Ahhhhh!
by
Phil Madsen, Expediter
(Written April 20, 2004. Edited for publication at SuccessfulExpediters.com March 2, 2007.)
With winter now behind us, the spring rains have rinsed the highways. Warmer temperatures are outside. Daylight hours are longer. As I drive, I am mindful of how much nicer it is to drive in summer weather.
Most vehicles are cleaner. Salt-laden road spray is gone. So is the white dust that follows when the road spray dries. Leafed-out trees make the sunlight easier on the eyes. In the northern states, truck stops have their power washers back in use, making it more pleasant to walk in the fuel islands. The truck stop parking places are spring-rain rinsed. You don't have to put on heavy clothes before exiting the truck. You don't have to idle the truck engine or run a generator to stay warm at night. While another winter will surely come, Diane and I will savor summer driving until then.
Some weeks ago I said I would stop posting short stories for a while because we needed to put time into researching our new truck purchase, liquidating most of our house contents, and selling the house. Progress has been made on all fronts. More of that that work now lies behind us than ahead. We will be ordering our new truck in a few short weeks.
We have been on the road eight months now; still loving it, still enjoying meeting the people we meet on the road.
On Sunday, at a Georgia truck stop, I spotted an expediter team that was also parked there. I stopped by to introduce myself and invited them inside for a cup of coffee and a visit. They wanted to shower first, as did we. A couple hours later, the four of us were seated in a restaurant booth.
I expected a half-hour chat. Six hours later we were all still there, reluctant to bring the visit to a close. They were delightful people and interesting. We could have talked the clock around but had other business to take care of. As is typical in such visits, we exchanged names and contact information. Diane and I are building a nice base of expediting friends and colleagues this way.
Monday night we drove north on I-95 toward our New York delivery. Getting to know the roads as we are, we swung onto I-295 just past the Delaware Memorial Bridge to get fuel. It is usually cheaper there than most other places on I-95. This time we saved $0.12 per gallon on name brand fuel. The downside is the place is a dirt-ball pit. You get your fuel and get out. The bathrooms are repulsive. Even though we both had to go, we didn't. Instead, we went a half mile up the road to a state-run rest area.
It was about 1:00 a.m. No one was walking around. Trucks idled in a half-filled parking lot. Winds were clam. It was shirt-sleeve weather. As I walked into an empty lobby, I noticed the place was immaculate. There was not a speck of litter in the lot. The water fountains and counter tops glistened. The floors were spotless. The trash containers were all empty. The rest rooms looked like they were prepared for a photo shoot.
While in the rest room, I heard noises echoing off the tile walls in the lobby. The whirring of a floor buffer, loud male voices, a heavy duty vacuum cleaner, and above it all, a boom box playing Black Magic Woman.
I walked out to see three men working. The one running the buffer was around 40 and sported a high-and-tight haircut. I took him to be retired military. The other two were younger. They sported skinhead haircuts and dressed like inmates. I do not think they were real inmates but just a couple of young bucks with attitude making a fashion statement. One was holding the inside entrance doors open as the other vacuumed the black rug in the entry way.
I looked high-and-tight in the eye and said, "Thank you!" The machines stopped and all eyes were on me. I said again to a curious but unresponsive high-and-tight, "Thank you! My wife and I drive all over the nation. When we come to a clean place like this, it makes a positive difference in our lives. We appreciate the work you do."
High-and-tight smiled and said, "Cleanest rest stop you've ever seen?" "I believe it is," I said, "and we've been in a lot of 'em." High-and-tight laughed and said, "Don't tell our wives or we'll have to do this at home too!"
As I walked out, one of the skinheads held the door open for me and the other said, "Have a good day, sir." I replied, "Thank you. you've already given us a good start on that."
We continued driving north in shifts. Somewhere between Georgia and sunrise we drove out of the summer trees and into spring buds. We are from Minnesota where people often say they like seeing the seasons change four times a year. As truckers we see the seasons change more often than that. Sometimes the seasons change twice a day.
We still have more work to do that is more important than short story writing. I just wanted to share a few words for those that have asked for more stories. We are still at it and still loving it. The roads are more familiar and the people are great!