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
August 1, 2007. I learned today where the phrase “It was a dark and stormy night” came from. Learned from Diane when the topic came up at the dinner table at home. She was talking about a contest for bad writing that she read about in the Star Tribune newspaper. The phrase was first written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his novel Paul Clifford, published in 1830. In full, the sentence reads, "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness." The sentence today stands as a classic example of bad writing.
Reading a little more about Bulwer-Lytton, I think he is getting a bad rap. He was actually a popular writer in his day and has other time-honored phrases to his credit. One of his quotes provides worthy food for thought for today's writers, who live in a world where cynicism prevails. "The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's observation, not overturning it." Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 2, 2007. I learned today a new phrase; "structurally deficient." Learned by hearing it in news reports on the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Structurally deficient" describes bridges that are still in service but in need of repair. There are thousands of them nationwide. This event raises concern not only about the state of our nation's infrastructure, but also about our own health and safety. Diane and I make a living on the road. We drive all over the nation and cross over and under bridges of all types almost every day. We are more than concerned citizens. We are at risk. We want every bridge in the United States brought up to snuff and we want it done now. As voters, we will support public policy changes toward that end. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 3, 2007. I learned today that U.S. Congressman, Robert Brady (a/k/a Bob Brady) favors charging tolls on I-80 through Pennsylvania. I was disappointed to also learn that Congressman Brady has no idea how fuel tax is charged to truckers and distributed to the states. Congressman Brady believes that the state of Pennsylvania "gets nothing" from trucks that pass through the state. Learned from listening to a rebroadcast of the August 2 edition of Radio Times on NPR as I drove overnight on I-80 through Pennsylvania. We picked up a load of medicine in Iowa for delivery in southeast Pennsylvania.
In this radio interview, Congressman Brady characterized trucks and truckers as a burden to the state of Pennsylvania. He openly complained about having to help truck drivers who break down or get hurt while passing through the state. As I hauled a load of medicine to be used by Pennsylvania citizens, and considered the sales tax, fuel tax and single-state registration fees I, a Minnesota resident, have paid to Pennsylvania, I grew angry. It was frustrating listening to Congressman Brady broadcast his ignorance of the facts. Listen to the show.
My heart sank as I listened to this public official speak. Congressman Brady has been in the U.S. House since 1998. He has an important voice and vote on the I-80 toll question. People's lives and the business climate of Pennsylvania and beyond will be significantly affected if I-80 tolls are established. Yet, in making his decisions, Brady is operating with a total ignorance of how fuel tax works, and how trucks are an asset to his state and the nation. Whether a trucker buys fuel in Pennsylvania or not, Pennsylvania fuel tax is still charged to truckers who drive through the state. This is done through the long-established IFTA program; something a public official in Congressman Brady's position should certainly know. About Congressman Robert "Bob" Brady Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 4, 2007. I learned today that there is an error in the part of my spreadsheet that calculates our reefer freight pay per mile. Learned while doing our first-half, 2007, financial analysis, by comparing what the spreadsheet says to what we know from our run journal is true. I need to track down and correct the error in the formula. It is probably something simple, like the formula refers to the wrong cell in the spreadsheet. Or it might be a data entry mistake. It will take some exploring to ferret out and correct the error.
This is a spreadsheet I developed myself. It is an ongoing project that I continue to refine as we develop more and more owner-operator data. My goal is to get it to the point where, once the raw data is entered, a host of meaningful reports will be just a mouse click away. At some point, that will mean converting my spreadsheet (actually sheets) into a relational database.
