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Phil Madsen's BlogLearning Something New Every Day |
Truck drivers 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.
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Note to Readers: I got behind on my blog posts and am backfilling my entries as time permits. They are in my journal, just not posted here. I apologize.
I am gratified by the reader complaints I received when the blog posts stopped. It shows there are people out there reading and enjoying my blog. That was nice to learn. It gives me an incentive to keep posting.
Please see my January 31, 2008 entry for more info.
Saturday, January 12, 2008. I learned today that the Green Bay Packers defeated the Seattle Seahawks and will advance to the NFL conference championships. Learned by watching the game.
We are passing time in Florence, Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati, Ohio, waiting for our Monday pickup. We do not have a TV in the truck (by choice) and have watched very little football since we took up life on the road. But with time to spare and the Packers playing, finding a place to watch the game became the task of the day.
We ended up at O'Charlies restaurant. We were seated just as the game was starting. I told our waiter that we were traveling and would like to stay seated for the entire game. I was a little worried about the propriety of that since the restaurant was full. He assured me that we were welcome to stay as long as we wished and that I did not need to be concerned about interrupting the store's cash flow by staying too long. But concerned about his tip flow, I gave him a $20 bill right then.
We enjoyed a delicious steak dinner and the game. The only bummer was no beer. The restaurant had plenty to sell, and nothing would have tasted better with the steak dinner. But we would be driving the truck and there was no way we were going to jeopardize our careers for the sake of beer.
Drinking rules are more strict for CDL licensed truck drivers than car drivers. Our carrier's rules are stricter still. Consequently, it was a day of good food, good football and no beer.
Sunday, January, 13, 2008. I learned today that the New York Giants will be coming to Green Bay to play the Packers for the chance to go to the Super Bowl. Learned by watching the football game that the Giants won.
We watched the game at the same restaurant where we watched yesterday's game. We ended up with the same waiter. He remembered us and our orders from yesterday, which is a good thing, since we ordered the same food. We really enjoyed it yesterday so went for more of the same today. He did not get as big of a tip this time since we arrived at half time and did not linger. The game was over before we finished our meal.
It is good news to me that the Giants are coming to Green Bay. While I am hardly an avid football fan, the Green Bay Packers are my team. I grew up in Wisconsin and I am a Packer fan. That's the way it is. It is good news because the Packers will have home field advantage, and thousands of Packer fans will have one more home game to enjoy. Diane grew up in Minnesota. She is a Viking fan, but not for any good reason I can see. Packers rule!
Knowing that we will be attending a Packer game next season, I am a little more attentive to the team than before. I have never been much into spectator sports and sometimes wonder about people who are into it deep. One thing I see is the suspense the games offer. NFL football games are real events that are unpredictable. It is fun watching something when you do not know how it will turn out.
I don't get deep into spectator sports because I don't like getting disappointed when my team loses. If I am going to become emotionally engaged in a competitive event, I would rather be a competitor than a spectator. As a competitor, I have more say in how the game is played and can commit myself more fully to achieving the desired outcome.
Still, as a Packer fan, I would never feel silly wearing a cheese head hat. In fact, I'd be darn proud to wear one, and probably will when we go to the game. Go Packers!
Monday, January 14, 2008. I learned nothing new today, at least nothing I wrote down or remembered. I guess sitting around this weekend and not doing much of anything that was productive got me a little lethargic.
Maybe that is what I learned. The more nothing you do, the more of it you tend to do. Doing nothing can become as much of a habit as doing something.
We picked up a load in Cincinnati, Ohio at 6:00 p.m. and will be driving straight through to Dallas, Texas. We spent most of today just waiting around for the pickup.
Once the freight was on board, and we knew for sure the load would not cancel, Diane booked a flight for herself from Dallas to Minneapolis. She will be going home for a dental appointment after we deliver in Dallas. I will stay in Dallas with the truck until she returns. This is faster and less expensive than deadheading home with the truck. It keeps us in service more and reduces our revenue less.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008. No blog entry today. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Wednesday, January 16, 2008. I learned today about Red Box, Netflix, online on-demand TV shows and other video viewing options that can be used in the truck. Learned by researching them as I passed time waiting for Diane.
Diane is home in Minnesota. I am in the truck in Irving, Texas. She flew home from Dallas yesterday for a dental appointment. She also made a trip to Saint Paul to complete our 2008 truck registration. She left $1,150 at that counter.
