Home for Christmas

Just as it was with Thanksgiving, Christmas will be spent at home with family. Maybe a lot of people take that for granted, but we don't. For us, it is a special treat that we are very thankful for.

We made our delivery in Hudson, North Carolina. Next we picked up in Bluefield, West Virginia. That pickup was a complete nightmare and we wanted to just say forget it, but the load was taking us home so we kept at it and finally got it on the truck. The problem was the weather.

The drive to Bluefield was tricky. Snow covered roads, freezing temperatures and mountains did not make for a pleasant drive. We made it to our pickup location and found that the location we were picking up in sat on top of a hill. To get to it we had to drive up a twisting blacktop drive uphill. I made the attempt up but didn't make it very far before the truck started spinning out and slid back down.

Back down at the bottom of the hill which happened to be in a high school parking lot, we tried to figure out how we were going to get up there. Because we were several hours early, there was no one around to talk to. We decided to head over to a local grocery store and wait in their parking lot until morning and we were hoping that when we drove back over we would find that someone had been by to clear the roads and lay down some salt.

Of course, things didn't go that way. We drove back over only to find that there was even more snow on the driveway. We didn't make another attempt to get back up. I called dispatch and told them our situation. They advised us to wait while they contacted the customer. In the meantime, one of the employees showed up and saw our truck. She came over and we let her know that we couldn't make it up the hill. She told us to sit tight and when she got up there she would figure something out.

She took off up the hill and made it about 3 quarters of the way up before her car started spinning out. She kept trying but could not get the rest of the way up. She ended up backing her car back down the hill and parking it. She then climbed the hill on foot and made it up.

Next up was another worker in a mustang. We thought there was no way he would make it up, but he floored it and didn't let up and somehow he did it. He parked at the top and started to walk into the building. He hit a patch of ice and his feet flew out from under him and he landed flat on his back. I know that had to hurt!

We kept sitting there waiting for someone to decide what to do about getting us loaded. Eventually the first lady started heading down the hill towards us. She made it halfway down, lost her footing and rolled the rest of the way down. At first I was worried that she was injured but she sat up and started laughing. She got up, dusted herself off and came over to tell us that they had made a decision to bring the freight down the hill in a humvee and load us where we sat.

Long story short, a group of them got the job done and after a few hours, we were finally on our way. Heading south and away from the snow. We made the delivery uneventfully in Ft. Stewart, Ga and then continued on home to Florida for Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

John Travolta's Town

After being off the weekend, we started back up with a pickup in Atlanta, Georgia. Just like last week. How odd!

That one went to Ocala, Florida. Ocala is the home of John Travolta. One of my favorite actors. I remember well watching him in Welcome Back Kotter and then Grease, and Saturday Night Fever. I think every teenage girl and probably a lot of older women also fell in love with him watching him dance. He definitely has the moves. I missed him when he faded away and then it was so shocking when he made a comeback playing a bad guy in Pulp Fiction. It took a little while, but I got adjusted to seeing him play the bad guy and he seems to enjoy doing so. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see him while we were in Ocala. I wonder if stars like him ever go to the grocery store like regular people.

From Ocala we picked up in Bartow, Fl and had to leave the sunshine state and make a delivery in Holland, Michigan. From there we picked up in Calumet City, Illinois. This load has a lot of extra time on it so we will have take our time making our way over to Bluefield, West Virginia.

Looking forward to next week when we will start working our way home for Christmas!

A small circle

We got back into the swing of things after a nice long Thanksgiving at home. We picked up in Atlanta and took that load to Ft. Valley, Georgia. Next up was a load picking up in Atlanta, a little deja vu..

We took that one out of Georgia over to Fairfield, Alabama. For some reason, I do like Alabama. It's not as warm as Florida, but it's still a pretty state and the people there seem really friendly.

From there we next picked up in Sylacauga, Alabama. That's a mouthful! That one had to be taken to Auburn Hills, Michigan. Back up north. Brrr. Same day we picked up in Madison Heights, Michigan and headed to Rome, Georgia. 

We stayed busy this week but kind of traveled in a small circle. Doesn't matter. It all pays well no matter where it's going.

Back to work

We were off for Thanksgiving from November 23 to December 7th. Now that's my idea of a holiday! It was a wonderful vacation that allowed us to spend quality time with family. Very relaxing and very much appreciated!

However, all good things come to an end and we are now ready to get back to work. Again, with this job,we really don't mind going back to work and actually look forward to it.

We are on our way to pick up a load in Atlanta, Georgia. Hopefully it will be a busy and profitable month before the next big holiday.

Home for Thanksgiving

We did get Sunday off to rest up. After our delivery in Vance, Alabama we were next dispatched to pick up in Anniston, Alabama. From there we were sent to Ft. Stewart, Ga. As it is so close to Thanksgiving, we had a request in to get home for the holidays and our dispatchers did an awesome job making that happen.

From Ft. Stewart they had us pick up a load in Jacksonville, Florida that was delivering in Tampa, Florida. It was a short load, but got us within 90 miles of home. What more could you ask for?

We are so excited to get home for the holidays. This is the first time we've had a job that allows us to be off during holidays and be able to relax and enjoy ourselves. With this job, when we are off, we are off. No phone calls, faxes or worrying about what's going on at work. It's an amazing feeling to be able to do that.

A lot of people wonder how we can tolerate being away from home so much with this job. I guess it works for us because it allows us the freedom to be home when we want or need to be and the freedom to enjoy ourselves when we are here. Going away from home to do our job just makes it feel like a vacation when we come home for hometime.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Trying to stay South

After spending a cold weekend in dreary Michigan we got a load picking up on Monday in Hamtramack, Mi. This one took us to our favorite state, Tallahassee, Florida! More sunshine and palm trees. We were hoping to get to stay a day or so, but freight is busy right now and we immediately got a load picking up in Byron, Ga.

From Georgia, we headed to Marion, Il. Cold, dreary and gray skies. Winter is so depressing in the north. Thankfully we didn't wait there long. We picked up in Clarksville, Tn and headed back to the warm south. All the way to Laredo, Texas. Laredo is a fascinating place. I wouldn't want to live there, but going there for our job is not bad.

After delivery in Laredo we picked up the next day in the same area and headed back up to Vance, Alabama. This load delivers on Saturday so more than likely we will sit until Monday now. At least the weather isn't too bad here.

Oldest City in the United States

After a short but wonderful visit home, we picked up a load in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a beautiful city that is billed as the oldest city in the United States. Someday I want to take a short vacation there and do some sight seeing. They advertise a ghost tour that I would love to check out. I used to work with a girl who went on it and she swears you see ghosts. We'll see!

That load took us away from our beloved Florida to Natural Bridge Station, Virginia. Not a city name you hear every day. Apparently it refers to some rock formations that form a natural bridge.

From there we picked up in Richmond, Ky and headed to El Paso, Texas. I love staying south this time of year. Anytime we can stay out of the cold we are happy campers!

We delivered in El Paso and picked up in El Paso. That load took us to Sterling Heights, Michigan. Didn't get to stay warm for very long. Maybe the cold weather will put me more in the holiday spirit.

Making Up For Lost Time

We made our delivery in Kansas City, Mo. Picked up in St. Joseph, Mo and delivered next in Adrian, Mi followed by a pickup in Homer, Mi. That load took us south to Tuscaloosa, Al. From there we picked up in Helena, Ar and delivered next to Miami, Fl. I love Florida! The moment you cross the state lines and enter Florida it just feels like you're going on vacation.

I love the palm trees, the sunshine, the sand, the warm weather, everything about the state! We have never regretted moving here from Indiana.

Since our last load took us to Miami, we decided to take the opportunity to make a quick trip home and check the mail and make sure all is good. We won't stay long since we were down so long with the repairs from the deer hit.

But that's okay, because Thanksgiving is coming up and we will back home soon for the holidays!

