It has been a damn long time

I just don't know where the time goes. I guess my big excuse is that with this blog and it representing the general thrust of my angst towards the screwballs at Jim Palmer Trucking; I found it hard to continue writing when the source of the agitation disappeared.

I am looked at as somewhat of a visionary with the lucky guess that I had when I left JPT. They just happened to declare bankruptcy the next week. People think that I may have opinions on other subjects. I will not disappoint you, it is true but I have the feeling that it is better not to know too much when people ask. As if you had the knowledge but choose not to share it. At any rate, I really have no bitching to engage in. The company I work for now is much better than JPT and their merry band of liars. I work a regional route and life is just a bit boring. Not much to say...

The Break During The Week

I get one run at the beginning of the week and one run towards the end of the week. That means that I end up back at the Fargo yard with either the choice of going home and playing rat race in order to get back or I can relax here and get some sleep. My choice today was sleep and the idea of rest. Today however, there is a non-stop talking asshole here. He has his hands on the remote and is talking. I finally told him that he was assuming an awful lot, thinking I could give a shit less about his endless blabber blab blab. I think it is sinking in, but, I could be wrong. I think I need to get back out to my truck and read a book. Dedication...

In Iowa and Suffering

Not really suffering, but getting some needed work done on my truck. I get to stay in the hotel and relax while the mechanic does some work on my wind shield wiper washer motor. I also needed a lube and there was a slow leak on a drive tire. There was also the nagging thing with the Sbar heater not wanting to work when I actually need it, but I am just splitting hairs here.

I have been just getting into a routine. A rut would be more like it. I run the same routes every day and sometimes, I see the same drivers on the highway. I do remember when I was over the road and never sure of where I would be headed or even how long I would be out on the road and that used to bug me because I kept thinking about just how nice it would be to run the road every day and get well known at the truck stops and for once, I would know where I was going. Now, I know that was a long sentence and I don't care because it was true then and it is true now. There is no "happy"...you will complain about your situation no matter where you work or what you do. That is good to know going into work every day. Maybe it might keep you at your current job and maybe, you might still have your job at the end of this nightmare in the finance sector. Well, I must pack up and go back to the terminal and hopefully, I will get to go a different direction and they will not tell me when to deliver. Perhaps they will just say guess...Dedication:p

Falling Bridges

The foot bridge fell down in Lisbon today. There were some workers on break and they, all six of them, decided to look over the river while on break. The bridge failed on one end and several of the men were severely injured. Hopefully not life threatening. I will pray for them. Dedication:}

There Is Nothing Left To Say

I have nothing left to say which is code for I have nothing to say about work. I do not work for a bunch of losers that are declaring bankruptcy. As a happy frigging result, I have not got much fodder to talk about.

I guess that is in some way good. There have been problems while I have been here but we are working on them as I am writing this and see no need to address that aspect. I will need to talk about other things or perhaps write some fiction. we will see really soon. Dedication :'

Here I Sit In Hotel Foxtrot

Here I am, having endured the embarrassment of having the wrong card read to me and assuming that there would be work to do this morning. I will instead be getting my load at 3 pm. I will be delivering to the twin cities probably in the morning...Friday.

It is times like this that I think that I made a grand mistake by coming here. I had the holiday that the dispatchers monster mashed all over in the name of getting another guy home to Indianapolis. I was willing to help. It cut my weekend in half with my wife staying in the RV without the air conditioner I was supposed to install left undone. I did get it installed, but on Sunday.

Now, that there is more than enough room for consideration...I am left to sit on Tuesday but only after being required to call every two hours. Then I get this Wednesday load and I have described the situation on that to the point of nausea. I begin to second guess my ability to earn money when there is so much time to sit. It is not good. Dedication:[-

Manic Monday

Got into work and Don was getting ready to do some cooking, driver appreciation style. I thought that the food was nice and I just wish I had more time to enjoy it. Nice to have someone cook for ya as you get to work.

