah!! was. I just want to make sure I present it with all the hoopla that it deserves!  and Yes, it was the best evah!!

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!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

No this is not a post to encourage anyone to send me well wishes....But I am so freaking excited.......

Tomorrow....May 19th.....I am going to receive the most awesomest, bestest, mostest excitingest, Birthday present ever!!!!  And it was not even meant for me!!  But I am going to receive it anyways!!

Oh, I cannot wait to tell you!  And for the 3 of you who already know, keep your traps shut!!  This is my blog. I will not post the outcome, until after I receive it. But I am just so darn tootin excited, I thought I should try to create a little bit of a frenzy on this here blog to get you folks eager in anticipation of my most delectable news.....

Good thing you can not hear me, because ....well, I am just so excited I might spill the beans!

Wait For It......................

You Give Love A Bad Name

Okay, maybe it is not love that you are wreaking havoc upon...But perhaps, it is my love of the Trucking Industry.  I do my best to be a valuable asset to my fleet. I try to portray a positive impression of drivers to those who are unaware of what we deal with on a daily basis. I love my job, I love my Industry..But YOU......I am having a tremendously hard time dealing with you!

No, not you!  I adore you!!

The You in this situation happens to be any commercial driver who shows a lack of skills or a lack of knowledge, disregard, discourtesy, or just complete lack of attention. The ones who make bad judgement calls and never think twice about it. I am not talking about the new kids on the block, after all, we all had to start somewhere. I am however, referring to the ones who are not paying attention to what is going on around them and make some sort of  asinine maneuver that reminds the car drivers why they hate us so.  For Pete's sake, you are representing ME, and I do not appreciate the way you are doing so!

Today, while cruising down the interstate, I stumbled upon a hasty brake check. Four wheelers were vying for safe terrain as a certain white Freightliner comes to a grinding halt in the left lane. This was completely unexpected, as there was nothing in front of him. Confused by this action, I continue to gaze upon the situation in bewilderment as I notice trouble beginning to brew. And what to my wondering eyes should appear.... A left turn signal.... Normally this would not cause me any amount of concern. Many drivers have been guilty of allowing the indicator to flash a few hundred times too many. But this time, I was absolutely stupefied.

Please.....please don't do what I think you are going to do....Hey Buddy, the four wheelers are watching......Noooooooooooooooo !!!!!

Yep, you guessed it. The truck continued to slow as it approached one of the slabs of asphalt that cut through the median. You know the ones, designated for emergency vehicles only (the kind with all the flashing lights and sirens). This bozo was seriously going to attempt the U-turn. I was cringing at he continued to fulfill his proposed intention. In fact, they were several of us cringing, and several more dodging for clearance as cars  continued to scramble around this idiot. A few of us ended up driving down the shoulder of the road to allow everyone safe clearance.

I will never understand what on earth possesses folks to make such idiotic decisions...It is illegal..It is extremely unsafe...and it makes the rest of us responsible drivers look like idiots as well..   Ughhhhhh!!

Notice Anything Different ??

Over the course of my Truck Driving Career, I have been asked on numerous occasions why a Truck Driver would do, or not do, certain things. For example, one of the most popular questions asked is, "Why does the truck driver flash his lights and blow his horn, or push me down the road...Why will he not just pass me in the left lane and go on?" The answer is fairly obvious, if you are paying attention. There are signs posted on the majority of 6 lane interstates restricting the commercial vehicles from using the left lane.  See, how simple that was.

This evening, I finally found dry terrain as I entered New York State. I also found that the state wide speed limit of 55 mph had finally been amended to 65 mph.  This thrilled me to no end! I stepped on the throttle and continued on my much overdue journey home. I began to notice that I was rushing past the other motorists as if they were sitting still. This continued on for quite some time. I finally came to the realization that these poor chaps were unaware of the newly increased speed limit, as they all seemed to be trudging along at a very steady  mid-fifties pace.