Truck finally fixed

Being off work for a couple of weeks seems like it would be great, right? Most likely it would be if you could be at home or at a vacation spot of your choice. Being in New York in a cheap motel is not so great. We waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity to get out truck back.

We thought about renting a car and driving to Indiana to visit relatives, but we could never get a definite answer from the dealership on when the truck would be repaired. We decided to stay close so we would be able to get back to work as soon as it was ready. It gets really boring in a motel room after a few days.

We definitely got caught up on our rest. I got our bookkeeping all caught up. We watched seasons worth of Kardashians. We watched a lot of  movies. Unfortunately, due to the location of this motel, going out for walks isn't really a good idea.

But now, all that is behind us. We are back in the truck, and the dealership did a great job with repairs. Insurance covered all but $100 of the damage which totaled almost $5000. Imagine if a small car had hit that deer! I'm very thankful that only the truck was damaged, and no one was injured.

After getting the truck back and moving our stuff back in, we went back in service. We got a load pretty quickly and were dispatched to pick up in St. Mary's, Pa. We delivered that load in Danville, Il and immediately picked up another load in Mundelein, Il. We are now heading to Kansas City, Mo for delivery.

It's still deer season so I know I'm going to be really nervous every time I see a deer. Those deer seem to lose their mind this time of year!

Our Boys are Joining In

Our two sons took the plunge and purchased a truck of their own and will now be expediting with the same carrier we are with.

Our oldest son had enough of driving for Conway. They were getting him pretty good miles and he was making good money, but he had no life. They don't give you much time off and he has a girlfriend who tried riding with him but was unable to take the lifestyle. She went back home and he never gets to see her while driving for a company.

The two boys put their money together and came up with a down payment and found a truck to purchase at Fyda Freightliner in Columbus, Ohio. They bought it sight unseen, only pictures. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it all works out for them.

I tried to talk them into driving for an owner first and saving more money but they want to be their own boss. I can't blame them for that.

It's nice that they are signing on with the same carrier. I can mentor them and help them avoid many of the rookie mistakes that we made when we started.

Can't wait to run into them out on the road!

Deer in the Headlights

Freaking Deer!

The repairs were completed on our truck and we finally got a load picking up on Tuesday in Indian Head, Maryland. Some cities have the strangest names. That load delivered in Patuxent River, Maryland. Maybe all the cities in Maryland have strange names?

Next we picked up in Dahlgren, Va and delivered in Yorktown Va. If you have a military background, you probably guessed that all these loads were in military bases. Fun times!

Deer damage

From there we headed to Richmond, Va and took it to Wilmington, Ma. The next day we got a load picking up in Ft. Devens, Ma that was supposed to be going to Nogales, Az. After we took off with it we were informed that the shipper changed his mind and now we were taking it to Chicago, Il.

We were really not happy about that, but there wasn't anything we could do. It was a nasty night out. Windy and rainy. John drove first and we saw a one vehicle accident on the passenger side of the road. Somehow the guy flipped his car. We can only assume speed had to be a factor.

After John's shift was over, I started driving. I was on the NY thruway (90). Cruising along, talking on the phone with the boys, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a deer standing in the left hand lane. I hit the brakes and kept it straight on the road but the stupid deer jumped right in front of me. It was so loud when it hit that the boys could hear it through the phone. I pulled off on the shoulder and John came flying up front to see what happened. I told him I hit a deer.

Poor truck, stupid deer

We got out and looked at the damage and we had coolant running on the ground. The headlight on the passenger side was knocked completely out. The hood was knocked at an odd angle. We weren't going to be able to drive it with the coolant leaking. About that time a cop pulled up and I told him what happened. He reversed down the road and found the deer laying dead off to the side. I was so happy that the stupid deer was dead!

Lost our coolant

The cop called the tow truck company and the guy showed up and hooked us up. We had him take us to the nearest Freightliner dealership and he dropped us off there. Our carrier found another truck to come and take over our load. They showed up right after we got there and John and the other guy transferred the load to their truck. It was the middle of the night so we slept in the truck until they opened in the morning. We got things set up with them and then packed our bags. There was a motel down the road a little ways so we called a taxi and had him take us over there.

We got checked in and we are now waiting for the truck to be repaired. I can only imagine how long this is going to take.

Slow Week with Repairs

We delivered on Monday to Mississauga, Ontario. Immediately got a load picking up in Buffalo, Ny that was delivering in Queensbury, Ny. We were having some issues with the truck and the owner wanted us to bring it to her mechanic in Pennsylvania for repairs so that wiped out the rest of our week.

We are staying in a motel while repairs are made. Not sure how long that will take.

Venturing West

We finally made it out west! It only took 8 months but we did it. Boy, is it ever easier driving out here. You can put your cruise on and do just that. Cruise. Listen to the music and relax. It's a nice change.








We took a whopping 5 lb. box from the Kennedy Space Center and drove it 2200 miles to Chandler, Arizona. We got to see sand, cactus and a lot of wide open spaces. It was hot, hot, hot out there. Thank goodness we didn't sit very long because our apu was not keeping us cool in the truck and it would have gotten ugly in there.



We got a load picking up in Nogales, Az. Being still new to this job, we are always surprised when we go somewhere and it's nothing like we think it will be. I didn't realize we were going to a border town for our pickup. It was kind of a scary place. Maybe it's safe there, but it didn't feel like it to me.

80mph? Wow!

While doing our pickup, John had a run in with another driver who is with our same carrier. He was mad because he thought it was taking too long for us to get loaded and he wanted in our dock to get his load. John talked to him and got him calmed down, but that poor guy was really stressed out and I think he needs to go home and take a break!

Our Nogales load took us back to Laredo for a Friday delivery and we got a Saturday pickup in Laredo that will take us back to Canada. Boo!

Back to Work

Enoying ourselves at Cocoa Beach, Fl

We've been off for a while and had a great time at home. We got our new smartphones, now we just have to be smart enough to work them. I think they're going to make our job easier and more enjoyable.






We went back in service and got a load picking up at Kennedy Space Center. This should be interesting!

A visit with our son

We did have a few days wait for the next load after the holiday. But it was a pretty good wait. Our son, Johnny who drives for Conway happened to be coming through the area we were in. He had some extra time on his load so he stopped in at the Petro in Oak Grove, Mo where we were and we all went over to the Waffle House and had a meal together. It was so nice to see him. I wish I could see both my boys more often!

He didn't get to stay too long but it was a good visit. He was showing us his new phone. He got a Droid X. He's been trying to talk me into getting a smartphone but I never felt it was worth the extra $30 a month for the data plan. After seeing what all his new phone can do, I am convinced. Me and John are both going to get new phones as soon as we get home again.

Dispatch called while we were there and offered us a load picking up in Richmond, Ky. I said, do you realize we are in Oak Grove, Mo? Thats a ridiculous amount of deadhead. They knew and they were prepared to pay us to drive the deadhead to get the load. We reached an agreement on the load amount and headed out to Richmond.

We got that load picked up and delivered it in Alexandria, Virginia. I was nervous as a cat. We were hauling explosives and that area over in Alexandria gets really hectic with traffic and I didn't want to get caught up in traffic and forced off on a route I wasn't allowed to be on. But, I made it. Just a little stressed.

Our next pickup was in Newton, Pa and takes us home to Florida. The load delivers in Clearwater which is about 90 miles from home.

Time to relax!

Labor Day

We made our delivery in Kitchener and headed to a nearby truckstop. We initially thought we might get some time off being in that area, but as usual we were wrong. We had a pick up the next day in Belleville, Ontario. This one went to Plymouth, Michigan. That's all right. We like to get paid extra crossing the border with a load on.

