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;)

Iowa the Sequel

Once again I am sitting on my arse in the Flying Jackass here at exit 125 on I-80. I delivered bright and early to those crack smoking scumbags at Sysco. I hate Sysco and I hate anyone that works there...I want to kick their puppies in the gut and abuse their home appliances with dung. I mean it, I hate that place and it doesn't matter the location. Denver Sysco? Assholes. Olathe, Kansas?, assholes. It does not matter one bit as they collectively suck goat nads. They really suck. Anyway, I had to go up to Ankeny, IA for the second part of operation dough drop. My appointment is for the 15th at 11am but I was able to talk to the guy and finaggle a 2000, we will fit you in sort of thing. Not perfect, but what the hell is in life.

I go in and grab a shower and I notice this freakish looking girl/pig staring at me. She had been acting strange since I had arrived there. She approaches and asks if I have a spare shower for her which I oblige her. She says that she is looking for a ride which I cannot oblige. I bought her a couple egg rolls and bid her good luck. I get uncomfortable with the homeless as you never know what kind of unruly behaviour to expect. I am not a taxi service however. Don't get me wrong, I do not have anything against the homeless or unfortunate losers in the travel game. It just seems that there is a growing number of people that act as if it is my problem that they are where they have ended up somehow. I do know what it is like to lose my job and end up in very bad shape. I never thought once to head out and travel using someones source of a job as my travel mode. I would feel too self conscious about that to actually pull it off.

Now is the interesting tidbit of the day. After long hours of research, grilling recruiters and filling out applications and talking to drivers, I have a replacement company that I have recently been accepted by. They have a terminal not far from my house. They will pay far better than my current employer will even discuss paying. They have a good home rotation of 7 days or so. They represent one factor that I have desired in trucking in that it would be just frigging nice not to have to deal with a reefer or a van trailer for that matter. The best part is that when I am not driving and am waiting to load/unload, I am on the clock after 2 hours. That is worth more than all the other benefits. That tells me that they value the time on the truck and are willing to do something about it.

I would like to say that this chapter coming up is in some way bittersweet and that I wish that I did not have to go, but, I can't. I would be lying. That is not to say that everything at Jim Palmer Trucking was bad as it was not all bad. Here is a list of the good and the bad as I see it.

Good-They do not anally rape you as part of the orientation process.
Bad-For a decent pay raise, you might just accept anal rape as a negotiation tool.

Good-Their trucks look good when they are broke down on the side of the road.
Bad-Somehow, their trucks look good when they are wrecked as well.

Good-They have rather attractive recruiters of the female persuasion.
Bad-Lying ass bitches to hell with all of them.

Good-The management team is competent and forthright.
Bad-Competent about screwing up drivers lives and forthright about lying about it.

Good-The place has not caught fire yet.
Bad-The place has not caught fire yet.

Good-The payroll lady is very accurate and I have never once had to call about a shortage.
Bad-How the fuck can you screw up 191.00 a week? 5 of my paychecks were that or less in Dec, Jan, Feb...

I know, I am spoofing their sorry asses and I guess that I am sorry. Really there are quite a few nice, competent people working at Jim Palmer Trucking. It is unfortunate that none of them are at the top of the power ladder. Kudos to Dave Zohner, Dick Horst, Judy the logbook lady as you tolerated my shenanigans with poise, Lisa, as the pay was always there and accurate and you are quite the nice person, Heather, as she made some sense of my notes on job history and compiled it so it could be read by those not on depression medication... and a few I cannot remember to name as I have a bad memory caused by traumatic stress disorder from banging my freaking head on the steering wheel. Those people have made my life and the job easier in their own way. Bret, made my life here a living hell for 11 out of 12 months...too little too late and I do not want to see it go back to where it was all last year. Aubrey, I saw your snotty little look at me when you did not think I was looking and you can go to hell. You are better than no one you stuck up bitch. I think that all but sums it up.