Oh Ye inhabitants of the Land of Oblivion, I absolutely adore you. You continue to provide me with such an ample supply of entertainment as you make your way through life completely unaware of what is going on around you....And for this, I love you!!!  Sincerely, I do.

Now, get out of my way!! I have work to do!

Better Already

This is the view from my motel room window at about 10 am this morning. Within moments, the blue succumbed. Weather forecast predicts a few days of rain here in southern New Hampshire....

Blech!

Made it back to the shop to check on Frankentruck's progress. Parts had not been delivered yet, so I am trying to get  comfortable. Notified the customer of my continued delays. All is good. 

Got a little more vindication when a fellow driver called me. He is driving Maggie this week! He proceeded to alert me to the fact that every horrible thing I have ever said about that truck is absolutely true.  Ummmm, I guess this means they will fix her now....  Not really my concern, but after having several mechanics treat me as if I had no idea of what I was talking about, it is good to know that a MAN was able to confirm my concerns... I was beginning to think that I was just being paranoid. But now, it seems all my previous diagnosis have proven to be completely accurate!!  You have no idea how good that makes me feel!  Yep, even without the blue skies, I am feeling so much better!  

They are still trying to peek out on occasion, so there is hope for that too!!

You Get What You Ask For

Recently I have uttered one simple request. Well, screamed it at the top of my lungs would be more like it. The desire was simple. "I would like to go to work for just ONE WEEK with no truck issues !!"

Holy Cow!  I actually got what I asked for. I do not recall one single issue arising last week. I had a wonderfully wet journey into Texas and other than participating in a roadside inspection by Mississippi's Finest, the week was uneventful (at least in a derogatory way).

This weeks journey had a slight grey tint cast upon it with the continued rain and spring ride trailer, but nothing really to actually complain about. And I am not fussing right now, as I sit here in Manchester, New Hampshire, awaiting Frankentrucks release from the clutches of  the mechanics. I am thankful that there was a Volvo Service Center so close by. My truck has decided to not perform the routine regeneration that is required. If left untouched,  the system would eventually disable the truck and I would have been stranded on the side of the highway. Six hundred miles past the initial request for regen, I would not have made it very far!

The repairs are expected to be completed in about 2 hours and then I have one delivery left to complete in a nearby neighborhood!  That customer unloads well in to the night, so no worries! Tomorrow, I will make one more pick up of accumulated scrap and head for bluer skies (I hope).

You know, I think I should really be more careful about what exactly I am asking for......along with having my inverter repaired, I would like to go to work for TWO weeks with no truck issues.

Of course, I will let you know how that turns out!  

Ugh ! 9 days and counting.....Rain Rain Go AWAY!!!!!!!

EDIT:  I have just been informed that this is not necessarily a regen problem, but rather a turbo/turbo actuator problem.....Meaning an overnight stay is possible.....Oh man...When I was in the Chatanugget shop a few weeks ago, I had them check the turbo because it was making odd noises, similar to those made when a turbo is ready to blow.. The noises were minimal and persisted even though I was given a clean bill of health on that particular issue.... See, Indy, sometimes I do know what I am talking about!! I think I mentioned TURBO to you several weeks ago, and now it has come to fruition!!  

RE~EDIT: I am now sitting at the Super 8 in lovely Manchester, New Hampshire, drinking a tolerable cup of java. Parts have been ordered and I should be rolling again by lunch tomorrow. I still have one last delivery to make and the boss has cancelled my scrap pick-up so I can have some sort  of a weekend off. At this point, it could be as late as noon on Friday before I get home. BUT, once again I feel very vindicated because I did mention that I thought my turbo was having problems 3 weeks ago....I am not losing my mind!!  

One Of THOSE Days!!

Well, I can honestly say that I will be thankful if and when the rain ever decides to subside. It seems to be affecting my mood rather dramatically.  

This morning, I woke up late and had to endure unloading my first 3 stops in the rain. That makes for one soggy little trucker. Add in the spring ride action, the constant loss of traction (which can be a bit unnerving at times) and the excruciating headache that I have seemed to develop from brooding all day, and I am definitely not in a good mood.