While it is not always easy to sit down and get started, I enjoy this kind of work. I can happily lose myself in the project for hours and hours and hours. I am, of course, nowhere near as proficient as a full-time application developer would be. That is OK. I am not doing this for pay. I am doing it for fun. I enjoy the challenges, problem-solving, sense of accomplishment and results this activity provides.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 5, 2007. I learned today more about how truck batteries work. Learned by reading posts on the ExpeditersOnline Open Forum. A person there, who goes by screen name Turtle, put up some very interesting and useful information. Having been to tech school for auto mechanics, I had a pretty good idea of how car batteries worked and how to work with them. Turtle's information is new to me. It is a welcome addition to my knowledge base. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 6, 2007. I learned today about Old Forge, New York, where vendors provide rental canoes for down-stream canoe trips and a train ride back on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. Learned by reading an article about it in a local New Jersey paper, the Courier-Post.
Old Forge is about half-way between Albany and Syracuse, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. It has been too long since Diane and I have been in a canoe. We consider wilderness canoeing and camping to be one of our hobbies, but have not gone on a canoe trip since we started trucking in 2003. We miss it and really do need to get back on the water and into the woods. But, by our own darn choice, business considerations have trumped recreation since 2003.
Financially, the results have been excellent. Recreationally, we have not done too bad either. Between loads, we have worked in dozens of tourist events and fine dining breaks (See: Phil Madsen's Stories From the Road). But as true vacations go, where you really do get away from it all, we have had only one since 2003.
That was in May, 2007. We parked the truck at home and treated ourselves to a multi-day stay in a hotel suite in Bloomington, Minnesota. The hotel features free shuttle service to the Mall of America. We like it there. It is the largest indoor mall in the United States and offers plenty to see and do. We got away from the truck, away from the house, away from people we know, and simply relaxed until we felt the itch to get back to work. At the time, that string of lazy days was just what the doctor ordered.
Other than the truck loan, we are debt free. Once the truck is paid off, we expect to slow down a bit and take advantage of opportunities like a week-long canoe and camping trip in the Adirondack Mountains. The freight has taken us to that area a few times this summer.
As with all the other vacation areas we enter, it would be a simple matter to go out of service and on vacation; but not until the truck loan is paid in full. Not because we are struggling to make the payments, but because we hate debt. Every time a payment has come due, we have made at least two, sometimes three, and even four. Five payments at once would be a stretch, but we will do it if we can.
Debt gnaws at our guts. It makes us feel ill-at ease. It gives other people power over us that we do not want them to have. Yes, borrowed money has its place. Yes, borrowed money can be used to generate more money. The truck loan is a case in point. Still, we hate debt and look forward to the day it is out of our lives. When we go paddling in the wilderness, we will enjoy the trip all the more if we leave our banker behind. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
They call it delayed gratification. Here's hoping the delay will not be too long.
August 7, 2007. I learned today that 32 laps around a big rig (18-wheeler) equals one mile. Learned from the August 1-14 edition of The Trucker newspaper, in an article about truck drivers and physical fitness. Diane and I calculated that about 50 laps around our 40 foot straight truck is one mile. We sometimes walk for exercise but prefer more interesting routes than laps around a truck.
For big-rig drivers that do not have the truck parking freedom we have with a straight truck, walking laps around the truck might just work. Though, in a truck stop, any driver that did so would soon have all the other drivers talking on the CB, trying to figure out what in the world the walking driver is doing. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 8, 2007. I learned today that the Wal-Mart in Blytheville, Arkansas is not truck friendly. Learned when we tried to stop there to shop and park overnight, but instead were greeted with "no trucks" signs and overhead barriers designed to keep trucks out. That is unusual for Wal-Mart stores. Most allow truck parking. Diane and I have spent a lot of money at Wal-Mart stores as a result. Before we became truckers, we never shopped at Wal-Mart. Now, Wal-Mart stores feel very familiar, wherever we go in the nation. This day, in a tiny and insignificant act of consumer protest, we did not park nearby and shop at this Wal-Mart. Instead, we delayed our purchases, to spend our money in a truck-friendly store. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 9, 2007. I learned today about a good waiting area near Nashville. Learned by stumbling upon it as we drove around looking for a place to park and wait for freight. As expediters, we often have to do that after delivering a load. If we are not dispatched, we need to find a place to sit and wait for a load offer to come in.
