Just trucking along

I've been hearing and reading a lot about trucks planning to shut down. About the only thing that is going to do is give us an even bigger black eye. These pea brains think it will make a difference. Guess again. How long can you afford to shut down before you are out of money and still have bills coming in? Not long enough to make a difference. Try running legal. What a concept!!!! If the pea brains in this industry would put their little brains in gear before engaging their jaws they would see that in the long run, running legal would put a major hurt on a vast majority of companies. These places just stock up enough to out last any shutdown and have no major problem. Now these drivers are way behind on bills and have to run even harder to try to get caught up. Who got hurt here?? You guessed it. The pea brains!!
Yes TT, My soap box finally arrived and I'm making up for lost time! It feels good to be standing on it again. It would be interesting to hear what John Q and Jane Q Public thinks about this stupidity. I'm sure these so called safety advocates will be sitting back and laughing at these clowns and then wait for what happens afterwards. Get those pea brains back out on the road and have to run like crazy to try and get bills paid. Start having accidents, speeding tickets,shutdown for logbook violations and see what kind of field day CRASH and PATT and these other groups will have in the courts then.
I'm not against a person trying to earn a decent wage. I'm against how they want to do it. Thirty years ago shutting down might have helped. Not these days. You don't see these so called safety advocates out on the streets with signs trying to stop us from doing our jobs. They take advantage of the mighty powerful media and the courts. If drivers and even non drivers want to make a difference, join a union or better yet join OOIDA. You don't need to be a driver, owner operator or an Independent to join. They have many non driving members and it's only about $40 a year. They will keep you posted on what's happening in this industry and what to do when something important comes up. Anything you want to know about trucking can be found out through them.
No this is not an ad for OOIDA because they won't pay me for the space!! But they are becoming a very strong voice for the drivers. They have had luck with court cases for drivers and are being listened to more and more by capital hill. As far as I'm concerned it is a whole lot better than running around looking and sounding like an idiot. We're supposed to be professionals out here. Why not try to act like one. How many companies do you hear threatening to shut down because they are being screwed over in some way. Not a one. Even the unions are doing everything possible now to avoid a strike. Better to be working for a little less money than not working at all because your job moved to Mexico or some other country. Our jobs won't be moved to another country. They just bring the people from other countries over here to drive for less money and won't be crying about how much they are making because it will be more than they could ever make where they came from.
I for one will not be shutting down. I know there are all kinds of ways to get the word out and make people take notice without having to park the truck. If your not making a go of it as a owner or independent than you need to find out what your doing wrong. Don't be bending over and taking up the a-- and say I have no choice. Yes you do have a choice but are to much of a coward to refuse the load. Enough say no to the freight the rate will have to come up if they expect to get the freight moved. What's the difference if you say no to loads and have to sit or haul something at a loss. Either way your not making any money. Haul for a loss and the rates will never go up because these companies and brokers know there are idiots out there that will take the cheap freight. Like the anti drug ads used to say,"Just Say No" to cheap freight.

Category: General

I generally avoid this subject whenever possible but I just couldn't do it for this. I recently recieved an e-mail that had a rather disturbing picture on it. I don't remember why they were on that stage but it had Obama, Clinton, and one or two others and an American flag hanging behind them.They were saying the pledge of allegiance. That is all but Obama! The others had thier hand over thier heart and were proudly reciting the Pledge. Is there some reason he can't? If he doesn't like the under God part then don't say that part. But he just stood there with his hands clasped together and not saying a word. I personally think that the under God part doesn't need to be in there, but I won't let that stop me from putting my hand over my heart and reciting the Pledge. I for one wouldn't want someone like that in office. It has nothing to do with his religous believes or the color of his skin or his feelings on any other subject. But when he just stood there on that stage to me makes me wonder what else he is against in this great country of ours.
The man has some very good ideas, but I lost all respect for the man when I saw that picture. The picture may have been altered by someone and if that is the case I apoligize for slamming him. But until I hear differently my opinion of him stands. I don't want someone like that running this country. It's bad enough that we had to put up with Bush.
He is a whole different subject that I don't want to get started on this morning.

Category: General

Well as of last Saturday I am 42# lighter than I was in December. I still have a long way to go but I'm off to one helluva start! With any luck I will be getting close to skinny again by the end of the summer. The surprising part is that I haven't been trying very hard.Just changed what I'm eating. Most of my meals I make right here in the truck. In fact I have some hemroid burning chili simmering in the crockpot right now. Made with alot of fresh food. The only thing that came out of a can was the beans. I hope to change that soon.
Just getting away from fast foods and truckstop foods has made a world of differance.Those pre-made meals from places like Jenny Craig are a crock. Alot of that stuff is low in fat but extremely high in sodium. Most people will go back to cooking the way they used to and on comes the pounds in a big hurry. At least I'm learning how to cook foods that are good for me and losing weight at the same time. The crockpot and microwave is getting plenty of use in the truck. Weight watchers online is a big help also.I don't have to worry about going to any meetings and can keep track of my progress. Whenever I come up with something that is good I can get the recipe put into the recipe maker and have for future meals.
Soon I'll be able to chase after the old lady and actually catch her. I won't be too wore out from the running to do something with her then!!!

Category: General

I know truck drivers never spread any BS out here so I figured what the heck. Somebody has to do it! This is new to me as well so I'm not sure where I should start. Maybe I could talk about the millions of dollars I made last year driving a company truck or how I won driver of the year for the 10th year in a row. I suppose I could talk about the new sports car the company gave me for doing such a great job. (Anybody beginning to smell a strange odor yet?) Well how about the kids I rescued from a burning bus by myself. There was also a cat I got out of a tree for a little old lady and then helped her across the street.
If anybody believes any of this, let me know because have I got a deal for you on some ocean front property. I'll even throw in a bridge for good measure. All for 3 easy payments of $19.95. Sorry no checks please.
This BS stuff ain't so hard to do. I'm surprised nobody else does it!! After all this thinking I'll need to take a nap. This one brain cell of mine is getting over worked. If anybody thinks of other great things I have done in my lifetime, be sure to let me know. It's hard to keep track of everything. And be very careful where you step around here. Hate to see you get something on your shoes! It's next to impossible to get off and the smell is even worse.

Category: General

Well, the guys with the funny white jacket haven't caught me yet. I'm still out roaming the highways.Hopefully what happened at the truckstop was just from my system adjusting to the changes in my meds. I'll just have to wait and see. I go see my shrink in 2 weeks and see what she has to say.What I need to do is take off for a week and go up to some secluded campground and just kick back and relax. Do some drinking,some fishing, some drinking, some relaxing,maybe some drinking and then maybe some drinking and then some more drinking. Then in the afternoon start all over again! By the end of the first day I'll be wandering around with the rest of the wild animals.
I can't get on my soapbox about anything because TT used it and hasn't given it back.I just don't know about these future truck drivers! Borrow stuff and don't bring it back. Or maybe it's just an Ohio thing. Maybe he got lost along the way or found himself a cute waitress. I guess I'll have to have a word with his wife about that!! See!! I told you your day was coming!!! Now you don't have to feel left out. By the way TT, I hope you voted for me in the primary. One vote for me is one more than I had at the beginning of the week!!
Lets see, One vote from Ohio, one from Wisconsin and if I can bribe or I mean con VM and Lennut to vote for me,I should lose by a landslide! Unless 4 votes will get me in. And I don't mean the funny farm!! I can see it now President Roadhzrd and Vice President VM arrested for drunk and disorderly!! Neither one was able to post bail. The rest of his cabinet won't take the risk of bailing them out.

Category: General