In Mississippi, on the way to Louisiana

Last I posted, we were sitting in Wildwood, Fl waiting on a load. Turned out to be quite the wait. We had gotten there on Monday and had to wait until Thursday before we finally got out of there. To top it off, the load we got wasn't that great, but at least it got us out of Florida. It was only 400 miles up to Troy, Alabama. That delivered on Friday which gave us plenty of time to get it there. We drove up to Troy and parked at the Walmart since there weren't any truck stops near our delivery point. We did some shopping to get the truck fully stocked. They had a redbox so we rented a movie called In Time with Justin Timberlake. It was pretty good. One of those movies that kinda messes with your mind. We ate dinner and went to sleep.

Got up early the next morning and headed to the consignee. Made our delivery and drove almost 40 miles to the nearest truckstop. Parked and went back to sleep waiting for the next load. We started getting load offers right away but they were pretty crappy. The first one was too heavy. The second one was a train wreck. There was so much about the load that we didn't like that we wouldn't even make our carrier an offer on it. The third one was too short. Finally, we took the fourth one which again wasn't great, but was better than the prior ones and it was getting late on Friday and we didn't want to spend the weekend without any load at all. This one picked up in Alabama and will deliver in Shreveport on Monday.

Once again, we will be taking our time on the load. 530 loaded miles in 3 days is pretty pathetic. It's nice to be able to take your time and do other things along the way, but you don't make a lot of money that way. Next week should be better now that we have everything with the truck taken care of and we will be up in better freight lanes.

I've got our bookkeeping paperwork all caught up. I also started a new project. This one involves gathering all the information I can find online from other truck drivers and compiling it into one area. The information is for daytrips that are accessible to truck drivers. So many times we are laid over somewhere and would like to do something but not sure what is available in the area and where we could park the truck. The information is out there, but is so scattered that it would be a pain to try and find it when you're in a hurry. So, I'm working on putting it all into one spot so I will have easy access.

I've run across several exciting things to do in Las Vegas. Two involve driving cars. Exotic cars and Nascar type cars. The other involves flying in acrobatic stunt planes. I'm sure John would absolutely love driving some of the cars I saw listed on the websites.

Now that we've been out on the road for over two years and have our own truck, paid for and the repairs caught up, it seems like the job is getting easier and we are to the point where we can start having some fun out here. This is what we've been working toward and the time is finally here!

One other thing that I'm pretty excited about. John has always said that the biggest drawback of this job was the inability for him to get a workout. I've never been much into working out so it hasn't really bothered me so much, but as I'm getting older, I do feel like I need to start doing something to keep from rusting up. I recently found out from a trucking web forum about a fitness chain that has 24/7 access and BEST PART has private showers! This is great because it allows a truck driver to get their workout at any time, and get a shower before getting back into the truck. The shower part is a big deal. There are ways out here on the road to get your workout in, but without access to a shower, who wants to work out and get all sweaty and then get back in the truck? I will definitely be looking into getting us a membership for this fitness center. They have almost 1800 locations throughout the US and your membership allows you entry into all of them.

Heading back to.....Laredo!

Thankfully we are finally getting some steady miles. We completed the load from Laredo to Ohio. Then drove to Michigan and picked up and delivered that to Georgia. During that drive we received multiple load offers and accepted the longest one which was picking up in South Carolina and delivering in Laredo. We picked up on Saturday and deliver on Monday so we have an extra day on the load and we can get rested up while making some money. Once we get down to Laredo we are also going to need to get a pm (preventive maintenance) done on the truck. We almost exclusively use Speedco for that. They are fast and pretty good although John watches over them like a hawk to make sure they are doing their job properly. A simple oil change when done  improperly can really cause major damage to a motor.

Our very first experience getting a pm done in the first truck we drove was a good example. We went to a TA and they twisted off the oil plug. It was a Mercedes motor and from what I understand, the metal used on those is not as strong as most others. This was the second time that had happened on that particular oil pan and since it had already been tapped out, it wasn't possible to do it again. As an intermediate fix, they put a knob thing on it, looked like a water spigot. That held until we could get it to a shop to have a new oil pan installed which cost about $1600. Overpriced because it was a Mercedes motor. Of course the Ta blamed the prior company that did the oil change and that place said no, they didn't do it, it must have been the Ta. So the owner ended up having to pay out of pocket for the damage. That's the main reason we stick with one company to get the oil changes done. This way, if someone screws up, they can't point the finger at anyone else.