Many expediters will simply head to the nearest truck stop and wait there. Truck stops offer fuel, showers, some entertainment (video arcades, TV rooms, some have small movie theaters), other services truckers use (fax, photocopies, ATMs, laundry, restaurant, Sunday church services, etc.), and perhaps most importantly, other truckers to visit with as time is passed.
Truck stops also offer truck parking. Outside of truck stops, trucks are not always welcome. Outside of truck stops, finding a place to park a truck to wait for freight is an acquired skill. Straight trucks like the one we drive are easier to park than the big rigs (18-wheelers).
Today, by pure chance, we found ourselves in a retail area near a shopping mall. We spotted a nice, out-of-the-way spot to park where no one would bother us. From there, it is a short walk to the mall and nearby stores.
Nashville is a busy express center, so we do not usually have to wait there long. We made a mental note to remember this place, in case we need it again. The more we are on the road, the more places we note. With four years on the road, we have "our" places in 48 states, two Canadian provinces and most major cities. The country grows more familiar each day.
I was due for a haircut, so I went into the mall to get one. Diane stayed in the truck. The stores would not open for 90 minutes. I brought a book inside, bought a soda from a vending machine and settled into one of the mall's easy chairs to wait. It was nice there; quiet, clean, good light for reading, and a comfortable chair. For the next 90 minutes, the mall would belong to me, the janitors, the security guards, the store employees trickling into work, and people walking exercise laps around the mall.
Or so I thought. Just a few minutes after settling in, Diane called me on the walkie-talkie. A load offer had come via the Qualcomm unit. She relayed the details. It was a good offer which we discussed and quickly agreed to take. The bummer was we would have to leave immediately to get to the pickup on time. The pickup was near Atlanta, Georgia. We would drive the freight straight through to New Hampshire. There would be no haircut today and I disliked giving up the 90 minutes of quiet time I had just settled into.
Oh well. Duty calls, so off we went.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 10, 2007. I learned today that it is not always easy to learn something new every day. Frankly, I was not in the mood to learn something new. Most of our time was spent taking turns driving the truck and sleeping. We were on a run from Georgia to New Hampshire. The run was routine. Nothing special jumped out of the radio or bushes. The phones did not ring with anything to react to. The truck is running fine. No bills are due. We are healthy and at peace. Sometimes a day is just a day.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 11, 2007. I learned today that the property we own, where we plan to build a house, is near the number two fairway on the golf course across the street. Learned by looking at the satellite views of the property provided by Google Maps, and matching them up with the map on the golf course web site.
When we bought the property, we knew it was across the street from the golf course. We did not know exactly what part of the course our house will be closest to. Now we do.
Today was an off day. We delivered in New Hampshire yesterday (Friday), parked the truck in a retail area, ate a nice steak dinner at a sit-down restaurant and went to bed for the night. This morning (Saturday) we woke up still waiting for an offer. One came mid-day, which we accepted. On Monday, we will be going to Logan Airport in Boston to pick up freight bound for Upstate New York. That keeps us in service and gives the weekend off.
Not feeling particularly adventurous, we took it easy in place. We were parked near a Barnes and Noble bookstore. Diane spent several hours reading inside. I stayed in the truck surfing the web and sleeping. My mind turned to retirement and I found myself surfing toward our land in Wisconsin.
It is going to be a nice place to live. The golf course is across the street. Woods are behind us. You have to go three miles through them before you reach the next road. The lot on the left is one acre in size with no house on it yet. The lot on the right is two or three acres in size with one house on it. There are no fast streets or highways within earshot. When you stop to listen, you hear birds, the wind and sometimes voices from the golf course.
This is a small town so there will be no problem starting a round of golf on the second tee. We will be able to take our clubs out of the garage, walk across the street, play 18 holes, finish our round on hole one, and walk back home. Those days are years off, but it is fun to dream.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 12, 2007. I learned today about Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Prescott Park. Learned by reading about them online and walking in them today.