I had to load and at first, get my butt over to Des Moines...then it changed...I was to simply get my butt over to Owatonna, MN and meet another driver. Usually, this would be a grand source of disaster but I guess the planets lined up and gave me some grace as I got there and fielded a call from Wifey and then this guy comes in just 2 minutes later...the added bonus? The search is over for the dirt bag that filthed up my truck. He just came right out and said that he had the truck for 2 years. I got his number to be sure.

Not a bad day at all. Hope the other four days goes as smoothly...Dedication:')

Spam Land, Cupcakes And The Never Ending Phone Call

I am here in the friggin land of Spam. It was suggested that I do the new company a favor and get the heck signed up with Idle Aire. Not a bad thing now that i have had the chance to try it out. There is one air flow device and the only fault that I can see is that the air that comes out is smelling like cigarette smoke because the air intake pulls air from the smokers truck into the unit and then returns the same stinky air back in an improved state...I guess. I filled the rascal up with febreeze until it was dripping. It is not a bad deal however as I get this as a benefit and my computer access is only a couple bucks. I don't have a tv in the cab so I could not tell you about their selection of fine movies. I just played on the computer and walked the lot. Really, this is the first time in quite a while I have been to a TA. This one at Exit 11 on I-35 in Minnesota in quite nice for a TA. Kinda like saying that the leper over there has a nice ass but I will let that one go as I really do not like the BF nature of truck stops in general. All of them are a necessary evil as far as I am concerned but TA is one of my least favorite.

I found a while back an old friend named Darrell. His nickname is Cupcake...or at least that was his name around my friend JD's house. We also knew him as duck. I found his aged mug on myspace and in spite of the fact that he was not the most loyal of friends, I invited him on as a friend. He does not answer...I invite him again and once again...no answer. Now, I know this guy for quite awhile and I know for a fact that he is better than no one but somehow, he has it out for me in some way. Maybe, in 11th grade, I failed to complement him on how his jeans fit him or something...I don't know. Either way, A snub from a zero is not a snub in my opinion...I'm just sayin...

I am some how enjoying this new job and yet, I just want to scream. The people here are too darned laid back. People forget to do things and they act as if it is perfectly OK to be inefficient. I just hate that. Dedication:P

Just Tell Me Which Way To Go

I took a load out from Fargo yesterday and the dispatcher told me that I go to Des Moines. I, being well versed in English, accepted the orders and to no ones real surprise, I ended up in friggin' Des Moines with my trailer and took the paperwork in to dispatch along with a package that Don in Fargo sent along with me to deliver. You see, evidently, he thought I was to go to Des Moines, IA as well. I get told by Chad that I was not scheduled to be there and that I should head to Summit, IL at once. I was about out of hours so I, realizing the true dire nature of the situation, drove to Victor, Iowa and put her down for 10 hours. The wires got crossed and it was not my fault. Wait, 'till they get my bill.

I am going to the family reunion this weekend. I will say hello and make small talk with people that have not the time of day for me the remainder of the year. I hope it is all good though as I do not get to see my children as much with this new job. I do however get home more often and that is a definite plus. I hope to see my son there as he is going into the Navy in August and I may not see him for some time. Hope he likes it, he is going to be an HT...Hull Technician, or as we called them Hurling Turds. The hurling turds part comes from the simple fact that the hulls on ships do not need constant technician work and the local plumbing needs do however. Thus...Turd Hurlers..

Dedication")

oh, freakin yeah!

Well, I still haven't figured it out yet. That is for sure. I am working in a regional situation where I have the opportunity to get home almost every weekend. That is unless I am stupid enough to ask for it....

I am not being a dickhead here. I am simply noticing that in the last seven friggin weeks, I have managed to get home during the friggin weekend. I also noticed that when I requested that the Sunday of my family reunion be left unscrewed, I suddenly ended up with a 24 hour layover on Wednesday in Summit, IL.

