Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

Good luck with his first day at Transcarriers. That is definitely trucking for ya. Plan for the unexpected and roll with the punches. I'm still adjusting to this type of thing myself. Oh and of course "hurry up and wait" is a good, true one.

Well that's good to know. I remember seeing some thread or posts about those guys that got fired for the vlogs. I almost considered doing the same thing at first but then reconsidered it. I know ya have to be careful with things like the video logs or anything else because the companies want to protect themselves from liability, no matter how great or small.

lol, funny you said that. I was talking about this calling me into the terminal thing with someone and that it may be a possible drug test. She speculated that maybe they test those from the states of Washington or Colorado more due to the fact that weed is legal in those states. My license and technical home address is Washington state. Kind of makes sense but not likely. I would like to think that I'm just filling some kind of drug test quota, which is fine. Just kind of sucks to have to go park at the terminal, walk in and take the time to do it.

I wonder if we get paid for the drug test? I thought I read something a long time ago about us getting like $15 or something for going in to take the drug test.

 

Haha...I might see you in Memphis. I'm going to be there tomorrow night for the secret squirrel stuff. I'll probably stay there over night as I'm planning on running out of hours by the time I get there. I think I have 188 miles to my pickup in the morning then I should have about 6 hours left to drive after the pickup. So most likely I will just crash at the terminal and get this thing over with, whatever it is they have me doing there at the terminal.

I think I tentatively scheduled myself to be there around 1800 but most likely I'll be earlier. I'll be the guy with the tattoo-sleeved arms trying to get some laundry done and cursing the broken machines.

 

I should have mentioned that Memphis is probably a good place to pickup a truck if you test out there. They had a few last time I was there and picked up mine...

 

Trip planning continues...


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I'm making some good progress on this trip planning.

Time is going by quick and although it is only July and my trip isn't until October, it seems that I don't have enough time to get things done. Some of the important tasks are out of the way. I know my passport and passport card are waiting for me in Virginia. I have home time set out there for 7/30 just so I know I can be there by 7/31. My little brother's wedding is on 8/2 and I have to make sure I get some respectable clothes for this - gotta find a suit. My extended Jersey family is coming down to VA for the wedding so I plan on seeing them on that Friday night at the hotel and then again on Saturday for the wedding and hotel after-party. It should be interesting getting a bunch of us Micks together, along with an open bar of alcohol generously topped with a bunch of my little brother's sometimes-derelict childhood friends. Oh and the Spirit of Norfolk, which is where the wedding and reception (read: drinking) will be taking place. So combine all that with a rocky boat touring the waters between Norfolk and Hampton and this should be the proper recipe for fun and disaster.
I can't wait.

But I have limited time for more trip preparation.
AUGUST: The way it looks now is I'll have a home time in Virginia at the end of this month thru early August. I'm going to get my International Driver's licenses through AAA at that time. I'm gonna try and get 3 to be safe. Then after this Virginia home time I need to run out to Washington as soon as Swift will let me.
SEPTEMBER: Early September maybe? I'll need a day or so to get my GSXR out on the road and run it as it hasn't been started since about April. Put some gas saver in it, cover it up and kiss it goodbye until after November when I will most likely return to the Sumner terminal. I'll check my storage for boots and anything else I can use for the trip.
END OF SEPTEMBER: Hometime in Virginia. Gotta run out to Virginia for final preparations for the trip and meet up with this guy that has the same bike as mine and has traveled all over the world with it. He is supposed to go over the troubleshooting with me and essential tools I will need to bring. Hopefully show me how to change a tire over the road.
OCTOBER: 2nd week. - Time to leave for the trip and take my leave of absence.
I don't know if I'll even be able to squeeze that many home times in between the wedding in August and the trip in October. It's got me a little worried.


Recently I've come to the realization that there is just never enough that I can buy or get to prepare for this trip. It seems to never end. I recently purchased a disc lock with alarm ($55.45), a disc lock reminder coiled thing ($7.30), a Franklin electronic Spanish translator for when I get stuck on a word ($31.80), a dry bag for clothes and shoes ($24.00), a warning triangle/secret travel wallet/travel clothes line/PacSafe cash secret belt (all $51.21) and on my last home time a new Nolan N104 helmet ($319.95) - that one stung. I picked up a motorcycle cover at Walmart while parked there (about $35.00) and some tent stakes ($7.00). That's not counting the small first aid kit and now I had to order new tires tonight because my current ones, from the previous owner, are worn ($274.). It is all adding up quick and I'm trying to decide where I am done.