We next had a pickup in Chesterfield, Mi with a delivery in Princeton, In. Back in the Hoosier State! Seems like anytime we get in Indiana we can expect a load offer out of Crane. We were right. Next up was Crane, Indiana going to Norfolk, Va. Wow, that is an awesome navy base in Norfolk. We were shocked at the size of those ships. I don't know the proper names for them so I won't even try, but they are huge!

We next picked up in Richmond, Va and delivered in Grand Rapids, Mi followed up with a pickup in Grand Rapids, Mi. This one delivered in Wayne, Mi and had a pickup in Kenton, Ohio. Lots of little loads, but all picking up and delivering direct so we agreed to them. The Kenton load delivered in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday.

Labor Day is Monday so we figure another long layover over the holiday.

Northeast but finally Laredo

Yet another weekend off. I could get used to this! We had a pickup in Dahlgren, Va on Monday with a same day delivery in Dover, De. Next up was a pickup in Edison,Nj taking us to Laredo, Tx. Finally! Out of the northeast.

We had a nice drive down to Laredo. Traffic is so much better away from the congestion in the northeast. You really notice it when you get away from there.

We delivered on Wednesday in  Laredo and had a pickup next day nearby. This time we had to go back up to the dreaded Canada. Kitchner, Ontario. At least the weather is nice.

Full Circle

Following our usual weekend off, we next picked up in Exeter, Nh. This load took us to Dover, De. It was followed by a load picking up in Baltimore, Md with a delivery in Sterling Heights, Mi. Next was a pickup in Haymarket, Va with a delivery in Trenton, Nj. Notice that we were in Michigan and our next pickup was in Virginia. That is a ridiculous amount of deadhead, but when our carrier needs a load covered, they will pay what it takes to get it done. So we got paid for all the miles to the pickup. I wonder how some companies stay in business doing things like that!

After delivering in New Jersey we went to the truckstop in Bordentown, New Jersey and finally go the batteries replaced. That is a relief! Next we picked up in Carlisle, Pa and delivered in Granby, Ct so we came full circle this week. Back almost to where we started from.

Ran out of Juice

After another weekend off, it was back to work on Monday. We picked up in Pryor, Ok and delivered next day to Goshen, In. Then a pickup in Lima, Oh and a delivery in Green Bay, Wi. The only thing I think about when I hear Green Bay is Brett Favre. Yes, I am a fan!

After that it was a pickup in Green Bay, Wi with a delivery to Somersworth, Nh. Unfortunately, back to the northeast. Only thing worse would be a trip to Canada.

After our deliver we went to a truckstop to rest up, eat and shower. Our truck has an apu on it so when we park we run the apu for heat and air and to keep the batteries charged. It has a voltage monitor that will make it start automatically if the batteries get down to a certain level. We have now learned that if your batteries are bad, they will drop voltage faster than the apu can react and it will not be able to start in time to charge up the batteries. We learned this the hard way by having them go dead and leaving us with no way to start the truck or the apu.

We contacted the owner who wanted us to see if we could find a truck driver in the area who would be willing to jumpstart us. We didn't have any luck with that so we had to call mobile repair service to come out and jump us. The owner looked around for a place nearby to get the batteries changed out. She said she didn't see any so we just have to keep the apu running until we can get the batteries replaced.

Twic Card

Dad and John in a game of Cornhole

Wow, two weeks off with no worries. We never had that in our former jobs. Another benefit to be had from expediting. We camped in a state park with several members of the family.

 Other family who live nearby were able to come and visit so it was a nice family reunion. We played a lot of cornhole.


 Ate a lot, went for a swim in the river and played many many games of cards. We were all sad when the time came to leave. Hopefully we can do it again next year.

Mom and Dad 

When we left there, we drove up to Hammond, Indiana to apply for our Twic Cards. Our carrier has agreed to reimburse us for the cost so we figured why not? It wasn't too bad of a procedure and it's done. It'll take a few weeks to get the cards and then we'll see if anyone really wants to see them or not.

After that it was back to work. It was Crane, Indiana to Ft. Hood, Texas. Austin, Tx to Round Rock, Tx. Brownwood, Tx to Midwest City, Ok.

Nothing exciting, but good money and a weekend off. Love it!

Family Camping Trip

After delivering in Brampton, Ontario we went to a truckstop in Missasauga. How very entertaining! The place doesn't have a lot of room, but it does have a lot of trucks who want to come in and fuel up. They end up stopping out on the road while they're waiting for their turn to come in. Traffic gets backed up and tempers flare. Horns are honking, fingers are waving. Good stuff.

We ended up getting a load picking up nearby and we took it Ithaca, New York. Not sure that I like New York much better than Canada, but at least we can use our phones and internet.

From there, it was a pickup in Archbald, Pa with a delivery in Waterloo, Iowa followed with a pickup in Anoka, Mn and a delivery in Montreal, Quebec. We had a hometime request in for northern Indiana. We have a family camping trip planned so I turned the Quebec load down. Of course, dispatch was desperate for it to be covered so they agreed to pay us for the load and for the deadhead back to Indiana. Grr. Didn't really want to do it. But we did.

Anyway, we are now in Indiana and getting ready to enjoy a much anticipated family vacation! Can't wait because I know we will have a blast. We are taking our truck to the campgrounds and other members of the family will have their campers and tents there.

1st 2 Dod loads

We sat the weekend of the July 4th holiday. Not unexpected with this job. We managed to find someone to come out and replace our windshield.

We also got a call from dispatch with our very first government load offer. We accepted it even though I was a nervous wreck. I just knew that I would screw something up. Fortunately, it all worked out and things went fine.

The load picked up in Graham, Ky and we took it to East Camden, Ar. I won't say a lot about the load for obvious reasons, but I will say it wasn't what I expected.

The next load was also a military load. This time picking up in Mcalestor, Ok and delivering in Richmond, Ky. There is a truckstop down the road from the base in Mcalestor. There is also a casino next door to the truckstop. We didn't go in but we might in the future if we get back there.

After having two military loads under our belt now, I feel much better about things. The stress level has gone down considerably.

Next up was a load picking up in Vonore, Tn and going to our favorite place. Brampton, Ontario. Yippee!

Happy 4th of July!

We took our time getting back to Fargo. Thank goodness there were no more Alberta loads waiting on us. We had the entire weekend off and didn't get our next load until Tuesday. It was a shortie picking up in Fargo and delivering in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Just one hospital bed. We got to the pickup site and found out that we really needed a liftgate because the place had no dock. The shipper found a piece of metal that they leaned up against the truck and used it as a ramp to wheel the bed up. Those beds are very heavy and have to be treated with kid gloves. If they get scratched, the hospitals won't accept them.

After that, we got a load picking up in Medford, Wi delivering in Milwaukee, Wi. Another shortie but working our way back into the freight zones.

Next, we picked up in Machesney Park, Il and delivered that one to Olive Branch, Ms. From there we picked up in Memphis, Tn and took that one to Morganfield, Ky. Along the way we received notice from our carrier that we finally received our DOD clearances so we are available for government loads now. I have mixed feelings about that. Yes, the money is better, but nervous about all the extra security protocols and communications that are involved with those loads. It's been a while since we had our training so I hope I can remember it all when the time comes.

On an earlier trip in New York, a rock flew up and hit our windshield. It didn't do a lot of damage at the time, but now that it's getting warmer out, the sun seems to be making the crack grow. We are going to have to have the windshield replaced.

After our delivery we went to a truckstop to spend the weekend and another couple in an expediter truck parked next to us. I saw them looking our truck over and made eye contact with the lady. She came over to the truck and I rolled the window down. It turned out that they were friends with the owner of the truck we drive. They recognized it by the decal on the back doors. We talked to them for awhile and it was sad to hear about all the fun they had together and how it all suddenly came to an end with the death of the owners husband. He was only 42 when he had a heart attack. Fortunately, they were at home when it happened. It could have been a lot worse. Especially if he had been driving.

