Barstow, California...where we would steal away while camping at Calico Ghost Town and buy beer or even stow away into a bar and sit and drink...thus the term, Barstool. I stopped and decided to while away some time by showering, eating fine cuisine (in-n-out), and entering some fine prose to my blog. I can see you are really friggin impressed at this point.
As I was well into my schedule like a well oiled machine on a mission should be, I get a call about an incident with the car and a deer. Car, dented, not in the ditch...Deer, dented, in the ditch...wife and stepson, shook up but ok. That is a relief when I am this far from home, there is no telling what I would do if something bad were to happen. I sure as hell would not be in this truck waiting for asshole bret to get me home...that is for sure.
I stopped in at the In N Out and had a burger and small Coke. Something is different though. I ordered grilled onions and I got grilled reconstituted onions and it made the burger taste like a White Castle. Gross.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Bag O' Pictures
This is a loose bag of photos that I did not use in anything else therefore they sit. Some are just plain cool. Others represent something different altogether. Flowers in a rest area.
That large thing is an earthen dam.
Cool house overlooking the earthen dam.
That large thing is an earthen dam.
Cool house overlooking the earthen dam.
Dam, Damit all.
Dam with little ape waving...LOL
Wind turbine blades against summer sky. In Nebraska. In the middle of Nowhere...
O Here Are Some More Pictures
Kentucky Downs as visible from the rest area.
The forest is in a rest area in Indiana but I cant remember where as I lost the notes referring to it. But it is still awesome to look at.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I liked the way the light illuminated the red in the hillside. Unfortunately, the red is rather blanched in this photo.
Nor this one.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I liked the way the light illuminated the red in the hillside. Unfortunately, the red is rather blanched in this photo.
I have no idea why I took this picture.
Some Recent Pictures
I Just wanted to show the golden colors of some of the trees in Montana.
Mount Shasta in her elusive glory with the clouds constantly moving.
Mount Shasta in her elusive glory with the clouds constantly moving.
Olive orchards in northern California. I am partial to olive trees because they remind me of my elementry school days. The Olive tree was the most common tree in the school. Non toxic fruit and all.
Mount San Antonio...Mt. Baldy at this angle is directly behind it. I grew up knowing exactly which direction was north for the first 18 years of my life. We drove up there and collected snow, explored, hiked and later on drank.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I Am In Utah Because I Just Have Nothing Else To Do
I know, I know...you have been just chomping at the bit, waiting for the next installment of Lets Torture The Driver. It is as though there has not been enough punishment for me in doing my job. Traffic, Weather, Lot Lizards, Lumpers, Ugly Toothless Hookers on Crack. It has not been enough to tempt my senses to actually react to stimuli. I am just bored I guess. So when I chose to take this mission, I knew that with out a doubt that there would be stimuli...Fire. Now there is something to talk about with the other coffee drinkers at the round table. I ask, "Joe, how are things for you buddy?" Joe replies: "Well, I got the crop outta the field and didn't break any equipment. I just wish I hadnta planted so much corn. Seems everyone planted corn this year and it kinda pushed the price down a bit." To which I reply: "Yeah, well I went to California and got burnt to a freaking crisp just so I would have something to talk about to you losers. Why don't you idiots just get a coffee maker? Save you a whole lotta money." Not exactly the conversation maker ya know?
My next frigging rant has to do of course with the losers at Jim Palmer Trucking. The first part is just a plain shame. I was talking to an owner operator yesterday at the Denver terminal who had recently had his truck burn to the ground in Temple, Texas. Seems that he had a blowout and before he could get it to the side it caught fire. He tried to fight it with the wimpy fire extinguisher but the unit ran out of juice before the fire was out and the flames were a dancin as they monster mashed their way onto the guys sleeper and sent the truck to Davey Jones Locker for trucks. I know just what you are thinking...Yeah, So? Trucks catch fire sometimes. The kicker was when this driver who had been with the company over 2 years without an incident, checked on his weekly settlement. It was being held from the driver because they wanted reimbursement for their Qualcomm unit which was on the truck. These jerks held money away from this guys wife and family so they could be paid first for their qualcomm unit. What heart from an asshole like Jim "I've Been There" Palmer and his band of merry butt whumpers. I think that if there were a natural disaster, It would be my hope that it hits Jimmy's house and that the insurance company hold out his payment for the damage in lieu of replacing the gas meter. I mean I am sure it would mean nothing to his wife as I'm sure she can hold her liquor with the best of us. Been there indeed.
