Phil Madsen's Blog
You Learn Something New Every Day
Phil and Diane Madsen live, work and play on the road; transporting expedited and critical-shipment freight in their custom-built truck. Phil's blog is a blend of travelogue, brain dump and commentary on road-inspired topics.
Jul 2007 Aug 2007 Sep 2007 Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Jan 2008 Feb 2008 Mar 2008 Apr 2008 May 2008 Jun 2008 Jul 2008 Aug 2008 Sep 2008 Oct 2008 Nov 2008
July 1, 2007. I learned today that there is a very nice shopping mall in Syracuse, New York; the Carousel Center. Learned from personal experience. We found and visited the mall. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 2, 2007. I learned today that there is a town in New Jersey named Buttzville. That name can provide an hour of laughter with your codriver as you run the jokes (Headline: Crack Problem in Buttzville. Beauty Queen: Miss Buttzville. Utility company: Buttzville Gas. Etc.). Learned by seeing the town on the map and driving our route. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 3, 2007. I learned today that there is a truck driver out on the road who claims he has a hot temper, carries a knife on his dashboard and will cut the throat of the person who hits his truck. Learned in a personal conversation with him. Observation: The man is not much of a threat. He is old, fat and a chain smoker. Even if armed with a knife and out of control in a rage, he could be easily out-run by someone who chose to flee, or brought under control by someone who chose to stay. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 4, 2007. I learned today that, counting taxi cab time, it takes two to three hours to get from the Petro truck stop in Bordentown, New Jersey to the Penn Station in New York City (Manhattan). Learned from telephone calls and the New Jersey and New York public transit web sites. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 5, 2007. I learned today that potential terrorist targets and natural disasters for which the nation is not prepared include a natural gas super-tanker that regularly sails in and out of Boston Harbor, and the decaying levy system that makes Sacramento, California the major city in the United States that is most vulnerable to flooding, even more than New Orleans. Learned from the CNN show, Anderson Cooper 360°, heard on Sirius satellite radio while driving overnight. Episode name: Edge of Disaster: Are you Prepared? Transcript Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 6, 2007. I learned today that from November, 1803, to May, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery spent six months in present-day Illinois, preparing for their journey west. Learned from web site surfing done as we prepare to visit the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in southern Illinois. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 7, 2007. I learned today that six cognitive functions ̶ abstractive, quantitative, cause-and-effect, dualistic-oppositional, reductionist, and wholistic ̶ work in conjunction with other neural processes to create human belief systems. This helps explain why most people stop believing in Santa Claus at an early age and continue to believe in God their entire lives. It also helps explain why some Islamic fundamentalists think they are better than Christian fundamentalists, and why some Christian fundamentalists think they are better than Islamic fundamentalists. Similarly, it helps explain why some experienced truck drivers think they are better than rookies, and why some rookies think they are better than experienced truck drivers. Learned by reading the book, Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth, by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 8, 2007. I learned today that the average Lutheran invites someone to church once every 65 years. Learned from a Lutheran pastor in Saint Charles, Missouri, who shared that statistic in his Sunday morning sermon. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 9, 2007. I learned today that a dry crack is a happy crack. Learned from the cartoon character, Mr. Happy Crack, on a freeway billboard, east of Saint Louis on I-255. Beyond Mr. Happy Crack's message, we were unable to determine what the billboard was advertising. Our best guess was basement wall repair.
Also learned that a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was on display in Illinois this weekend, at the Scott Air Force Base air show. This is the only time this year that the aircraft will be on public display at an air show. Learned by reading the local newspaper. The fact came to mind as we happened to be driving by Scott Air Force Base on I-64, on our way from Saint Louis, Missouri to Louisville, Kentucky, and we saw the aircraft take off and fly out ahead of our truck. That was a very-cool sight. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 10, 2007. I learned today that respect is not dead, at least not in Tennessee. Learned from a conversation I overheard in a Wal-Mart store restroom in Clarksville, Tennessee. While I was there, two men entered; one young, one old. They were not previously acquainted. The old man greeted the young man, saying, “How are you?” “I’m good, sir.” replied the young man, “How are you?” The old man replied, “I’m fine.”