Back to Back Alberta loads

After delivering in New Jersey on a Friday, we sat until Tuesday waiting for the next load. Surprising to sit that long in that area, but okay with us. We needed a break.

Tuesday we headed to Hazelton, Pa for a load going to Auburn, Ga. After that it was a load picking up in Duncan, South Carolina delivering in Columbia, Mo. Pretty routine on all pickups and deliveries.

After that, we again got to go to the dreaded chemical plant in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. It was just as frustrating this time as it was the first time. The load we picked up delivered in Eau Claire, Wi. That made me happy because I love the scenery in that area. As long as it's not winter time anyway.

We made our delivery and found a truck stop to park, shower and eat. After all those things were accomplished, we still didn't have a load so we both laid down to sleep. In the middle of the night, dispatch called with a load offer picking up in Roberts, Wi and delivering in Duffield, Alberta, Canada. Not knowing where that was, I had to pull out the map. I wasn't thrilled with what I saw.

I turned the load down and the negotiations began. Again, another driver had a load going to Canada, but the driver doesn't go there. I really had no interest in going that far out of our freight zone so I kept turning it down and the dispatcher kept after me. Finally, he wore me down and we agreed on an amount. The amount included a return trip to St. Paul, Mn empty. I was shocked that he agreed to it, but apparently the load was paying well enough that they could afford it.

I had to wake John up and tell him where we were going. He was less than thrilled. It was a 1300 mile trip, each way. We got to the swap point and took over the freight. The other driver was in a tractor trailer and the freight was one pallet. What a waste! I guess it's not my problem though. We took off and drove and drove and drove. Made it across the border with no problems. I guess the reason it seemed like such a long trip is that most of it was done in Canada. No cell phone and no internet. Makes for a really boring trip.

We eventually got near our delivery point and I was having trouble figuring out the exact place we needed to go to. I called dispatch and was advised to stop and ask the locals. Great. I went to a truck stop and asked the guy working there and he was no help either. I took back off and drove around in BFE until I spotted the lights of the power plant. I kept working my way closer and closer and we finally got there. Got unloaded and began the long drive back to the US.

We were getting so close to the border and getting excited about being back in the US when dispatch called. Unbelievably they had another load that needed to be picked up from a driver who doesn't do Canada, going back to Alberta. This time the load picked up in Fargo, ND and delivered in Calgary, Alberta. I tried to tell them no, but they kept pressuring me and finally I agreed to do it for the same deal as the first one. The trip had to include return mileage back to St. Paul, Mn. They agreed.

We went to Fargo and stopped off for a shower and a meal before heading over for the swap. We got the freight and once again started the journey. This time was even worse because we were tired and we already knew what the route and all the scenery was going to look like. It was a long boring trip. We got there and it turned out to be a mall that was undergoing renovation so there were no docks and total chaos. Luckily John handled it and got us unloaded. We went to the nearest truckstop and slept for 14 hours straight. After that, we started the drive back to Fargo. We took our time and enjoyed the sights along the way. This time we decided to exit Canada thru Sweetgrass in Montana and then drive across to Fargo. It added some miles to the trip but was worth it to us. On the way down to Sweetgrass we had the Rocky Mountains to our west. This was our first time to ever see them and they were impressive!

Driving through Montana seemed like we had gone back in time to the Old West. I don't think things have changed much there. All in all, it was an enjoyable drive because we took our time and got to see some places that we had only heard about before that.

Hopefully, there are no more Alberta loads waiting on us when we get back!

New Brunswick & Bangor

We made the beautiful drive up to St. John, New Brunswick. I had no idea where this was even at when dispatch called us about the load. I had to get the map out and look it up. I wondered about the possibility of getting another load out of that area, but it was someplace we hadn't been to before and I wanted to see it. So of course, we took it.

The drive was pretty hectic going up through the northeast until we got into Maine, and then traffic died down and the landscape became more and more remote. It was really incredibly beautiful. Along the way, we got a phone call from our carrier who informed us that we needed a permit to go to New Brunswick. She had already taken care of it and was wondering how to get it to us. We have internet service in our truck along with a laptop and a printer. I signed up for efax service so she was able to fax it to us and I printed it out. Technology is great!

We crossed over into Canada with no problems. The scenery got better and better the farther north we went. We eventually made our way to the consignee and had a little bit of a headache getting into the place. It was in a tricky area with a lot of traffic congestion but thanks to the drivers being courteous and stopping to allow us in and out, we made it.

After delivery, we decided to head back to the US. The nearest large city was Bangor, Maine, so that's where we headed. We got there and made our way to a truckstop called Dysart's. I pulled into the fuel lane and was going to get out and fill up. A worker came up to the door and told me that he would take care of it. He also washed my windows. You don't get that kind of service just anywhere!

We got parked and went inside for showers and food. I talked to the cashier a little bit and asked her about my favorite author, Stephen King. I know from reading his books that this is his hometown. She did indeed know him and she knew exactly where he lived. For some reason, I thought it was awesome to be there in his town!

John had to buy a tshirt that read Dysart's and then under that it said Bangor, Maine. In his twisted dirty mind, the Bangor part gives him the giggles. Do men ever really grow up?

The lady who owns the truck we drive had told us we were crazy for taking this load because we could end up sitting a very long time waiting on the next load. At the time, we didn't care because we were again exhausted. We were okay with sitting a few days. Who knew? Maybe if we sat long enough, I could go look up Stephen King?

As usual, it didn't work out that way and we got a load the very next day picking up just a short ways away in Waterville, Maine. We got there and found out we were picking up a load of paper plates. We do expedited freight so paper plates seemed pretty ridiculous to us. Not that it matters moneywise, we got paid our regular rate. We were taking the plates to a Costco distribution center in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Only thing I can figure is that they desperately needed those plates to pay the rate we got.

Jamestown & Emporium Nightmares

After Jessie's Graduation party, we made our way on down the road to Sydney, Oh to get our load of foam delivered to the good people of Whirpool. I was in the factory and was able to see the end part of the conveyor belt and it is mind boggling to see refrigerators, one after the other constantly rolling by on that belt. Do they really sell that many? I can't imagine it. And that's just one brand. Think of all the others in the world and it's hard to believe that every day there are that many of anything that gets sold.

From there, we came back into Indiana to Fort Wayne and picked up a load heading to Jamestown, Ny. This was a hazmat load but we do a lot of those so it wasn't anything special. The special part was waiting for us when we made the delivery. Once again, our carrier instructed us to be there at a time when the consignee was not even open yet. Luckily there was an empty lot across the street and we parked there and got some good sleep in a non moving truck. The best!

When the warehouse opened, we checked in and got to special part number 2. Their dock was located inside. Uphill. In a tiny narrow space just big enough for us to get in. And we had to block the street while we were backing in. Fun times.

That accomplished, it was time for special part number 3. This was mostly special for John. The place we delivered to was doing experimental research on the new International Windstar trucks. They are beautiful unique looking trucks. Apparently they are having issues with running hot so this place was figuring out a solution to the problem and that is the reason we were there. We brought them 4 55 gallon barrels of coolant. They gave John a tour of a couple of the trucks and he was a happy boy.

The downside to all of this is that we were predispatched on two more loads and due to the delays getting this one delivered, there was no way we were going to make our next pickup on time. I called dispatch and advised them and they said don't worry about it, just get there as quick as you can.

We finished up and headed out to Emporium, Pa. What a freaking nightmare. Up up up into the twisting winding moutain roads. I think our average speed was probably around 45 mph. This isn't good when you are trying to make up for lost time. We did our best and found the place, got loaded and headed out.

We were so far behind schedule now that we knew we definitely couldn't make the next pick up on time either so again I contacted dispatch and relayed the information. Their answer was again, just get there as quick as you can. We were both getting grumpy because this meant no time to stop to eat and bathroom breaks were kept to a minimum and very rushed.

