Parked Here for the Night

Queen Bee allows me to store what little I have in her garage and my room costs $37 with tax. I'm home every week and I rarely stay longer than a reset so it works out good. It's a budget motel room but has a decent sized pool so when I'm home I take my girls swimming.

 

I did the whole "no fixed address" thing for about 10 years. It was fun, and I wouldn't give it up for the world, but also, I wouldn't want to go back either because I wouldn't be with my wife. Even though I don't get to see it enough, I like knowing I have a place to go home to.

 

Patty and I havnt had a place since i started driving Feb of 2012
we are getting an apartment in Sept
that has contributed to the majority of motel living

 

Well it was more of a 12 hour break, but time to kick the tires and light the fires and head towards Phoenix. By the way, the Loves in Lordsburg is not a shining beacon of cleanliness or great customer service, not horrible, just not great.

 

Lordsburg is a #### hole.

 

Back at the quiet warehouse... There's absolutely nobody here... I LOVE IT!! But will have to get up early... my 34 ends at 5 am and dsp got me a load. Picking up about 91 miles west of here and going to MN... a short run, considering the runs we are used to... But it's a good start... Will be at shipper around 7 am and will have plenty of time to deliver on Monday.

 

I can understand this coming from your perspective of an OTR freight hauler. Miles, miles, and more miles then a 34 reset. Yeah it doesn't make a lot of sense. Our business doesn't operate like that. I can probably count the number of times I've hit my 70 hours on two fingers. We just don't have to run that hard. We also run regional and rarely out for more than 4-5 days at a time.

We have two trucks/trailers and have operating authority. I drive one and my son is an employee and drives the other one. I've got some good broker relationships. I've set some revenue/cost targets and the son books his own loads. I don't care where he goes, how many days he stays out, etc. As long as the truck is making money and getting serviced on time. I'll do a run and then park my truck for a few hours or a few days, depending on what's going on. A customer waves a stack of money at me, probably less time. If I'm burned out or tired, I say no and go home until I'm ready to do it again. I rent two parking places at another carrier's terminal about 20 minutes away. My house is in a neighborhood and city that is not truck friendly. Thanks to some language in the city ordinances, I do bobtail home once in a while to do minor work or just not have to go get it when I've dropped my trailer for a load. City code says commercial vehicles cannot be parked in the street. So I back it into my driveway LOL.

I've lived there for 15 years and my neighbors are not surprised at anything going on in my driveway anymore. The two old guys across the street will come over now and then to be nosey and hang out. It's a trip. I've got hot rods, motorcycles, and practically a fully equipped shop in my garage. A semi backed in the driveway is nothing. Between the hardtail chopper and the pit bull, or my son building low riders in the driveway, the neighbors that haven't been living here long enough to have met us outdoors, steer clear of our house when the kids are hawking scout fundraisers or trick or treating on Halloween, and walk past on the other side of the street when they are out being nosey. I mean exercising LOL.

I've got too much going on at home to be a full time, live in the truck, type of driver. I'd do something else if what I am doing now wasn't working out. I have a wife, a dog, and more hobbies than I have time or money for. The dog usually rides with me. My wife does too if she can manage it. She likes seeing the country. I have a dependent sister that lives a few miles away. My parents are 70 and independent for now, but only an hour away if they need something.

I'll answer another post: bath time is whenever it works out. We haul reefers and run odd hours and often park at places that have no facilities. If it's a short out and back trip, no big deal. Take care of that at home. A few days and you just make it a part of the trip plan that unfolds one day at a time. For example, I'm waiting for an 0400 unload just north of Pittsburg tonight. I just found out this evening my reload is 200 and something miles east off I-78 at 0200 Sunday morning. Perfect. I'll bounce out of here early when I'm empty and camp at the TA in Harrisburg. My energy level will determine if I go in the restaurant and eat and/or get a shower visit, and when. The next chance will be at the TA in Commerce, GA. Sunday night. So I have options for a change LOL. Might get two showers in this trip.

Oh.. and that Pilot on I-24 in TN? The trick is to circle the lot and park on the curb in the driveway pointing toward the exit if you're just running in. No muss no fuss, and probably won't get blocked in. I stop there once in a while to get food if I'm hungry enough for whatever it is they have there. It's been a while LOL. You said veggie pizza so must have a subway in there. I thought it was Arbys for some reason. Same thing different shape LOL.

 

Thanks RedForeman... for sharing with us a little bit about your life, your work and all...
I understand everybody is different... and I am thankful we are... I see that you really enjoy what you do and do it the way you like... The same here... I consider myself still a new driver... a company driver... But like you, I like what I do... I like to run hard, would like to run harder... and believe me, I don't do this for the money... NO. I don't even check my payroll every week... or even every 2 weeks... I do this because I like it... I like the road, I like to keep moving, I like living in the truck, I like solitude... And I don't have any family to go see... I can't go to Brasil every month to see my dear dad... He is my only family...
Some may say I don't have a life... Maybe so... according to them... But I am happy...
You know, I HATED the business that I had before trucking... I was renting a nice place, meeting people, but was soooo depressed... Until I found trucking... I found happiness again... not because of the truck, but because I finally realized I am a "gypsy" and I LOVE the road! Maybe one day that will change... but till then, I will keep on trucking this way....

Oh yeah... that Pilot... if you arrive early or when there are no trucks parked on that curb near the exit, that is a good place... Generally they are always taken... Well... surprisingly, not this afternoon when I went there for a shower... but I prefer to park at my co. warehouse nearby... No noise, no worries about someone getting too close to "my" truck... It's sooo quiet here, and safe... And I will not need a shower in the morning... Better have my last meal of the day now and head to bed... It's getting "late"...

 

Shipper in Ennis, TX. Gonna run a short load to Palestine to close the week out. Pays pretty good for a short haul then I'm gonna deadhead to Houston and have the shop look at the AC which is acting up again. Can't find a leak but in no way should it need a recharge so we shall see. Tomorrow I will be in a sleep center getting an apnea test. I've had apnea for 12 years but new insurance, new doc....yada yada so they need an updated test. Gonna take Sunday off and then head east come Monday