I have liked the way I have been run. I have liked the people that I have worked with. I, by the way got rid of the stink in my truck...I cut the carpeting out of it and threw it out. I now love my truck. I also do not mind the way I have been treated here now that the friggin truck does not stink like dead bodies. I am making what the bankrupt assholes at Jim Palmer Trucking paid me and yet I manage to get 9 or 10 days off a month.  Go to hell, Jim Palmer.

Off the hook for now...Dedication:}

Osseo

Well, all I can say is that I have been running just over a month with my new job here at Johnsrud Transport and I have been rather busy and getting used to the places where there is computer access and having time when I am at those places. It has been a challenge. The largest challenge was the fact that they put me into a truck that had a slob in it before. They tried to act all dumb and say that the guy that had the truck before was a good guy and good driver and that they are just "shocked" that there would be a problem.

That was when I got the Human Resources Director to sit in the bunk of my truck and I shut the door for good measure. He agreed that something had to be done and dispatched my manager at Fargo, Don Depee to tend to the problem by setting up a detailing. This he did and the first time the truck got done it was also wet...too wet to even sit in. So, Don had me take the Yard truck on a Chicago run while he dried the truck out. The yard truck, a 1999 Freightliner, had the AC go out 50 friggin miles into the trip. I toughed it out until I got to Tac in Summit, IL and got my load dropped in the yard and got her parked with some wind coming probably from a toxic waste site as it all smelled like refinery and was hot and muggy as hell. I sat there for 4 hours until a cool breeze came in and then I could retreat to the bunk.

The next day I went up to Milan, WI and could not friggin wait to get this hot air blowing piece of shit back to the Fargo yard so that I could at least get a shower and grab a blanket and pillow and sleep in this truck of mine that I knew would have AC. When I got there, the damn truck was not there and I was pissed. During this whole time, whether I was in the stinky truck or the truck blowing hot air, I was not getting any sleep as it was either hot or stinky. Anyway, I am back in the stinky truck and it still stinks but not as bad as before. We even put inside an odor bomb that would handle odors up to 10,000 square feet. It smelled like bubble gum for a day and then went back to the smell of ass.

The interesting thing is that I was approached by a mechanic and a driver on separate occasions where they told me that my truck was for a period of time occupied by a homeless person. I guess the security was so lack at one point that a homeless dude was able to get hold of a key and sleep in the truck. One of the guys insists that the company is not being forthright about the situation and that maybe I should go to the Labor board. That really would not do me or anyone much good unless I start growing a tail from this odor.

That having been said however, at this point, I have really no complaints. I am running a sorta regional run...I either go to Summit, Il or Des Moines, IA. I grab a back haul when there is one available. I am making pretty good pay for what I do...It compares nicely with Jim Palmer, who, by the way, declared bankruptcy recently. I do not regret leaving that company. They have changed and not for the better. It really has little to do with Jim Palmer himself...it is all the sycophantic losers he has representing his name. They are butt snufflers and have no vision or any ability to survive. They are the company and yet they are the biggest problem. I feel sorry for them.

Anyway, it is so far so good. Hopefully I can keep you updated with my adventures or lack their of. Dedication :)

Fixin the Stinky Truck

I had good impressions of Johnsrud and tried to keep my mind open. I also met nice people that really seemed to like their jobs and approached their day with an apparent sense of pride. I felt that at the time that I had made the right move. I still feel that I made a good move...but was it the right move? Time will tell.

I was issued my first truck. I hook up and pull out and when I go from low to high range, there is a shreeeeeeeeeeeeeeek sound. I can't stop now and after all, it is shifting, so, I proceed. I have that truck for a week. Fast forward to my new truck...a freightliner. I was given this truck as a last minute deal and I liked the sleeper and the overall layout which, was an improvement over the T800 from the last week. I noticed as I was moving in that there was some dirt on the floor and an odor. The odor got more pronounced as I rolled down the road. In fact, at one point, the stench was noticeable at 65 mph with both windows open, vents open, and the AC on full blast with the bunk on high and the fresh air vent open.

