The Old days are dying and the New drivers only smell like they have.

These folks i'll never understand! Just me but I get cold even looking at them! Each to his own I guess! But that means me too!

 

I LIKE SHORTS IN DECEMBER, BUT I LIVE IN FLORIDA

 

Touche:smt065 You got me on that one!LMAO

 

Are you tellin' us that you're an
intrastate driver, ..... and never leave
Florida?

Here's something to ponder -----
I live in SoCal --- in the Golden State, here on the left coast, -- where temperatures are around the same as the temperatures in the Sunshine State, over there on the right coast.
However, here in SoCal, we have a "dry" heat, as opposed the the 'hoomid' Florida weather.

Now, I know that folks in Wisconsin visit other states with a warmer climate when they vacation.
HaiL!
I've seen 'em with my own two eyes.
But even in SoCal during December, I've never seen ANY of 'em wearing a
Parka and/or other cold weather attire while the natives of and/or in California are runnin' 'round, --- half neckid.

Granted --- Most of 'em still look like tourists. Which they are.
And they look comfortable.
Who am I to complain about that?
HaiL!
You oughta see what I wear!
Suffice to say it's a purple and bright pink outfit. I've been wearin' it for years now, and it never seems to go out of fashion.
Imagine that.

I wonder why? --------
------ In Wisconsin, the warmer-weather friends drivin' Big trucks are still wearin' the clothes they had on when they left balmy SoCal's 80 degree weather --- headed to parts unknown. Including the weather. But it's a good bet, where ever they're headed, it'll be colder where they're goin' in December than it is/was in SoCal, -- where we often can be found at the beaches gettin' and keepin' our year-round tan.
And maybe gettin' in a little surfin'.

Plan Ahead does not seem to be in the flip-flop, tank top and shorts crowd's vocabulary.

At least I'd 'spect 'em to wear their insulated snow flip-flops, and thermal tank-tops and shorts.
But they don't.

However, the flip-side to the flip-flop crowd, is that the folks who wear that stuff -- are ready if Wisconsin experiences a rare heatwave in December --- when the temperatures reach a high of still freezin' -- and usually well below.

Twue story --------

I had a co-driver who never seemed to bring warm clothing during the ONE winter we were teamed. On one occasion, while in the north-east freezing weather, I had driven my leg getting to the facility where we were to drop-N-hook, and it was where we planned on changing drivers.

I spotted our trailer in their lot, and proceeded to find the loaded trailer that contained our next loaded adventure.

It didn't take very long.
I backed under it, got out and checked thangs, and all looked good --- so I proceeded to hook 'er up.

That being accomplished, I crawled under the trailer to pre-trip it, and noticed that the brakes were out of adjustment, so I fetched my 9/16 inch box wrench and began adjusting them --- figuring my co-driver would soon relieve me, seein' as how it was his turn on duty, as I had just driven for 10 hours.

I wondered where he was, but figured he was probably trip-plannin' up there in the warm Big truck. But that saves time, too. Time is money and that co-driver could run the miles. Thousand mile days with him were common, --- at 55 mph teamin'
key word right there "Team" --- so I just finished what I was donig, put all my stuff away in the side boxes, and climbed back into the warm Big truck.

I was a tad surprised to NOT see him in the driver's seat. I was also a tad surprised to NOT see him in the jump seat. Surprised isn't the word to describe how I felt when I heard him snoring in the bunk.

WhAT the #**& #**??!!

His reply was to ask me if I'd finished droppin' & hookin'.

YeAH!
I'm finished ---- no thanks to you.
Where the hail WERE you?

That's when he explained that it was real cold outside, at night.

No bull excrement, it's real cold!
I just spent the last 30 minutes out there
doin' YOUR job. You didn't even lift a finger to help.
YOU just SLEPT through it.

Well, it seems the problem was more than met the eye, as he explained that HE didn't have ANY cold weather clothes, ---- and I did. So, to him, it just made sense that I'D git 'er done, --- while HE stayed warm in the Big truck.

Where are YOUR warm clothes?
HaiL!
It's mid-winter, and you haven't brought warm clothes YET.

Perfectly good answer from him was that they were "home" --- but stored away, ...... somewhere.

And he didn't know WHERE to begin that search.