After finishing their business, they approached the sink at about the same time. Wal-Mart stores have goofy rest room sinks. A large, flat basin hosts several sensor-equipped faucets. The faucets deliver water when users place their hands under them, and stop the water soon after it starts. There is precious-little space between the faucet opening and the flat sink bottom; just enough to get your hands under the faucet, and only then if you hold them just so.
The old man was having difficulty getting the water to start. Seeing that, the young man helped him out. “Sir,” he said, “These are tricky. It works best if you hold your wrist in front of this eye here, like this.” The young man demonstrated the technique and the old man got his faucet working. “They make things complicated, don’t they?” the old man said. “Yes sir, they do.” replied the young man. A moment later they went back into the store and on their separate ways.
The episode lasted just a moment, but I found myself thinking about it most of the day. The young man did not ignore or brush off the old man but greeted him with respect. The young man did not leave the old man troubled at the sink, but took a moment to help. The young man did not look down on the old man because new technology left the old man embarrassed and without water. Instead, the young man was kind and understanding. Throughout the exchange, the young man addressed the old man as “sir” and spoke in a noticeably respectful tone.
What a difference, I thought, between the young man’s way and today’s food-fight talk shows that fill the public air waves. What a difference between the young man’s way and political leaders that strive more to make their opponents wrong than to make the country right. What a difference between the young man’s way and the all-too-common way of going through our days, interacting with the people we meet, but with no greeting, no eye contact, no respect and no sense that we are interested in them for even a split second beyond what it takes to complete the task at hand.
While the young man was half my age and I listened to him for only a moment, I spent a good part of today thinking about how I can be more like him. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 11, 2007. I learned today that truckers make the world go ‘round. Learned from watching truckers of all types come and go in downtown Chicago.
In many ways, I already knew this. This morning, during our downtown Chicago delivery, I came to fully appreciate it. As we waited for our turn at the dock doors of a skyscraper, I saw at least 100 truck drivers at work in that building and others nearby. They buzzed in and out; delivering food, office supplies, water, furniture, 
computer equipment, construction materials, packages and much, much more. A flatbed loaded with sheet rock was parked in the narrow alley. A boom truck parked next to it delivered the sheet rock into a fourth-story window.
For us, this was a difficult delivery. Our truck was too big to access the dock in the tight alley. We parked a half-block away, lift-gated the two skids onto the street, and pallet-jacked the freight down the side walk, into the building, into the freight elevator, and up to the sixth floor. The drivers I saw this morning buzzing in and out of the same building would probably laugh out loud to hear our delivery called difficult. They do the very same thing dozens of times a day and all day long.
On the sixth floor, I moved out of the freight hallway and into the offices. When I stepped through the door, the world instantly changed. The office space was quiet, clean and air-conditioned. The workers occupied is the same space they occupied yesterday and will occupy tomorrow. They fight traffic once in the morning and once at night. They go about their work giving little thought to the trucks and truck drivers that fight traffic all day long and literally bring everything to them, including the building itself.
There was a time when Diane and I wore suits to work and had offices in high-rise buildings. Like the people on the sixth-floor, we gave little thought to the trucks and truck drivers that brought everything to us. We had no sense of how dirty, noisy, hectic, busy and essential high-rise building truck docks can be.