I decided at that point that I would approach Human Resources and let them know that all the effort and money put towards a good impression at orientation is flushed good and hard down the toilet when you issue a new driver a truck like this. He agreed and there was a flurry of action and phone calls that were to tell me that the problem was definitely on the radar and that I was in good hands and the truck would be cleaned and deodorized. It was to be done last night. I will go in and see what there is to see. I do have my fingers crossed. Wish me luck. Dedication;(

Marching Orders

I got my marching orders from the boss and I will be going to Lakeville, Minnesota for the morning. The load will be ready by noon so I can goof off for a while. I plan to go to the truck soon and start my housekeeping and putting away ritual. I have not started that yet as everything is well packed and will keep. No time like now however. I was just hoping that I would get a better idea of what I must have on the truck and what I really do not need. Well, time will tell one way or another. Dedication ;)

Hello Deery

I was driving home from the Sheyenne River Raceway in Lisbon, talking to my wife and having a good time when all of a sudden a deer appeared in front of my hood. Bang. The car looks dangerously close to being totaled with air bags out and the whole car a mess. No one got hurt but there were some hurt feelings as I overreacted and was yelling and cursing. So sue me, it was stressful.

I will get some pictures in here when I get them. I stole a nice one to show the safety director at Johnsrud but that is printed out and not in any format that I can use. I know, the world is a cruel, cruel place. Gotta get to work...more later...dedication:/

Just Another Day Punching The Clock

Watching the morning sun as it is becoming a presence here gave me a thought. I figured I would take a walk, then have some breakfast. After that, I would throw my stuff together and get over to Johnsrud and get my gear and my truck and then return here to gather my suitcase. Then, hopefully I will be headed to Fargo to get more of my stuff for the truck assembled and loaded up. The best battle plans never make it to the battle field...we shall see.

I got my A-OK from Ron yesterday and we had some fun driving in Cicero on Tuesday and then some St. Louis, narrow street action yesterday. It was a situation where we had gotten bad directions and I had a hunch. Ron would not let me act on my hunch. It turned out that he had wrote down the wrong street name and the two names sounded similar and I turned out to be right. We ended up on a dead end road and I had to back out then jack her around a narrow corner with parked cars and curbs to get back on track. No harm done and it did turn out OK. I have been lost and in a tight spot before and came out on top. Instinct will keep you out of trouble sometimes and other times it will bury you in up to your neck. Just depends on how well Murphy is feeling that day I guess.

I hope this day goes smoothly and I get on my way without too much trouble. This has been a long day coming. Dedication ;/

Rollin' Along to St. Louis

I finally got my marching orders after 9 days in the Hotel Des Moines (California?). There was a delay on my trainer getting to my location because he had these pesky kidney stones aggravating his life and he had to get through it without busting an organ. I am glad we waited. First of all, the three guys I worked with rated with me very high on the scale of professionalism. They blew away any memories of trainers from Crete, Werner...anywhere as far as I am concerned. It is easy to get to that conclusion. First of all, I already know how to drive a truck. I also know that there are some basics to tanker operation and there are also some tricks of the trade that will make my frigging life easier. These guys are just gushing with that good stuff that makes my life easier.

Anyway, I worked yesterday and today with Ron Brown and he has already cleared me to get into my own truck. We deliver tomorrow at St louie and then we deadhead to Des Moines to pick up my truck...:]

That is the cool part, I get to get into my own truck and nearly one and a half months of adventure and application come to fruition and I get to get paid to get home more often. More later Dedication

Oh Yeah

I really don't feel that way after the weekend that seemed like, in spite of the fact that I was in a hotel room, I felt like I was really in a waiting room. Today I am to go out with a gentleman named Ron and I am to train with him until Thursday. I need to express the fact that I am at this point in good shape when it comes to running the equipment and could probably do well to get my truck now. They want to err on the side of caution and I guess that is their game and their training program. I will not be harmed in any way by the extra training.

