Hiatus

Made into Charlotte yesterday got a shower and laundry done. Then I went out to the garage and got my broken turn signal replaced and two tires put on.


Ron arrived to pick me up at about 3:00 and came in to look at my truck. I think he was surprised with how much room there was inside and the places to put everything. I was parked a little crooked, I haven't got that part perfected yet, so with Ron along we made a trip around the parking lot. Remember how you felt when your uncle came over with his new motorcycle and took everyone for a ride... well that's how Ron was in the truck. He thought it was pretty cool, but I didn't get the feeling he was going to apply for a job.


We headed to his house and I got to meet his wife Debbie and daughter Jennifer. Great family. Ron made a great dinner of fried zuchinni appetizer and paste with Italian sausage and meat balls. Debbie, like my Teresa does not "enjoy" cooking so Ron does most. Debbie is a great souz chef and kitchen aid. She's a practicing nurse looking to get back to work after raising Jennifer and Douglas. Douglas is at college.


Meet Jennifer, she's got gorgeous black curls and loves to ride horses.


I hear she can whip out 100 text messages a day... fast little fingers.





Simon, their dog, let me sit in his chair for a minute and Ron snapped this picture of me.


Ron dropped me back off at the OC (operations center) on his way to work. For the record, I'm not much of a chatter box but after being out for a week by myself it seems I just couldn't shut up. Sorry to Ron and fam if I monopolized the conversations, they were great listeners. Now I'm back to my keyboard.

So I got the oil changed and some fuses fixed that I had popped and will head out tonight so I'm there and ready to go early.

Many thanks to Ron and his family for their hospitality and friendliness. They made one mistake though; they invited me and Teresa, when she starts to ride, back. Since they are great folks and who can pass up a free an excellent meal I'm sure we'll take them up on it. And they are only about 10 miles from the OC.

In Corbin Kentucky...

It's funny I have to go back to my last blog to remember everything that's happened since then.

I dropped my load in Evansville, IN at 8:00 this morning. Not too bad. So I figured I would have a few minutes to run into Walley World and catch up on a few items. That worked out nicely. When I got back the computer said to run back to Louisville ( which is pretty much where I slept last night (Fri)) and pick up a load to go to Raeford, NC. That was pretty exciting as my good buddy from Allstate lives in Charlotte. I called Ron and asked if he would like to make me dinner Sunday!!! I think he was as happy about it as me. But I'm scoring big. He's Italian and going to put together a spread. For sure I'll get pics of Ron and family at dinner. Ron even invited me to spend the night. Can you believe it, he's making me leave my truck ! He thinks I need a shower, boy is he right.

So I'm stopped, obviously, at exit 29 on I-75. Deja vu, this is one of the places that Bill and I stayed at during my training weeks. Which week, I don't know, right now the past month is pretty much a blur. It's a nice truck stop and I can latch on the the Super 8's internet access from across the street. Worked the same last time.

As you may know Teresa and I started out this journey planning to be team drivers. Boy I've learned a lot since then. Don't get me wrong, I still like the driving part, but I sure miss the sex part!!! I don't know how T-Net and J and Craig and Diane do it !!! Tough birds I can assure you. I miss Teresa dearly, but don't think I want to be in this truck moving non-stop. Schneider's rule is that you have to drive for six months accident free before they will let you bring on a passenger.

I'm pretty sure I can make it 3 months, but that's it. Someone is going to have to make and exception in our case. I'll just have to find the right buttons to push, and believe me, I can.

I'm going to see if I can close my previous start:

Do you know someone that makes your heart thump
I do, too
Do you know someone whose eyes light your day
I do, too
Do you know someone that returns your love 10 fold
I do, too
Do you know someone whose smile is so infectious
I do, too
Do you know someone that is forever young
I do, too
Do you tell them you love them with feeling
I am, too
I miss you and Love you, Teresa.

Whewy !