Now, we are truckers; bringing stuff this day to people who dress nice and work in high-rise buildings. What a hoot! And what a service truckers everywhere provide! It really is true. Without trucks, America stops. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 12, 2007. I learned today what the diesel particulate filter 
looks like on the 2008 Volvo trucks (photo right). Learned by seeing one for the first time as we visited our home Volvo dealer for truck maintenance. The 2008 model-year trucks are beginning to show up on the lot. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 13, 2007. I learned today that Volvo Trucks North America extended warranty service is very good. Learned from personal experience. When we were in for scheduled maintenance, a dirty EGR cooler was diagnosed. It was a three hour job to clean it up. The work was cheerfully completed with no questions asked and no charge. The standard one-year warranty on the truck expired last month. This happened under the extended truck warranty we purchased when we bought the truck. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 14, 2007. I learned today that Columbus, Ohio has an upscale village within it called the Easton Town Center. Learned by discovering and walking around the area when we located a Barnes and Noble bookstore on the map, and drove to it to pass some time between loads. As we often do, we found the bookstore address online and drove there expecting a typical retail area. We were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in the middle of Easton Town Center. Everything there is newly built. Lots of retail. Lots of people. The place is as elegant and attractive as its web site. We will definitely return if we find ourselves back in Columbus with time to spare. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 15, 2007. I learned today more about the social phenomenon that blogging has become. Learned by studying the Technorati web site. I studied this web site to prepare for full-fledged blogging here at SuccessfulExpediters.com. While the static blog page you see here certainly qualifies as a blog, present-day blogware like WordPress and blog sites like Technorati are taking blogging to a higher and more socially significant level.
As I studied concepts like permalinks, tags, blogware, blogosphere and blog use statistics, I came to understand that blogging is much, much more than individuals sharing their thoughts online. It is a massive and powerful networking tool with which ideas can be discussed and new contacts can be easily made. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 16, 2007. I learned today that the elevation of Lake Erie is 571 feet above sea level, and Lake Ontario’s elevation is 243 feet. Learned from Diane who noticed those numbers on the road atlas and shared them with me as we were driving in New York state. We are more interested in such things after our recent visit to Niagara Falls a few weeks ago. The Niagara River flows between these two lakes.
Part of the fun of being expediters (see Introduction to Expediting) is not just seeing the country but learning more about it. For example, our knowledge of the Great Lakes region has grown since we took up life on the road. The freight has taken us there many times. In addition to Niagara Falls, we have crossed the lakes at various U.S./Canada border crossing sites, delivered industrial screens to a limestone quarry on the shore of Lake Huron, toured Mackinaw Island and the historic fort there, seen the Erie Canal, changed our route because of lake-effect snow, seen ships moving through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and more.
With each load we haul, we add more to what we know about our country and the people in it. That enables us to make connections that enrich our understanding of history and modern times. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 17, 2007. I learned today what the Squam Lakes region in New Hampshire looked like. Learned from personal experience. We delivered freight to a residence deep in that area today and drove back out. We were at this family's summer home. 
After we delivered, they offered us use of the lake to swim. We declined, explaining that we had driven overnight from Canada to make this delivery, and we needed to sleep more than swim. They then suggested that we sleep on reclining chairs by the lakeshore. Again we declined, explaining we would be more comfortable in the truck where we have a Select Comfort Sleep Number® mattress. They then offered their driveway as a parking place, which we accepted. The wooded, lakeside setting and summer breeze provided a wonderful nap with the truck windows wide open.
On this sunny day, the Squam Lake region presented itself well as a scenic vacation spot. As we followed the winding, two-lane roads in and out, we noticed a number of antique shops and local restaurants that advertised fresh lobster on their signs. From our customers, we learned that Squam Lake was the setting for the classic movie “On Golden Pond,” staring Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 18, 2007. If I learned something new today, I have forgotten what it is. My public blog entries are posted five to seven days after my private journal entries are written. On July 18, I probably learned something new but did not write it down. Thus, I have no new learning to report for July 18. This error shows the value of keeping a private journal and public blog. It helps you retain what you might otherwise forget. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 19, 2007. I learned today that the people at Kidron, the company that manufactured our truck body, are as concerned about product quality as we are. Learned by talking to them about a problem that has developed. The truck body is the box in which freight is secured and transported. Our reefer body floor is rising up off the cross members. This developed over time. The top of the floor in the center of the body is now about one inch higher than the sides (along the walls). Kidron, located in Kidron, Ohio, will get us in first thing tomorrow morning to check it out and make repairs. The work will be provided under warranty and at no charge.