Shippers, take note. Whether we drive the truck or not, we pay nearly $100 a month just for the stickers we put on the license plate. This is just one of many costs of doing business. Freight rates may seem high. The cost of operating a truck is high too. Another cost is fuel. In 2007, we spent over $51,000 for fuel.
But I digress. Back to Texas.
I spent my day mostly in the truck, studying Dreamweaver web development software and looking into video options. I also spent some time in a Wal-Mart store electronics section, looking at flat screens and mounts that could be added to the truck.
By choice, we have no TV in the truck. We will watch the occasional DVD movie on one of our laptops. They have 15 inch screens which are big enough, but not as nice as the bigger screens sold in stores.
It is hard to keep up with all the technology changes. For now, we will stick with what we have. We do not watch enough TV to justify owning one. For movies, our laptops will continue to do. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Thursday, January 17, 2008. I learned today a better technique for changing the fuel filter on our generator. Learned unintentionally as I worked around a fuel line fitting had frozen up and would no longer rotate.
This turned out to be a real time saver. I will use the technique from now on, or until I find a better one. The more times I service the generator, the easier it gets.
We woke up this morning in Irving, Texas and went to to a Pilot truck stop in Fort Worth for showers and to service the generator, which was due. When I returned to the truck from my shower, Diane was looking at a load offer that just came in. It paid well but with four stops across the nation, we would earn every penny.
Now knowing that we would be heading to Santa Fe, New Mexico for the pickup, we left the Pilot. That place was very busy. It would be safer to do a generator oil change someplace else.
I don't like it when trucks back in next to me or pull away when I am working on the ground next to them. While they should, drivers do not always look back when they are pulling out of a parking space. They could run me over and not even know it.
A few hours later, I completed the oil change at a Love's truck stop in Wichita Falls, Texas. We then continued our drive toward Santa Fe. There was no rush. We did not have to be there until Saturday. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Friday, January 18, 2008. I learned today about a truck wash in Amarillo, Texas that does a great job at a below market price. Learned by discovering it after leaving another truck wash in disgust.
On our way from Dallas, Texas to Santa Fe, New Mexico for a Saturday pickup, we spent the night in Amarillo. I was disappointed in the cold weather. Being south, I was hoping to enjoy some time in shirt sleeves. Not today.
The truck needed washing as did our clothes. I dropped Diane off at a truck stop to do the laundry and headed to the truck wash a mile or so away. When I pulled in and asked for a price, a man there said $60, and in the next breath, told workers to hand wash only the cab and sleeper but not the truck body (box).
"You don't have to hand wash the box." he said to them. "Yes you do!" I said to the surprised man. We went back and forth about pricing and included services but I got nowhere. I told them to open the door and let me leave, which they did.
I returned to the Petro truck stop and waited for Diane. On the way out of town, Diane spotted a truck wash behind the Pilot truck stop. Many Pilots have these one bay washes. They are left over from a failed venture in automated truck washes. Signs on this building told us hand washes are now available inside. We decided to check it out.
I was pleased to see that all machine driven brushes and equipment had been removed. Inside were two Mexican men waiting to go to work. They charged $35 and did a fantastic job. If there is time, we will stop back there every time we are in the area. Pleased with their work, I tipped them $5.00 each.
We made one more stop before leaving town. Needing 1099 forms for our income taxes, we stopped at the IRS office and picked them up. We found the office on the internet and were glad to get the forms. You can't download these forms online. The IRS wants original, hard-copy documents filed.
The bummer came later that day. Despite sunny skies, the roads were such that the truck was dirty by the time we reached Santa Fe. Our truck wash did not last a day. There are no truck washes in Santa Fe. We felt bad knowing we would arrive at the pickup in a dirty truck. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Saturday, January 19, 2008. I learned today what the New Mexico landscape looks like along I-25, northbound out of Santa Fe. Learned by driving the route in the daytime.
We do not often drive this stretch of interstate highway. Every other time we have, it has been at night. Today was sunny and bright. Snow on the desert floor set off dark evergreen trees. As the sun set, the sky displayed its customary New Mexico hues. This was a scenic and peaceful drive.
We have four pieces of freight on board and four stops to make. We picked the freight up in Santa Fe. The deliveries are in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Sunday, January 20, 2008. I learned today that a particular loading dock in Minneapolis is 48 feet deep and that there is room beyond it to maneuver a larger than normal tractor-trailer rig. Learned by measuring the dock.