I was invited to a drivers' house named Robert yesterday for some good food and conversation. The only bad thing was the fact that they had cats. I love cats and petting them and the like. I am also deathly allergic to cats so that I must wash my hands and get the clothing that I am wearing off of my body as soon as possible. The longer the exposure, the greater the chances of me having an asthmatic attack. I came through it well however and no animals were harmed in my experiments. The nifty thing was the wildlife that was in Roberts' yard. There was a family of foxes and several deer and raccoons. They put out water and food for them and then leave them alone. We were talking on the porch 25 yards from the deer and all they did was look our direction. Cool.

Tim Russert passed away this weekend. Frankly, I learned more about the man after he died than I ever knew while he was alive. I did not care for the meet the press show and was oblivious to the life of an obviously well loved man.

Yesterday, we finally got a protection order served on an unruly neighbor. It is the one that has a husband that is a convicted rapist. Well, she got on a high horse on the 2nd of June and decided to yell at me and flip me off. It was the last straw in a long string of bullshit from her and I decided to put a stop to it. We will see what happens next. Gotta go Dedication "/

The Difference Between Purple and Pink

I am here in Des Moines, IA, having completed my happy little orientation phase and now I am approaching the actual driving and hooking up and handling paperwork phase. I have completed my driving test which was unusual in that it took place on the very first day. The second day was videos with some hands on as we pumped from one trailer to another using both air and the hydropak. Funny how I could have been in the driving industry for so long and not really pay any attention to how tankers work. Looks good so far. The funny thing about this company is that there really is not a "story" or spin. It is what it is. I have spoken to at least 20 of these drivers and I am here to tell you that I can't get one of these guys to say a darn thing bad about the company. Oh, wait, there was one guy that said that sometimes the freight was "inconsistent". Welcome to trucking sunshine...

The bittersweet component added to the fact that in my opinion, I have managed to stumble into the best company to work for to date, is that Des Moines is in the middle of fighting an oncoming disaster. Yesterday, I was meeting and getting information from the department heads, ordering my uniforms and getting a general understanding of how the operations side of the company works. Just about any television was showing the down town flooding and showed the coming band of miserable thunderstorms and the red boxes representing tornado watches and warnings. Yesterday in western Iowa, a tornado hit a Boy Scout camp north of Council Bluffs and 4 scouts between the ages of 13 and 18 were killed. That kind of tragedy rests heavy on me as I was a boy scout at one time and I remember fondly the campouts and all the activities. It was real life in the fact that I was involved and with my friends and yet for me, it was fantasy in that the real world was insulated from the recreation, the tent building and the pranks and hazing that is frequent among groups of men in the wilderness. I am thankful in that no one was killed on any of my campouts. My prayers are with the families of the victims.

I think that the experience with this company will be a positive one and that perhaps it will change the scope of this page. Hey, a guy can't rant and rave about all the annoying stuff in life every day. That would get old. Perhaps I can attack an occasional lot lizard to stay in shape. Who knows? Dedication

Here In The Back Yard, Cutting Farts and Grillin' Meat

Friday, June 6, 2008

Swimmin in the Rain Here at the Homestead

Uh, let's see. I put in notice here at Jim Palmer around the 24Th of May. And they got me outta DA truck very shortly after that. Just recapping. Well, I managed to look at a few opportunities including going back to work at mighty, mighty, Bobcat. I have decided to head off to work for the tanker outfit that I was talking to before.The big thing is the home time and the pay. Not at all bad there I tell you. Anyway, I start here on the 9Th of June as that was the earliest that they could get me in. That's right, I got me a two week vacation out of that deal and I have been working my frigging ass off here at home catching up with the honey doos and making up for one full year of abused home time. The last section of my roof will get completed today if the rain lets up. It is flashed, papered, drip edged, starter stripped and waiting for shingles. 16 by 12 feet. Once it gets started, it will be just like Whitney Houston and a small rock...it will be done in less than an hour. Of course, a small Whitney rock would make the Hope Diamond look like a spider mite. That is another story however.I managed to buy a rather inexpensive RV and have managed to park it in the yard for later camping since the rain is being rather relentless. I chopped down a 57 year old ash tree that was unfortunate in that it had to sit in my yard at a 45 degree angle. I placed a restraining order against the lady down the street who is married to a convicted sex offender. Some people need to learn some manners. In fact, I placed the protection order in the same week that I am running for a third term as a city council member. Maybe this time they will just vote me the hell out and I can get on with my regular life. I do have some kind of excitement around here and being that it is a very small town, that is a bonus, I guess.I was talking to a good friend yesterday and since I have not been in the truck (I practically have forgotten how to shift)He let me know about the price of diesel lately. $4.90 per gallon. If the price of fuel goes up much more, I can see a reversion to day cabs and motel stays for truckers. I can also see the return of multiple plant locations, instead of relying on cheap transportation to distribute their products... it will be a limited benefit with the additional jobs and potential improvement in the truck driving vocation..., but, the price of oil could also make China imports prohibitive. Buy American, now more than ever. dedication:_)