There are a lot of seasoned people working at Kidron. Several were intrigued to see the body floor. We heard several times, "I've been here 20 years (or 10, or 17, depending on the person) and have never seen a floor come up like that". They were at a loss to explain the cause. Kidron has made thousands of truck bodies and the people working there have seen a lot. With that many truck bodies out there, the odds are that a tiny handful will develop fluke problems. I guess we are the lucky winners this time.
The good news is the repairs will be made at no charge. The bad news is the down time the repairs will require. As self-employed truckers, if we are not hauling freight, we are not earning money. Income stops when the truck stops, but truck expenses like insurance and the truck payment continue on. We maintain financial reserves just for situations like this. There are a lot of owner-operators out there that do not. For them, down time like this can force them to sell their trucks or go bankrupt. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 20, 2007. I learned today that, in 1900, the number of Amish people in North America was 5,000, and that today, they number over 200,000. Learned from a video presentation we saw in a small theater in the Lehman's Hardware and Appliance store 
in Kidron Ohio. This part of Ohio is known as Amish country. Amish people, wagons, farms, stores and restaurants are here. Unlike most of the alternative lifestyle communities that have come and gone in American history, the Amish communities are deeply rooted and growing. Lehman's is a tourist destination and a country-store shopping experience. We did not purchase anything but very much enjoyed our stroll through the store.
I also learned a new word, "marquetry." ’ Marquetry is a style of decorative wood work in which different types and colors of wood are inlaid into a piece of furniture or wall object to form pictures or designs. Diane knew the word. I did not. It came up in conversation as we were touring the store and spotted a wood map of the United States, with the states made out of various types and colors of wood. Intrigued, I went to the web and read up on marquetry. Marquetry woodworkers produce some beautiful pieces. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 21, 2007. I learned today a new word, "puffin." Puffin is a type of bird seen in Maine. Learned from our neighbor in an Ohio RV park. She told us of her and her husband's travels to Maine and NH. She said she had hoped to see a puffin while she was there but did not. The puffin is a fun addition to our knowledge base. I read a little about it online. It is an intriguing bird. While we are not bird watchers, it will be fun to keep our eyes open for puffins next time we are in Maine.
Having just been in New England (July 17 blog entry), I was freshly aware of the numerous moose crossing signs posted on the highways. We have been there several times but have never seen a moose. I asked our neighbors if they had, and they had not. They have seen a moose in the wild in a western state. Diane and I have seen one in northern Minnesota. But where the moose crossing signs are, we have yet to see a moose.
I also learned today that horse manure is water soluble and easily washed off a truck. Learned by washing it off the truck. Central Ohio is Amish country. The Amish people travel by horse-drawn carts. Horse drawn-carts mean horses. Horses on the road mean horse manure on the road. Horse manure is also an effective paint remover. I learned that last time we were in Amish country and the manure was not soon removed from the truck. I had to spray paint parts of our reefer carriage after learning that lesson.
We are spending the weekend at the Evergreen Park RV park in Mount Eaton, Ohio, 
which is near Kidron, Ohio. We will return to Kidron Monday morning, where they will continue truck floor repairs. The first thing they tried on Friday did not work. The decision has been made to replace the truck floor. While the repairs will be done under warranty, we will suffer an opportunity cost in that we cannot haul freight while waiting for truck repairs.
Instead, we will "suffer through" a pleasant stay at a very nice RV park in delightful weather. A bonus is this RV park permits vehicle washing. Not all of them do. For me, a summer day spent hand-washing the truck is a very, very good day. It is mindless activity that still leaves you with the feeling you are accomplishing something. Very relaxing. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 22, 2007. I learned today that Dave Sifry is Micha Sifry’s brother. Learned from studying the Technorati web site. Dave Sifry is the founder of Technorati. Technorati is a company that searches and organizes blog information. Dave is frequently quoted as an expert by journalists writing about blogging, the blogosphere and other forms of what is currently being called "citizen media."