In the morning, we made an attempt to go to church and found one nearby. But I messed up. I misread the church's web site and got their summer and winter worship times mixed up. By the time we discovered the mistake, the summer service was over.
The weather was beautiful, and we had the day to ourselves. Wanting to do something outdoors, we surfed the web for tourist fun in the area. Portsmouth, New Hampshire caught our eye, as did Prescott Park in Portsmouth. Unsure what we would find for truck parking, we headed that way.
Portsmouth is a delightful town and a great place to spend a day. People there have preserved the town's historic character. The streets are lined with interesting shops and restaurants. Some of the restaurants have outdoor sidewalk seating. On this Sunday afternoon, the streets were filled with people walking around like we hoped to do. But first, we had to find a place to park.
We drove around several blocks on this town's narrow streets. The closer we got to the waterfront, where Prescott park was, the tighter parking became. We ended up parking on the street several blocks away. There was a two-hour parking limit posted, but the meters were not enforced on Sunday, so we figured we were OK.
We spent the rest of the day wandering around town. We first planned to bring some lawn chairs to the park and spend the day reading there. But the town proved too interesting and we walked the day away instead. Except for the mix-up with the church schedule, we had a pleasant day in Portsmouth. We will happily return if the weather is good and the freight brings close.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 13, 2007. I learned today how to get in and out of Boston's Logan Airport with a 40-foot straight truck. Learned by doing it. Never having been to Logan Airport before, we were apprehensive about getting in and out of there. We have been in and out of Boston. That city is no truck-driving picnic. The airport worried us.
This was a two-stop pickup. The first stop was at 8:00 a.m. a few miles from the airport. It was a paperwork stop, where we get the papers needed to obtain the freight. The second stop is at the cargo area of the airport, where we get the freight itself. Normally, we would get up early to beat the rush hour into the airport and wait there until the pickup time. That would not work this time. The paperwork stop put us in town but away from the airport at 8:00 a.m. We would be forced to join Boston's morning rush hour.
Heading out from the paperwork stop, we were very surprised to get easily from there into the airport; at the speed limit, during the rush hour! The directions the shipper provided were good. We made no wrong turns. We just cruised in and out as easy as could be. We were amazed.
There was a wrinkle at the pickup. The shipper wanted me to sign for the freight before I had a chance to inspect it. That does not happen often, but when it does, it is a major red flag. If you sign for freight that is damaged, the damage is on you and a freight damage claim may be deducted from your pay.
I told the clerk that I could not sign the shipper's bill of lading before seeing the freight. First one clerk, then two faced me down at the window and said I would not be given access to the loading docks to load the freight if I did not sign the bill. They assured me that this is the way it is done all the time and there has never been a problem. "There has never been a problem." I'm getting really tired of hearing those words...but I digress.
I signed the bill but first made very clear notes on it, "Shipper prohibited driver from inspecting freight. Freight condition is unknown." When I asked them to sign our bill of lading, they refused, saying they do not do that. That also sometimes happens. When it does, we simply write on the bill, "Shipper refused to sign BOL."
It turned out that the freight was fine. We got it on the truck, secured it, and skedaddled out of Boston. Soon after, we were enjoying a beautiful summer drive through Massachusetts and Upstate New York. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 14, 2007. I learned today of a new parking place that we can use when delivering freight to JFK Airport in New York. Learned by discovering and using it as we delivered freight in the area, and waited for rush hour to clear before we left. I also learned a better approach to another parking place in the area that we have used in the past.
Truck parking in metropolitan areas, and especially New York City, is a challenge. The more familiar you become with an area, the easier it gets. Familiarity grows with experience. The more times you go in and out of New York City, the easier it gets. Though, while it gets better, it never gets good. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 15, 2007. I learned today about antioxidants and why they are good for you. Learned by growing curious about them after reading the label on a bottle of grapefruit juice, and researching them online while I ate breakfast.