I said Tuesday was going to be an easy one. Shame on me !!!
On the way to dropping off my load of diaper makings in Green Bay I started hearing the Qualcomm computer behind me chirping. You can't look at it until you're stopped, just to keep you safe. I was about 45 minutes early. They didn't realize that's the way I do things. But they made me wait till exactly 2:00 to deliver. That was fine, cause it gave me some time to check the computer to see what's next.

OH MY GOD... I dead head ( drive with an empty trailer ) to Escanaba, Michigan to pick up a load of paper headed for ... guess first. Montreal, Quebec, 777 miles after 100 to Escanaba.

Get this, I have to put together import documents and fax them (like I have a fax in the truck) to the border broker who charges a fee to let us take somebody elses product into Canada. I get it faxed about 11:30 pm Tuesday and find they close at 11:00. So about 10 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie I stop at a rest stop to wait it out and that was midnight. Oh, forgot, on the way I hit a deer, the orange truck won.

It is mandatory that drivers take a 10 consecutive hour break. That means once I stopped I could not move again until 10:00 in the morning. As usual I get up early, about 6, and find that the rest stop is closed - broken water pipe. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Now what, four hours and no potty. Whatever, I'm fairly resourceful but there is still 2 feet of snow up there.

On Wednesday I got through customs pretty easy and headed on, sssslllooowwwlly. Most of the speed limits were 90 kilometers per hour. For you non-metric oriented folks that's 55 mph.
That is slow. So you cheat a bit. It's about a 10 hour drive to Ottawa from SSM. And guess what no rest stops. I found I could really hold it for 5 hours, not once, but twice. Practice makes perfect I guess.

I spend Wednesday night in Ottawa and finished up in Montreal this morning. So you got to figure a little rest time is in order, right ? Wrong. From Montreal I get chirp from the computer that says go to Champlain, NY and pick up a load headed to Evansville, IN. And now I'm sitting in a rest area just east of Rochester, NY, waiting for my current 10 hour break to end. This load is 1001 miles. I can head out a 6 in the morning.

If you have never driven in Montreal, keep it that way. It's tough, and all French. Course I'm fluent in French -NOT!!!

The load is to be delivered by 3/30 0315. I can do better than that. I figure to get it there about 3/29 at 1400. We'll see, I should just take my time and do it on their schedule, but what fun would that be.

So that's my itinerary - I didn't get a darn picture. But man the countryside is immense and awsome.

Time to hit the sack...

Let me try this quickly -

Do you know someone that makes your heart thump
I do, too
Do you know someone whose eyes light your day
I do, too
Do you know someone that returns your love 10 fold
I do, too

Love, Bob

Back In Green Bay ?!

I arrived back in Gary about 11 pm last night and spent an hour trying to find my truck. Turns out the folks in Green Bay gave me a tractor number that was not in Gary... I was beginning to wonder if it was some kind of Easter egg hunt for orange trucks !!!

I finally got the correct number and found it quickly then spent the next hour transferring all my worldly belongings from my little PU truck to my big orange truck. Morning came quickly, so many new sounds. Oh, forgot, the truck smells like an ash tray. I'll get some Pine Sol on it soon. Teresa is not in love with that smell, but IT'S MY TRUCK... and I like it, at least better than the smell of an ash tray.

Spent the morning getting "official" and finally got my first Qualcomm dispatch at about 2:00.
It was a relay load to Green Bay. A relay load is one that cannot be completed by the original driver, for any number of reasons. I hooked it up and headed out. Everything by the book, I was pretty pleased. But I forgot one thing. All relay loads are supposed to be weighed and I forgot. The other scale rule is that all loads over 30,000 pounds must be weighed and this one is 24,500 pounds so under the weight rule it does not need to be weighed, but because of the relay rule it does. I'm going to do it tomorrow just to make it right.

Now I'm settled in for the evening, I can get the internet from my truck and can get some TV reception... watching Seinfeld.

I have to deliver the load at 2:00 tomorrow so will have an easy morning.

Love you, Teresa.

Another First

I am sitting at the airport in Wichita waiting to fly back to Chicago and drive over to Gary.