Friends of ours drive the big rig. They were scheduled to deliver to this dock tomorrow and were concerned about maneuver space. Not knowing we were delivering there today, but knowing Minneapolis is our home express center, they called to ask if we knew anything about the neighborhood. As it turned out, I was able to not only provide a dock report that was accurate to the inch, but send photos too.
That dock was our second stop on a four stop run. We picked up the freight in Santa Fe, New Mexico and drove it straight through to Minneapolis.
The next stop was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If we added 30 miles to the route, we would be able to stop at home to refill the water tanks on the truck and take showers. That was an easy decision to make. We had the time and it is nice to have the tanks filled with Minnesota water.
The stop at home lasted less than an hour. We had the time to stay a few hours more but did not. When we have freight on board, we like to get as close to the delivery as we can as soon as we can. If something goes wrong or a delay occurs, it is better to be close to the delivery than far away. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Monday, January 21, 2008. I learned today that Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a park and waterfront area near downtown that is very nice. Learned by making a delivery there. It was an attractive park. We would enjoy a day there if we found ourselves back in summer weather and time to spare.
There was no time this day. We drove overnight from Minneapolis to Milwaukee. Milwaukee was stop number two of this four stop run. Arriving several hours before the docks opened, we parked at a rest area just out of town to pass time. About sunrise, we headed in to beat the rush hour. The delivery was easy and we were quickly on our way to stop number three, in Connecticut. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Tuesday, January 22, 2008. I learned today what the Yale University campus looks like. Learned by driving and walking around the place to make a delivery there.
This was the third of a four stop run we were on. We drove overnight and got there before people started coming to work and class. The delivery directions were not good and we had a hard time finding the right building. That early in the morning, there were not a lot of people to ask for help.
Half lost and half thinking I had the right building, I walked down some outside steps and into a basement. It turned out to be the kitchen for a large cafeteria. A man there recognized me as lost and came to my aid. He walked me to the right building and showed me where to unload. There was no loading dock. We parked curbside, lift gated the freight off the the truck, wheeled it inside and headed for our fourth and final stop.
It felt good to be on a college campus. This one features some interesting history, architecture and exhibits. The shops nearby offer some interesting shopping too. If we find ourselves back in this area in the future and have some time to spare, we would enjoy a day exploring this place.
Yale is in New Haven, Connecticut. The fourth stop was near Washington, D.C. That meant we would have to drive through New York City to get there. If we got delayed too much in traffic, we may not reach the fourth stop in time. That would mean we would be stuck with the freight for another night.
This was turning into a long run and we were looking forward to being done with it. We breathed a sigh of relieve when New York was in our rear view mirror.
We reached the fourth stop before the close of business. A cheerful dock worker there got us quickly in and out. Finally! this long run was done. We were ready for a good night's sleep in a non-moving truck. We headed to a nearby rest area to get it. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Wednesday, January 23, 2008. I learned today about a highly professional team that Diane and I were both proud to meet. Learned by meeting and seeing them in action when we arrived to rescue freight off their disabled truck.
We did not know we would be doing a freight rescue when our day began at a rest area on I-95 in Maryland. We spent the night there. It was a nice break after a tough run completed the day before. After we ate breakfast in the truck, we headed a few miles down the road to pick up a load.
It was a short, one-day run that we accepted not so much for the money, but because it sounded like an easy one. We were rested, but not quite ready for a cross-country run just yet. This short run was made to order ... or so we thought.
The pickup was easy; one 20 lbs. box that the shipper handed us. It contained items that I will not discuss in the interests of confidentiality. With the box secure and paperwork signed, we were quickly on our way. The weather was nice for a change, and we were glad. We have not been south hardly at all this winter and have had only a few good-weather days.
As we drove to the delivery, dispatch called with a plea for help. They had a run to offer that paid poorly and involved a lot of work. Worse, it picked up in downtown Washington, D.C.; not a fun place to drive a truck, especially during rush hour, when the pickup was set. The offer would have been an easy "no" but for one thing. It was a rescue run.
Rescues occur when a truck with freight on board breaks down and another truck is sent in to take the freight and continue the run. The broke down truck gets paid for miles driven up to the breakdown. The rescue truck gets paid for those remaining.
In this case, most of the miles had already been driven. The four stops were to occur in D.C. and Virginia. The first stop was completed. That would leave us with most of the delivery work to do and few miles to be paid for.
Again, such a run would normally be easy to decline. But in a rescue, there is another driver or team involved. They need to get the freight off their truck so they can get free to get their truck running again.
Our truck has never broken down under load, but we have been in other trucks that have. It is a great relief when the rescue truck shows up. Pleased to return the favor, we accepted the offer for the rescue run; not for the money but for the drivers that needed help.