We made it to our delivery in East Syracuse, NY and things went pretty smooth there. We immediately headed out to the next pickup in Albany, NY. This one was a swap with another driver who had a load going to Canada. Only, the driver doesn't go to Canada. So we agreed to take it.

We met the driver at a cross dock and got the freight off their truck onto ours. We headed out then to St. John, NB. Hopefully, all will go well as we haven't been to this part of the country before.

Jessie's Graduation

We are on such a good roll! I am still loving the fact that we got to visit Graceland last week! And now this week has turned out to be special as well.

After deliving the load in Evansville, In we next picked up in Murfreesboro, Tn. That load took us to San Antonio, Texas which was followed by a pickup in Laredo, Tx which had a delivery in Memphis, Tn. Then came the really good part. Our next pickup was in Southhaven, Ms when a delivery in Sidney, Ohio.

However, the Southhaven load picked up on Friday and didn't deliver until Monday and with just a few miles added on, took us right by my parents house in Indiana. It just so happened that my niece was having a graduation party this weekend and this load gave us the opportunity to attend the party.

Topping all that greatness off, our son, Johnny who is driving solo for Conway right now, happened to be in the same area as we were on our way up from Mississippi and we met up at a truckstop in Tennessee and spent the night there while he took his required 10 hour DOT break. He was on a load that was delivering to the same town that my parents live in and his load didn't deliver until Monday either. What are the odds of that? We convoyed up to Mom's house and parked the trucks and had a fantastic weekend visiting a lot of relatives that we wouldn't normally have gotten to see, but because of the graduation party, they were there.

I have to say it again, I LOVE the opportunities that this job is giving us!

Visit to Graceland

After a couple of really busy weeks we have found that in our line of work, weeks with a holiday usually mean that things are going to slowdown if not actually stop. This is okay with us because it gives us an opportunity to do one of the things that attracted us to this job in the first place. Sightsee.

Last week we ended the week in Massachusetts. We got a nice long 4 day weekend and eventually got a load picking up in East Granby, Ct. That load took us to St. Peters Mo and while on our way there we received our next load which was picking up in Washington, Mo with a delivery in Laredo, Tx.

Gates to Graceland

I was happy for a couple of reasons. One was that it was keeping us out of Canada and the Northeast and another is that I like driving in Texas. Little did we know that it was going to lead to something even better to be excited about.

We received a load offer picking up in Laredo right away. It was picking up on Thursday and due to the Memorial Day holiday it wasn't delivering until Tuesday in Evansville, In. We were paid layover pay for the additional days that we would be stuck with the load. We were happy with the deal and after looking at the map to see what our route would be and trying to decide what to do with our extra time, we realized that we would be going thru Memphis.

Elvis' Pink Cadillac

John at Graceland

John and his Mom have always been Elvis fanatics and neither one of us had ever been to visit Graceland. We did some research and found out that they offered truck parking so we made a plan to stop in and take the tour. I wasn't expecting much. I figured it was just a house, what would be so great? But, I have to say, there is something really special about that place and the way they have preserved his memory. You get caught up in the atmosphere and you can easily imagine what it must have been like in his glory days. It was one of the best tourist experiences we have had and well worth the money.

We took a ton of pictures, took our time walking through the  house, the outbuildings, the planes were awesome, we ate at the restaurant and toured all of the cars. It is just really nice what they have done there.

One of Elvis' two planes

I am so happy we have a job that allows us this kind of opportunity!

Another Busy Week...Getting Tired

We thought we would at least get Sunday off, but the freight must be really running strong right now. We managed to get our truck maintenance squeezed in between loads and then it was off to Morganton, NC for a load bound for Louisville, Ky. Some car manufacturing plants are a real pain to deliver parts too. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Next was a pickup in Cordon, In heading to Lake Orion, Mi followed by a load picking up in Manchester, Mi heading back up north of the border to Ayr, On. We get more and more irritated each time we take a load across the border. It gets old very quickly, all the questions and the being treated like a criminal just because you are doing your job and need to return to your own country. We are seriously reconsidering doing the Canada loads but we're just not sure how  busy we would stay without them. Other drivers say they think we would do better without Canada. We'll have to think it over.

After that, it was East Aurora, NY to Baltimore, Md. Yikes! Talk about traffic. You can't get anywhere fast up in the Northeast. I don't know how those people can stand to drive in that every single day. Then it was a pickup in Norwalk, Ct and a delivery in Weymouth, Ma.

Things died down after that one and we have received a couple of much needed days off. We still lack the stamina to drive miles like seasoned truck drivers do and I know it's because we still haven't learned to sleep in a moving truck. Hopefully soon a switch will flip and it will be easier for us to do.

One of Our Busiest Weeks

After the last Canadian debacle, we had a nice peaceful Mother's Day off. Time to rest up and get ready for the next adventure.  We didn't have to wait too long. Next up was a pickup in Syracuse, NY. And, true to form, a delivery in Ontario. This time in Ottawa. The capital of Ontario. It was quite a drive, but nothing too exciting. 

After that load was completed, we turned around and went right back to Syracuse for the next pickup but this time we were spared the return trip to Canada and instead we headed for St. Paul, Minnesota. The scenery along the drive was beautiful.

It was a busy week with no breaks. We delivered and immediately went to Eagan, MN for the next pickup to be delivered in Hartland, Wi. This was followed by another immediate pickup in Elkhorn, Wi with a delivery in Fredericktown, Ohio. From there we went to Groveport, Ohio and that one delivered direct to Asheboro, North Carolina. 

What a week! We actually felt like real truck drivers this week with all the nonstop action.  Now that it's Saturday, we'll see if there's any freight for the weekend or if we manage to get a couple of days off.

Happy Endings

We waited a couple of days for our next load. When it came we were happy to see that it was picking up in Laredo. We've heard so much about Laredo that we were excited to finally get to see it firsthand.

What a crazy place that is! It sits right on the border of Mexico and is a go between for freight moving back and forth from the US and Mexico. American drivers take American freight bound for Mexico down to a broker and drop it off. Mexican drivers will pick it up and take it the rest of the way into Mexico. The same works in reverse for the freight coming from Mexico into the US. The only difference is that a lot of the freight coming from Mexico is destined for Canada and American drivers are allowed to deliver the freight all the way into Canada. The only thing we aren't allowed to do is pick up a load in Canada and deliver it to another location inside Canada. We must bring it back to the US.

So far, I like what I see in Texas. It's a large state and it's true that everything is bigger in Texas. Which is great because it makes it truck friendly. We have no problem finding a place to park and we don't get frowned at when we need to stop off at a Walmart for supplies. The Walmart we went to there even had a special parking areas just for big trucks. Wish they were all like that.

The load we were picking up was delivering in Canada. We took off with it and got all the way up to Indiana. I had been trying to get clearance on the load and finally the broker called me and said we weren't going to be allowed to take the load into Canada because we weren't FAST approved, or something like that. I told him we take loads all the time into Canada but he explained that with this load, the customer requires drivers to be FAST approved so that they won't get delayed when they cross the border because they needed the freight asap.

It was okay with us, it just meant a few less miles since we would now be taking the freight to the cross dock in Woodhaven, Mi and someone else would have to finish up the load. From Woodhaven we next picked up in Hayesville, Ohio and right back into Canada we went. This time to Oakville, Ontario.

Being tired from the long drive from Texas up to Michigan followed with the load back to Canada, we decided to just wait at a truck stop in Ontario to see what happened and get soe rest. We ended up being called by dispatch for help on a load picking up at a cross dock in Tonawanda, NY that was coming back into Canada to Weston, Ontario.

We didn't want the load because of the short miles so we turned it down. They kept after us and we kept saying no and they kept raising their offer price. They begged and pleaded and finally wore us down. We headed to Tonawanda to meet the other truck. We got there and discovered the other truck wasn't there yet.

