Let's see now, I delivered my load to Rochester, MN without major incident. I picked up a load in Minneapolis, MN that was drop and hook...I like that. And am happily on my way to two drops in the great state of sawtooth hicks and losers...West Virginia. Just kidding. Really.
I had a good friend in the Navy that was from Elkins, WV and I just have to say it...he was a hick. I think he liked the fact that he displayed hickness at every turn and I am sure as heck he is still the same way today. He was one true friend and it was a shame he went off to A-school and ended up who knows where. Perry Petro from Ohio was another great friend that I spent 4 years in Hawaii drinking beer and listening to great music with and he is still in my thoughts and I hope all is well with him. Would like to get in touch with him somehow. Clayton Blair from Tennessee is another great guy that falls in that list as well.
Anyway, I have entered the great tangent zone which carried me clear away from the earlier paragraph. I have another blog I just started called www.thebeerpage.blogspot.com that I started recently. You see, I have traveled to over 50 countries over many years of government service and currently have 1200 beers tasted in the United States however, some of those beers were tasted in the 1980's and 90's and my methods have changed along with some of the formulations of the beers since then. At any rate, my opinion of a lions share of the beers that you run into in some of those countries is that they are simply crap. They may not be crap when they export it here but I have a problem with some of the third world garbage that tastes like lawn clippings floating in grey water.
I have brewed beer since 1984 and am a certified beer judge which means really that I am simply a beer bum that will use any label I can get from any beer brewing/judging organization to get close enough to beer and taste it. Beer for free is the best but I am not cluttering any of the beer page with that stuff. It is all beer that is tasted at the time I enter it. Being a truck driver poses a bit of a challenge as I just can't pull up to the local brew pub and belly up. I also have had to take mental notes on locations of beer brands and remember them when I get a weekend off in that location. I spend a mint on hotel rooms and have sipped some of the finest beer made by American craft breweries from Super 8 plastic cups.
I must say one thing at this point, I am not a beer snob. I do not worship every word I read in beer brewing magazines and could care less about the subtle undertones experienced by the so called beer experts. There are a few great beers from Belgium and there is honestly quite a bit of crap. I could care less about some of the California breweries that simply load the heck out of their beers with an overly imbalanced amount of hops and call it craft. Balance, good ingredients and proven brewing methods with consistency in mind are some of the hallmarks of the successful brewing industry. If the beer you pay 9 bucks a sixer for is what floats your boat, cool. Just don't get mad when I choose not to give your beer 5 points because it tastes like one of my home brewing mistakes.
One other point I would like to make on the beer page...I will not discriminate against any brewer. If I have great things to say. It is because it is great. Which brings me to the word that I haven't wanted to say...the B word. Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch has taken quite a bit of abuse from people in the "beer media" for lack of another world. Seems that if you write about beer, it is almost obligatory to bash Anheuser-Busch. Right now, there are some breweries that are banking successfully their profits for their efforts thanks to the evil empire A-B. Some craft beer purists will bash a craft brewer as if they sold out in accepting distribution and infusions of cash from the much larger brewers. These kindnesses naturally are not out of the goodness in the hearts of the mega-brewers. Brewing, like anything else in the United States is a business and business is there to make money. Everyone needs to get their piece. Nothing wrong with that in my mind. If that same mega-brewer helps out a brewery with distribution and other help and suddenly the beer is compromised...well, that is another story.
Let's see, did I have a point tonight? I am not sure but the words flow pretty good from the keyboard anyway. Really this is about the life and things that are in the complicated thing I call my life. Some days are good and some days are typically bad and I try to express that. If you are reading this and have the sudden urge to go on Zoloft to balance you out in order to handle the pitches and rolls that is this page, sorry about that. They are only words. Relax. It is raining like heck here at Osseo at the Super 8. Glad I am not a flat bedder tonight. With that in mind, I hope you are all dry and safe. Dedication...
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Who Do You Hate? That's Your Date...
I guess that there really is no justice in this world. I mean, it seems that from what I see, trucking companies really go out of their way to put up a good impression. Put their best foot forward if you will. It also seems that the better looking a company is on the outside, that the more screwed up they are. You see all the shiny equipment and the slogans of true unconditional dedication towards the driver and the driver's family.
How does a person cut through all the garbage when looking for a company to drive for? First and foremost you need to have a plan when you approach that company or call them. Spend two days writing down any and all questions and follow up questions that come to your mind. If you have no idea what to ask, other drivers are a good source of question ideas. Once you have called the company, have your questions written down in front of you. Write down or record the answers as you talk and get all of your questions and answers down. Then, with your hook baited with all of that recruiter talking away about his company being the greatest thing since the enema bag...you set the hook. Tell him or her that everything sounds great on the surface but are they willing to put everything that they just said in writing. If they say that they are not prepared to put anything in writing, just respond with, "certainly you prepare written proposals for your non driving employees". If they will not relent and give you a written employment proposal, do not give them the time of day because they are not worth it. You might have to provide them with an application so they can finalize their proposal to you regarding pay based experience, etc. It is still worth it to get it in writing. If you ask for it in writing and the company sends you a pamphlet with pay quotes and benefits, Keep looking.