Because of the breakdown, that freight was already late. Once we accepted the offer, dispatch told us to proceed immediately from our Virginia delivery to the broke down truck in D.C.
When we got to our delivery, a big mess developed that delayed us for a couple hours. The shipper had messed up the box labeling and paperwork big time. The writing on the box said it included 42 pieces. The paperwork said zero pieces were shipped. A count of the items came to 19.
The consignee would not sign for the freight and release us until the matter, a very serious matter, was resolved. Security was called. Photos were taken. Phone calls were made. People started showing up. The gate was closed to other incoming trucks. No one was going anywhere until this was resolved, and people were coming off their normal work places to help resolve it.
It saved our bacon that the paperwork did not agree with the piece count on the box. We had access to the freight and, in theory, might have been the reason why 42 pieces became 19. But the faulty paperwork took suspicion off us.
Everyone there suspected a shipper error, which proved to be the case. But we waited through some awkward moments while they figured that out. It took them two hours to straighten things out and free us to go by signing for the freight.
We headed immediately toward Washington. On the way, we called the drivers to let them know we were on our way and that we would be delayed by a fuel stop.
It just so happened that our fuel stop was at a truck stop where this team had had their mail sent. It was being held for pickup there. They planned to pick it up after they completed their deliveries. But the breakdown changed that. They called the truck stop and instructed people there to give the mail to us.
Because we were delayed, D.C. rush hour was over by the time we got to town. The disabled truck was, of all places, in an underground garage, backed up to a loading dock. It broke down there and could not be moved.
It was a tractor-trailer rig. When I saw it, I was amazed that it was there in the first place. The driver had to be highly skilled to work it in where it was. It was a big enough challenge backing our little truck down the ramp, around a corner, between some poles and to the dock. It would have been quite something to see the big-rig do it.
The dock was nice to have. It made it easy to transfer three pieces of freight from one truck to the other.
This husband/wife team had driven from the West Coast to Washington D.C. through some terrible weather. A blizzard stranded them for a day in Montana. When he told me of 30 below weather I first thought he was exaggerating. He wasn't. Then, when they get to their first delivery, their truck breaks down. As hard as they worked, the run ended for them with a service failure and expensive repair bill.
Since we were the only available truck for hundreds of miles to do a rescue, they had to wait most of the day for us to arrive. When we did, all they wanted to do was get the freight off their truck and get home, which was about a day's drive away.
A road service mechanic had been working on the truck for several hours and was not done yet. We could only hope that he would quickly finish so these folks could get out of that garage and on their way.
Originally, this was a four-stop run. The first stop was completed where the truck broke down. The other three were ours to make.
One stop was just a block away, into another underground garage with a loading dock. But the area was too full of stuff for the truck to back in. That is a common occurrence at loading docks. Everyone in the building that has something to keep but no place to keep it decides the dock is the perfect spot. No thought is given to the people for whom the space was originally designed and need to use it every day.
Upon our arrival, we called the designated person. She had to come in after hours to receive the freight. I lift gated the freight onto the ground, wheeled it up a ramp, onto the dock and into a room inside the building. The consignee signed for it and we were on our way ... almost.
Security is everywhere in Washington, D.C. While we were at this dock, a police officer in a K-9 patrol car took an interest in the truck and started asking questions.
His was not a suspicious interest but a curious one. As often happens, he wanted to know what kind of stuff we haul in the truck and about our life and work on the road. I answered his questions and gave him a brief truck tour.
My reward was the opportunity to play with the dog for a moment. Our carrier prohibits dogs in the truck, which is fine since we would not likely have a pet in the truck even if we could. But we like dogs and very much miss the one we had before we took up life on the road. He died of old age.
Late at night, in a basement garage in Washington, D.C., I was having fun playing with a cop's dog. I am glad it was play. That was one strong animal. I would not have wanted to be on his bad side. As much as I would have liked to stay, duty called. There was more freight to deliver, so off we went.
As this day ended, our work did not. See tomorrow's blog entry for the rest of the story.
Let me close with some words of praise for the team in the broke down truck. They had a rough go of it, not only today but in Montana too. Yet when we arrived, they could not help us enough. They gave us directions to the dock, guided us in, helped transfer the freight and were cheerful the whole time. Great folks, these two. It was a true pleasure to meet them. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Thursday, January 24, 2008. Today I learned that the menu at Hooters has not changed much since I last ate there years ago. Learned when Diane and I went in to check out their to go items. We were parked nearby and were hungry. Unimpressed with the menu, we decided to not eat takeout food in the truck, but to walk across the street to Ruby Tuesdays for a sit-down lunch.
