I am currently sitting in a "trucker bar" next to the truckstop in Lebanon, IN. I am hauling a cement mixer truck up to MN. Picking this thing up was a bit of a pain as the folks there were no help at all. I walked in and talked to the guy at the counter, telling him that I was there to pick up a truck, and he didn't seem to have any idea what I was talking about. I called the contact person who turned out to be the owner of the concrete company and asked him where was the truck I was supp...

Today went reasonably well and my running mate and I made it safely to the truckstop just North of where we deliver tomorrow. This morning we called the customer and got directions to the hospital where these generators are to be installed. It turns out I just happen to know right where it is. The customer did throw us one curve. It seems they had set up two crane appointments. One generator will be unloaded at 9:00am tomorrow and the other at 1:00pm. This really didn't make any sense, and...

After a relaxing weekend at the hotel I got up bright and early this morning at 4:45am to go up to Sheboygan to pick up the oversized load I am taking to WInston Salem, NC. Everything went well. I arrived a little early and sat and talked with another of our drivers who is picking up a similar load (exactly the same actually) going to the same place. We both got our load picked up, tarped, and secured. We called in to report that we were loaded and to ask about the required oversize load p...

After busting my tail to make it to Green Bay on time Friday morning, I arrived right at 8:30 am (30 minutes early). It was a very windy day with gusts over 50mph. For this reason they had to shut down the crane as they aren't allowed to operate if the winds go above 50mph. After sitting for 6 hours waiting to see if they were going to be able to unload the huge, 41,900lbs crane counter weight I was carrying, they finally made the decision that it would have to wait until Saturday morning....

Well, sort of. There is an old truckstop on the North end of town that closed down a few years ago. It's the place most of the truckers in town park their rigs when they are home, myself included. This morning I was there before the sun came up so I could get an early start on my trip. When I rolled into the lot and saw it was completely empty incluing the fact that my rig was not where I'd left it, I didn't need a slie rule to put 2 and 2 together. I returned home and contacted the pol...

While I was working security during my recouperation time I kept my hair cut very short in a military fashion. Since i've gona back on the road I haven't cut it at all. I normall just comb it straight back behind my ears. After I got out of the shower today I just kinda combed it down and was surprised at how long it has gotten over my ears. This is the longest my hair has been in quite some time, and I kinda like it.

I just got the word that I am picking up some crane parts in Palatka, FL tomorrow morning and delivering them in Green Bay, WI on Friday. That should make for a nice trip and get me back to the office so I can turn in my paperwork. I don't yet have all of the details, but at least I have an idea of what I'll be doing. It was nice to spend a week at home but it's time to get back out there and make a few bucks. Besides, my paycheck is waiting for me up there.

Driving a big rig for a living is a difficult, thankless, and dangerous occupation. The hours are long and typically involve dealing with traffic jams, road construction, focused law enforcement, tight schedules, and dangerously bad drivers on a daily basis. People are either intimidated by, or annoyed by the huge rigs on the road and often intentionally cut them off or give the drivers "the finger" as they go by. According to OSHA statistics truck driving is the single most dangerous occu...

PC World's Techlog has a short piece talking about the upcoming emergence of "Windows Vista Capable' PCs. "From the article: "The Vista Capable designation doesn't promise that a PC will provide a great Vista experience, or even that it'll support all Vista features or features...just that it'll be able to run Windows Vista Home Basic in some not-very-well-defined-but-apparently-adequate way. At the moment, there are still new PCs on store shelves that don't meet the Vista Capable guid...

Geez, what a curse! This was said to me after a slight altercation at a convenience store tonight involving myself and a guy who was trying to pick my pocket for the measly few bucks I had in my wallet. I caught the guy dead to rights and could have pounded him into oblivion but instead just grabbed his wrist and told him I didn't think there was anything in my back pocket that belonged to him. That's when he uttered his curse. As he ran out the door. I am pretty sure that my spirit ( sou...

Living in Florida means living with lizards. For some people they are a pest and for some people they are a fright. For me, they are like friends. When I ride into the driveway on my bike there is usually a few of them that run alongside of me into the carport like they enjoy racing me. Inside the house there are always a few here and there. I don't bother them because living in Florida also means living with insects and the lizards keep that indoor population to a minimum. I can't recall ...

I can't count the number of conversations I have had over the years with someone bemoaning the fact that they are single. It's difficult for me to empathize with their plight. I was married for a little more than 12 years and am very happy to be unentangled in a romatic relationship. My life now is pretty simple and uncomplicated. I like it that way. I have no-one to answer to. I come and go as I please. I am in no way responsible for making someone else happy (as if that's even possible),...

Washing the dishes. It's a pretty mundane task. I can't say I especially enjoy it, but after being out on the road for a few weeks eating in truckstops or heating canned soups in tin pans, somehow just the simple chore of washing the dishes makes me feel at home. I have always enjoyed cooking for myself, but have never liked doing the dishes. When I am home, like now, I refuse to eat out. I go shopping for meal ingredients and cook my meals at home. Somehow even the laborious chore of wash...

I have an XM satellite radio in my truck. While on the road it's a real drag to be constantly searching for stations to list to as I travel from one area to another so satellite radio makes sense as I can listen to what I want, when I want, where I want. With over 100 channels to pick from, there is always something good to listen to. The stations I listen to most often are: Classical Music: I listen to a couple of the classical stations quite a bit. It's great music to listen to while ...

I just got back from the grocery where I picked up a few things for dinner and a few brews. The cashier noticed the cycling helmet I was wearing. Kind of hard not to as it's bright red. She asked if I ride my bike everywhere I go and I replied that yes, when I'm home from the road I ride it everywhere as I choose to not own a car. She looked pleased and related how she also lives car-free and cycles everywhere. We chatted about our bikes and riding for a couple of minutes but had to cut ...