I thought "AT home" was pretty close to home.
I mentioned that to him in a reasonably nice manner ------
And fell into his trap.

He said ------------------->

-----> "BUT, I'm not AT home, ........ am I , wise guy?

Do-AH, ....... say what?

Well, there are a bunch of Wally-Worlds betwixt where you think you are now, and where you think what you SHOULD have brought with you, that you NEED, might or could be.

And it doesn't really matter where "here" is as long as what'cha NEED ain't there with you.

Good-Golly!
At least get some long johns and a heavy sweater!
HaIL!
We're in the north east.
Only a few hours away from Green Bay, which is on the way.
Prices for winter clothes up HERE, are CHEAP compared to the higher California prices for lesser quality clothing.

If I may digress ---------
When I first started out as a driver, I had no idea what "cold" is.
I had a "heavy" coat.
A stylish sweater.
Long Johns.
And a lesson to learn.

I received that lesson at the Illinois -- Wisconsin border.
I heard the temps were gonna be low, but I'd heard my folks from Upstate New York mention those numbers a few times.
They experienced it --- and they survived.
How hard can it be, ............ ??

Ice hard -- frozen solid.
My hair --- after a QUICK shower,
and left my hair to dry on it's own.
Which, I reckon it did.
Freeze dried.
To my head.

HeY!
I was born and raised in SoCal.
And I was armed .........
with a credit card, and a freezin', necessary, desire to use it.

PART of the reason I wasn't better equipped was because the winter clothes I was lookin' to buy, couldn't be found for reasonable prices, if at all, in this State.

If I assembled it all the best I could, the numbers I crunched totaled an easy grand.
If I went with bare essentials, I could probably do that for six to seven hundred.
And required a lot of driving because the stuff wasn't all at one place.

But!
Upon arriving in Title Town, Wisconsin, and taking a free taxi ride from the company terminal to the various stores for my needs, I discovered from experienced folks what I REALLY needed --- and they showed me or told me where to find it.

As a result --- I splurged, and not only bought better quality than I would have in SoCal, but I bought MORE than I had originally planned.

What all I bought, came to right around $300 to $350, --- including a few items I purchased at the company store, for cash -- at a great discount.

But, back in the day, just about EVERY place in Title Town gave a discount to the employees of that truckin' company.

Motels, restaurants -- (even some fast-food places), bars and clothing stores, too.
That's all I had time for.
I was under a load, but in the neighborhood along the way, ..... and called ahead and asked if I could stop by for a visit.

After shopping, I got the tour of the company's new, state of the art, communications building.
And to meet the Title Town dispatchers, .... just to say HI from the other side of a telephone.

Got a PM done on my Big truck just a tad early, but the company figured it'd be handier that way.
I agreed.

I met the owner of the whole company.
I didn't actually know it was him, at first, in his office.
But when I walked by ---- HE said HI -- to me.
I returned his greeting, and he invited me in for, what turned out to be a VERY pleasant chat.
I was favorably impressed.
When they told me the company has an
Open Door Policy
They were tellin' the truth.

He told me ANY time I'm in Title Town, and feel like visitin' or talkin' --- feel free to do so.
OH!

And he reminded me of the on-going safety bonus award ---- which, if the proper level is attained, puts the winners onna boat headin' to Hawaii.
All expenses paid.
Including vacation pay.

And to think that having turned down four bottom-feeding training mill companies who were recruiting my higher than average training scores in drivin' school --, up till that experience, -- was causin' me to wonder if I had made the right choice when I decided on the one in orange, --- a color I'm not real fond of.

I'd much prefer white, or blue, or even red.
Pale yellow?
Let's just say they sure tried.

Back to the co-driver ------

After mentioning all that to him, he just threw his arms up in disbelief.
How dumb could I possibly be, he asked me, about me.
But, I'll admit, --- at first I thought he was making reference to himself.

Go figure.

Then he asked me
Didn't I JUST tell you that I ALREADY HAVE that stuff stored at home??!!!

WhY should I buy MORE of what I ALREADY HAVE??!

And he closed the discussion with,
Gawd are you stoopid!
You're lucky I put up with you.
I don't know why I do.