That was late afternoon. Our day actually started with a 00:01 a.m. delivery to a tired and short-tempered young lady in Virginia. This was one of several stops we made on two tough runs. The runs themselves started yesterday. Neither one was fun. See yesterday's blog entry for the story on those.
At our midnight delivery, the consignee was in the office after business hours, waiting up for her now very-late freight. Exhausted and not in control of her emotions, she went off on us. Trying to talk to her but failing, I disengaged immediately, informed her nicely that we don't have conversations like these, called dispatch, and handed the telephone to her.
She then let dispatch have it and returned my phone when she was done. That seemed to help. She calmed down after venting and the delivery steps were completed to her satisfaction.
This was a lift gate load. The freight was fragile and she wanted no vibration from wheeling it along a brick walk way and into a building. The pneumatic tires on our hand truck provided a smooth ride.
Being kind, I will characterize her tone and comments as something less than professional. I was not happy but held my tongue (and I still am by withholding further comment here).
After that delivery, we headed to the third and final stop of that run. It was in Newport, Virginia. It was not a long distance away but no one would be there to receive the freight until 7:00 a.m. Because it was that kind of load, one of us was responsible to stay up with the freight while we waited to deliver. I was the lucky winner. Sunrise finally came and we headed to the delivery.
When we arrived, we found an indoor loading dock and one of the narrowest dock doors we have ever seen. The consignee, thinking we had swing doors on our truck, told us to open just one of them so we could fit. She was glad to hear we had a roll-up door instead. Still, it was a tight fit.
That delivery went well and we breathed a sigh of relief when we got clear of the load. Next on our agenda was sleep. We headed to the closest Wal-Mart, parked on the far side of the lot, went out of service, put the blackouts in the sleeper windows and settled in for a good snooze.
We then ate the late lunch/early supper described above. Next, we drove to Barnes and Nobel to pass some time. Diane went inside to read. Having stayed up the night before, I stayed in the truck and went back to sleep. When Barnes and Noble closed, we returned to Wal-Mart to spend the night. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Friday, January 25, 2008. I learned today of a truck wash in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Learned by finding it online and using it. We were in the area and the truck desperately needed washing. The price was a little steep at $65.00 but we did it anyway because the truck was so dirty.
While at the truck wash, a load offer came in that we accepted. It was two skids of adhesives that picked up in a plant nearby and delivered later tonight at JFK Airport. A run to JFK takes you on freeways through New York City. Getting around the airport is not bad once you get there, but getting there is a rough ride through heavy traffic, road construction and terrible-bumpy roads. It is no better off hours when traffic is light. When people can drive fast, they drive like maniacs.
We took the load because New York City is a very good freight area. The chances of us getting a load out of there over the weekend would be pretty good. On the way to JFK, we accepted another offer. This one would pick up on Monday in Massachusetts and put us within reach of Albany, New York. We took that one because we need to fly Diane home for a dental appointment and Albany has an airport. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Saturday, January 26, 2008. I learned today about a good exit and layover location; Exit 40 on I-95, Milford, Connecticut. Learned by taking the exit and exploring the area. We woke up this morning near JFK airport. We parked there for the night after making a delivery at 1:00 a.m. Our next pickup is on Monday in Massachusetts. We have two days to complete a drive that is less than a day. It was nice to sleep in this morning and wake, not to alarm clocks, but on our own. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Sunday, January 27, 2008. I learned today more about a good exit and layover location; Exit 40 on I-95, Milford, Connecticut. Learned by further exploring the area. We actually got here yesterday, on our way to a Monday pickup in Massachusetts. Spent part of today exploring the area and the stores it features.
This exit has everything we need for a brief layover; a truck stop, Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, a shopping mall with a multi-screen movie theater, other restaurants we like, and more. We have not explored any history or tourist attractions, just taking our time over a weekend as we work our way to Andover. Once again, we appreciate the advantages of a straight truck. We would not be driving around this area much in an 18-wheeler. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Monday, January 28, 2008. I learned today what a burned down restaurant in a small town in Upstate New York looked like. Learned by seeing it. We have done the run before that takes to this town. We have eaten at the restaurant. We felt a sense of loss seeing the burnt remains. I can only imagine how the owners and townspeople felt when the fire happened.
