It is pretty at the KCI Airport!

Good evening from Memphis, Tennessee!  It has been another long day as I drove 610 miles and had to stop less than 45 minutes from my stop in West Memphis, Arkansas.   I am pooped!

I drove through one of those towns that were hit by a tornado (I wish I could you which one but I can’t) and it does look like a bomb went off!  I have never seen firsthand what deadly force a tornado has.  There was this complete wipe out of businesses and homes from the left side of the road to the right side as far as I could see while behind the wheel.  FEMA was set up there and large equipment was scooping up what was left of blocks and blocks of broken homes.  I am so glad to be living in the NW as watching your life getting scooped up and dumped like common trash would kill me!  I will never move to this place that I don’t remember where it is located!

I don’t have internet tonight as I am in the back of the lot but heck, you are probably scratching at the computer screen begging for another “in the street” interview!  I will get on it as soon as I see some lucky soul who gives me eye contact.  That being said, I have put over 1000 miles on the new truck and Popeye is breaking in nicely.  Good night!

Good evening from Kansas City!  We are stuck for the night at the airport with a load that we ran with to only find out, they are closed!  Yuppers, it was a rushed deadline, only 1.5 hours in breaks, to be at the drop site by 7:45 (we arrived at 7) and they were closed!  Good news is I cleaned the truck and this specific drop at the Kansas City International Airport has showers!  So, at 6 AM, you know where I will be because there are three trucks ahead of me.  At the moment, I found a weak internet connection and will try to update you all.  Bad news, I have some killer pictures that I know won’t upload.  That being said……..see you all in the morning!

And by the way, both Brian and Jim are quitting and I can’t get through to Kel!

Wet in Savannah.............

Good evening from Savannah, GA, at the Wal-Mart/Home Depot back parking lot.  It has been a long day but a good day as I am loaded and driving my brand new 2012 Freightliner.  We got a late start from the terminal and did a 240 mile run to Douglas, GA and the pick up here.  As I was out of minutes, I didn’t even sign in that I picked up the load.  I just grabbed it and headed here before I was forced to park on the street!  I will log it in the morning as it will run me way over what I have done already and I have all ready gotten in trouble with minor log violations while at the terminal  that required computer testing……..augh!

I have named the truck “Popeye” because of the hood mirrors.  While parked at the terminal yesterday, so idiot hit my driver side hood mirror and broke it.  The shop did have the mirror assemblies in stock but without the back chrome that is factory installed.  So, I have one chrome and one solid black and we have a name! 

Gonja is now legal to go anywhere I go and the company gets to keep more of my hard earned money because of it.  He does like the new truck as he has more floor space but his seat is a tad smaller and he can’t sleep in it.  Which as far as I am concern, is great as it keeps him awake so he sleeps better at night. 

Marcus and Matthew, my two new friends that I met in Springfield are on the road in their new trucks and going to the same next two destinations so they still get to pal around some more.  Nice guys and great company.  Marcus is so big, I considered him my body guard!  Take care guys and see you soon!

Well everyone, time to sleep in my truck for the first time…………sweet dreams!

Time to get back to work!

Time to leave the hotel and hit the terminal in hopes that our toll passes have arrived so we can grab a load and hit the road.............everyone in the cab!

The bugs eat you alive down south!

Happy July 4^th from Atlanta, Georgia.  Yes, we are still here and might be on our way to a load tomorrow.  Hazards of arriving at a terminal at the beginning of a three day weekend.

Matt, Marcus and I all returned to the terminal to grab our trucks and get them ready for the road.  What surprised me was finding out that my truck had no oil.  I told Matt and Marcus to check theirs and it was the same situation.  When the shop releases the new trucks, they are supposed to be road ready and these certainly were not.  They had only 5 gallons for fuel, no exhaust fluid and no oil.  We headed to the shop to get everything filled and get supplies.   While we were waiting, there was a commotion in the shop and everyone left, heading into the truck parking lot.  A driver was found dead in his truck.  It appeared that the man had a fatal heart attack and fell, possibly killing him instead of the heart attack as there was a lot of blood.  I was told he was young and very large.  I can only hope that I don’t meet my maker in a terminal parking lot.

Once we were road ready, we had to head to the truck stop as the fuel pumps at the terminal were down.  Matt and I had new fuel cards but Marcus did not so we both contributed 15 gallons of fuel so he could get around until he gets his new card Tuesday morning.  Then we all bobtailed back to the hotel and spent the afternoon turning our trucks into our homes.

Today was saved for paperwork and grocery shopping.  Tomorrow, we are back at the terminal to learn a little about our new trucks, contact our fleet managers with updates and order our toll passes so they will be here first thing on Wednesday.  I really want to be back on the road tomorrow so I will discuss the toll situation with her and let her decide if I should pick up a load or spend one more day here.  Hope your three day weekend was a tad bit more exciting!

Gonja quickly settled in!

My office area......

The entertainment center, fridge and bedroom

Awesome storm!