It's really sad how repair shops take advantage of truck drivers. It's one thing to need to get work done on your truck. It's another to know that you are depending on that shop to treat you fairly and to do the job properly. Our sons recently had a problem with their truck. Their check engine light kept going off and on. They took it to an International shop in South Carolina. That shop took all week to work on it and their diagnosis was a faulty fuel sensor. They changed it and I forget the exact amount of the charge but it was more than I thought it should be. They left the shop, took the next load offer and the check engine came on. They ended up taking it to the International shop in Ocala, Fl which is the one we seem to have the best luck with. That shop diagnosed it as a faulty oil temperature sensor. I believe it was around $400 this time for the repair. The good news is that they actually fixed the problem.

From what I have seen, when you take your truck in with a problem, the "mechanic" will hook it up to the computer and if that computer doesn't tell them what the problem is, they start guessing and you may end up paying out a lot of money on parts that weren't really bad. Sometimes if you get a young mechanic and he can't find the problem, he'll go and get an older more experienced mechanic and they usually know immediately what the problem is. Too bad there isn't more of the older ones available.

Catching up on our Loads

After an exciting ferry ride, we've really just been busy driving and making money. A good thing, much better than not making money, or even worse, spending lots of money! After the ferry ride, the loads went like this:

Liverpool, NY to St. Augustine, Fl
Beaufort, Sc to Indian Head, Md
Indian Head, Md to Yorktown, Va
Lynchburg, Va to Roanoke, Va
Blacksburg, Va to Tonawanda, NY
Meadville, Pa to Fond Du Lac, Wi
Escanaba, Mi to Water Valley, Ms

That rounds out the month of July. Not a bad month! The drive up to Escanaba, Michigan was a beautiful one. We drove right along the west shore of Lake Michigan and there are some really cute cottages all the way up through there. It would be a really cool place for a group of family members to be able to take a summer vacation together.

Working Hard

Nothing much to really write about. The truck has kept running and thankfully we are building our savings back up.

After the 4th of July that we got to spend at home with friends, we went back into service and immediately got a load. We kept busy the rest of the week. The loads went like this:

Mayport, Fl to Anniston, Al
Rome, Ga to Wapakoneta, Oh
Dayton, Oh to Lansing, Mi
Lake Station, Il to Avon, Mn

Because it is so hot out and our truck isnt equipped with a generator, we decided to get a hotel room for the weekend. We found a nice Red Roof Inn. They allow pets for no additional charge. It really is a nice place. It almost seems like a campground atmosphere here. Some of the guests have grills outside and we were invited to join in with them, but we declined. Sometimes, we are just not very sociable.

Home for the 4th

How ironic that we have decided to stay out on the road and make money to build our savings account back up after the huge repair we had and now we keep getting loads taking us close to home.

After finally getting our truck back we got a load picking up in Kansas City, Missouri and delivering in St. Louis, Missouri. We weren't thrilled with the load because of the short miles   and the fact that it was going to be a hand load and unload. But, dispatch made us a good deal on it and we decided maybe a short load would be a good test run after the major repair.

The truck ran fine and we breathed a little sigh of relief. I kept catching myself looking in the mirror expecting to see smoke coming out of the tailpipe, but fortunately, it never happened.

Next up was a load picking up in Ft. Campbell, Ky delivering in Tobyhanna, Pa. This would be another good test for the truck because it would involve a lot of mountain driving. Again the truck performed well.

Our next load picked up in East Hanover, New Jersey. The shipper manufactures flavors. We were picking up flavoring that was destined for an orange juice plant in Bradenton, Florida. It smelled delicious at the shipper. All those flavors floating around in the air. While we  were sitting and waiting to be loaded, we watched a group of deer who were munching away on the sweet smelling grass. I never associated New Jersey and deer together. In my mind, New Jersey is all concrete and steel, but there are actually trees and grassy areas and quite a few deer.

Bradenton was not too far from our home and we really wanted to go home for awhile but we forced ourselves to stay in service and keep making money. We did drive home and get the mail and check on things while we waited on our next load.

We didn't have long to wait, (of course) and we next picked up in Orlando, Florida and headed back up the east coast to Nashua, NH. I like the drive up I95 until you get up into all the congestion around Richmond, Virginia. From that point on up it's too much traffic and then when you get up to New York, the roads are horrible. I think it's criminal that you have to pay so much money to cross the George Washington Bridge and then on the other side the roads are so bad that you would swear your truck is going to be destroyed by the time you get to Connecticut.

The truck held together, and our next pickup was Ashland, Ma. This one was taking us back south to Tarboro, Nc. From there we picked up in Rural Hall, Nc and delivered it to Jacksonville, Florida. This is Friday and Monday is the 4th of July so we decided it would be okay for us to go home for the long holiday weekend. We really need a break!

Plans for the New Year

Happy New Year and looking forward to a wonderful 2011!

We had the best Christmas being able to spend so much time at home with no job worries. Being in Florida doesn't really put you in the Christmas spirit since it's so warm here and there's no snow, but I will never complain about that! If I really need snow, I can watch it on tv.

