I miss the road sometimes ladies and gents...

when I'm doing it all I can think about are the screw ups that are destined to wreck my schedule or plans. When I stop doing it all I remember are the easy miles going out west and the gorgeous scenery.

 

@ExOTR .... Well.. for the next week SOLID.. every truck I meet on a 2lane that I raise a finger off the wheel to, and give a nod of the head in passing...

Will be in your honor.

 

tscottme

We were clear of Buffalo NY and OUT of Ontario JIT with a raging ice storm developing while we were down by Erie in PA working out way joyfully with a 2500 mile paying load to sunny Phoenix. It was a very very happy time in that tractor.

Qualcomm beeped us. Wife picked it up. Paled and said to me.. Chicago highland office (FFE) wants us to give this load way in the Detrioter while we take his late load into Brampton Ontario.

Keep in mind they were talking about closing the Peace Bridge in Detroit temporarily due to the massive ice storm coming in that was sufficient to explode all over Ontario. We were in wet sleet sort of on our end racing south and east asap to get out from under this particular weather system.

Why? That solo in Detrioter was late among other problems. and between wife and I we had exactly 12 dollars payroll not due for three days yet. We could draw on our savings at the bank, but that money was committed irrevocably to bills due next month. 25 minutes later we hear on the news that Quebec started losing at least one major major major BIG seriously BIG intercontinental transmission line tower that collapsed in the icing up that way. Toronto was beginning to rolling blackouts as a defense measure to keep certain critical areas lit. And this ice strom just getting started.

Satellite from Chicago beeped again. "Well?"

We called Phoenix and told them we are coming on with that big time load they have been lusting over and will be there in couple of days as a team. They were overjoyed. Then we asked them to tell Chicago to leave us alone because they want to give this load to so and so who will take this to you in Phoenix. To summarize the situation on the phone Phoenix was not cool with the idea of Mr Slow coming down that way.

We told Chicago, no Sorry.

The yelling started at that point. Now to be fair we had been more than reliable with Chicago, Denver, Lancaster, Memphis, Avenel etc. But Chicago? It's like a bad marriage all of a sudden.

I hope Mr Slowpoke was able to appreciate the icy views of Ontario all the way to Brampton.

Going to Pboenix in the dead of winter produced a very memorable series of loads. We learned later that other dispatchers wanted to have us but Phoenix had to fight to keep us. HA.

 

If you have a wife and kids it will make it all worth it. Hats off to you guys that run the road for weeks at a time I couldn't do it, I'm a homebody.

My "otr experience" was living out of a hotel for 3 weeks-1 month at a time in the oilfield

 

Respiratory issues and allergies forced me out of OTR. Still have a valid med card and looking for something local. For now I do rideshare (Guber). I often watch old dash cam footage, reminiscing. And man, I loved the life. Miss it badly. Boy, do I wish I could still be out there... Unfortunately, smokers would make it suicide.