I think the headache and the brooding are the worst of my dilemmas, as I deal with the rest on a normal basis. But I do not often get headaches, and it is not often a complete stranger can unintentionally hurt my feelings via email. Okay, maybe not a complete stranger, but not someone near and dear to me, in fact, I have never met this person, other than on those wonderful Interwebs I was just praising only a few days ago.

OH! Did I mention that I had a horrible nightmare last night...Ohmy!!  I was kidnapped and they had every intention of killing me..Just a few seconds before my own death, a sniper guns down the assailant and literally blows his brains out before my eyes.  How Strange. I do not remember watching anything violent recently, so I have no idea where this came from. I do often suffer nightmares involving heartbreak or abandonment, but never murder and death!  And, I do have an extremely vivid imagination, so when I woke up this morning, I was still trying to wipe the gore off of my face.

Sigh.... I think I am in desperate need of a weekend getaway!  Maybe a beach trip?  I think I have said that recently, I suppose now would be a good time to book a room!  

Oh and Gabby......I have been in the rain for 8 days now? How about you? Okay there was a small hole on Thursday that sparkled, but yeah...8 stinkin days!! NO wonder my mood is intolerable!!

Have I mentioned Consistency ??

Oh Boy....

And just for the record, this has nothing to do with Frankentruck's performance. Although, I do believe he has another issue brewing, to go along with the non-functioning inverter. But I refuse to mention it until it becomes a fact.

I almost have to laugh, in fact, I am laughing. I have mentioned in this here blog on occasion, that it seems every time I get the NYC trip, it is always precariously loaded onto a spring ride trailer. When this week's loads were distributed, I spoke with my wing man AA and he stated that over the past few months while he has been delivering my beloved route, he has not once had to pull a spring ride trailer.He ventured an assumption to think that maybe they had finally realized just how much damage this causes to the aluminum when pulling it over the treacherous roads heading into New England.

Wrong!!

This week, my friends, I was not surprised to find that once again, my load was situated in a hazardous fashion along the belly of the beast. One of our antiquated spring ride trailers.

I believe that  I have stated before that consistency does account for something.. Hey, at least there were no surprises this week...Not yet!!  I am sitting in Philadelphia, awaiting the dawning of  a new day.  After today's workout, just trying to remain upright in the drivers seat, I think I will test out the Duct Tape theory tomorrow!  

Dont Ya Just Love The InterWebs

So really..I got nothing....Don't get me wrong, I have things to say , I just have a lack of enthusiasm.

I had a delightful time last week, venturing west into Texas.  I had the opportunity to meet up with fellow truckdriver/runner/blogger Gabrielle. She was such a delight and we enjoyed a nice chat and meal. Such a lovely lady. I also had the pleasure of meeting her husband, if only for a brief moment. I sincerely hope to meet up with her again soon. Too bad she lives so far away, I think she would be great for motivating me back into running. 

I also had close encounters with one of the Famous Youtube Truckers. Tex of 593Films. However, it was not meant to be. We arranged for a meeting  and a meal, but due to conflicts with his work schedule, we had to postpone until another date. Good thing, too. He rang me at a later time and alerted me to the fact that I had just barely dodged a twister. It was traveling through the area we had determined to be our destination. In fact, he was watching it through his mirrors as he drove towards home.

I did get to meet up with another Youtuber, and had a pleasant chat and a meal just a few hours from the homestead, so that was nice.

Finally, I had arranged to meet yet another Famous Youtube Trucker, OneSillyTrucker and his dog Jack. But once again, duty got in the way. He got a good load and with this economy, he just couldn't refuse. So, because he lives locally, I know we will bump into each other eventually. 

This weeks entertainment was basically provided courtesy of the Interwebs..... Isn't it wonderful how our reach and influence is far greater than what it used to be. There are so many terrific people out there..Hopefully, I will be able to meet a few  more. Until then, I will search for more enthusiasm, as this post seems to be a bit lacking.

Oh YEAH, I almost forgot..Heading back to NYC next week!! YAY!!