While we were at home, we found a classified ad for a truck that was for sale by owner. She was offering a contract sale. We talked to the owner several times and thought we were going to reach a deal but then she just stopped responding to us. I have no idea what happened. Maybe she found someone who was willing to pay cash or pay more money or maybe she just changed her mind and decided not to sale. We don't know.

We've been kicking around the idea of buying our own truck for a little while. We know we enjoy this job and want to continue doing this for as long as we can. Everyone we talk to says that if we're going to continue that the smartest thing to do would be to buy our own truck. This way we have complete freedom and that is exactly what we want. We will of course have the additional headaches that will come along with truck ownership but we believe we're prepared for that.

The truck that was for sale was a 2006 International. We are currently driving a 2006 Sterling. At first we thought we would like to buy a Sterling, but after seeing the cost of repairs for the Mercedes motor and finding out that the motors are considered "throw away" motors, we no longer want a Sterling. In addition, we are less than thrilled at dealing with Freightliner dealerships. They are not very accommodating to truck drivers and act like they could care less about you and your truck. For instance, when we were in New York waiting on the truck to be repaired after I hit the deer, we made a simple request to have them shuttle us to the motel which was less than a mile away. They refused and said they didn't offer shuttle service. We had to call a taxi.

Our boys drive an International and so far it seems like they are being treated well at the dealerships. Their transmission went out about a month after they bought it. The replacement transmission was covered under warranty which only had a month left. There was no shenanigans or trying to get out of the warranty. They were also given shuttle service. It's a small thing, but to a truck driver who is stranded miles away from home with no other transportation available to them, it's a big deal.

We are happy with the owner we drive for now but we will continue to keep an eye out for a deal on a truck of our own.

Another issue we are going to have to deal with is John's eyes. He has cataracts on both eyes. He's only in his 40's so it's pretty unusual to have them at that young of an age but we have a feeling that it is related to his former profession of working in the chicken industry since he was a teenager. The chicken houses are kept closed up in the winter time to keep them warm and that causes an ammonia buildup from the chicken manure. He was exposed to that ammonia every day for many many years. That's our theory on the cause of the cataracts but we know that there's no way to prove it.

Because we are self employed we aren't offered health insurance through an employer. We haven't purchased our own insurance up to this point because we are both very healthy and we decided to save the money and just pay for doctor visits as needed. It's worked up till this point, however, cataract surgery isn't going to be cheap so we will have to get into a doctor and see exactly what we are going to have to come up with.

On the money making side of things, we eventually left home and picked up a load in West Palm  Beach, Florida. That one was a shorty going to Jacksonville, Florida, but it was bundled with another load that picked up in Kings Bay, Ga that delivered in Norfolk, Va. That load completed our first week back on the road.

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!

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!

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!

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!

Warmer Today

It's starting to warm back up here in "Sunny" Florida. Thank Goodness! My foot felt good enough today that I went back to work. I can't put any pressure on the front of it so it completely messes up how I'm walking. I did make it through the day though.

Got home and checked my email and had one from the lady we will be driving for. She gave us hotel information and we firmed up the date for orientation. Feb 15th!! Orientation will be two days from 7 AM to 6 PM.....I'm sure that will be somewhat of a drag to get through.

John enjoying a peaceful moment before our new journey

At work today, the store manager came up to me and let me know that she heard my husband and I will be leaving. She asked me a few details about what we would be doing. She couldn't get past the fact that we would be together 24/7 in the truck. Her comment was that we must have a far different relationship than she and her husband do because there's no way she would spend that much time with her husband...It's funny, I've been there for 11 months now and this is the first time she came to me and had a conversation with me. It took me leaving for her to come talk to me. She said she was sorry to see us leave but congratulated us on our new venture. Then informed me that she was going to work the snot out of me till I was gone. And she wonders why no one likes her?

Freezing in Florida

It's funny that we moved to Florida in 2005 from Indiana because we were tired of the cold winters and now we are having a record setting winter here in Florida. Wait a minute, that's not really funny after all!

To make matters worse, I have been sick twice in the last month, was just getting over the second round and starting to feel good again and managed to jam my foot into the recliner and most likely broke my middle toe, although I am not going to bother going to the Dr. to have it checked out. I have taken off work for the last two days because it is so painful I can't put any weight on it. It's actually feeling a little better today so I guess I will have to haul myself back to work tomorrow.....not looking forward to it.

Really can't wait to start our new job next month. I am so nervous about getting started. Especially after the fiasco with Conway. I just want to get to orientation, get our truck, and make our first delivery. Then it will all seem real to me. I got an email from the lady whose truck we will be driving and she admitted that she is really nervous about handing the keys over to us. I wrote her back and told her I don't blame her and I don't know if I could do it myself. That's another thing that worries me. I hope she doesn't get cold feet and back out at the last minute. Especially after we have given our notice at work.