Are you as excited as I am ? Hard to believe it, on the road tomorrow. Since I got my truck assignment Tuesday I should be able to get to Gary and put all my stuff in it tonight. I'm supposed to call my new DBL (Driver Business Leader) tomorrow and get all of the skinny.

We had a great weekend with Teresa's family - Here's Teresa's brother Joe - he makes great wicker baskets. And Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Joe along with Joe's wife Beth. They are really great folks, you couldn't ask for better in-laws.
Thanks for everything guys !!! Oh, by the way, I'm sure I was Grandpa's good luck charm. He and I went to the casino in Ponca City and he won $160. I won 24 cents. We had fun.

So, I am back in the saddle again. I will add an update tomorrow with all of the exciting events that I am sure to encounter on my first day as a driver.

Got It !!!

Out about 8 and back by 9. Went pretty good, if I do say so myself. Ran directly to the DMV and now I have a commercial drivers license (CDL) from the state of Wisconsin and no license from Illinois. I'll have to transfer my WI license to either Illinois or Oklahoma. Oh joy.

Anyway, that was about 33 days of hard work and a lot of fun. My hat is off to all of the instructors at the Schneider Training Academy in Green Bay. They did a great job for all of us.

But guess what, I'm flying to Oklahoma at 8:06 in the morning and Teresa is picking me up at 10:07, not to be too precise.

I got my truck assignment before I left Green Bay this morning. Angie says I have a load to run at 7:00 Monday morning. I will be back Sunday night about 8 pm and have a bunch of my stuff in the pickup and will move into the truck Sunday night and be ready for Monday morning.

For now, I'm just thinking about seeing Teresa, and of course the rest of the family.

On the way to the hotel I stopped off at Wal-Mart, again, and picked up some staples (mayo, mustard, soups, chilli and stuff) to pack in. I also got a little refrigerator that operates off the truck battery.

I prabably won't have anything to report, that I can print, until I get on the road Monday. See you then.

Bob

Wrap it Up

Back in Green Bay. Had a good day at SQT, take CDL test tomorrow. Shouldn't be a problem. Everything is coming up roses and no my glasses aren't rose colored.

Three of us go in at 7:45 to do our test. I might should have thought about that... that is traffic hour. Oh well.

My SQT TE acknowledge that Rich and Bill taught me well. Thank goodness.

Looks like I'll be done early tomorrow and ready to head out - but where ? I still haven't heard what to expect next or when. I understand I will get more info tomorrow AFTER passing the CDL. I'm hoping to get a few days to run to Oklahoma and see my sweet.

Now don't get me wrong on this; Bill is a great guy but great guys can be a little quirky.

Bill keeps eraseable markers and writes notes to himself on the windows ( where they don't obstruct the view) and he velcros everything. Even his own kids have called him the "Velcro King."

I did a little shopping yesterday and guess what I got - eraseable markers !!! Thanks for the idea bill. Haven't got any velcro yet, but it's on my mind.

Wish me luck on the CDL tomorrow. A few of us are headed to Red Lobster for dinner shortly.

Bob

User Error

I'm not sure what's going on here... but I know it's duped and can't fix it...

IT'S OVER !!!

Well, we're back in Gary, I wasn't sure we would make it. We drove 9.50 hours out of 9.75 that we had available today. Maybe a little creativity in that, but Bill's GOOD. I owe him a lot. He taught me much over the last 13 days. I actually think I can do this, and if I do it like he taught me, it will be safe and correct. Even after class in Green Bay there was so much more to learn and Bill hung in there and gave me many corrections and tips that he has learned.

Over this 13 day driving period I drove 3,641 of 5,265 miles. My driving miles took 102 hours to do, that's just driving hours. I think you're supposed to get at least 40 hours behind the wheel. I'm pretty sure I made it.

Today's audio entertainment included episodes of Gunsmoke, Lone Ranger and a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis show from 1952 - I'm certainly culturated now!!!

It was a great two weeks, and I owe Bill a huge debt of gratitude, and I will never forget it. Here's my graduation picture of Bill and myself.

