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.