We called dispatch and they said they had lost communication with the other truck but wanted us to sit there and wait. We asked what that meant, lost communication? They told us that the other truck had a team of two guys and apparently they were fighting with each other and the last phone call they had made to dispatch they had said they were going to pull over and one of the drivers was going to leave the truck. After that, they never answered the phone anymore when dispatch called them. The satellite monitoring showed that the truck was still moving towards us so they assumed that the truck would eventually show up.

After waiting about 4 hours, the truck showed up and both drivers were still in it. I didn't ask any questions, just got the freight transferred to our truck and they handed the paperwork over to us. I asked them if they had already faxed in the documentation needed to get clearance to cross the border and they just gave me a blank look. I said never mind, I'll figure it out. I made phone calls and found out that nothing had been done, so we had to get that taken care of. As soon as we were given the clearance, we headed back across the border to make the delivery.

I'm not surprised to see the guys fighting like that. I would assume that in this job it probably happens all the time. They say that carriers prefer husband wife teams or at least same household teams and I can completely understand why. Me and John have our moments out here, but because we are married, we have our battles and then we make up and life goes on. If it was a non relative you were battling with, I doubt that it would have a happy ending!

1st Trip to Texas

Delivery to Gladstone, Va complete. Next up was a pick up in Greensboro, North Carolina with a delivery to Seguin, Texas. Yay for us, we are finally making it to Texas!

This load delivered to a CVS store. An actual store, not a warehouse or distribution center. We didn't think too much about it. We were loaded with store fixtures and shelving and most of it was just placed in the truck, not on pallets or anything. The store we were going to was being remodeled and this was the new stuff they needed to complete the job.

Upon arriving at the CVS we discovered that they have no dock. They are just a store. Their trucks who bring them their daily deliveries are equipped with a ramp and equipment to unload freight and bring it into the store. We didnt have such equipment. To make matters worse, the person who was responsible for taking charge of the freight we brought was a young girl. She couldn't offer any suggestions on how to easily unload us.

John got into the back of the truck and started handing pieces down to me and the girl and we began a very slow process of unloading piece by piece. What a treat in the Texas heat! We are drivers, not dock workers. We should have been told ahead of time if we were going to be responsible for unloading the truck. Oh well, we were there and we wanted the stuff off the truck, so we got it off.

After the delivery was completed, we headed to the nearest truck stop for much needed showers!

Back to work after 1st hometime

The party's over. So sad. After being home for 11 days we decided we better get back at it. I know I like my job because this is the first time I've been on vacation and actually don't mind going back to work. As a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to it. I've definitely never said that with any other job that I've ever had.

This job isn't really just a job. It is a lifestyle. To us, it seems like our truck is our home and our actual home is now like a vacation home. Being away from it just makes it so much nicer when you get to go there. You appreciate being there and don't take your surroundings for granted like you do when you are there every day.

Also, when on the road, I don't have to cook, clean or do any of the normal things you have to do when you're at home every day, so when we do go home those things are actually enjoyable as well.

It's a win win situation if you ask me!

We put ourselves back in service and immediately got dispatched on a load picking up in Orlando Fl. This load will be taking us to Gladstone, Va and has a lot of extra time on it, so we will be taking our time getting there. We will be pampering ourselves along the way!

Heading Home for the First Time

After our delivery to Winnipeg, we deadheaded back down into the states. We delivered on Friday and had to wait until Tuesday for our next load. This one picked up in Mounds View, Mn and was delivering in Wrightstown, Wi.

I enjoyed the drive through Minnesota and Wisconsin. Very pretty scenery. A lot of references to cheese in Wisconsin. It brought back some good memories of a family vacation that we took with my sister and her family a few years back. We all rented a condo in Wisconsin Dells and had a great time. We went in August and it was already chilly outside. We visited an indoor water park, rode the ducks, John, Shelley and Rob got tattoos and Shelley and Johnny did a tandem skycoaster together. Those two are crazy!

From Wrightstown we headed to Portage, Wi for a pickup, Delivered that one to Morenci, Mi. We highlighted for hometime which at our carrier means that they will look for loads for you that get you closer to home. We are so ready for our visit home after being out here on the road since February!

Dispatch came through for us and we next picked up in Wyandotte, Mi and delivered in Opelika, Alabama. This still left us almost 500 miles from home but it was a Saturday and experience has shown that we wouldn't get any other load offers until Monday at the earliest. We decided to deadhead home and get started on our hometime vacation.

We plan to stay home about two weeks. We have a lot of catching up to do there!

First time to Manitoba

We ended up sitting in Kansas City until Tuesday. Almost a full week! That was not a good feeling. We were wondering if we had been forgotten, if we were being punished for something, if the economy had come to a halt. We were being told over and over by dispatch that Easter is always slow. Factories shut down for a long weekend or whatever. All I know is that we sat way too long. After a certain point, boredom sets in and the only thing to do is start picking at each other.

I wonder how team drivers who are unrelated to each other would handle sitting that long? I can't imagine sharing this small space with anyone other than my husband. I don't think I would last long in this job if I had to do that.

It was Tuesday when we finally got a load picking up in Kansas City, Ks. It delivered to Clifton Hill, Mo which was not a great load, but because we were so desparate to get moving again, we took it. Probably a mistake, but again, we're learning.

After that delivery we had to wait a couple more days for the next load. It picked up in St. Louis, Missouri and will once again be taking us back to Canada. This time however, it will be to a province that we haven't been to yet, so that makes it a little better. We will be delivering in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

One year, our son John went on spring break to Florida with some friends and he met a girl whose family was there on vacation. She was from Winnipeg. Other than that, I don't know anything about Manitoba. More paid sight seeing!

Easter in Oak Grove Missouri

Our Canada load saga continues. We left Montreal for a pick up in East Syracuse, NY but the delivery brought us right back to Woodbridge, Ontario. At least the weather is getting nicer.

We decided to hang out in Ontario and see if we could get lucky and get a load picking up in Canada. With our carrier, we get paid extra if we are loaded when we cross the border in either direction. This time it worked and we got a load picking up in Tillsonburg, On. Even better, this load was going to Kansas City, Missouri. An area in the United States that we haven't seen much of.

We made our delivery and then deadheaded to the Petro in Oak Grove, Missouri. It's a really nice truckstop and it has a Dairy Queen inside, so I was a happy camper!  We were ready for a few days rest. It's been a long time since we've been home and the stress of learning this new job is getting to us. I think we've done really well all things considered.

We delivered this load on Wednesday and it is now Sunday and here we sit. We ventured over to a Radio Shack a few miles down the road and bought a device that we can plug into our laptop that will allow it to act like a tv. We are able to pick up a few stations which is nice since we are sitting for an extended period of time.

This truck has a tv and a satellite dish. We activated the dish service, but have had no luck receiving signals. It's such a hassle trying to reposition the satellite each time you move to a new location that the hassle just isn't worth it to us. We'll try the laptop tv and see how that works out for us.

Today is Easter. We don't have any special plans. We'll probably head over to the nearby Walmart and restock the truck. The Petro is having a special buffet today. Looks pretty good! Our dispatchers tell us that freight is usually pretty slow during holidays. We'll see how long it takes to get us rolling again.

Getting Tired of Canada

With the  air conditioners off our truck, we had no desire to stay in Canada any longer. The weather was miserable and so were we, so we deadheaded back into the US. We stopped at the first truck stop we came to inside the US border and enjoyed a nice hot meal and  then a nice long sleep.

We were in no hurry for another load which was a good thing because we didn't get one for 3 days. The next load picked up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. South we went and made the pickup We then continued south to Newton, Iowa with some supplies for a wind turbine factory.

A wind turbine on its way to its final destination

Our next load offer came quickly. We picked up in Chicago, Il with a destination of.....once again...back to Canada. Kinsley Falls, Ontario. After delivery, our next load offer took us back into the US. We exited Canada through Vermont on our way to Somersworth, NH. The weather had been nice while in Canada but as soon as I approached the boder snow flakes started flying.

