End of the Road

As most know I jumped into this last year without any industry experience. Because I was flying during the summer I ended up getting my authority and truck before I even had my CDL. Some called me foolish, many were very supportive and I will always be grateful. The plan was for the wife and I to hit the road. During our 2nd 2 week stint she walked out of the shower at the T/A in tears. I knew the journey was going to come to an end. Because this was a boyhood dream she insisted I keep going. I found a route that became my routine. Steel coils or drilling pipe from TX to Montana or North Dakota. Then drilling mud to the East Coast, Boston, Philadelphia, New York or New Jersey. To complete the triangle home I would grab salt out of the port at Camden or melting nickel from Baltimore. In 6 months I hauled from Tucson to South Florida from Massachusetts to Montana and everywhere in between. I delivered the new scoreboard for the Philadelphia Phillies and 44k lbs of tent stakes to Phoenix International Racetrack. I had a lot of fun and didn’t go broke. My first load was $3.48/mile and my last was $3.10. I refused to be part of the race to bottom. And I refused to let brokers run my business. I loved the work but I was lonely without my best friend riding along. I was starting to think of selling the truck when I had a very very close call. I was northbound I-75 north of Atlanta running the speed limit (65) in the right lane when a truck passed. It was a slow pass, he was probably against his governor at 68 mph. There wasn’t any other traffic so I keep my cruise on. In my mirror I saw a car coming up fast maybe 80 mph. This car was just behind my trailer bumper and the truck passing me had cleared by about 3 feet. I locked it up and took the shoulder. If there any dust on any bumpers I’m pretty sure it got wiped off. In that moment I realized what my future would of looked like if that idiot would of killed himself. I would passed the drug test, truck would pass inspection, no HOS violation, so speeding. Then instead of retiring from my flying job in 3 years and enjoying golf and grandkids my life would be lawyers and courtrooms. I sold the everything today and received an offer to drive regional flatbed for a company during my off season. So I might be back around in the fall. I have the utmost respect for everyone of the truckers out there. Please be safe because those cars are trying to kill you.