Today's run was a short one that started in the morning and ended in the afternoon. We woke up at the shipper's loading dock, having parked there last night to spend the night. After the delivery, we headed south to Albany, where Diane will catch a flight home tomorrow. She has a dental appointment at home and will return Thursday. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Tuesday, January 29, 2008. I learned today how to get close to the terminal at Albany International Airport with the truck and drop off a passenger. Learned by doing it. The passenger was Diane. She is flying home for a dental appointment and will return Thursday.
After dropping her off, I passed time in the truck and at a shopping mall. I got a haircut and worked on this web site. Breakfast and lunch consisted of a box of plain donuts and a couple cups of green tea. I eat better when Diane is in the truck. I found an obscure place to park in a good neighborhood and spent the night there. It had everything I needed and more; three 24-hour businesses nearby, lots of space to park, no traffic near the truck, and a dumpster. High living to be sure!
Actually, I pretty much enjoyed my quiet time alone. But I enjoy alone time more when Diane is nearby; like when she is reading in a Barnes and Noble store and I am in the truck. There is a lot of security in having a co-driver. If you have a health crisis alone in the truck and are unable to help yourself, your codriver will be by relatively soon. But if you are a solo driver, you could be alone in your truck for days before police might come to investigate or a tow truck driver finds you.
We carry cell phones and walkie-talkies to stay in close contact when we are apart. A 911 message from one to the other signals trouble and would prompt an immediate response to that call for help.
If something serious really did happen, having your codriver's help makes a world of difference. While one may be carted off to the hospital, the other can tend to the truck. A solo driver on the way to a hospital would not have such support. The deep concern for one's truck and contents and not being able to do anything about it would add a huge amount of stress and concern to an already stressful situation. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Wednesday, January 30, 2008. I learned today that engine coolant is seeping slowly out of the truck where silicone heater hoses connect the truck engine to the sleeper. Learned from the Volvo mechanic that did today's oil change.
It is not a serious leak and I told him to leave it alone. It is something I can fix myself when we get to a convenient (and warm) spot. It was good to finally learn where the leak was located. Every couple months, I have had to top off the coolant reservoir. The leak was so slow that drips were not visible. A pressure test would not likely reveal the source either. Now I know where it is and what to work on. Leak is the wrong word. Seep is more accurate.
While most dealer visits for truck service are routine, the truck was quite the show at this dealership. When I pulled into the lot, the windows in the upstairs offices filled with faces. Most of the time I was there, people trickled through asking to see the inside of the sleeper. I spent more time giving truck tours than I wanted to but that was OK. They were all nice and seemed genuinely interested in the life we live and work we do on the road.
It was a little early for an oil change bit I did it anyway since I had the time. The truck is out of service. I spent another night in Albany, waiting for Diane to fly back. She is home for a dental appointment. Once she returns, we are looking forward to several weeks of uninterrupted running.
January was an OK month financially, but below goal. With family events, carrier training and a dental appointment, we have been unable to put together a good string of loads. We are looking forward to getting into the groove again.
To that end, I drove to a truck stop and changed the fuel filter on the generator. The generator gasped for fuel a couple of times last night. While the filter was recently changed, changing it again solved the problem. I don't want to take any chances in the winter. And I want to truck to be ready to rock and roll without maintenance stops when Diane returns. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author
Thursday, January 31, 2008. Well, finally, I can get back to regular blogging. While readers have seen few blog entries from me in recent weeks and months, I have not been inactive. The freight kept us busy last fall and I fell out of the public blogging habit. Daily journal entries were kept, which I will back fill into my public blog as time permits.
Starting in December, and behind the scenes, I have been learning Dreamweaver CS3, a professional-grade web site development program. Using Dreamweaver, I have rebuilt the site to what you see here. Much behind the scenes work remains to be done, but with me further up the learning curve, I am able to resume blogging again.
Before Dreamweaver CS3, I was using Microsoft FrontPage to develop the site. When Microsoft discontinued that product and, once again, replaced it with something different, I made the switch to Dreamweaver, and am very glad I did.
While Dreamweaver requires more effort to learn than FrontPage did, I am thrilled to be learning more about how industry-standard web sites actually work and to be getting away from the crap code that FrontPage produced behind the scenes. I have many, many hours of code clean-up ahead of me that most users will never notice, but I want it to be right and am looking forward to the work. I am also looking forward to adding features and photos to this site that will make it more user friendly and state of the art.
Changing subjects, I met a woman named Terry today and wrote a story about her. Top of page Bottom of page Blog author