This is of particular interest to me because Micha is the author of Spoiling For a Fight. The book includes information about the Independence Party of Minnesota, which I founded, and Jesse Ventura’s successful campaign for Minnesota governor, in which I was a key player (See: my biography).
This blogging thing is fun and intriguing on several levels. Having discovered blogosphere guru Dave Sifry, I have been reading his web site and blog with great interest. It was quite a kick to discover that Micha is Dave's brother. It seems the Sifry family has activism in its genes.
In my political days, I was interviewed by reporters dozens, maybe hundreds of times; and several times by Micha Sifry. As a reporter, he stood out from the rest. His questions were always insightful. His reports were always accurate. Unlike many of his colleagues in the press corps, Micha Sifry knew third-party politics well and shared his knowledge with his readers.
Almost a decade has passed since Jesse Ventura and his running mate Mae Schunk won election to public office in 1998. Those were quite some times, to be sure (warm memories and a smile on my face as I write this). It would be fun to visit with Micha again. A web search reveals that he is as busy as ever as a writer. I would love to pick his brain about how technology has affected politics and society in the last ten years.
In 1998 and 1999, I was heralded worldwide as the webmaster that helped get Jesse Ventura elected. Since then, online political fundraising has soared to what was then unimaginable levels, and blogging has come to the fore. For reasons I have yet to understand, mainstream journalists are going gah gah over cutsie clips on YouTube and something they call citizen journalism. It seems to me that by doing so, professional journalists are degrading themselves, their traditions and their trade. The Fourth Estate sure ain't what it used to be. But then, what is? Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 23, 2007. I learned today that that the foam used to insulate truck reefer bodies is highly flammable. Learned when I saw a welder's spark hit a dried piece of it at the Kidron factory. We are there for repairs. The flame never got more than a few inches high and workers extinguished it almost as fast as it started. But the rapidity with which the foam ignited left an impression. If we ever had a fire in the back of the truck that made it through the glass board wall to the foam, we would have a very serious problem on our hands.
I have been meaning to mount a fire extinguisher in the back of the truck. We already carry three but they are in the cab and sleeper. Having one on the back might save precious seconds in a situation when seconds may make the difference. Better get to it.
I also learned today that the Town and Country restaurant in Kidron, Ohio is a fantastic place to eat if you like home-cooked food and a non-pretentious, small town setting. It is located in the basement of the Town and Country grocery store. Learned from personal experience. A crew of men is working on our truck. Diane and I went there to get lunch for them, our treat. The restaurant is a few blocks from the factory. We walked over there and returned with a dozen meals; hot beef sandwiches with whipped potatoes and gravy, and a choice of green beans or coleslaw.
The food had something that is not often found in restaurants these days; flavor. It was the simplest of meals but, boy, was it good! We will go out of our way to eat at Town and Country again if we are in the area. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 24, 2007. I learned today some new things about the carrier to whom we lease our truck, FedEx Custom Critical. Learned from our recruiter and contract coordinator, with whom we visited when we stopped by the company offices. While there is nothing super-secret about what we learned, and the same information would be shared with most other contractors that made similar visits, it is best to keep the information in the FedEx family, so to speak, and off a public blog. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 25, 2007. Today I learned that a person with diabetes may use several needles a day. Learned from a friend of mine who was recently diagnosed with diabetes and is now going to classes to learn how to manage his disease. I have known for a long time that some people with diabetes self-inject themselves with insulin. I have watched a couple people do it. But until my friend told me about the needle-disposal container he had to buy and now make part of his life, it never before occurred to me how many needles are bought, used and disposed of in a day. With millions of diabetics in the U.S. and many of those using several needles a day, that is a lot of needles.
As I get older and listen to my friends talk like your grandparents used to talk when they were alive and I was young, it gives me pause. I spend time thinking about how age is catching up to me and my friends. I find myself wondering what terminal disease awaits me in the not too distant future. And most of all, I feel a strong sense of gratitude for the mobility and good health Diane and I presently enjoy. We are truly blessed.