Having grown tired of being overweight, we got the snack foods out of the truck and started eating healthier. We are both down over ten pounds each since going “on diet” as we call it. It happens to a lot of truckers and it happened to us. We gained weight when we started living and working on the road.
We want to get back to where we were before we started trucking. We carry exercise equipment in the back of the truck (a mini stair stepper, small free weights, jump rope). With its clean wood floor, we can convert the back of the truck into a little gym when we choose. But our expediting schedule is irregular. By driving and sleeping in shifts, there are times when we keep the truck moving for several days at a time. There are other times when the runs are started or completed at odd times of the day and night.
Sleep is one of our top priorities on the road. If we are too tired to drive, we do not drive. Breaks between runs are used first to sleep. Then comes the usual chores like fuel, grocery shopping, laundry, business paperwork and other things that prepare us for the next run. Exercise comes next when we have the will to do it. But as often as not, our will is to read, write, take in a tourist attraction, talk with friends and family on the telephone, visit with other drivers we meet, etc. We sometimes take long walks but I don't consider that to be exercise. To me, exercise means breaking sweat and maintaining an elevated heart rate for at least a half hour.
If we exercised every day as part of a daily routine, exercise would be easier to do. But in expediting, there is no daily routine. We are very pleased to see our weight decrease after improving our diet. After the truck is paid off, we may go out of service more often to devote more time to exercise. Our retirement dream and expediting career depends on good health. Taking time off to exercise a few times a week would be a good investment.
For now, though, paying off the truck is a top motivator. We hate debt more than fat. We will use our time to run as much as we safely can and make financial hay while the sun shines.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 16, 2007. I learned today that the stock market is down 10% from its July highs, on fears that the home mortgage market and derivative investments based on it will further unwind. Learned by reading and listening to the financial news of the day. Countrywide Financial is the bellwether company in the news these days. Things are not looking good for them. Smaller companies in this market are already closing their doors.
This is good news and bad news for Diane and me. We have long-term investment objectives. Stock marked dips like this are made-to-order buying opportunities. However, if the mortgage market dries up for a time, it could trigger a recession. A recession is a decline in economic activity, which would probably mean less freight to haul. We are well prepared to ride out a recession, but would of course prefer more prosperous times.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 17, 2007. I learned today that a stock we own has some subprime exposure. Learned from an e-mail alert I received about the company. This is a financial services company with a massive and wide-ranging portfolio of assets under management. In normal times, having some subprime paper in its portfolio would be no big deal. But these are not normal times. The company felt compelled to announce and discuss its subprime holdings.
Looking into it further, I decided to buy more shares of this company. A few months ago, I bought some at $98.90. It looked good to me then. Last night, in the midst of the mortgage crisis, market declines worldwide, and following the company's announcement, the shares closed at $87.00.
The subprime paper this company holds is a tiny slice of its other holdings. There are different grades of subprime paper. This company holds the higher grade kind, though, it is still subprime. The company remains strong and a good long-term holding, I believe. If it was a good idea to buy it at $98.90, it is an even better idea to buy it at $87.00, if I can get it at that price. But I could not.
Overnight, the Federal Reserve Bank, to help calm markets, took the unusual step of making an unscheduled reduction in the discount rate. It worked. The crisis mentality in the markets evaporated and stock prices rose sharply. Moments after the U.S. stock markets opened, I was able to buy shares at $88.07.
Now, the average share price for all shares we own in this company is $93.49. This technique is called “averaging down.” In this case, it means the stock price only needs to recover to $93.49 instead of $98.90 to reach break even. While that sounds good, it is deceptive. To calculate the true return, the time value of money must be factored in.
I’m not going to go into that here. I just want to share that money management is something we do on the road. With in-truck internet access and online trading, one can buy and sell stocks with relative ease. However, we are by no means day traders and do not aspire to be. For the most part, we are passive investors. We buy high quality investments and hold them for the long term.