I already have the jacket I think I'm going to use. I won a FirstGear Kilimanjaro waterproof touring jacket on FAcebook last year. Works great. I have armor reinforced cargo pants for riding plus some waterproof, armored riding overpants in storage that I think still fit. They should do the trick if they fit. I'm down to just a few more things to buy like tools and an air compressor to pump up my tires after letting out some air for soft sand riding. This I can do cheap by buying a cheap one at Walmart and rigging it up like the more purpose-built (and more expensive) motorcycle compressors. I'm trying to figure out a cheap way to keep my duffel bag from walking at the borders when I have to step inside to do my paperwork. I was looking into this cut resistant PacSafe wire mesh but the cost is keeping me away from it. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ords=pacsafe+wire+mesh&hasWorkingJavascript=1 I'm kind of thinking that I'm going to use some Rok Straps to tie the duffel down on the seat and maybe a cheap bike cable and lock combination to keep it wrapped on their tight while I step inside. I'm not sure about it yet. The other issue is boots. The ones that have been recommended to me on my riding forum (advrider.com) are expensive. I'm almost debating just getting a pair of the taller, steel tipped work boots from Walmart and using those. As it is, I've been using my regular work workboots for riding both bikes when I take hometime. I'll have to check my storage unit and see if I still have any of my old pairs and if they still fit. I just need something that will provide decent protection and be comfortable to walk around in. The problem with buying riding boots (other than the price) is that it is difficult to get around to trying any on.

So I'm almost down to needing just boots, some tools, an air compressor and tire repair kits. I'm sure there will be more that will pop up.

Roughly, this next home time out in VA will be dedicated to things around the wedding and seeing family. On Thursday I'm going to AAA and I'm going to see if I can move my fuel filter to a more external spot on the bike. As it currently is, it is located way underneath the gas tank which makes changing it difficult. I'm also going to see about wiring up an air compressor. Then the rest of my home time will be dedicated to the wedding.


I've been hammering down my route in Guatemala including where I will cross from Mexico (La Mesilla). I've based this on the wisdom of other rider's who have passed through there. My route takes me down and over through Guatemala and I will be close to the border of Belize (at Melchor de Mencos). So I think I'm going to cross there and enter Belize. I'm still trying to decipher what the border crossing requirements will be from Guatemala into Belize and back. I've also been looking at possibly crossing over into Honduras, just for a short distance, at El Florido to see the Copan Ruins Maya site. That's up in the air still. I recently Google'd the top things to see in Guatemala and I was happy to see that I had already planned on about 3 of the 10. The other ones I added with the exception of a site that involved trekking 5-6 days through jungle to see. I'll skip that one. But the rest are accessible by motorcycle so they were added as arms on the body of my route. Works out well.


My dad texted me the other day with a link to a news article about this traveling motorcyclist that had disappeared back in January of this year. He was riding through Mexico and one of his last texts to his girlfriend was quite ominous. He texted that the military was going to escort him out of the area to somewhere safe because there was a threat of violence by rebels or a drug cartel in the area. That was the last anyone heard of him. I had been following this story on my riding forum since it first appeared back in January. We all hoped for the best but it seems that this body they found buried in two separate bags next to a motorcycle matching the description of his, is most likely him. RIP rider. So the next conversation with my father centered on this article. Him debating with me how dangerous it is down there and me countering that I hear from riders all the time that travel down there over and over again without incident. We won't see eye to eye on this and we won't agree. He is just being a dad and I'm just being the same traveler I have always been. I can understand where he is coming from but we both have a different idea of what we want out of travel.


I have two weeks to the day before my next home time. I've been talking everyday with the girl that picked me up at Big Charlie's truckstop a couple of weeks ago. She has been awesome and we are both looking forward to seeing each other when I get out to Virginia in a couple of weeks. We are excited to be going to the wedding together and we will get to see each other for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Things are progressing nicely. Slowly. The way it should be.

Two weeks 'till home time. Less than 3 months until a much needed vacation.

 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. I know they can't tell you but when my DM was out I asked another DM if he wanted me to stop off in Memphis for whatever it was they wanted. He asked me why they wanted me to stop there and I told him I didn't know and that it was a big secret. I said something like "I'm pretty sure I know what it is but I know you can't tell me. If they can handle it quick I can get in there and carry on my way". He asked when I was getting to Memphis and when I told him he said that it would be too late and that most likely they will have to send me to a terminal Monday. I asked if it could be done in Columbus and it didn't sound like it.

I'm going to ask here in Memphis while I"m here and see what they say about it. It's kind of funny actually this whole secret, non-secret thing.