Experiences

Every day is Monday because there is no Sunday. Driving a truck is the true definition of insanity

 

Regarding days of the week, so many staff in the stops like Hurst stated "Thank God (insert day).

I come off Fort Bridger once for the first time meeting that nice smooth ice during a storm. Not a chain anywhere with a horse and pickup 5th wheel upside down in the middle. I first cursed it then the truck started getting snaky and I had about all I could stand keeping it all in line on that one.

Thanked God then at the bottom, and again once out of the 20 mile canyon towards Salt Lake. I tried to run that particular canyon when there was ice on Bridger with the logic that the higher passes above SLC would be even worse.

One poster talked about angry drivers. Well, the one time I ran into a situation like that was in a TA or a older 76 that has now since been removed from I-81 close to Ironton somewhere in there on the east in the bottom of a hill.

One night I pulled in, go sit down for dinner. Noticed the room was full of drivers. No talking, some cursing and what not. Not a happy room. One older waitress had about all she could stand out there with them while the cook ran away or something.

I never did figure out what the problem was in that particular staffing that night. But it was a little bit over a hour before everyone finally got served. Somewhat adequately. Good food and adequate food are two different things. I just kept my big mouth shut picked a table near the wall and stayed clear of the grumbling sweeping that room that night. I wasnt doing too well myself having been pretty trail worn and still 81 on ice to go until at least possibly Williamsport and was turning over in my head the Potomac crossing problem US 15? Old 340? 81 Bridge? Ripon then over? etc or even Leesburg and up? It was a weight on my shoulders that night.

To balance that bad stuff...

Pulled into Harrisburg 76 which had a Mobile Chapel which for some of you may recall the staffers that used to run it there, as a sort of the main chapel of the entire System. A little bit of time with a trailer full of drivers giving thanks and singing plus a little lesson I suppose delivered in a way we could understand gave us something to stand on coming out of there. You had to be there and frankly there has not been that many opportunities for services over the years like that one.

Bottom line when you get told go home bobtail or whatever, don't you go straight home. Hit the home stop first, shower, clean up, clean the truck disinfect it, laundry etc. Find your entertainment in town somewhere and carouse. Get it all out of your system followed by a good night's or day's rest. Then go home because by then you should have left behind most of the problems that does not need to follow you into your family home. But... given enough years home is where you make of it, not your ancestral home.

 

No....you will still look back 5yrs later and ask why i did this? Lets face it, it is hard very hard to to get a serious relationship started when you are only around 3-5 days a month. As for being young, no bar hopping with the boys and you typically end up being dd when you do go out.

Ask me and i sacrificed my 20’s to driving a truck. But i did have a heck of a good time and got to see/do things my buddies could only dream of. On the other hand they did stuff i could only dream of

 

^^^This. Gone for 13 days in a row with only a measly 34 hours off before doing it all over again. I literally work for 13 days straight, come home Friday night around 11pm, then go back to work at 9am on Sunday morning for 13 more days. Can't be that bad? You have no clue...

 

I've had my F150 2.5 years. I got less than 8000 miles on it. I've had my Harley RK 1 year. I got 8500 miles on it. Iron ###? You betcha.

 

Thank you for all that you do to give me all that I have. And THAT’S directly from my heart.

 

That's true. I will have to return to Maryland at least one more time when it's time to bury at Arlington and Im fixing to have a meet with two of the gals that for their own reasons wanted to see about maybe dating me or otherwise taking it a level up. But I was a trucker and knowing I would be gone all the time. You lose a little bit of your 20's and 30's that way. HOWEVER. it is not a bad problem at all.

Ive learned that if you have someone special and you both have a chance to really sit and explain what you or the other person is fixing to get into with one of you gone all the time due to trucking, chances are you will part friends with possibilities. But #### fewer will follow you into that life.

I don't worry about that too much. My friends kept a eye on them and I think they were doing well in life speaking. I have learned over the years some classmates and other certain persons who have passed before 40, one in particular to a stage 4 breast cancer, she never had a chance but a few weeks. Another who enjoyed and gloried in her youth was ravaged by another problem but showed her strength by continuing on with very good family support. One of my rivals was dead by 40 due to a heart defect that was undetected. It's undeserved to see a good man go. But in our time he was something else being almost twice my weight and I still took him on when I needed to. (Ow....)

A few have followed up on looking for me online in various ways over the years and verified yes it's me and I remember them well.

I think that's plenty. When you come through Kit Carson bound for Denver on a holiday thanksgiving not seeing a single car all day and night on that old road it can get difficult. But the truckstop there generally made a small effort to include me when I pulled in that little place.

I know Colorado and Oklahoma etc can be difficult in that area. But it is not that bad when there are people working to cook you a meal properly on a holiday. Ive thought I might live out that way someday but I suspect that I need to be near the sea more than anything.

 

Biggest challenge without question is finding a co driver that looks good in a sexy witch or cat woman outfit ( disclaimer *** must be a natural female of the species ).

 

Oh my goodness this thread got depressing quick!!!!!!! As for me biggest challenges of being a trucker, any time I've had to drive on ice.

 

There's that too. I mean the biggest challenge last night was the last 100 miles of Wyoming two lane that was deer filled, and can't see your hand in front of your face dark.
By The Grace of Almighty God I didn’t hit any.