Trucking can be like a bad marriage...

Thanks man...and I shouldn't have to worry about being broke for a while, unless I go on a wild spending spree...


I arrived at 1:30 am...have to get up at 7 am...they want you outside the truck when they load, so you gotta sit inside a dusty dirty room...while grogy...like Rodney Dangerfield said...'No respect' expecially for drivers...

I just hope I can last for 2 weeks...tonight felt awful...like I'd never get here...long dark wet rainy drive...

Like that other thread 'Driving takes years off your life'...I can totally see why...

I mean the things I eat out here, I never would while at home...greasy fried this and greasy fried that....no vegtibles, no variety of fruit...artifiscal this, artifiscal that...and all while your body and mind are under stress and under slept...

That's when you need healthy food, but instead Pilots seems to think Hot dogs and candy bars will suffice...


Death food...yum yum...

A week out here feels as if it takes 3 months off my life...
And lack of proper rest will give ya a Meth face...

Anyhow...time to lay down again...get a few hours of rest in before morning...

In two weeks...I may just do what I said I was gonna do earlier...and that is go camping...all by myself.



in a national park...for a week...cleanse myself...like Brad Pitt did in 'Seasons of the Fall'...

Come back thinner, leaner and refocused...we shall see...

Time for bed...goodnight...

 

Just thought I'd take time out of my busy day to wish everyone a happy Hanukkah...

I don't even know what Hanukkah is, or how to celebrate it, but if there's beer and wine involved...I'm down...

So happy Hanukkah...and have a great day, and I'll be back shortly...

 

It feels like I'm about to make that jump....



For those who don't know what I'm talking about...I gave my two weeks notice yesterday...and now it's like listening to a stop watch tick away in my head...as the day approaches...



And I liken it to being in a troop transport plane...always talking about jumping...and who's brave enough to jump...until one day you decide to do it...and the rear cargo door opens up while 20,000 ft above ground...



You still want to jump...but now that cargo door is open...a new reality hits...will parachute open? what's waiting for you down below?

A mix of anxiody, joy, and frustration flows through your viens...as you wonder...

As you look down at the tough terrain below...the bumpy noise plane suddenly doesn't seem so bad...it's rough and bumpy...but at least it's firmiluar...but once you jump...you have no idea what's waiting below...

Or will they, the people you work for, the guy you work for, talk you out of it, or delay the jump??

That's the bad thing about giving two weeks notice...is that two weeks is a long time to think about things and or to be influenced by other factors...

But while cruising in the plane...you look ahead and notice a dark storm approaching...



So now what do you do? Storm infront of you, uncertainty beneath you....

Grab so popcorn and stay tuned...that's what ya do...

 

You got that right pal....

Ok, on a totally different note...the other day some older crabby driver almost clipped the front of the truck I drive...they were to impatient to wait for proper clearance, as a slow car was in front of them...so they ragefully cut back over into my lane, barely missing my hood...

If my truck was faster...I would of followed them and took a photo of their trailer...but oh well...I can at least turn this into a lesson for some of you...I know I know...'boy he's arrogant'....but please listen anyways...

Here's what a safe following distance is in a big truck...



I always leave a gap in congested traffic...saves on the brakes...and it allows merging traffic to enter without coming to a stop...ok...

Some drivers, older crabby drivers no doubt, like to get up so close on your rear, that it like tickles....

In real life you wouldn't walk up on someones rear like that...at least I hope not...so please don't do it in your truck...ok...

Anyhow guys, gals...remember...safety first...and definatly when it comes to others...

And to you older aggressive drivers...stay away from my rear, it's not a safe practice and could cause a serious accident...ok...thanks...

This has been a public safety notice...

 

Title: Safari Trail....




Hi, I'll leave ya with a little abstract art tonight...
I have many sides that trucking hasn't allowed me to fulfill...
Oh well, I should just stop complaining...right...

And instead pretend I'm a succesful entrepreneur, living my dream atop a urban penthouse in Boston...with my pal U4EA and others as we listen to music, drink wine, and reflect....



A little Jazz, a little wine...come along and dream with me, and let's
have a good time...

Good night folks...




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7x_vWNRS5c

 

Let me put it like this...

Had I been an original slave...I would of never made it to America...



I would of been one of those who jumped over board, or would have died trying to commit mutiny...freedom or death...

If I had been Indian, back when rounded up and put on reservations...again I would of never made it...



I would of been amongst one of the brave warriors who died defending liberty and way of life...for sure...

If I had been Irish...and fighting for independence from Britian...



I too would have echoed 'Freedom'...right along with braveheart...

Point being...some of us are just wired that way....this spirit crosses all cultural bounderies and kindreds...either you have it or you don't...

It's a fire that burns within...a fire that never goes out...



And one that can only be soothed when you arrive at or do whatever it is your called to do...

I often wish mine would go out...for the sake of my sanity...for there's nothing worse than having that fire, and being locked in a room...

It's the same fire that creates champions, under the right circumstances and conditions...

Many people have that flame...and just don't know what to do with it...

Sometimes it can lead you to great places...other times it can lead you towards perile...it all just depends...


Anyhow..I'm still moving forward...it's harder to walk away when you give 2 full weeks of notice...cause that's two weeks in which you can easily be or get 'seduced' into staying...

It would be like breaking up with an abusive or incompatible mate...but you still have to share a hotel room with them for 2 weeks...