While a small percentage of investors may be able to beat the market (outperform indexes like the S&P 500 or Dow Jones 30 Industrials), it takes a lot of time and attention to do so. With the erratic schedule we have as expediters, our desire to live a simpler life, and the fact that we do not have internet access all the time, day trading is not a good fit. Besides, very few traders beat the market in the long run. We are investors, not traders. Our investment philosophy is to buy high quality investments at good prices and hold them for the long term. It takes patience and an eye for both quality and value, but it is also a proven technique. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 18, 2007. I learned today that I do not want a rain-maker shower head in the house we plan to build when we retire from expediting. Learned by using one at an RV park near Atlanta, Georgia, where we are now staying. When you become an expediter, using hotels, RV parks and public bathrooms and showers is a fact of everyday life. In time, you will see just about every kind of shower head, faucet handle, toilet, hand dryer and paper towel dispenser known in the modern world. As we travel, Diane and I make note of the ones we like and dislike. We write down our preferences with the intention of including them in the house.
Today is Saturday. We are dispatched on a Monday pickup in the area. We are staying in an RV park because it is hot outside. We can run the generator to stay cool but prefer to run the truck off shore power instead. Also, the RV park has laundry and showers.
Before we got into a truck with shore power, we would have stayed in a hotel on a weekend like this. Now, for a number of reasons, hotels are out and RV parks are in. It costs less to stay at an RV park. All of our stuff is in the truck. At a hotel, we have to drag some of it inside. At an RV park, it is all with us. At a hotel, we would look out the window or walk by the truck to make sure the truck was still there and OK. At an RV park, we are in the truck and know its status. While the private bathroom and shower in a hotel is nicer than the public bathrooms and showers at an RV park, the ones at most RV parks are nice enough. And the Select Comfort Sleep Number® bed we have in the truck is more comfortable than any other bed we have slept on in any hotel ...ever. We can cook in the truck. At hotels, we need to eat out. Hotels offer one or more TVs in every room. But since we do not watch enough TV to justify having one in the truck, it is not much of a loss to forgo the TV that comes with a hotel room stay. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 19, 2007. I learned today more about how a freight broker and truck fleet owner with his own authority runs his business. Learned as one showed us his office and talked business. It was especially interesting to learn more about how freight is run through brokers and carriers different than ours.
Until today, this man was a friendly but telephone-only business contact I had made a year or so ago. I don’t recall exactly how we first connected. By telephone, we hit it off and have stayed in touch ever since. We have no carrier or business activities in common but, like us, this man understands the value of business networking.
Having a weekend to pass in the Atlanta area before we pick up a load on Monday (tomorrow), I contacted him. At his invitation, we arranged to meet. We parked the truck at a grocery store in his neighborhood. He met us with his car, took us to his home for breakfast and a visit in his office. He has a very nice home. The basement is office space where he and his employees work Monday through Friday. We then we went with him, his wife and son to church. After church, he drove us back to the truck where we gave the family a truck tour and said friendly good byes.
Diane did some grocery shopping before we returned to the RV park where we are staying for the weekend. Diane likes to cook. Back at the RV park, she was very much into preparing various meats for us to eat while we drive. I was seated in the sleeper, working on my blog. Suddenly things stopped, and she said, “Whoa!” I looked up to see a disappointed Diane holding an unwrapped but moldy package of bacon.
She just bought it this morning. The expiration date was October 4. But it was bad. This was a $6.00 item. The natural thing to do would be to return it to the grocery store for exchange or a refund, but in a truck, the natural things are not always so natural. The store was 15 miles from the RV park. In town, the truck will get less than 10 mpg. Fuel costs around $2.80 per gallon these days. It would cost more in fuel to return the bacon than the refund would be. Into the trash the bacon went.