An unwelcome sight!

Continuing on into the states the snow started flying harder and harder. I was driving up into the mountains through a national forest. Eventually the roads were completely snow covered and I had to reduce speed to 30 mph. I was gripping the steering wheel tightly and fighting the nerves. As I started down the mountain on the other side, the lower I got, the less snow there was and eventually I drove completely out of it.

I made it to the factory and found my way to the dock for the pick up. Then for the bad part. The load was going right back up into Quebec. This time to Montreal. I have found that we don't enjoy going to Canada anymore and especially into Quebec. Montreal has some horrible roads and it felt like our truck was going to be ripped apart by the potholes and uneven surfaces of the roads.

Pretty..if you like winter

We may need to reconsider doing Canada loads. We would really like to see more of the western United States.

Air Conditioners in a Blizzard

It's been a pretty busy week. We were waiting on a load in Quebec. The load we got was picking up in Ithaca, NY. So we had to leave Canada empty, pick up in New York and then return to Windsor, Ontario. I had no idea when we agreed to do Canada loads that we would be spending this much time in Canada. I would really love to see more of the United States.

We always feel out of place in Canada. It's definitely not home. I don't have anything against Canada, I would just prefer to be in my own country.

After delivering in Windsor, we again left Canada empty and picked up in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan. Back in the US! This load delivered in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio.  After that, our luck ran out and we were again asked to do a Canada load.

This time the load would be another swap with a driver who had a load going to Saskatchewan. This driver also does not go to Canada. The swap was set up to take place in Lake Station, Indiana at Waffco Towing. We arrived and the other driver was there waiting for us. He was in a tractor trailer. We both backed up to docks and the workers there began taking the pallets off of his truck. He had eight pallets of air conditioners. These were large units that were going to a hotel that was under construction. When the forklift driver brought the second pallet over to our truck and tried to sit it next to the first one, we ran into our first problem.

The pallets were wider than standard and would not fit side by side in our truck. Because the semi is 102 inches wide he was able to sit them that way, but our truck is 96 inches wide and they wouldn't fit. There was a lot of discussion about how to resolve the problem and someone came up with the idea of restacking the units on standard size pallets. A call was put in to dispatch and they had to get permission from the customer. Finally, we received approval to go ahead and the job got completed.

We had an interesting conversation with the tractor driver. He's been with our company for quite a few years. He enjoyed telling us stories of how it used to be. Apparently the pay used to be quite a bit higher than it is now. He also said he refuses to go to Canada. As a matter of fact, he doesn't go west of the Mississippi River or east of Ohio, or South of Georgia. As a solo driver, he said he's learned over the years to stay in that box and he does okay for himself.

After loading was completed, we headed out to Stoughton, Saskatchewan. This load had a lot of extra time on it since we were picking up on Wednesday and it wasn't delivering until Friday. We decided to use some of the time to stop off and eat a good meal together and get a shower.

We drove up to North Dakota and stopped off at a truck stop. We got our showers done and were sitting and enjoying our meal when dispatch called and said the customer had noticed that our truck hadn't moved for awhile and was getting concerned. Our truck is equipped with a satellite tracking system and customers are given tracking info and can actually track our truck during the delivery process. We told the dispatcher that we had stopped to eat and shower and nothing was wrong. We just had quite a bit of extra time on the load so we wanted to stop and kill some time while in the US and had internet available.

He said okay, he would pass it along to the customer and let them know that their freight would be there on time as planned. We hung up and went back to our meal. A few minutes later, dispatch called again and said for some reason, this customer was really uptight and worried about this load. Could we please go ahead and deliver direct. We were aggravated about the inconvenience, but agreed.

We took off driving and made our way up into Saskatchewan. This being our first time there, we were wondering what road conditions would be. Turned out, they were not so great. In addition to that, the weather turned really crappy. We started running into snow, we saw a lot of deer and we were hoping and praying they didn't decide to jump out in front of us. We worked our way to the consignee according to the directions we were given. We got there and immediately realized that something was wrong. We were in a residential neighborhood. This was at 2 AM. There was no sign of a business in this area. We called dispatch and informed them. They tried to call the customer and got an answering machine. Remember the customer who was so concerned about this shipment and wanted us there asap?

With no help from dispatch or the customers, we wandered around for a little bit and eventually we found a small gas station. We decided to park there and wait until morning for someone to tell us where to take this load. In the morning we made phone call after phone call and finally got ahold of the customer who advised us that we were given the wrong address to deliver to. No duh!

The funny thing was, the delivery location ended up being directly across the street from the gas station we were parked at. We drove across to the construction site, which had no docks and found a guy who was taking responsibility for the air conditioners. We told him about the request to deliver direct and the wrong address and he apologized and said he wasn't even ready for the air conditions yet. He was going to have to find a place to store them until he was ready to install them. While he was using a machine that I don't know the name of, it looked like a forklift on steroids with forks that extended,  the snow was flying, the wind was blowing and it just struck me as funny that we were delivering a load of air conditioners in a blizzard!

First Trip to Quebec

We made our delivery to Waterloo, Ontario. From there our next load was being picked up in Woodhaven, Mi. There is a crossdock there that our company uses to do swaps. Another driver had a load that needed to go to Canada, but that driver doesn't go to Canada, so he takes it to the dock and drops it off and someone else finishes getting it there. This time, that someone else was us.

We drove down to Woodhaven and let our company know we were there. They said the other driver should be there in a couple of hours. I set the alarm for two hours and we went to sleep. I woke up when the alarm went off and went inside and asked if the other driver had shown up yet. They said they hadn't seen him. I called dispatch and asked them when he was going to be there. They said he had to stop to have a light replaced and should be there anytime.

I continued to wait and watch but never saw him. After awile, I went back inside and asked if he had been there and I had somehow missed him. They again said no. Back out to the truck and more waiting. An hour later, dispatch sent a message and said the driver had sent a message saying he had arrive and departed. I went back inside and found out that he had indeed somehow gotten in and out of there without me seeing him. It was so nice that neither he or the guy that works inside bothered to let me know.

Near Niagra Falls

We finally got loaded and headed off to Pointe Claire, Quebec. This was our first trip to Quebec and we were unsure what to expect. The only thing I knew about Quebec is that they speak French. I was hoping we wouldn't have a communication problem.

For the most part, it went okay. Our gps had major problems though. I was ready to throw it out the window. Despite the gps issues, we got to the consignee and made the delivery. The road signs were a bit confusing because they were written in French, but most of them also had an English version. The people we dealt with all seemed to know enough English so that it wasn't a problem communicating.

We decided to go to a nearby truckstop and see if we could get a load out of Canada.

Uptight Chemical Plant in Mt. Vernon

I am forcing myself to retype this entire entry to the blog. I had the whole thing done but some glitch caused it to disappear. Grrr!

We sat several days in New York after the routine maintenance debacle. Finally we received an acceptable load offer that would pick up in Waterloo, Ny. The load was delivering in Garret, Indiana. We're originally from Indiana so it felt like a homecoming going back there.

We weren't there very long before our next load offer came in so we didn't get to do any visiting with family members. The next load picked up in Fremont, Indiana and delivered in Lebanon, Tn. Again, a routine pickup and delivery.

One of the cute little 1000 Islands in Canada

Not too long after delivery, we received another load offer that we accepted. This time we were picking up in Mt. Vernon, In and the load would be going to Waterloo, Ontario. I knew we wouldn't be able to stay out of Canda for long.