Oh well, if that happens, then we will just have to work something else out. We know now though that this is what we want to do, whether we drive for her, buy our own truck or find another owner to drive for. We will make it happen. We do eventually want to buy our own truck. We talked to a couple who are really pushing us to just do it now and not even bother driving for someone else. I'm just not that brave though.

Hopefully we will get our W2's soon. That's really all we are waiting on right now. I want to get our taxes done, as well as our son's and my parents. Somehow I ended up being the family tax preparer. It would be really great if we all get a nice tax refund. I'm sure my boys will since they are OTR truck drivers. With all the tax changes this year though, not sure yet how it will affect mine and my husband's returns. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

You know, calling in sick from work and sitting at home should be more exciting. Guess it would help if I could walk freely without pain. Then I could use this time to get things done around here, but then again, if I could walk without pain, I wouldn't have stayed at home.....what cha gonna do?

My first Post....

Wow, am I ever behind the times. I have followed other peoples blogs for quite some time but never felt the urge to have my own. Until recently. It looks like my husband and I are finally going to get to do something that we have been wanting to do for quite some time and I want to keep it documented so that I can look back on it and see if it was anything like we expected as well as keep track of our travels.

If all goes well, next month (Feb 2010) we will start our new career with expediting. Expediting is a form of OTR truck driving with a twist. Our truck will be a straight truck with a 20' box for freight. It will have a daycab with a 96" sleeper with most of the comforts of home. No shower or toilet, however, there are trucks out there that do provide those. Just not our truck. At least not the one we will start out with.

Since this is my first post and just in case someone out there in the world may happen upon this blog and take an interest, I suppose I should give a little background on us. We have been married for 27 years, have 2 sons in their 20's who live out on their own. We are both in our 40's with no real ties at home. We were born and raised in Indiana and lived there until 2005. We moved to Florida because we were sick of the cold winters. We both got very lucky and found jobs here in Florida that actually paid more than the ones we had in Indiana. However, then along came the economic recession and by by went the jobs. After not working for a year, we decided to go to truck driving school and get our Class A Cdl's. We went to a very good school at Mid Florida Tech, a community college which is part of Orange County Public Schools in Orlando. I very highly recommend this school for cdl training. We graduated and got our cdl's in Feb of 2009, all ready to go off on our new adventures only to find out that the recession had worsened and now driving jobs were even hard to come by.

We had applied to Conway Truckload and and were accepted by them. We went to their orientation in Feb of 2009 in Joplin, Mo. We made the mistake of thinking that we were hired. After all, they had done all of our paperwork and brought us out there, right? No. They take you there and put you through their testing and then select who they want to keep and who gets sent home. Needless to say, in our group, we got sent home and the drivers who already had experience got to stay. What a nightmare that was!! We had to take a Greyhound Bus home from Joplin, Mo to Orlando, Fl. First time either of us had been on a greyhound. Not planning to do that again!!

Anyway, got home and called every trucking company we could think of, and there were none that were hiring student drivers at that point. We were very discouraged and had no idea what we were going to do to survive. Luckily for us, one of our friends is a manager at Walmart and she helped us get jobs there. All I will say on that subject is that it kept us from starving.

We were so traumatized from the way we were treated at Conway that we didn't even think of driving anymore after we started at Walmart. At that point we were just so thankful to even have a job. However, as anyone who has ever worked at Walmart would probably tell you, it is not easy nor enjoyable, nor profitable working there. After about 7 months there, I started researching driving jobs again and somehow managed to stumble upon information about expediting. I mentioned it to my husband to see what his reaction was, and basically he said, Hell Yeah! When can we start?

I am the type of person who has to thoroughly research something before I am willing to get involved in it. So I began scouring the internet and learning all I could. I posted some questions on an expediting forum and received a private message from a lady who offered us an opportunity to take over driving her truck. Very sadly, her husband passed away from a heart attack and she will not drive it without him. She had read my posts on the forum and said that we reminded her of her and her husband. We began communicating by email and I let her know that we wouldn't be ready to start driving until after the first of the New Year and she said that was fine.

We had to go ahead and get our Hazmat Endorsements and our Passports, which we finally received in the mail yesterday. We will also be working on getting a clearance from the Dept of Defense for government shipments. Those actually pay better than regular loads.

We gave our notice at work yesterday and let them know that Feb 5th would be our last day there. That was an awesome feeling (and scary). It's really hard to give up a job in this economy. Even though the job sucks, but sometimes, you have to have faith and just do it or your fear will never allow you to live your dreams!

This is the truck we will start out driving. 2006 Sterling