Thanks, Bill

Tomorrow is over to the storage to pick up a few things, and then the PO boxes and then up to Green Bay, WI for the next level. It's called Skills Qualification Testing. I hear they refine everything we've learned over the last 4 weeks and prepare you for the state CDL test. That's the real final. Should be done by Thursday and then they are supposed to assign me my truck and on the road I go.

I'm not sure of the exact timing of these events and not sure if I'll make it home somewhere in the middle or not. But after the last 4 weeks, I wish I could. Either way, I'm ready for whatever comes. That's just the way I am. At least I'm done with Bill's audio entertainment and jokes. You know, some people can tell a joke and others can't.

Love you, Teresa...

Bob

Making Tracks...

We're sitting at McDonald's in Milhall, PA after having driven 520 miles today. We dropped our load at New Bedford, CT and are headed back to Gary. Should make it by tomorrow afternoon.

We're hauling paper products - TP all over the country. This load is going to Jewel in Melrose Park.

Darling, I've got a poem for you...

I just want you to know
that I'm lonely but not lonesome
Cause I've got sweet memories
of all our other adventures
And I know that soon
we'll start another journey
I'm thankful for your love and patience
and thought I'd take a moment to let you know.

So there... love you.

When I first talked to Bill, like on March 1st we talked about what music would be acceptable.
He indicated that most music was OK with him but that he did not like rap or hard rock...
I allowed that was probably OK... Little did I know he was going to play Roger Miller, Ray Stevens, Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison and even Markey McCrae (christian gospel). He even had the audacity to put on the musical score for West Side Story today. I guess we all get new experiences now and then. Since I didn't bring any CD's I can't complain too much. Needless to say Bill is a gas. By the way I taught him how to blog and he started one, it's called: http://www.bobtailbill.blogspot.com/



Bob

Stuck In Winslow, SC

We dropped our load from Chicago to Fountain Inn this morning about 10:30. That was easy, again. Then we picked up a trailer and headed to a drop lot in Beech Island, SC, right across from Augusta. GA. This load is headed to New Milford, CT, but we ain't going to make it.

We reached Winslow, SC at the end of our 14 hour work day. While doing our logs and figuring the next step we both said - "aw shucks" or something like that. We don't have enough hours available to get to CT and back to Gary. Much as I would like to run through the eastern seaboard I really want to get back to Green Bay for my SQT and CDL and get my own truck.

Freight is a bit slow around the country but it's got to be better than what a student driver makes.

Adding to the mix is a new fact that Bill's needs to get home for a few days so he would really like to unload me and go home. If I'm not careful I bet he would leave me right here - and he hasn't finished my evaluation yet. I guess I still have to watch myself a couple more days.

Oh, by the way, Teresa is having a blast. Not that her training is so much fun but the class room environment that she's in. It's a group of 16 and 17 year olds and a 20 something instructor. Teresa is getting a perspective of life from an entirely different angle, and still liking the results.
Me too, for sure.

During one of Bill's and my early chats I challenged him that he couldn't over work me. Well, he still hasn't, but by golly he's giving it a go. I think it's going to be one of those WWF things... the last one standing wins - go Bill.

Notes to Ron and crew in Charlotte...

I got a note from my good friend Ron F, in Charlotte with some questions he wanted some answers to.
Here’s a bit of background on our trucks… I thought they were supposed to ride like Caddy’s, well, far from it. The seats are adjustable in so many ways they have a 1 hour class on how to do it and if you do it correctly, they will fit and support your body pretty good. Of course, for those who know me (at 5’6” stretching !!!) that’s going to be tough. And the steering wheel adjusts up and down and forward and back – for some people… for me the seat and steering wheel are all the way down and forward just so I can reach the peddles. Then the seat has this oscillating function that lets it slide forward and back so that when you hit a heavy bump it doesn’t jar your kidneys loose. It works pretty well, but it can slide enough to pull my arms off of the steering wheel. Now that’s not a pretty sight.