I was driving yesterday north on I -65 coming up to northern Indiana to meet another driver and get him home by taking his load when I saw a big Toyota Sequoia SUV pass me on the left. It was all covered with environmental stickers...you know, save the earth, etc. I got to thinking that with all that effort with the stickers and all that, perhaps he could have put them on a Prius and at that rate would be in the area at least of "Trying to Save the Earth".
Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those guys that likes to empty my motor oil on the ground because I hate cleaning out my drain pan after oil changes. But really, a Sequoia? I drive a 1974 Dodge pickup with exhaust that is much shorter than the wheel base. It is loud and the added benefit is exhaust that you can see and taste. My truck is ugly, yes, but it will hold 2900 pounds of corn for the corn stove with out even a groan. I went to the dump the other day and I had 1.9 tons of crap in the bed. That is impressive and the fuel mileage...18 miles per gallon. You see, I feel that there is a whole lot of work done by environmentalists that is good. Mr Sequoia however, is clearly missing the point.
My truck was manufactured in America by Americans with American parts. If I broadside you, your airbag will go off and I will have to sweep up some parts of the street and drive home. My truck has a grille that when it hits a bird, opens up and defeathers the bird in the process and the now bald bird rests against my radiator for a slow roast. How efficient is that? And tasty too.
My truck the bird mangler is clearly not fuel efficient. That is why I may only drive it 20 to 30 miles in a month. Only when I have something to haul, do I fire the thing up. I drive my well maintained Ford Festiva or Tempo when I need to get someplace and do so with efficiency. My point? How many of these pseudo earth savers change out their cars every 2 years or so? If they kept and maintained these vehicles longer, there would be a much more significant energy savings when you think about how much energy it takes to build and assemble a new car. If you are going to save the earth, you must look at the bigger picture. Simply putting stickers on a gas hog will not do it alone.
How does a person cut through all the garbage when looking for a company to drive for? First and foremost you need to have a plan when you approach that company or call them. Spend two days writing down any and all questions and follow up questions that come to your mind. If you have no idea what to ask, other drivers are a good source of question ideas. Once you have called the company, have your questions written down in front of you. Write down or record the answers as you talk and get all of your questions and answers down. Then, with your hook baited with all of that recruiter talking away about his company being the greatest thing since the enema bag...you set the hook. Tell him or her that everything sounds great on the surface but are they willing to put everything that they just said in writing. If they say that they are not prepared to put anything in writing, just respond with, "certainly you prepare written proposals for your non driving employees". If they will not relent and give you a written employment proposal, do not give them the time of day because they are not worth it. You might have to provide them with an application so they can finalize their proposal to you regarding pay based experience, etc. It is still worth it to get it in writing. If you ask for it in writing and the company sends you a pamphlet with pay quotes and benefits, Keep looking.
I was driving yesterday north on I -65 coming up to northern Indiana to meet another driver and get him home by taking his load when I saw a big Toyota Sequoia SUV pass me on the left. It was all covered with environmental stickers...you know, save the earth, etc. I got to thinking that with all that effort with the stickers and all that, perhaps he could have put them on a Prius and at that rate would be in the area at least of "Trying to Save the Earth".
Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those guys that likes to empty my motor oil on the ground because I hate cleaning out my drain pan after oil changes. But really, a Sequoia? I drive a 1974 Dodge pickup with exhaust that is much shorter than the wheel base. It is loud and the added benefit is exhaust that you can see and taste. My truck is ugly, yes, but it will hold 2900 pounds of corn for the corn stove with out even a groan. I went to the dump the other day and I had 1.9 tons of crap in the bed. That is impressive and the fuel mileage...18 miles per gallon. You see, I feel that there is a whole lot of work done by environmentalists that is good. Mr Sequoia however, is clearly missing the point.
My truck was manufactured in America by Americans with American parts. If I broadside you, your airbag will go off and I will have to sweep up some parts of the street and drive home. My truck has a grille that when it hits a bird, opens up and defeathers the bird in the process and the now bald bird rests against my radiator for a slow roast. How efficient is that? And tasty too.
My truck the bird mangler is clearly not fuel efficient. That is why I may only drive it 20 to 30 miles in a month. Only when I have something to haul, do I fire the thing up. I drive my well maintained Ford Festiva or Tempo when I need to get someplace and do so with efficiency. My point? How many of these pseudo earth savers change out their cars every 2 years or so? If they kept and maintained these vehicles longer, there would be a much more significant energy savings when you think about how much energy it takes to build and assemble a new car. If you are going to save the earth, you must look at the bigger picture. Simply putting stickers on a gas hog will not do it alone.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Pictures
Somewhere in Montana I think. It was much more grand when I snapped the shot.
