Last entry for today. Are you still here? Go out already!

Good evening virtual truckers from the BW compound on the interesting side of Dallas (could explain the barbwire fence).  It looks like we might be here a tad bit longer than we expected as I turned down the opportunity to drive with Pedro.  I will tell you, we walked up to each other, looked each other over from head to toe and thought, this could work (he is quite the looker and it has been awhile since I looked back with the same interest :) but alas, he smokes!  So it is better to walk away knowing at least there is one trucker out there I found attractive and I saved quite a few broken hearts as I later heard there was a girl in every port or in this case, every city! 

Oh!  I met one of my blog readers today!  He is part of a couple that I briefly met at trucking school and they have been keeping up with my journeys.  We were both on the same shuttle to Wal-Mart and as we talked locations, school, etc., the dots connected.  He smiled and said, “You got rid of Cancer!”  I didn’t know if I should burst out laughing or blush!  I will make sure to spend time with them this weekend and share a little about their journey from school to being here with me!

My hair is now back to its natural color, my tummy is full and you are all updated.  I think me blogged too much today but hey, you will miss me when I am back on the road again, only being able to keep you on your toes a few days a week with my endless driving drama.  Enjoy a good martini for me!

Still waiting on that new trainer!

I am just killing time while waiting on the trainer that I might have scared away when I mentioned that I have not been running team but working days and sleeping nights!  He stated that we run as the loads run and I stated, I will try but by 1 or 2 AM, that might be pushing it.  He told me to get ahold of my student manager and I told him, oh heck, I will give it a shot.  Well, he was to be here nearly 40 minutes ago....hmmmm!

Since I am waiting for something, I just thought I would mention a wish list of the few items I will need when I do get my truck and this wish list is for any serious trucker running the 48:

Truck GPS
Road Atlas (lamentaed pages)
Rest Stop Locations including truckstops (small handbook)
Small electric cooler (AC converter for battery usually included or attached)
Small microwave (if truck as  a APU unit whichs actually supplies an electrical outlet)
Basic tool box (with tools)
Large tire pressure gage
Basket with basic cleaning supplies

I could go on but what is left, you really need to be in the truck to know........and hit Wal-Mart!  Now if you want to add a diamond encrusted gearshift handle, I certainly won't turn it down :)

Off to wait.......and ponder if I need a new trainer!

Cancer had been radiated and I am now Cancer free!

Good morning virtual truckers from the Dallas, Texas Terminal!

Yuppers, I am at the terminal because I am no longer with Cancer!  We were at the Wal-Mart distribution center late yesterday afternoon when he told me that he would not be training for a couple of weeks as he had personal issues to take care of at home.  YEEPEE!  I tell you what my dear friends, I was packed and ready to go in 30 minutes!  He let me drive to the terminal and I jumped out at the safety garage but not before I told him that as a teacher, he FAILED me.  And….that only thing I learned from him was to dislike him!  Of course….he had to throw in some insults as I walked away to make himself feel better as it always is someone else's fault that he is not perfect!

Downside of packing so fast, I left behind my new thermos and work gloves, both replaceable. 

I woke this morning and was in the process of checking out when I received a phone call from my new trainer, Pedro.  He treats his students as team drivers so I will be having a week of hell (now I get to live what Brian lived through).  But on the upside, my hours will be up in little over a week if he has me running the eleven hours a day I should have been driving in the past two weeks.

So dear Lorene, no Skype until who knows when!  Dear Rhonda, I did not have the time to call him all the names that you were so kind to offer.  I will keep you all updated on the new trainer and the new schedule where they will make me suffer for that $2 per hour!

To heck with safe travels, get the heck out of my way, I am bigger than you!

Good afternoon from Waco.....again!

Good afternoon again from Waco!

Much to Cancer’s rants and raves and whines, the load that was suppose to get dropped off this morning will not be accepted until 4:30 PM today.  This of course my dear friends did not bother me as I was not around to listen!  I spent the morning in Denny’s getting caught up on my favorite shows, went for a walk and got my nails done; and did a little shopping.  Spent my per diem for the past two days in the process but it felt good!  Now I am back at Denny’s, doing some research before I watch CSI and head back to the truck. 

Remember either last week or early this week when I mentioned the old graveyard.  See the location below:


View Larger Map

That little piece of land surrounded by truck stops and roads is the place!  I tried to search some of the names of the deceased in order of finding a name of this graveyard but with no success.  I can only assume that is was a graveyard of the poor, hence the location and lack of up keep.  Let me know if any of you can find anything out……..your homework for today!