Me neither

Fortunately --- we didn't have to put up with each other much longer.
Because on that trip, and right after leaving the shipper with the co-driver behind the wheel, with the cruise control set to stroll (at 55 mph) -- in the pouring rain -- in heavy, rush-hour -- Dover, Delaware -- morning traffic.
And wound up jack-knifing a 53' foot trailer, and the trailer took out a sign reading
TO New York ----->

Luckily, he didn't injure or kill anyone.
But he DID bend my straight fairings.
And THAT right thar --- is a no-no on MY Big truck.

This all happened while he was explaining why my questioning his using the cruise control in those conditions, was yet ANOTHER example of how dumb I am.

In mid sentence, the conversation went from 50 reasons why he's (always) right, to
OH!
_ _ _ _ !!!!

As we slid side-ways --- sendin' up a big rooster-tail of muddy water.
Then W H U M P!
Which was the New York -----> sign goin' down.

When the police arrived to investigate, it required the co-driver to be outside, ---- in the cold weather.
Shivverin'

I heard the officer ask him if he needed to go fetch his coat, and when co-driver told the officer that he didn't HAVE a coat, -- the officer's jaw dropped to his chest.

WhY NoT?
He asked, ----- just like I did.
And I wondered if that officer realized just how
DUMB he really is.
Or, did the officer, just like I did at first,
think co-driver was talkin' about himSELF?

When we got back to Fontana, and went off duty, my Big truck went in for repairs -- and I went to Santa Fe Springs, to the company's Main LA area office.

I was asked to describe what happened, and how, in MY opinion, it did.

I told 'em it was probably ALL my fault, ---
seein' as how I was pretty dumb -- and I gave them the same examples of how dumb dumb is, -- exactly the same way the co-driver related it to me, about me.

They were puzzled after that, wonderin' why I would consider that MY fault.

Easy!
How "dumb" would a guy have to be to even let a co-driver like THAT get anywhere NEAR their Big truck --- let alone IN it and DRIVE it?

Then they informed me that I was his fourth or fifth co-driver in about a year and a half, and they couldn't handle his laziness, either.

YeAH!
But I'm a team driver.
Without a co-driver, I'm not a team.

That's when I was offered a sweet, OTR dedicated tour, just goin' to the same military bases. 6,700 miles in 7 days.

When co-driver found out I wasn't returning to team with him, and why --- he started screaming about how HE had MORE seniority than me, --- which he did, by two weeks (but I had wazyyy more miles under my buttox) --- and that HE should have gotten the gig, instead of me.

That's when the office manager mentioned a little card that new drivers were instructed to fill out at orientation.

Seems co-driver didn't do that -- and it was a card with contact information, ..... like phone numbers where a driver can be reached.
And the OTHER phone number they had for him was "no longer in service" --- because co-driver figured he was never home, ---- so why pay for a phone he rarely, if ever, uses.

Upon hearing that, I muttered
How "dumb" is THAT!

And walked outta the room, shakin' my head and wavin' my arms in total disbelief, just like he did/does --- to go meet my NEW co-driver, who, is still a friend today.

OH ---- and co-driver was fired about seven months after that, for disapproving of yet another co-drivers choice of music on the radio while driving.
Co-driver came flyin' outta the bunk -- and commenced to beatin' his co-driver in the head, AS the co-driver was drivin' down the highway at speed.

I reckon that was another dumb, co-driver.
Which, to HIM ---- ALL the other drivers were/are with that orange, dirt-bag of a company.

Why he put up with us dummies for SOooo long amazed me. But, in the end, HE just couldn't take all of our incompetence any longer, and decided to "fix' the problem --- himself.

That's when he discovered that thangs weren't broken in the first place, and his "fixin' thangs only created a problem that wasn't there to begin with.
Which the Personnel Manager fixed quickly.
And effectively too, I might add.

So, what's the moral of my story?

I don't know.
I'm dumb ----- remember?

 

Hey Muleskinner I think Florida has something going why else would Cubans tie 55 Gal.drums to a dang good Chevy P.U. to go there?? The Mexicans dont go to all that trouble to get to Cal.Maybe ol Shocky has the answer or he can call some Mexicans to find out how about it there Big Truck Truck driver
BTW what the Haill did he say?????????????????????????????????????

 

Well they dont bring Cuban cigars with them so Im with you on the Sthern.Cal.I do have a weakness for those dark skinned senoritas in Bikkinis.And Cal.has oranges J.for your drinks