Good morning from the Pilot in Hagerstown, MD

And our weekend did not start out on a good note.  We dropped our load at Home Depot in Winchester to only be given a trailer that had been repaired Montana style with aluminum sheets and duct tape.....and little holes cut out for the three overhead lights.  Now, I don't have a clue if this is a DOT violation as I can not reach the top of the trailer to see what damage the duct tape is hiding, I just know it looks bad....better get it checked out.

So I contacted Breakdown yesterday at 4 PM........and I wasn't notified until 2.5 hours later on where they wanted me to take the trailer.  Oh course, by the time they contacted me, I was out of hours.  None the less, I was up and ready at 4:45 this morning to drive 45 miles to the shop for repairs but wait......the shop doesn't open until 9 AM!  Sooooo....let's stop at the Pilot on the way for some Internet time, fuel, and leave in 1.5 hours to drop the trailer at the shop and we will make a Walmart run......sweet! 

I hope the trailer will be done by noon which will give us 6 hours of driving time!  You know, I have drivers that shake their heads when I tell them that I start my clock, not dispatch......as they look at all the hours I am losing but you know what, I don't run all hours of the day and night if Dispatch had their way.  This way is safer for me...........I am always well rested.

Off to surf...........

The scum of earth took my money!

On the phone all night with the bank.....those creeps who stole my wallet last year, emptied my checking accoumt!

After spending 2 hrs with customer service.........I was lucky.  It is still banks fault, they allowed electronic checks that were canceled........augh

Good evening from Piedmont, SC......

And we will be heading north tomorrow as we swapped our load with another driver heading back to GA.......where it is 75 degrees!

We get to deliver a load of insulation to Virginia, one of two of my favorite states, tomorrow afternoon.  After that.....who knows!

You know, I have been on the road a year next month and it has certainly put some strains on new friendships as well as old.  I would honestly say that it has been quite an eye opener to be gone so long as those friendships that you thought were strong, just slowly disappeared with each passing day I was on the road.  It really does test who you are and the many types of relationships you are in.  I have found that most individuals that were in my life before I hit the road, have slowly moved on either from lack of boredom of hearing the same ole thing from me or......there really wasn't a true friendship at all to begin with, we were just acquaintances by association. 

You can reach out for so long and try to hold those near to you that you want in your life but eventually, you just need to let go and walk away.  I have a terrible habit of holding on for too long as I hate being alone........and guess what my virtual truckers, I am doing just that.  But on the flip side, I have found that I do have a few cherished friends who love me no matter what nor where I am!  I am learning a lot about myself.......I am seeing certain wonderful trees in the forest of life and they stand out in brilliant colors of love with each special smile and the sweet gift of them, being here, for me!  Thank you!  

We are still heading SOUTH!

Good morning!  Time to return to work after our short 34 hour restart and it was a productive one ;)

We got our load information as soon as I logged on.  We are still heading south, this time to Lake Park, GA, right on the Florida border.  I haven't been this far south since the home time with Cancer (shivers).  Let's cross our fingers that February will be a "keeper" month.

Grab your gear (except James as he appears to back light), we will be leaving in 15.

Working on a 34 hour restart in Columbia, SC........

Good afternoon my virtual truckers!  We arrived in Columbia last night after being turned around from a distribution center as the load I was given by Planning was shipped out 2 days earlier!  It really didn't matter much as I didn't have the hours to move it more than 60 miles.......and it was a load going to Canada....even worse this time of year!

Since I had only 3.5 hours today, I am taking a 34 restart.  I was up at 7 AM, ate a nice breakfast while doing a load of laundry, walked Gonja to the store for supplies, cleaned the inside of the truck including windows and floors (that bucket of water was DISGUSTING), brushed Gonja (he is shedding again) and will be working on that application for that driving position hauling bicycles for racing events. 

I will not be working in ND as I lack the experience so Marie will have to beat off all the men on her own.  Now that I am almost a year old as a professional driver, it is time to seriously check out other opportunities as it won't be long before I am costing this company too much with my upcoming raise and paid vacation.  They have plenty of new drivers to abuse and use willing to take my place.....it is really sad that the bottom dollar means more than a GOOD DRIVER.

Now for this truck stop and location.......scary!  I felt safer with the hillbillies in Joplin than I do here!  I walked by one house that was surrounded with a fence topped with barbwire.  I am on the poor side of the town and it shows.  Right behind the truck stop is a black cemetery, the grounds are covered in patches of grass and weeds.  There is no rhyme or reason to the plot locations, just pick a spot and dig.  It was sad to see so many young adults and new born babies within the past year buried here, with many of these graves without a grave stone but a small piece of stamped tin to identify who laid below.  No matter what your color, we all deserve so much better!

Time to finish that application (talk about a pain when you don't have a home office), enjoy a show or two while eating a lovely shrimp salad and my favorite drink.  See you all at 5:30 AM!

I don't know which is  worse, the dirty water or Gonja's window!

I love being down south in January!

Meet Rosco......

We got a load!

It is a small one, from here to South Carolina but a load.........grab your gear!

Good morning from Madison, GA

Well hello there my bright eyed and ready to drive virtual truckers!  Take that key out of the ignition and head to the kitchen....you might as well enjoy a hot breakfast as we don't appear to be moving yet.

My day did go as planned yesterday!  We dropped that load at 2:30 EST, did some shopping at Walmart and was at the TA truck stop at 4 PM for our truck service.  The truck was done at 8 PM with much disappointment from a young mechanic that was enjoying my company as he was stuck working until midnight........and we all know that I was out cold by then ;)

I signed on the clock 30 minutes ago....and we have dead silence.  And, I think we will be taking a 34 hour restart tonight as we have no hours available for the next two days.  So whatever happens, we will be staying south for now!

Might as well grab that morning paper too!

It is 19 degrees in New Albany, MS!

I left West Memphis. AR, at 4:45 this morning and it was 32 degrees.  Should it not be getting warmer the further south I drive??? 

We are only 357 miles from our drop in Georgia with a delivery time of up to 11 PM tomorrow.  Due to the fact that we are here on a weekend, I think the best scenario would be to drop the load and request "breakdown" for the oil change as soon as we arrive today.  There is a TA truck stop not far from the drop that they will send me too while I still have 5 hours on my clock.  I can get the truck serviced, get a good night's rest and hope the everyone is on the ball Monday morning........and we will get a load before sun up.

My idle is down to 16 % since leaving Yuma as the temps have been doable with my lovely fleece blanket.  Maybe is they see my percentages fall as they keep me south, they will keep my south.  If you believe that, you haven't been driving with me long!

OH, I applied for a driving job back in Seattle.......taking racing bicycles from one location to another, away from home only 2 to 3 weeks.  When was the last time you saw a bike race in the snow?  I think this might be a great opportunity.  Let's see if they think so too and call me! 

Off to walk Gonja.........grab a quick bite ya'all, we will be leaving in 15!