That reminds me, I need to do two weeks of manual log entries……gives me something to do this weekend because if we don’t get a pre assigned load after our drop off, good chance we will spend the weekend here!

When did FedEx start delivering cars? 

Now guess what this is and the winner will get a gift of my choice from a truck stop ;)

A little nervous in Waco, Texas!

Well virtual truckers, it is near the end of my day and we find ourselves in Waco, Texas.  I got nearly 8.5 hours of driving in before Cancer decided I was too tired to drive and took over the seat for the last hour.  Gads, when will this man retire or something!!!  The last time I checked, I was older the 10.......by a lot!

That being said, I was quite flattered this evening at dinner to have a man on each side of me, flirting with me :)  One was in his mid 40's, the other.....MUCH younger!  Considering I was on the road all day and feeling very much like a truck driver, it was very entertaining.  But in full honesty, I do have to tell you that I had dinner at HOOTERS, so between the beer and the young ladies, I got the benefit of being right in the middle!  Gads, and now I get to look forward to my MATURE bunk mate!

I am up at 5:30 to run and Cancer offered to take me to get my nails done if the client won't take their load early.  I think I would rather have my nails pulled off than to spend time with him outside of the truck so my nails can wait.  No clue where we will be going next but you know I will keep you informed.

BTW.......People!  I haven't had the time for "on the street" interviews so add something to this blog!  My mom is ready to go MOM on you if you don't let me know who you are or what you think or what you would like to add, so.....COMMENT!  My MOM said so...........

Good night!

Oh......family, could this be a relative?

4/14/11 Morning from Joplin, MO

Good morning virtual truckers!  I am sitting at McD's having a rather expensive fruit and oatmeal (the high calorie burritos are soooo much better!).  Need to watch that somewhat womanly figure!

Well, it was a lot better day yesterday then I had expected because of loved one and dear friends were in contact with me via texting and telephone knowing of my struggles and letting me fill my “whine” bottle.  I laughed and giggled at some of the images they had flying around my head and it made for a smiling day.  Thank you all!

After doing the professional thing and contacting the fleet manager, it was brought to someone’s attention that I could finish my training in 11 days if I was given the hours that are now expected of me……so, I will be driving all day long!  Cross your fingers that this continues for then 11 to 12 days and I will be on my way to MY TRUCK!

On that note, Brian got his TRUCK today!  Congrats cowboy!

Safe roads…..I am off to drive!

4/13/11 What!?! Another flat tire???

Good morning from Perry, OK, at a nice 7:00 AM in the morning.  The sun is gracing the skies with its brilliant hues of red as it rises over the farm fields to my left.  As to what is on my right….left’s focus on our right shall we J

I got back to the truck last night around 9:30 PM with Cancer sitting in the dark.  It was about 15 minutes later that the repair truck arrived to fix the hole in the tire.  Thirty minutes later, we were all fixed.  Cancer went to bed, and all and all, it was a nice night with a cool breeze entering my bunk space and little outside truck noise.

Remember me telling you about Cancer not traveling farther than the local truck repair shop for any bad tires?  We drove 275 miles before he decided that this hole now needed repair when we were only 260 miles from our drop off in Lenexa, Kansas.  Not only that, he didn’t notify the company until 6:30 AM today that the repairs were completed. Hmmmmmmm….he was determined that I was not going to drive and I only gained 4 hours off of the 206 I still need to complete.  I think the hardest thing about this whole experience is dealing with the drama and all my friends/family can agree, I hate drama and just walk away…..but now I can’t.

Gotta love friends and family as they have been making sure that I am smiling this morning!  Whining does pay off if you DO it correctly ;) 

Good afternoon from just outside Kansas City at 4 PM.  Yes, we dropped our load, picked up a new trailer and guess what, a nail in the trailer tire!  We have been sitting again since lunch….and waiting on a new load.  As for the nail, we could of dropped off the trailer at the new location and notified dispatch as it was not leaking…….like that lil leak last night that made our load late this morning as Cancer decided the truck was not moving.  So……punishment time again for Jeff and another day on the truck for me.  Is my “whine” bottle holding up?

Still no news from Brian or if he is still with BW.  I will keep you updated as soon as I hear anything.  Off to enjoy the music of my Zune until I am allowed to drive, or eat, use the restroom or just get a dang load!

4/12/11 Jeff's new name is "Cancer"

Good afternoon from a tired and slightly pissed off Reia on the outside of Dallas, Texas.  I have had only 5 hours of sleep,  2 – two hr breaks in the past 30 hrs and my first meal in 8 hrs and Jeff decided that my attitude was worthy of leaving the truck again!  I told him he was the boss…….and guess what, I am still here!!!!!!  AUGH!!!