I have been asked whether I will continue to write about Jim Palmer Trucking. I would have to say that I have plenty of contacts there and with as bad at they are currently being run that I would be dumb to switch now. Those guys have the capability of running a good company but they are just too damn full of shit to do it. Thus, I must continue to write. Dedication >:\/

You All Are A Bunch Of Hicks, Put Down The Chainsaw

I am here luxuriating is the hickness that is Kentucky. I just like to dog out KY which is where the lubricant got its name as that is where my good friend JD lives and occasionally, he reads this. I really shouldn't be rattling cages and such but it is good fun until someone decides to rattle back. I can take it though as there really is not much rattling to do when your cage is lined in foam.

Got a return on an email to a very old friend...yes he is old like me and the friendship has been on ice due to different locations since the mid 1980's. It exhausts me to think about the relationships and struggles of the last 28 years. It is a wonder that children don't scream when they see the mileage on my face. The Saint was influential on me in some ways that average friendships are not. I don't remember ever going to a bar with Saint. We did not hang out in any way shape or form outside of ship life. He was always writing music and playing guitar and it intrigued me. He returned an email and It just made my day. Sometimes, that is all it takes. Now I can call my wife and exclaim, "he said yes!". Different story and shame on you. Greetings Saint and Velkommen to my sick little world. It however, is no more sick than on the USS Pyro. Remember when some prankster painted Psycho over the letters PYRO. Cool stuff...Dedication:/

Limbo, It Just Never Ends

I am on my way to the great East Coast and it is a rather slow load...I call my good friend John Dean to let him know that there is a rendezvous location where we can sneak a beer in or to with some colorful conversation about cool subjects and fun times. I am pretty sure that breasts will come up at one point or another. Not really, I just added that because I thought it would throw some undetectable spin on this otherwise boring paragraph. Anyway, he is not answering for some unknown reason...it must involve breasts, I just know it.

The company is conducting some culling operations in the personnel department. There is a need to reduce the force somewhat and what better way than to fire a few assholes. Unfortunately, there managed to end up in the sieve, my good friend Tonio. What I know about Tony and his year here at the farm is not complete and it would not be fair to all parties to comment in depth about this. However, from my point of view, Tony will be missed by me in a black truck and we will keep in touch as friends do. Good luck as always, I will be pulling for you. And if I sent you one of those posters that show retards licking the windows on only the very shortest buses...I am sorry. You are friggin' special sunshine and don't let any Montana kiss ass inbreds tell you different. I just have to say, I am sorry lord and I know not where this stuff comes from. After it expels however, there is no wiping, it just flies out of me clean as a friggin' whistle.

The company is scaring the heck out of me lately. I was at Salina and 2 Palmers were fueling on TCH and were dismayed when their pumps shut off at 119 gallons and would go no further. No answer to that one. I am glad I fueled last night. There are problems with the EZPass, we have had "glitches" with the payroll. Now, I am not saying that I know of a specific problem with Jim Palmer...that is not my purpose here. I respect the fact that my checks have been accurate and Johnny on the spot. A lesser company would be feeling the turbulence much more however. I heard that TMC is feeling the heavy rolls lately. Good for those undercutting assholes, too.

Well, gotta go for now as I am getting groggy. Dedication:/

Some Days It Just Does Not Pay To Get Up

Actually, it was not really a bad day overall if you look long and hard at all of the hours of the day and come up with some sort of average. It was just the last 3 of the working day that were grating on my nerves. I had picked up in Minnesota and was on my way out of the state on I-35 when the clouds got a weird look to them and there was more intensity in the rain and the wind. I was heavy, so the wind really was not a factor, but, at the same time, I was aware that the weather was changing. Well, up ahead, not quite a mile, was this dark circular movement of clouds and debris. I watched this mass enter the south bound lanes and commented to my wife that perhaps it was a mile ahead. It was really a quarter mile and it hit and laid over a semi, blocking all southbound lanes. I sat there waiting for wreckers and found out that the driver was naturally shaken up but nonetheless, OK.

The wrecker rights the truck and lanes are opened...thirty miles south, the same thing happens with another delay. I decided to pull in and just call it a day. The added bonus is that I have some access. Cool beans.

