A bunch of useless crap
MasonM's Articles In Blogging
January 13, 2004 by MasonM
OK. I just signed up for a blog here. This is a totally new concept for me, and I'm not even sure why I started it; just sounded interesting. I will be reading articles written by others to get a feel for this, but for now I'll just begin typing. Where to start? Well, let's see, I'm currently between jobs. I've been off work since November due to an accident. I was/am a truck driver. I was in Ohio, bobtailing (tractor, no trailer) to a shipper to pick up a pre-loaded trailer to ha...
January 13, 2004 by MasonM
The afternoon is just about over. Just had what I hope is the last call from a recruiter for the day. Yet another company I'm really not interested in working for. At this point I'm pretty sure I'll be going to work for Swing so I can make a good living and also be home every night and weekends. Will be a nice change from being on the road for two or three weeks at a time. I know I'm ready to get back to work somewhere; sitting around the house gets old pretty quick, and I've been home since e...
January 14, 2004 by MasonM
The comedy show last night was great. They made a mistake andbooked two headliners for the same night, so we got a two for oneshow. Both comedians were really funny. We had a pretty goodtime. Jo Ann called me around 9:30 this morning to tell me a patientdrove her car through the front door of the clinic this morning.The lady is 75 years old, and probably should have stoppeddriving years ago. Not that all older people shouldn't drive, butthere are many who are just not able to do so any more. ...
January 15, 2004 by MasonM
Today has been pretty average, I suppose. Decided on who I am going to start work for next week, and arranged a hotel for orientation which starts on Monday morning at 7:00. After talking again with Swing I decided on Landair. While the job at Swing actually sounds like the better job, practical considerations exclude them at this time. Firstly, the local 'home every night' positions have been filled. They wanted me to do a dedicated run. Still not bad, home a couple times a week and still off ...
January 25, 2004 by MasonM
Just got home last night around 10pm. I really hope that this first week with this company isn't representative of a typical week here. After spending Monday and Tuesday in boring orientation class, we did our driving tests on Wednesday. What a joke! I have been a professional driver for a number of years, as had everyone else in the orientation class. The idea of giving us a driving test is insulting. But, this company is very selective about who they hire. A number of drivers were washed out...
January 26, 2004 by MasonM
So much for this week's paycheck and a ripping start on the new job. This snowstorm has really socked it to us here. I live up a pretty steep hill and right now our road is covered with several inches of snow with a nice layer of ice on top of it. Can't go anywhere until it's cleared, and we are expecting round two a little later today. Already getting cabin fever. LOL Last night I bundled up and walked down the hill and around the corner to the store. About a mile or so, not too far. Amazing w...
February 6, 2004 by MasonM
Well, I finally got out of here on wednesday of last week and headed for Scranton, PA. I made it as far as Carlisle, PA and the road started getting iced up. I stopped in Carlisle (there just happens to be a trucker bar there) and spent the night. Had a few jack n cokes and some conversation, then a good night's sleep. Made it to Scranton on thursday morning and delivered the load. Then I picked up a load going to two Big Lots stores over in WV. What a trip that was! I got to the first store,...
February 15, 2004 by MasonM
This past week I have started working out on the road. I bought some weights and portable exercise equipment to take on the road. Have a workout room set up at home but can only use that when I am home. Now I am working out Tuesday and Thursday on the road, and Saturday or Sunday I do a thorough heavy workout at home. This routine should speed up reaching my fitness goals. Since the first of the year I have dropped from 250lbs to this morning's weight of 213lbs. I tried on my old size 38 jeans...
March 1, 2004 by MasonM
I have only been with my present company since Jan. but have already decided to secure a position elsewhere. In a job that should pay over $1000 a week my gross last week was only $375, and after deductions my take home was $0. And I even worked over the weekend for some extra money. What a laugh! I spend far too much time sitting around with these people than actually driving. Last Monday I was unloaded at 7:15 am in Alabama. It was 2:30pm before they finally sent me another dispatch, and ...
March 7, 2004 by MasonM
Quit my job Friday. I was at our terminal in Hartsville, SC awaiting a dispatch to the Greenville, TN terminal where I was to turn in my truck. Well, dispatch was unhappy that I was quitting and giving me the run around so I told them I would just turn in my truck right then and there. I couldn't get a ride to the hotel so I walked the 7 miles and checked in Friday afternoon. My girlfriend was to head out from home Saturday morning to pick me up. She arrived around 1:00 on Saturday and we to...
April 26, 2004 by MasonM
Whew! Made it home this evening (finally). Today's delivery was a real pip. I hauled a rather odd looking thing from Wisconsin to the coast of North Carolina. It was a steel cylinder about 30 feet long, with fins running along it's length as well as inside of it, and a large flange on one end. I had no idea just what it was for, but that's really not my business. I just haul the stuff. Well, I called the customer this morning to get directions, and he just said "stop at the convenience sto...
April 28, 2004 by MasonM
Just looked at my ranking. 99. I broke the top 100????? How did this happen? I suspect somebody has been sneaking in and reading my silly garbage. Who would do that? What could I have possibly written that anyone with an ounce of sense would want to read? Oh this world is in serious trouble!
April 28, 2004 by MasonM
Pain. I had lower back surgery in 1999. I put it off for years. I simply put up with the pain and went about my business. In 1999 my right leg stopped working. The stupid thing simply refused to do anything I asked of it. All it did was hurt. I was driving my rig into Louisville, KY during rush hour and traffic suddenly decided to stop in front of me as traffic has the annoying habit of doing for no apparent reason. I went to step on the brake to bring my rig to a halt, but nothing happene...
May 1, 2004 by MasonM
I got a phone call from Sears this morning. "Your order has arrived, you may pick it up any time". Order? What order? Turns out Jo Ann ordered a new stove and range hood about a week ago. I knew the old stove was on it's last legs (chicken of course) and I recall a discussion wherein she said we wanted to get a new one. Guess I must have said "OK". Ok, we picked them up and got them home. Brand new smooth surface stove, the one with the glass cooking surface. A the range hood turns out ...
May 2, 2004 by MasonM
There have recently been two articles written that kinda made me stop and think. Am I being chastized here? Or inulted? Or am I just coincedentally invloved? One article involves writing articles with express intention of gaining comments. OK. I did write one "list" article which asked for people to add to the list. Yes, the article does ask for input (comments) from readers. Was the article written with the sole intention of gaining comments and points? A resounding NO! This article was a...