The second installment of my surgical strike rant has to do with some mismanagement in regard my personal profile. Specifically, the part of my personal profile that lets the driver manager know my preferences in regard to where I like to run and how long I like to be out before going home. When I started, I had an interview with Bret and we discussed where I like to run and what I like to do and how long I like to be out. I spoke clearly without the hint of an Iranian accent when I said in plain English, "fourteen to twenty-one days, I have a wife and son at home." The first couple months went just fine with Bret frequently asking me if I wanted this load or that to get home. He even asked me at the 9 day mark if I wanted home time. That is how it went until June. I got into it with this penisless jerk named Dave. This mealy mouthed loser could screw up a wet dream and Jim Palmer in all his stupidity just loves this guy and will do nothing about him. He is also well known for doing things with drivers personal information and trip information. Manipulating the information for his benefit is what dickless Dave is well known for. He really is not the focus here, but he is my suspect in the situation. Anyway, I ended up all summer spending 35 days plus out on the road. I call Shane, and I tell him the situation and he checks my profile and notes to me that the entry said 4 to 6 weeks and that It must have been changed. I asked him to find out who could have done this and he did the typical snake act where he doesn't want to offend anyone. He actually got indignant, asking me why I wanted to dig all this shit up and why don't I just drop it and that he was getting angry. I replied that if a driver had manipulated personal information on this level that he would certainly be in range to be fired. He replied that would I want to fire someone over a simple mistake? It was no mistake...Brett was operating under his original entry and the entry was changed. This is how this loser has managed to last ten years at JPT. If your job requires you to pucker up your lips and what you are kissing tastes and smells like feces, then you are a loser. All the lies in the world told to truckers to smooth things out will do no good. If there is no substance to what you say and more so what you do then you are nothing. You are a loser Shane and everyone knows it. Been there indeed...
My next frigging rant has to do of course with the losers at Jim Palmer Trucking. The first part is just a plain shame. I was talking to an owner operator yesterday at the Denver terminal who had recently had his truck burn to the ground in Temple, Texas. Seems that he had a blowout and before he could get it to the side it caught fire. He tried to fight it with the wimpy fire extinguisher but the unit ran out of juice before the fire was out and the flames were a dancin as they monster mashed their way onto the guys sleeper and sent the truck to Davey Jones Locker for trucks. I know just what you are thinking...Yeah, So? Trucks catch fire sometimes. The kicker was when this driver who had been with the company over 2 years without an incident, checked on his weekly settlement. It was being held from the driver because they wanted reimbursement for their Qualcomm unit which was on the truck. These jerks held money away from this guys wife and family so they could be paid first for their qualcomm unit. What heart from an asshole like Jim "I've Been There" Palmer and his band of merry butt whumpers. I think that if there were a natural disaster, It would be my hope that it hits Jimmy's house and that the insurance company hold out his payment for the damage in lieu of replacing the gas meter. I mean I am sure it would mean nothing to his wife as I'm sure she can hold her liquor with the best of us. Been there indeed.
The second installment of my surgical strike rant has to do with some mismanagement in regard my personal profile. Specifically, the part of my personal profile that lets the driver manager know my preferences in regard to where I like to run and how long I like to be out before going home. When I started, I had an interview with Bret and we discussed where I like to run and what I like to do and how long I like to be out. I spoke clearly without the hint of an Iranian accent when I said in plain English, "fourteen to twenty-one days, I have a wife and son at home." The first couple months went just fine with Bret frequently asking me if I wanted this load or that to get home. He even asked me at the 9 day mark if I wanted home time. That is how it went until June. I got into it with this penisless jerk named Dave. This mealy mouthed loser could screw up a wet dream and Jim Palmer in all his stupidity just loves this guy and will do nothing about him. He is also well known for doing things with drivers personal information and trip information. Manipulating the information for his benefit is what dickless Dave is well known for. He really is not the focus here, but he is my suspect in the situation. Anyway, I ended up all summer spending 35 days plus out on the road. I call Shane, and I tell him the situation and he checks my profile and notes to me that the entry said 4 to 6 weeks and that It must have been changed. I asked him to find out who could have done this and he did the typical snake act where he doesn't want to offend anyone. He actually got indignant, asking me why I wanted to dig all this shit up and why don't I just drop it and that he was getting angry. I replied that if a driver had manipulated personal information on this level that he would certainly be in range to be fired. He replied that would I want to fire someone over a simple mistake? It was no mistake...Brett was operating under his original entry and the entry was changed. This is how this loser has managed to last ten years at JPT. If your job requires you to pucker up your lips and what you are kissing tastes and smells like feces, then you are a loser. All the lies in the world told to truckers to smooth things out will do no good. If there is no substance to what you say and more so what you do then you are nothing. You are a loser Shane and everyone knows it. Been there indeed...
Saturday, October 13, 2007
In Misery In Missoula
Not really. It is just that I frigging hate the hell out of waiting. Oh yeah, I will behave like I have all the time in the world and be all polite and kind when really, I just want to smash some frigging furniture and punch a few people right square in the nose. OK, not really. But I do hate waiting. I have been banging on the head of my driver manager and breakdown department for better than 2 months about the idea of getting to Missoula to get something looked at on the front end of my truck. The tires are toast now. They will make good 3,000 mile trailer tires now.
I was in Wenatchee, Washington. Stemilt apple manglers and shippers. They are large. They are inefficient and they suck. They think nothing about keeping a driver waiting to load better than a day and have the nerve to ask you to monitor channel 40 the entire time in case they want to get a hold of you. Further, once they get you to the dock, they want you to sit in the lounge and wait for one of their illegal Mexican workers to mumble in broken Spankish to you when they decide to load. I got to the dock and told the lady at the counter that I would be at my truck because, after all, I have been there 24 hours, what could a couple more hurt. Anyway, back to the original thrust if you will of this missive.