It really was a disappointment. The grill was set up outside. We had time. I could tell that Diane was very much in the cooking groove. It was a bummer to have it stopped in its tracks. Next to cook were the steaks she bought at the same store. When she unwrapped them, they were bad too! I don't know why we felt so down about this, but we did.
There was business paperwork to do, so instead of doing what we really wanted to do, we did the paperwork instead. I don’t like doing business paperwork, but I like being behind on it even less. Paperwork aside, it was a pleasant and productive day. Financially, we are doing well this month. It is nice to be back on goal after a slow July. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 20, 2007. No entry today. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 21, 2007. No entry today. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 22, 2007. I learned today a small but potentially useful shrink wrap technique. Learned by watching a shipper shrink wrap the freight we were waiting to pick up. The freight was light boxes stacked on skids. Putting light sideways pressure on them would move them off the skid.
Normally, one shrink wraps a skid by tucking the end of the shrink wrap between the boxes and pulling the shrink wrap tight from there and wrapping it around the skid. With this skid, pressure would topple the boxes. The shipper solved the problem by tying a knot in the end of the shrink wrap and tucking that end between the boxes. The weight of the boxes did not hold the shrink wrap in place, the knot did. He then made a loose-wrap lap around the skid that did not topple the stack. With one loose round of shrink wrap made, the second round could be made with pressure applied.
It's a small thing, but something that might make us look that much better if we are the ones shrink wrapping a skid of light boxes and the shipper is looking on. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 23, 2007. No entry today. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 24, 2007. No entry today. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 25, 2007. I learned today about Sanibel Island in Florida, near Fort Myers. Learned by staying in an RV park there over the weekend as we waited for our Monday pickup.
On this sunny Saturday morning, we got the truck washed by some kids that were raising money for a soccer league. It was a fun time. The adults had the usual questions about our truck and lifestyle. The kids were wowed by the truck when we pulled in but quickly lost interest when they started washing it. That is, except for two little girls that outworked all the boys. A commercial truck wash costs $35 to $75, depending on where it is done and the services provided. We donated $100 to the soccer league.
We next headed to Sanibel Island to check out an RV park that was listed online. The bridge to the island seemed new but the axle weight limits were lighter than most. Our truck was just light enough to legally cross. The RV park was fine and we checked in. We relaxed in the truck during the heat of the day and watched storm clouds build in Florida’s deep blue sky. After the storm, we walked to a steak house, but left because we were not in the mood to pay $50 each for a dinner. We walked next to a more relaxed restaurant and bar, where we found good food and reasonable prices.
The island features a network of bike trails. A bike rental facility is located a short walk from the RV park. At another time of the year, or "in season" as the locals call it, an enjoyable day could be spent biking around the island. But in season, things get expensive. The RV park charges $1,000 a month to camp there in season.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 26, 2007. I learned today about SeaBridge, Inc., a company that is raising capital to establish a high-speed ferry system that would serve the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts. Learned from reading Hanks Truck Pictures Forum, where the topic came up. This is a very interesting concept that I think will succeed. Fuel prices, infrastructure failures and highway congestion make alternatives like a ferry more attractive than they were before.
I also learned a bit more about land values and housing costs in Florida. While walking around Sanibel Island, just checking the place out, I entered an open house. It was essentially a double-wide trailer on stilts. The stilts raise it off the ground to protect from hurricane flooding. Asking price was $699,000, and the house was blocks from the beach. At the RV park where we were staying, trailers on the lots there ranged from $45,000 to $200,000, plus $6,000 a year to rent the lot.
I looked at that and just shook my head in wonder. Of course, a lot of people look at Diane and me happily living in a truck and do the same thing. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 27, 2007. I learned today the name of a land surveyor who can create a digital topographical map of the one-acre lot we own in Wisconsin, where we intend to build a house. Learned from the realtor who referred us to the surveyor and the surveyor I talked to by telephone. The map is needed to help us daydream about the house we plan to live in when we retire.