It is noon, I have been up since3 AM, Jeff’s hours run out around 5 PM and he expects me to drive after.  I told him I would drive until I was tired, you know safety first!  That really pissed him off but I am sitting here, not at the terminal as he would have lost this load and a day of missed miles.  He is a miserable man but not stupid!

I have only 106 hours left, haven’t heard from Brian yet as today is suppose to be his last day traveling with his trainer and he is ready to “bring it on” with BW if they give him a run around about giving him his truck…….he is ready to go home! I am not that far behind and let me tell you, there is no holding back my feelings if Jeff wants a battle…BRING IT ON!

Well, we made it to Perry, OK, before Jeff (new name is now CANCER) found a hole in a tire after he made the comment that he hoped I didn’t kill us.  I know for fact that tire was fine when we picked up the load as he checks all tires before we leave the lot.  I asked him to show me and the tires are in great condition.  He actually had to get a spray bottle with soap and spray the back inside of the tire to show a release of bubbles.......now don't tell me that wasn't intentional!

I haven’t spoken a word to him since he verbally assaulted and then humiliated me in front of others at the truck stop in Dallas.  And don’t plan to start either…..I like the vision of his face on road kill as I drive downs the road!  Now I am off my whine bottle and off to find decent web service.

We are on our way to Kansas to drop off a load and I don’t know more than that.  Picture time if I can get the service to work here!

I found this graveyard outside the last truck stop that fixed a very obvious bad tire!  It was a small graveyard with a hundred or so buried individuals.  It was not maintained and surrounded in garbage.  It really is a shame.

Can you imagine this as your headstone???  There was quite a few like this......

Reason for pre-trips!

Reason again for a pre-trip!  Some idiot purposely released the king pin from the fifth wheel and one little turn leaving the truck stop and the trailer slid off!

One of my many views.......and the bug is?

A nicer view........

4/11/11 Morning from Falkville, IN! Read about my GATOR encounter!

Good morning virtual truckers from McD's in Falkville, IN!  My journal from yesterday!

Good afternoon from the TA Truck Stop on South 75 in Jackson, GA and it is going to be one of those days that you just SIT!  Jeff got me up early after a late night run (I drove until 11:30 PM) so we could be at our Wal-Mart pickup at 9 AM and guess what, we have a trailer tire that needs replaced!  And that means my virtual truckers; that we will be spending a hot afternoon in the truck stop as it can take up to 5 hours to get approval for one new tire.  The company can be slow in responding for mechanical repairs, especially on weekends, even knowing that you have delivery deadlines.

And, as of yesterday, I have only heard an hour (max) of Jeff’s whine….cross your fingers that it continues but with this tire issue, which should have been caught and repaired by the previous driver if he had done his pre-trip inspection properly, he will vent throughout the day.  My Zune is charged and ready!  Give credit when it is due, Jeff did surprise me by letting me take over the truck to drop the trailer, pick up a new trailer and drive…….all before 10 AM!  Now if I can get back on the road and get my hours running!  I am two weeks behind of schedule in getting my truck and heading home between waiting for a trainer, Jeff’s punishment day, and his time off. 

For those of you that didn’t know, I finally found my gator yesterday!  We had a two hour wait at a truck stop back in Florida and I decided to go for a walk to kill time.  As you can see from the pictures, I found some interesting flowers and a cute ant hill but what you don’t see is the “no trespassing” sign on a fence belonging to some Florida Utility company.  Well, shucks, part of the fence was down and I couldn’t help but swing a leg over and amazing, the other one just followed!  I could see a small marsh/lagoon through the trees and headed that direction. 

While day dreaming along the shoreline, a loud splash, roughly 15 feet from me in the lagoon, popped my head to the left and nearly popped my heart out of my chest!   I saw the tail of the gator as it hit the water with a warning thud and then dive under, causing small waves to wash on the shore I was standing next too.  I knew I was pretty safe as it was midday and too hot for the gator to consider me as a mid day snack.  I could see around the trees to a larger lagoon just a tad bit further in but due to the lack of proper shoes, the mosquitoes wanting me as their mid day snack and frankly, I was too nervous to find another gator, I called it good.  I smiled all the way back to the truck, sweat dripping into my eyes as the sun roasted the ground I was walking on in the 90 degree heat.  No deep fried gator on the stick for me but my very first encounter with an alligator in wild….AWESOME!

Now I want you all to remember, 90% of my scenery shots are taken when moving 65 miles a hour.  Impressive isn't it!