Well, gotta go for now...Dedication:)

Yep, I'm Just A Loser In Barstow

Go ahead and say it. I am not sure what you wanted to say but as far as I have been concerned, I have had it all said to me lately. I have had all of my intentions spelled out for me, even if I had not thought to do them myself at that time. I don't know. All I do know is that if you are married, there is just nothing you can do. You are wrong and it does not matter whether or not you did anything. You will suffer and burn and suffer some more because she thinks you did something. Seems like a great time for me to go out and buy a dog.

As I mentioned earlier, I got my annual anal review from Jim Palmer trucking...27 percent average idle...too much. I got screwed on the bonus and got a cent for my troubles. You know? I have realized that all the little perks that attracted me to this place have been changed. Bonus is less, Pay sucks, Insurance was to be payed by the company after one year of service but now it is not. I think that this last year was a waste of time considering how much they are screwing us. And get this...Curtiss has all but certified for me that JPT is not receiving a fuel surcharge in their settlements and that is why all the benefits are shrinking...can you believe that bullshit? If you are an owner operator, you get a surcharge where Jimmy averages out your surcharge nationwide before you get it. That is another way that driver pay is skimmed around here. Courtney actually said in the same breath that he said that the company was stable and would be around and do well. He is some piece of work that Curtiss/ Courtney what ever his name is. If he wore a skirt and showed up to work, maybe he would qualify to fluff in porn.

I am headed to southern California and of course, I have a preplan. You see, I never get a preplan unless I go where my mother used to live. I haven't seen her in some time but nonetheless, I must rush rush rush when in So-Cal because I might have some quality of life while living in Jim Palmer's piece of shit truck.

I got another message about another computer problem involving our payroll. It was resolved within a few hours but it does seem suspicious as perhaps there was not enough money in the account to cover payroll. It is not likely that the suckers that work here would get any lead time on being axed in that event. They would probably strand us. That is the usual method of business in trucking. If you consider the level of truth being used in this company, I would expect no less. Well Gotta go...Dedication:"

This Is Just To Say

This is just to say, that I am sorry for writing bad things about Jim Palmer and his band of merry cronies. But, it was good for me and it was so easy with as stupid as the crew there can be. And of course, there is the lack of truth that everyone there has to tell. And anyone that has read what I have had to write about Jim and his group of sycophants and losers will know that I did not mean one word of the apology either. Isn't it just funny, how people will apologize for something as a matter of course and something in that apology will betray the sorry feeling and give you the clue that really they are not sorry at all. I am not sorry either.

I was at a place in the greater Chicago area called Lagrou. In a nice neighborhood with a huge park across the street...beautiful. I took a walk and watched as it was getting dark, a couple playing tennis in the lighted court. They were having a great time and I was having a good time watching them. Then the lights went out and you could hear both of them yell out AWWWWWW! And back to the car and off they went. It is funny in this job that we get to see snippets of other peoples lives. That is not to say that if I were at home that I would not be able to see this. What I am saying, is that the life styles are different and the people somehow are different and to tell the truth...I have never watched anyone use the tennis courts in the park at home...

It took me to back in the day when I was in Bahrain. I had a Chief Petty Officer in my division and we were adversaries and not friends. But he was always trying to get me to play golf with him or invite me out on the town. This baffles me to this day as we did not get along professionally and he tried everything in his power to hurt my career while I was stationed with him. Anyway, on that day Drayton Rowe had invited me to play tennis at the courts on the old British Naval Base in Bahrain. It was only 92 degrees or so and excercise sounded good. I had never really played tennis but I was ok at it but I kept launching the balls out of the park on occasion...and there was this kid that kept stealing them and running off. Well, two tubes of balls later and we were on our way back to the ship. I guess someone from there would observe our little slice of life and feel transported in some way too.

I got my annual review a few weeks ago. I have been meaning to bring this up but have forgotten. Got a bonus, but smaller than I was told it would be when I hired on...Everything seems good if I am to look at comments from my mis-manager. Well, he had better say good things about me because he is an incompetent moron. I have just had the lowest mileage year for trucking since I started driving. 124,000 miles and most of the delays were due to either breakdowns or mismanagement. It seems that if a person is to make any money in this industry, that person needs to get to the common areas of trucking income...mileage, pay, and down time. Benefits also are there as well. This company does not measure up and they could do much better. Dedication :(