A small number of the 17,000 trucks that Schneider runs are automatics, but not ours. I have asked Bill for a name for his truck… we’ll see what he comes up with soon. Anyway, since he’s Bobtail Bill I’ll go with Ponytail Billie Jean (PBJ). So, PBJ has 10 gears 5 in low speed and 5 in high. You NEVER use 1st gear, so you start out in 2nd and go through 5. You can skip some if you’re not too heavy. That’s called skip shifting, you can get up to speed faster that way. Then between 5th and 6th you have to, at the same time, flip the range selector switch to high and slip it into 6th. Then off you go through 10th. But again, you can skip some gears depending on load and grade. Then you do the same thing on the way back down.

In general PBJ gets about 5 MPG in town and out on the road if you are “working it” you can get it up to a bit over 7 MPG and Schneider likes that. They have some statistics that say if all drivers can increase their MPG just .1% the company saves millions a year in fuel costs. The trainers work hard to impress upon the trainees the importance of that. Schneider’s trucks are governed (controlled) to not run higher than 65 MPH. They are very focused on safety and efficiency and that is one way to ensure it. Overall, they want you their safe and sound.

As everyone knows the prime mode of communication is still the CB. Some shippers even use them to tell you when and what dock to load to. So it’s important. But it’s also a pain. Folks, men and women get on them and can get pretty racey… but all in all they can be very helpful. The keep all of the HYPO’s posted as BOLO ( be on look out) for everyone. As far as handles go, I haven’t heard any being used most refer to the “jerk in the red truck that cut me off” or some similar expletive deleted.

Double Catch UP

So Bill and I headed out of Green Bay and headed for Dekalb. We knew we did not have enough hours left on our work day ( you can only work 14 hours in a given day) to make it all the way so we picked the Wal-Mart ( Bill picked it !!!) in Beloit, Wi. I know this is beginning to sound like a restaurant guide, but oh well - We stopped at HOBO's at exit 107 on I43 north of Milwaukee. Another good find and priced well.


Bill is a 135 pounder and can't eat much, to my benefit. We brought his leftover pork tenderloin with us and made three sandwiches for lunch the next day... MMMM good.


Anyway we made it the the Wal-Mart Bill picked to spend the night. Of course we went in and got some staples and a book for me. When we got up at 5:00 we had a $20 parking ticket on our windshield. Thanks, Bill and Wal-Mart.


So yesterday ( Tuesday ) was a tough one. We dropped off our load at the Target distribution center in Dekalb. "That was easy." Within an hour we had our next load.

Three pick-ups ( Bedford Park, Buffalo Grove and Batavia ) and a drop off in Fountain Inn, South Carolina.

Two of the pickups were very tight to back into --- Bill did the first one and I did the last two.

I'm getting a bit better.

We had lunch will Bill's brother in Shelbyville, KY, and I met Bill's 91 year old mother... Bill's brother (retired) is giving a go a writing country songs. He sang three while we were there.

All were good, but I really like the one I think he called "I Never Thought." Really good, and sang well too. I think he has a chance - of course you know what my opinion means...

So back to Wagner Farms in Oconto Falls, WI, for a bit. When we got there two trucks were ahead of us. Now figure this... we each had about 40,000 pounds of cottonseed.


They have 550 milking cows and quite an operation, for a city boy. The process works just like Great America..
First, they are ready, and they come into this area and back up to the rail. Then the head bar comes down and the workers clean the udders and attach the milkers. They stand there for about 5 minutes and when each of them stops giving milk their respective milker detaches and they wait. When they are all done the head bar goes up and they go out making ready for the next group.

That's a lot of teat...



And then they raise most of their own calves. Cute little suckers, literally.

Now we're done for the day... We're in Corbin, KY. We'll make our drop around noon tomorrow and then hope for a load back so I can get to Green Bay by Monday.

I think I'm all caught up.