A tropical plant farm in Homestead, FL.
A boat at a customer in Tampa.
View of Ontario, OR.
Mount Shasta.
I can't seem to put these pictures up as fast as I take them so here goes. D
I will talk more about this later...what a trip.
A boat at a customer in Tampa.
View of Ontario, OR.
Mount Shasta.
I can't seem to put these pictures up as fast as I take them so here goes. DThis truck was at a rest area on I-90 in MN.
I will talk more about this later...what a trip.
I can't seem to put them up as fast as I take them. So here goes.
This was the view I screwed up when I was in the rest area. I saved the wrong one.
Welcome To The Pleasure Dome
Let's see. On my last entry I was rather immersed in the whole DOT influence on my world. From there was a family emergency and being that I was only 250 miles from home, I figured that I should have no problem getting home to handle this problem. I had after all, been out on the road since the 6th of July. I called my driver manager, Bret and told him about this problem and that I would need to be home as soon as humanly possible. Bret did his typical, I am having a bad day and have no intention of doing anything for you routine. He sent me on a load from Sioux Falls to Fort Atkinson, WI. Then after jumping through all the hoops the jerks at Jim Palmer Trucking wanted me to jump through, I anxiously waited for my next load which should have gotten me home. It was from Darien, WI to Fulton, NY. I know, it is in the opposite direction. I got on the phone with the driver services manager Curtiss and gave him the calm end of my growing rage. Which, at this point, I was amazed at how really calm that was. Finally, Curtiss decided to kick Bret in the behind and get him steered in the right direction. To sum it all up, I picked up the load in Darien and met with another disgruntled driver that stated that he was not at all surprised about my predicament. He lives in a major trucking lane and has to beg to get home as well.
This runs right against what I was given to be the impression of this company. First of all, they state that since Jim Palmer Trucking is run by the gentleman that started this company with one truck, you have a very good chance of being given a fair shake because he has (been there). Well I have only one thing to say. Ol' Jimmy is pretty old now and I doubt that he has driven over the road in the last 35 years maybe 30. Jimmy is like the rest of us, that is, he likes money. He has his company being run by some really unsavory people that are there to collect a paycheck and could care less about loyalty and truth in their dealings with people. That is not to say that that building in Missoula is chock full of losers, but half full means that you as the driver must deal with lower life forms on a regular basis and those lower life forms usually have titles and get big bonuses off of our efforts.
I did finally take three days off and handled things fine. Got what I had to get done and now I am back at it. I took a load from Grand Forks, ND going to Dickson, TN. Delivers tomorrow at 1300. I have 600 miles or so to go. A good effort today will put me in striking distance. Just where I want to be.
On another note, I have some unauthorized passengers aboard. Actually, I have had them for several days. Yeah, you got it, flies. The efforts I have made to get these little buggers out of my truck have all failed. I think there are 4 of them. They love to buzz my face while I am in traffic and they get bored around 3 am and like to land on my legs, arms, face wherever. I wouldn't have so much of a problem with them but they keep stealing the blankets.
Yesterday, I was driving through Minneapolis on I-94 and passed the area on 35w where the collapsed bridge was. I got off the interstate on a side street and caught a glimpse of it although I could not stop the truck or get a picture. Picture 10 football fields completely wrecked. That was the image I took from the view. What a shame. Gotta go for now, Tennessee awaits.
This runs right against what I was given to be the impression of this company. First of all, they state that since Jim Palmer Trucking is run by the gentleman that started this company with one truck, you have a very good chance of being given a fair shake because he has (been there). Well I have only one thing to say. Ol' Jimmy is pretty old now and I doubt that he has driven over the road in the last 35 years maybe 30. Jimmy is like the rest of us, that is, he likes money. He has his company being run by some really unsavory people that are there to collect a paycheck and could care less about loyalty and truth in their dealings with people. That is not to say that that building in Missoula is chock full of losers, but half full means that you as the driver must deal with lower life forms on a regular basis and those lower life forms usually have titles and get big bonuses off of our efforts.
I did finally take three days off and handled things fine. Got what I had to get done and now I am back at it. I took a load from Grand Forks, ND going to Dickson, TN. Delivers tomorrow at 1300. I have 600 miles or so to go. A good effort today will put me in striking distance. Just where I want to be.
On another note, I have some unauthorized passengers aboard. Actually, I have had them for several days. Yeah, you got it, flies. The efforts I have made to get these little buggers out of my truck have all failed. I think there are 4 of them. They love to buzz my face while I am in traffic and they get bored around 3 am and like to land on my legs, arms, face wherever. I wouldn't have so much of a problem with them but they keep stealing the blankets.
Yesterday, I was driving through Minneapolis on I-94 and passed the area on 35w where the collapsed bridge was. I got off the interstate on a side street and caught a glimpse of it although I could not stop the truck or get a picture. Picture 10 football fields completely wrecked. That was the image I took from the view. What a shame. Gotta go for now, Tennessee awaits.
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