I was in Wenatchee to get a load to go through Missoula to get my errant front end worked on. Cool. Of course there were people in the shop but they weren't really interested in doing any work as of course, it was Saturday. I am penciled in for Sunday. I got a hotel room and must wait until then.
I also have a date with the log nazi in logs department. She stated on the phone that she needs to clarify some things with some of my logs. Perhaps she would like to clarify how I was able to log 75 mph in a 65 mph truck. I am ready as hell for my reply "It is to keep up with the 80 mph driver manager" Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the log lady...she has a job to do. I just have a job to do as well and that comes first.
I will add some more blather tomorrow as my head clears from the hangover of being stuck in a too small truck and being insulated by poor management and indifference by the leadership by a multi-million dollar juggernaut without a rudder. Dedication:.]
I was in Wenatchee, Washington. Stemilt apple manglers and shippers. They are large. They are inefficient and they suck. They think nothing about keeping a driver waiting to load better than a day and have the nerve to ask you to monitor channel 40 the entire time in case they want to get a hold of you. Further, once they get you to the dock, they want you to sit in the lounge and wait for one of their illegal Mexican workers to mumble in broken Spankish to you when they decide to load. I got to the dock and told the lady at the counter that I would be at my truck because, after all, I have been there 24 hours, what could a couple more hurt. Anyway, back to the original thrust if you will of this missive.
I was in Wenatchee to get a load to go through Missoula to get my errant front end worked on. Cool. Of course there were people in the shop but they weren't really interested in doing any work as of course, it was Saturday. I am penciled in for Sunday. I got a hotel room and must wait until then.
I also have a date with the log nazi in logs department. She stated on the phone that she needs to clarify some things with some of my logs. Perhaps she would like to clarify how I was able to log 75 mph in a 65 mph truck. I am ready as hell for my reply "It is to keep up with the 80 mph driver manager" Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the log lady...she has a job to do. I just have a job to do as well and that comes first.
I will add some more blather tomorrow as my head clears from the hangover of being stuck in a too small truck and being insulated by poor management and indifference by the leadership by a multi-million dollar juggernaut without a rudder. Dedication:.]
Friday, October 5, 2007
Swamp Critter
I am doing the usual crossing Iowa and heading on to Denver to ultimate and complete ruin. I guess that is better than focusing on the fact that Iowa on I-80 can be a rather dangerous crossing with all the frantic traffic. I-80 is just one busy road to drive on not to mention the whole Des Moines debacle in the middle of the state. Des Moines really isn't as bad as it used to be a few years ago. The whole place was in a state of constructional torture and disarray and that only referred to the minds of the truckers driving the destroyed arteries through town. Yes, it is much better now with the wider freeway and more lanes. Seems that I never get stuck in traffic while going through and that must mean it is working.
It is indeed Friday night and I am in a rest area debating whether I should plow on through past Omaha or should I stay here and suffer the indignity of spending the night in a Rest Area. On one hand I could show my typical hard work ethic and press on towards the goal...or I could show a bit of caution considering it is Friday night and there will be the inevitable drunk or drinking drivers to contend with.
I think that considering that I weigh 77,500 lbs that physics is on my side and I will get this pachyderm back out on the road and at least roll out to Lincoln. Drinkers be damned I have miles to do.
I had a strange sad experience today. I was driving across Illinois and someone on the radio reported that a car had hit a deer and it was in the median. I approached it in the median and it was a clean 3 pointer and it was sitting up with its rear haunch disabled and blood was coming out of its mouth as it was suffering and looking around. I see deer get hit all the time...usually after the fact, but this bothered me as I do not like to see anything suffer. Of course if I had stopped and put the poor creature out of its misery, there would be a whole new can of peas opened up. Better to leave things like that be. Well, gotta mix it up with the party crowd. Dedication...
It is indeed Friday night and I am in a rest area debating whether I should plow on through past Omaha or should I stay here and suffer the indignity of spending the night in a Rest Area. On one hand I could show my typical hard work ethic and press on towards the goal...or I could show a bit of caution considering it is Friday night and there will be the inevitable drunk or drinking drivers to contend with.
I think that considering that I weigh 77,500 lbs that physics is on my side and I will get this pachyderm back out on the road and at least roll out to Lincoln. Drinkers be damned I have miles to do.
I had a strange sad experience today. I was driving across Illinois and someone on the radio reported that a car had hit a deer and it was in the median. I approached it in the median and it was a clean 3 pointer and it was sitting up with its rear haunch disabled and blood was coming out of its mouth as it was suffering and looking around. I see deer get hit all the time...usually after the fact, but this bothered me as I do not like to see anything suffer. Of course if I had stopped and put the poor creature out of its misery, there would be a whole new can of peas opened up. Better to leave things like that be. Well, gotta mix it up with the party crowd. Dedication...
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