I was on the night shift on the drive to Mt. Vernon. I had a little bit of trouble finding the place but eventually I got us there. The shipper was a very large chemical plant. This was our first time picking up at a place like this. Apparently chemical plants run a pretty tight ship and security is heightened. I pulled up at the guard shack and was immediately made to feel like a criminal. There were two guards. The first one came up to the drivers window and started a rapid fire q&a session. Did we have any cameras, cell phones with cameras, drugs, weapons, pets, etc. While that was going on, the second guard was running a mirror all underneath our truck. I don't know what he was looking for, but apparently we checked out okay. We were directed to our dock with strict orders not to be outside the truck unneccessarily, and to wear our seat belts at all times while driving.

We got to the dock, backed in, and went inside to check in. The person on duty was very unfriendly and directed us to sit in the waiting room and wait until we were told our truck was loaded. We were not allowed to go back out to our truck until they said we were done. May not sound like a big deal, but when both the driver and the co-driver are forced to sit and wait inside, that means that no one is being allowed to get any rest. Why the government, who is supposed to be so concerned about the sleep that drivers get, allows this practice to go on, is beyond me. All I could think about was all the miles we were going to have to drive and how it was going to suck because we were going to be tired.

The loading took over two hours. Ridiculous, considering we were only picking up two pallets of freight. We were the only ones in the waiting room so I am assuming there were not a lot of other trucks being loaded, so I don't know what the hold up was. At long last, we were allowed back out to our truck and we headed back to the exit. We had to go through the two guards again and were given a pardon and allowed to leave.

Back to Canada we go.

Oil Pan Damaged During Oil Change

After the parking lot fiasco where we were backed into by another trucker who failed to see us in our parking spot and tried to park in the same spot, we got another load picking up in Sandston, Va delivering in Smiths Falls, Ontario. At this rate, we should qualify as dual citizens with the US and Canada.

We again made our way into and out of Canada with no major issues. Just the usual hassles by border patrol coming back into the US. Kind of getting used to it by now.

While in Smiths Falls, we received a load offer of about 2200 loaded miles for a load that would be delivering in Laredo Texas. We were excited about the load because we haven't had the pleasure of visiting that area yet and it would be a nice change from all the Canada runs we've been doing. However, I made the rookie mistake of asking dispatch if there would be enough time on the load for us to stop and get a pm (preventive maintenance) done on the truck. We were due for an oil change. The owner of the truck has stated and it is in our contract with her that maintenance will be done every 10,000 miles. We are at that point now and if we took the long run down to Laredo, we would be over that mileage quite a bit.

Dispatch informed me that they have a policy against trucks getting maintenance done while under a load. Therefore, they said they would offer the load to someone else. I called our owner and told her about it and asked her how I should have handled the situation. She said to never tell the carrier if you plan to stop and get maintenance done. They will not like it, but it's common practice to do it, just don't tell them. She said if there's time on the load, go ahead and take the load and get the maintenance done.

I felt bad about losing a good paying load, but I'm learning. Right after that, dispatch called with another load offer, this time picking up in North Syracuse, NY and delivering in Schenectady, NY. We decided to take it and the pickup and delivery all went routinely.

After the delivery, we knew we needed to get the maintenance done. This was our first time to do maintenance on the truck so we weren't sure what to expect. We asked the owner of the truck where she wanted it done, and she said she usually used Speedco, but there wasn't any in our area. She said we could also go to a TA. We headed off to the TA and went into the shop and got the work order set up.

We pulled the truck into the shop and while they were working on it, we went into the restaurant to eat a good hot meal. We were about halfway through our meal when John's cell phone rang. It was the shop saying that there was a problem and needed him to come back over.  John went to the shop and I stayed at the table and waited for him to come back so he could finish his meal. About 10 minutes later he returned and said that the mechanic said whoever did the last oil change had twisted off the drain plug on the oil pan.

Since I didn't know what a drain plug was, this meant nothing to me. Apparently, it's kind of a big deal. We had to call the owner of the truck and see how she wanted to handle the problem. She in turn called the shop and talked to the mechanic and the end result was that  they were going to wait until the next day when one of the more qualified mechanics came in to assess the situation.

Luckily, the TA we were at had a motel attached to it, so we ended up getting a room for the night. The next day, the "more qualified" mechanic came in and said he could provide a workaround solution to get us by until we could get the truck into a repair shop. He put on a petcock, which to me looks like an outdoor water faucet handle. He completed the maintenance and we were good to do.

The owner told us that this was the second time the oil plug had been twisted off of this oil pan so it had already been tapped out and a bigger oil plug put in, so it wasn't going to be able to be done again, this time it was going to require a new oil pan. The truck has a Mercedes motor and apparently the metal that they used for the oil pan is weaker than used by some other manufacturers. She had already replaced the oil pan before, so this seemed like an ongoing problem.

She contacted Speedco who had done the prior oil change and it became a he said she said finger pointing session between them and the TA. They both blamed the problem on each other and the end result was that Speedco sent her a gift card for $200 for her troubles.

Lesson learned from this situation is that John says from now on when we are getting the maintenance done, he will stand right there and supervise the whole process to try and prevent another incident. That's about all you can do, you're really at their mercy.

Backed into in the parking lot

Again we made it into and out of Canada safely. This time there was no load for us in Canada to bring out. Instead, our next load picked up in Millersburg, Oh. Another super fun place to drive thru. This load was being delivered to Fredricksburg, Virginia.

We got caught up in a major traffic jam when we were about 20 miles out from the consignee. I called into dispatch and let them know that we would probably not be able to make our delivery time and they were able to pull up the traffic report for our area and could see that we were not lying about the traffic situation. They called the customer and bumped our delivery time back.

We got our delivery completed routinely and proceeded to the nearest truckstop to wait for the next load. The truckstop was a zoo. Too many trucks and not enough parking spaces. We were lucky that our truck is so much smaller than a semi. We were able to  nose in to a parking space that the big trucks didn't have enough room to get into.

We ate, and headed back to the truck to get some rest. A few hours later, we were laying in the sleeper and felt the truck move. We knew it wasn't windy out, so we jumped up and looked outside to see what was going on. John opened the door and ran to the back of the truck just in time to see another truck pulling away.

Because of the size of our truck, we don't take up a full parking space. We usually pull in pretty far to try and keep ourselves out of the way of the trucks next to us so when they're pulling in or leaving they have a little more room to work with without having to worry about hitting our truck.

This time though, it worked against us because the truck driver didn't look closely enough to see our truck in the spot and assumed it was empty and he began backing in and actually hit our truck. At that point, he put it in gear and took off. Fortunately because we were nosed in he only hit the back dock bumper and scuffed it up a bit so no harm done.

Deja Vu

We got our load out of Ontario and this time went much smoother as we came through the border. I still found myself getting uptight and nervous as we got closer but I made sure that I had my drivers license ready ahead of time so I didn't have to relive that trauma!

That load delivered in Middleton, Tn. If you've never been there, you haven't missed anything. It was out in the boonies. After we delivered, we went out of service to do some laundry, eat, and most important, get some rest. 

I think we've done pretty well for newbies but we definitely do not have the stamina that a seasoned driver has. I think the biggest problem we have is trying to sleep while the other is driving. I never thought it would be that big of a problem, but it is. I don't know how to explain it, but imagine laying in bed and your bed is moving, sometimes shaking hard enough to cause discomfort, you can hear cars and trucks passing by, it's still daylight out, your bed moves and stops, moves and stops. Other drivers say that eventually you get used to it and some claim to sleep better in the truck than they do at home.

All I know is that for now, we aren't getting rested when we are on loads so we have to stop and rest when we need it. Safety comes first. This is another reason we decided to go with expediting rather than mainstream truck driving. Company drivers don't have the luxury of going out of service or turning down loads. They get a load sent to them, they have to do it. Period. 

After going back into service, we eventually received a load offer that was picking up in Huntsville, Alabama which was good because it's the same place we picked up at just a few days ago. We won't have the stress of trying to find it since we now know our way there.

The downside to the load is that it again is going back up into Canada. Specifically, Windsor, Ontario. More paid sight seeing for us!