Catch Up Time

Bill and I woke up Saturday morning and it was still snowing, and HARD. I would guess there were about 6 inches on the ground by then and still going at it. We headed out and it continued to snow all the way across Kentucky and into Indiana. Havoc e erywhere. Going at 30 mph and running almost 80,000 pounds is quite a trick. But we made it up to Gary and had time to shower and do laundry. Nice facility.

We left Gary Sunday morning and headed for Green Bay. If you're on I43 I can recommend a Danish restaurant in Denmark, WI called Lorrie's. Great food and congenial folks.

We spent Sunday night in a truck stop casino in Green Bay. They are everywhere up here!!!

This morning we headed to Wagner Farms...

Hold on... Bill just called and we have a load headed to Dekalb, IL so I have to close up shop and head out.

I want to tell a bit about Wagner Farms, really cool operation, for a city boy.

Bustin' Butt

I've got 15 minutes free wifi in Kentucky to see if I can catch everything up.

Tuesday morning, bright and early we headed for McCook, IL to pick up a trailer then off to Family Dollar in West Chicago. We picked up 44,600 pounds of stuff, I say stuff, cause the bill of lading isn't specific, and headed for Marianna, Florida. We stopped in Gary and dropped off the truck then off we go. The road to Indianapolis was tough, one of T-nets favorites - SNOW, and lots of it. Cars all over the road and a couple of roll overs. We made it to Indianapolis and spent the night. Wednesday turned out better, a little sloppy but OK. Spent the night in Huntsville, Al and made it all the way to Fl on Thursday.

We dropped our load and tried to get another, to no avail. We got our orders to go to a Cotton gin and pick up 44,000 pounds of cotton seed to take back to Wisconsin. So what do you think they want cotton seed in WI for ? They feed it to the cows. The guy drives a skip loader tractor right onto the truck and dumps it - about 40 times. We got our load and are going to spend the night in Franklin, KY. By the way if your coming up 65 through Tennessee stop at exit 22 and go the the Tennessean restaurant. Great food.

Looks like I'm scheduled for SQT testing in Green Bay on the 19th, but Bill wants to dump be out before then. I think he thinks I'm growing into this job nicely.

For the record, it's still pretty fun. More work than you might think, but still fun.

This is the loader...

Here's shot of Bill, my TE...

We're Off to Florida !!!

Made it back to Elgin tonight. Picked up mail and went to storage to get a few things.

My TE, Bill, called and said we're going to Florida.

I checked into the Comfort Inn in Dixon and we're headed out at 0630 in the morning. We have to make a few circuitous stops to get an empty trailer to drop where we are ultimately picking up and then down to some warmer climates. Hurray.

Now for some sleep and then the fun begins.

ALL DONE !!!

Presenting the Schneider Class of Leap Year 2008. That's me in the front row in the orange shirt. Finished about 3pm on Friday and by 9 am on Saturday I was 1 thousand miles away in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Since I don't have to meet my driver trainer until Tuesday morning I thought I would come all the way down and be able to spend 2 days and nights here with Teresa and family.

Whoops, got to go help Joe take up a toilet. Be back after bit to finish.

Teresa's brother Joe and his wife Beth have graciously agreed to let Teresa stay with them for awhile. I think that's going to work out pretty well for everyone. As I have said before, Teresa is a horse and Beth has mesothylioma (sp) and is not very healthy. She has to get transfusions twice a month to clean her blood. Her immune system is shot. Joe does his best to keep her under control but it's tough. He's got a heart condition and is not supposed to lift over 20 pounds. They live in a big two story house and want to move to a one story. So Teresa and I were able to help move a bunch of stuff out yesterday. Got to earn your keep.

Today I made lasagna and Grandpa and Grandma are coming over soon for dinner.

Got the call from my driver trainer(Bill) yesterday and we made plans to meet up at 7 am Tuesday morning in Dixon, IL. Not sure where we are going to leave my truck yet. I'll have to wait to see if I can leave it at the truck stop in place of Bill's Schneider truck.

I have a bit of sinkiness in my chest knowing I have to leave tomorrow morning. But Teresa is doing fine and we're going to make it.