We have a retirement goal in mind. The house we plan to build and live in is also the house we plan to die in. On the road, we see a lot of houses. In our minds, and a little bit on paper, we are designing our house as ideas come. We already own the land on which it will be built. It is for us an ideal setting.
We are also thinking about the realities of old age. Our house design ideas include things like putting all essential rooms on the first floor, an elevator into the house, a wheel chair accessible shower, wide doorways, and including reinforced areas behind certain walls so that rails can be easily added when and if we need them.
Happy thoughts, eh? But what else can you do? Declining health and death await us all. We'd rather be prepared than have to react unprepared as if these were unexpected events. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 26, 2007. Today I learned today that, just prior to the American Revolution, 360 whaling ships were based in what is now the United States. Learned by listening to Marketplace radio show on National Public Radio while driving across Ohio on I-80 (Transcript). We were on our way to make a delivery in a Minneapolis suburb.
That little tidbit adds to my understanding of American history. Just as news is reported in headlines, history is taught in highlights. We hear about key people, battles and landmark days, but it takes information and imagination to put it all together and see the big picture.
It is not something I thought about before, but there was a lot of everyday commerce going on before and during the Revolution. It would not surprise me to learn of a modern-day trucking company that can trace its roots back to those days. The next time we drive to an East Coast port, and I look it over and think about the history that was made there, whaling ships will be included in the picture in my mind.
That is part of what I enjoy about the trucking Diane and I do. We get to see, with our own eyes, many historic places in North America. When I hear a historic tidbit on the radio, it is very easy to relate it to other items of history because I have seen many of the places people talk about.
I also learned from NPR that the Detroit riots happened 40 years ago today. I remembered them because my parents took us on a family vacation then. On our way to the Expo 67 World's Fair in Montreal, Quebec, we crossed a bridge in Detroit to get into Canada. The riots broke out just hours later, which we heard about on the news. I remember my parents talking about the riots with others in the RV park. That would have been the Ambassador Bridge, which as truckers, we have crossed several times. For a number of reasons, Detroit continues to be a city I am happy to see in the rear view mirror.
The Minneapolis-area delivery was a great load to get. It gets us home, where I can take the time I need to seal our new truck floor. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 27, 2007. I learned today that, "Evidence has emerged that in the last American presidential election the Republican Party organized efforts to suppress the votes of active duty military, low-income, and minority voters by challenging their registrations." Learned by watching NOW, the PBS TV show (Transcript).
This is deeply troubling. The right to vote is a fundamental and essential right. It should be denied to no one. When the program first started, I was skeptical and not unaware of the liberal bias this episode may reflect. But as the program continued, it became clear that in this case, certain Republicans are guilty. They were caught red-handed interfering with people's right to vote. They targeted legitimate citizens and properly-registered voters to challenge their votes. That is wrong, any way you slice it.
Since we do not have a TV in the truck (our choice), it is rare for me to watch TV at all. We are home today and I had some time for channel surfing. By chance I happened on this program. In some ways, I wish I had not. It is depressing to learn that citizens are willing to trample on the rights of other citizens for the purpose of political power. It does not matter which party does it. It is wrong. The concept and ideals of democracy seem to be fading from the public mind. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 28, 2007. I learned today of a book, God's Politics; Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It, by Jim Wallis (Synopsis and Reviews). Learned by watching public television while at home. While I did not note the show name or broadcast time, the author made some memorable statements in the interview. Among other things, Mr. Wallis said it is more important to be on God's side than it is to have God on our side. That got my attention and motivated me to learn more about this guy (See: Frontline interview and Sojourners magazine). There is a lot of food for thought in this man's writings. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 29, 2007. I learned today that if you have a small hole or crack to fill in a wood object (like a truck floor), instead of using wood putty, you can fill the voids with wooden match sticks. Learned from Diane, who learned it from a clerk at Home Depot, who learned it from her father.