Let The Games Begin and End

I did my first drop here in Montana this morning early from my 1300 appointment. After all there was a second drop in Washington and First, because I am always one friggin' motivated truck driver. And, that I knew that there were problems with the loading of this load and any delay by me would not help the problem at all so I gave them the best kick start that I could by being as early as possible. Also, I am running deadly close to the terminal. I put in notice Monday and I told Curtis that early or late was fine to get out of the truck as I was not on any tight schedule. I am going to fish, fuck (sorry, teatotaling dicklickers)and drink before I consider going back to work...It might happen all at once in the same hour but no doubt that will be another story. Hmmmmm, well, you have caught a fish...OK, I'll be right over honey...two good and vigorous minutes later...and that is the rest of the story. Whatever.

I think it is hilarious how these trucking outfits work. Hey, there have been many times where a driver gives his parting shot to the company on the way out. I get it. But I have done nothing or said nothing that would lead one to believe that I have any severe anger towards this company. I have my own reasons for leaving, which I am not going to discuss here. I also have my complaints about some of the things that this company does and has done. I feel that my situation would have been helped some if I had not worked with Bret. I feel that while he has done a stellar job lately, he has had quite a bit of growing up to do for most of my year here. Nuff said. While I may get fiery over the current shit, I could care less once it is over.

Don't get me wrong, I do learn the lessons of the past and that is part of why this decision to leave is an easy one. I have many contacts in this company and will continue to write about them as the subject comes up. I have also been contacted by friends that wanted me to write about their situation when there were circumstances that cast doubt. Integrity will not allow me to print pap here however and I have to have the things that I write confirmed. After all, this is a classy rag don't ya know.

I had a nice talk with Lonnie Wallace and he was nice enough to get me a room. I had been tipped off that I was being truck outed and I exnayed with my sheets and blankets and did not want to sleep with newspapers on the smoking benches. Might be good practice for when I go to Tex's house...he is about to be homeless unless he gets off his ass. I would like to thank the people that read this and give me nice complements on my email. It is nice to hear that what I did was good for you and of course...tell a friend that a weird guy is typing some real annoying shit and you just had to have a witness to the lack of humanity. What is he going to lampoon next? Mike's Hard Light Lemonade? Who the hell knows. I gotta go. No, I have gotta go and I am going to go and like it.

It is my anniversary and I have to say, the first anniversary that I really hit the gift on the friggin head. My wifey has been hinting for a few years now about wanting a ring commemorating the birth of her son Wes. Well, I naturally looked around when she mentioned it...but, those rings look like fucking shit. Sorry, but they do. I just happened to be in a JC Penney in Columbus, NE getting a watch for my Son for graduation and there it was...the ring of all ages and I friggin bought it. And she friggin liked it. And I will get a friggin *redacted* for it and I will shout out the open windows for all the inbred freaks and sex offender loser neighbors that live in my town to hear that I got a *redacted* for 40 percent off at JC Penney. And you fucking know that! I live in Elliott, North Dakota and there is a sex offender here but his licence is in another state. His name is Martin Wayne Vareberg and he lives three houses south of 205 Elliott St in Elliott, ND. I fucking hate rapists. Dedication;)