I also learned more about Punch! home design software. The reviews say it is the best home design software in its price range but the learning curve is high. That is OK. I try to learn something new every day, and we have at least fifteen years to design a home. We should be able to figure it out by then.
Diane and I got this all done while working our "day job" at the same time. We had a short run today from the Miami airport to a town 200 miles north. We had an internet signal the entire way. I talked to the surveyor while we were waiting for the freight at the airport. Diane researched Punch! online as I drove, and shared what she learned with me. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 28, 2007. I learned today more about the International Space Station. Learned by delivering freight to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and while standing on a loading dock, being approached by a worker who took us deep inside the building, and gave us an unexpected private tour of the clean room in which the space station modules are being built.
That was cool! One minute we were wondering what afternoon traffic was going to be like. The next minute we were viewing space station components with our own eyes. What a treat! Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 29, 2007. I learned today of a good place to park wait for freight if we are ever doing so near Fort Pierce, Florida. Learned by discovering it as we drove by.
Fort Pierce is a popular destination for truckers in Florida. Actually, it is not very popular at all. It is just one of the few places in Florida where truck stops can be found; along with fuel, showers and other truck services. While Diane and I minimize our time at truck stops, we have our Fort Pierce needs too, so we go. We have never had to go there to wait for freight. If we did, we would hang out not at the truck stops, but at the nearby beaches we discovered today.
If you look at a Florida map and find Fort Pierce, you will see a long island off the coast with State Road A1A running its length. There are public beaches and parking areas along that road that will host a straight truck just fine. If we had to wait for freight in the area, we would much rather go to the beach than hang out in a truck stop. The beachwear and lawn chairs we carry, along with the bathroom, shower and kitchen in the truck, would make for a pleasant stay. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 30, 2007. I learned today that no-fault car insurance is about to end in Florida, along with two major enforcement tools that motivate people to comply with the state's car insurance requirements. The result will be millions of uninsured cars traveling Florida roads. Learned by reading a newspaper article about this in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Millions of uninsured vehicles traveling Florida roads; that is not a comforting thought as I view them from my driver's seat. Florida drivers are among the worst in the nation when it comes to their behavior around trucks. It is not an age thing (elderly population). People of all ages drive like idiots around trucks.
The other day, in Fort Meyers, I was at a stop sign with my right turn signal on, waiting for traffic to clear so I could proceed. With just inches to spare between the truck and a guard rail on the right, a car driver behind me decided he could not wait. He turned out of the right hand lane, onto the shoulder, and squeezed between the truck and the rail, moving quickly past the truck and into traffic. This moron had no way to see what oncoming traffic might have come after he blinded his view with the truck, but he pulled the stunt anyway.
That kind of stuff happens every day, but more often in some parts of the country. If there ever was a state that needed more stringent car insurance requirements, Florida would be it. But we read in the paper today that the opposite is happening. Our best defense is to drive careful and make sure we are fully insured against the millions that drive badly and have no insurance at all.Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
August 31, 2007. I learned today where the labels are printed that go on the cans of a popular food product. Learned by picking up about a million of them in Orlando, Florida for delivery tomorrow in Virginia.
That is part of the expediting life; seeing the American economy work. It really is interesting watching it from a trucker's perspective and relating it to the business courses I took in college and to what I read today in the financial press.
Another part of the expediting life is the friends and family you see or don't see, depending on where you and they are. We got to see two good friends yesterday, Glen and Janice Rice. While we were hoping for a load out of Florida before the Labor Day weekend, we were also glad the freight gave us time to visit our friends.
Having been truckers themselves, they knew exactly how to host us. Showers, laundry, an evening meal in the dining room and a good night's sleep were all provided. We brought some steaks and bratwurst to the house to cook. Some were served at dinner. The rest were cut up for snacks in the truck.
We left with mixed feelings. It would have been great to spend more time with the Rices. We were also glad to get dispatched out of Florida before the long weekend. Our trucker friends understood. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author