Diane stopped by Home Depot to pick up some wood putty. We needed it to fill some holes and tiny cracks in the new wood in our new truck floor. We originally used the Key Polymer products Crack Filler and Floor Restore for that. But using up our supply of Crack Filler and thinking we were done, we spotted a few remaining holes and cracks. Thus the trip to Home Depot and the decision to apply a second coat of Floor Restore.
Our purpose is to make the floor waterproof. Wood and water do not get along. On hot, humid days, a wood floor in a reefer-cooled truck body gets wet from condensation. Sealing the floor keeps the water out. It also provides an impressive cosmetic benefit that receives rave reviews from customers. Very few truck floors in the FedEx Custom Critical fleet look as good as ours does. We put a lot of time, money and effort into achieving the floor’s look.
Go to any truck show or truck beauty contest and you will find owner-operators that have poured a ton of time, money and effort into making their trucks look good. These show trucks are exceptional pieces that qualify as art. While we enjoy having a good looking truck and keep it clean, we are not truck show people. We have never put our truck in a show and do not expect we will.
We keep the truck looking good for our own viewing pleasure and pride in our ride reasons; and not to outdo other truckers or generate praise from others. The floor is a different matter. For appearance sake, and very much to impress other people, we work on our truck floor. We do it with our customers in mind. From them, we are eager to receive high praise.
While some customers see the outside of our truck when we enter or exit their loading docks, almost every one sees our truck floor when we are loading or unloading their freight. It makes our day when customers stand on their loading docks, look into our truck and say things like, “That floor looks better than the one in my house.” “That floor looks like an NBA floor.” “Your truck is spotless!” “You are very well organized.” “That is the cleanest truck I’ve ever seen!” and so on. To us, it is more important, and more fun to impress our customers with the part of the truck they see, than it is to impress truck show attendees with the truck they would see if we put our truck in a show.
That is not to take anything away from people who drive show trucks and put them on display. I love those folks and admire the work they do. Their trucks are beauties to behold. The work these truck owners do brighten peoples' days, in truck shows and out on the road. Like in auto shows and air shows, show truck exhibitors create excellence and put it on display. It is good entertainment for those who look and good fun for those who perform. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 30, 2007. I learned today that July will be our worst revenue month so far this year. Learned by looking at our business books. Choosing to spend more time at home, we will not haul any more freight in July. Thus, our numbers today are the numbers for the month. We made less money this month than we have made in some half-month periods.
Some of that was due to truck down time, which is easily understood. Some of it we attributed to luck of the draw. We had a couple loads this month that took us to slower freight areas or tied us up over weekends. While a lot of drivers do so, we are reluctant to talk about "things" being "slow" or "busy." From our one-truck perspective, it is hard to know how "things" are or how business is. We can know only for sure how we are doing.
There are always people out there saying "things are slow" or "business is down." While that may be true for them when they say it, it has not been true for us. It is very rare for us to have a slow month. Even when a dispatcher, who sees all loads, tells us "it's slow" it is usually busy for us. That is due partly to running a fully-equipped truck and being fully-credentialed drivers. We are eligible to haul freight many other drivers never see. Load acceptance strategy also enters in. Overall, things may very well be slow, but for us, that is rarely so.
Except this month. One month's work, less than a half-month's pay. The good news is, January through June was very strong. Also, if it is true what "they" say, that July is a slow month, it was the ideal time to have truck down time since we would not have been hauling much freight anyway.
Still, our July numbers are no fun to view. We are more than ready to hit the road again and run like the dickens until Christmas, when we plan to go home again. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
July 31, 2007. I learned today more about truck crash costs and Marmon trucks. Learned by reading through the stack of trucking magazines that builds up at home when we are away. Because of their weight, we do not have magazines forwarded to us on the road with our other mail. When we get home, there is a stack to go through. While it would be a simple matter to throw them away, there is information to be gained from reading them cover to cover. I spent a few pleasant hours at home, in a lawn chair, under a shade tree, reading trucking magazines. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author