By the end of those two weeks you might start liking each other again, and or more...it's a dangerious time when your trying to leave...gotta watch the emotions...

Anyhow...at work...gotta finish up some stuff...will check in later...

 

Queen, although they were 'weird' in their personal or private endevors...
They could 'Rock' like no others...and always played to sold out concerts...



Why?
Cause they had talent, they had passion, they had heart and soul...and that's what the people came to see...they could relate...

And that's how I often feel...only instead of playing an instrument, I write...I express what they did, only through words instead of melody...and as such, the people respond...



They respond by reading...(I would probablly make a entertaining musician as well) (or comic)...
For the best comedy and or music is often born of true pain..and agony...

But for now..the key pad is my instrument of choice...everytime I get on here it's like composing a piece...

The key board is my piano...and I make melodies with my 'points' or 'illustrations'...



I pound away like Bethoven, on the pad, trying to release the perfect notes and melodies that mirror what I'm feeling inside...sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fall short...but the same spirit that drove him to write and perform music, is the same spirit that drives me...

Both of us fighting against time to accomplish whatever...before it's too late...

Anyways...I gotta run...

So like Queen above, and Beethoven...I will continue to compose and write...until I find or arrive at my Nirvana....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbiYFA0-8mU

 

Seduced by extra large pay check...ok...



And it felt good...I'm not gonna lie...it felt good...cause I've been stressing lately...

I want a divorce...but I want to do it right...I need a plan...I have a plan...but I also need a security blanket...which is money; of course...

And with that money I will either

1. Just go back to school,.......... and get retrained at something more enjoyable...

2. Start my own transportation business...



3. Buy cheap semi truck and trailer and be totally independent...work when I want, go where I want...



Two...is more likely...
And basically to do that...I need to make sure van is in top notch condition, brakes, tune-up, tires, decals...

Then I have to get licenses...insurance ect...all that could be 2 gran or more...but it has to be done...

Once it's done...the rest I can do...I can generate custimors easily...and even 'steal' them from other businesses do to my outstanding custimor service skills...

Option 3 is a goal I'd like to achieve...but do to poor credit...would take an awful lot of cash to get that up and running...unless I could track down that one mystery man again...

And option 1. going back to school and getting a certification in something...also isn't that far fetched either...

But all I'm saying is to do any of the above...you need money...you can't be worrying about day to day bills or monthly bills, while trying to achieve those...

You need at least a 5 month cushion...so that you can relax and concentrate....

Those are just basic ideas floating through my head right now...the other option is just to apply for regular wage job...and focus on other things while doing so...

In the end I think entrepranuership (mispelled)...would be my best option...whether in sales, or transportation...cause with my personality and dynamics, I need that freedom...and I need an unlimited ceiling...when I bust my butt, I need to know I get to reap 100% of the reward....

With all that being said...I really need to make sure I'm ready for any of the above...and maybe, before I leave a good situation...meaning the guy I work for...maybe we should just take the truck to a different company...one with a better scheduale that allows me to have more of a life...

That's an option...I would still be quiting...but only the company we're leased to...cause they just don't get it...

But I was told i can take the truck to another company, with runs that are more suitable to my needs right now...so we shall see...



And one more thing...

Question...Why do you always compare yourself to the 'female' in the 'Trucking can be like a bad marriage' scenerio??

Answer: Cause it makes sense to do so...I mean think about it...
Traditionally the male is bigger, stronger and dominant over the female...

And so trucking represents the 'male' in the equation...it's big, strong, and dominant...and doles out the abuse...

And like the wife, the driver is the smallest, yet most important part of the equation...the driver is what keeps everything going, but like wives of old, are very under appreciated...

So it only makes sense to metaphorically make the driver, regardless of gender, the wife or female...in this metaphor...

I'm not so frail and insecure about self, that I can't do that, without damaging my 'ego'....

And besides...an ego is good for what??

Remove the ego, and you'd be suprised how much more you can accomplish in life...our egos, delicate egos, are probablly the biggest obsticles we face in life...and cause us to miss out on countless opportunities...both in relationships and career...

Anyways, it's late...and I still have many miles to cover tonight in this abusive relationship...

Got lot's to sort out...back soon...

 

And boy is it cold...
Another sad reality about this industry...many lack social class...they just don't have it...I'm refering to the people who often check you in at the shipper...
They don't know how to greet...how to say 'hi'...'hello'...and in a cheerful appreciative manner...

It's more like 'what are you doing here?'

You run your butt off all night, risk your life, just to be recieved by someone who doesn't seem to want you there, or who just lacks social class...

Low class people are like that...

A high class person always greets everyone like their worth a million bucks...a great big Italian greeting type of thing...'Hi ya doing!!, come here, make yourself comfortable, be with ya in a minute'...

What's so hard about that??
Instead in this industry your often greeted by egotistical stone face induvisuals, who's only aim on the job seems to be to 'keep you in your place as a driver'...to remind you that your at the very bottom of their social totem pole...

For you all who are thinking about driving...just remember..your really gonna need a good solid support system at home in order to keep your moral up out here...

Shippers never thank you for what you do, and recievers never thank you for delivering product...everythings very emotionally mechanical out here...

And if you act to bright, people get offended...
Their more comfortible with you 'fitting the mold'...puts them more at ease..

Anyhow..just waiting for them to break seal, so I can sleep...