Post Gordon ~ Thoughts, Commentary & Reflections

Private Peter Anderson

Drive into the first rest area northbound I-39 just inside Wisconsin and you've reached the Beloit Rest Area which has memorials to Medal of Honor recipients.

I thought I would choose one and research him online:

Anderson's story goes on in Anderson's own words:

Appreciation and recognition:

Anderson, from Wisconsin, signed up for duty at 16 and died at 59 in 1907. See: http://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/story/1715333.html


Written Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at the Beloit Rest Area, just inside Wisconsin. Called Yard Mechanic about 7 am and he and Yard Boss had already replaced my back right trailer brake chamber!! At my place I probably got 2 inches of rain in the span of an hour, maybe a little more. There's no cover at the yard. Yard Mechanic said it just sprinkled up there. Cool!

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Columbus, WI and the Blitz

Breakfast this morning started with a banana, moved on to a can of chunk pineapple (plenty left) and I polished off my last 15 ounce can of Van Camp's pork and beans that Wal-Mart has for 50 cents a can lately. Prefer the black beans, no preservatives or sugar added. Not expensive either, but sometimes 50 cents a can and a little variety is a good thing.

Waiting for receiving to open. Very, very active rail line bordering the property here, a plastic label manufacturer in Columbus, WI, a town of about 5,000, the size of the town where I grew up in Northern Minnesota. No Wal-Mart here.

That's the last of food on the truck other than water and some slightly old green tea in a jug. Probably stock up in Prairie but maybe not. Could make it home today, if not, surely before noon Friday (tomorrow).

There's a lot of temptation to use the 'magic eraser' when you have soon-to-be-extinct paper logs. At the rest area last night, I realized that I'd inadvertently driven over six hours straight. Don't usually do that, felt good, didn't feel like stopping.

Problem was that despite one hour break I took there, had no mandatory 30 and was past 8--I was in violation!! And there's a blitz on!

My PU (pickup) took an hour and I had logged that, so ran a line up to 'off duty', then over for a half hour and down again to 'on duty'. Then I scratched out 30 minutes of the 'on duty' line below so now I had a 15 minute 'on duty', a half hour to meet my 30 minute mandatory 'off duty' and another 15 minute 'on duty'. Figured I would just explain that am not allowed to stay in truck at shipper, break room has free coffee, vending machines for snacks including real food, and a tv with Judge Judy.

With that fudge I pulled out and right up ahead awaits a CMV (commercial motor vehicle) enforcer in his bad, black SUV and proceeded to scale which has a big inspection building with multiple bays. My good luck the scale was closed and inspections were still going on. Lots of trucks on the scale yard, some no doubt OOS (out of service).

As I passed by I remembered I hadn't initialed my change, crossing out the half hour and turning one hour 'on duty' to now show a 30 minute mandatory after only an hour and 15 of driving. Well, I could probably get that--my initials--in even if pulled over. However, I also hadn't listed my shipper and BOL number and STILL could have gotten written up for proper form. G-R-R-R-R.

Once you get a little punchy it's easy to overlook this or that.

Saw another CMV enforcer on the other side where traffic slows to 55 mph due to left lane closed. A way too fast car flew by me and hardly slowed past the CMV enforcer who was chatting with another unit, how they face opposites and chat window-to-window.

CMV enforcer pulls out and catches up, right behind me. No way for them (were two in SUV) to get around and the pursued car has pulled way up ahead of lots of cars. We travel about 5 miles and I'm thinking they're thinking phooey on the civilian, why don't we just do our job and inspect this guy right in front of us.

They do decide that but it's once again, not my day. They pull again into a turn-around and my blood pressure eases back down.

I can feel the forklift pulling pallets out now... the truck rocks like a good-sized California earthquake shakes as the thin trailer panels wobble and the swing doors shake. Shouldn't take long now...


Written Thursday, June 5, 2014 in Columbus, Wisconsin. All rights reserved.

// A mile out of Columbus a CMV enforcer had a tanker on the other side, ticket book flapping back into place as he returned to his ride. Oh, yeah...

 

Lunch in Prairie du Chien

Making a 'reasonable' correction to your log like I did yesterday isn't really 'magic eraser' stuff. But it resembled the magic eraser because I needed the mandatory 30 minute break and fortunately could make a correction that brought me into compliance, altho I wouldn't have been surprised at a raised eyebrow or three.

The magic eraser would have been if I pulled the pages out and rewrote them and/or made changes that really never occurred. Falsifying a log. It happens and paper logs aren't the only reason. You can make even more corrections from your Qualcomm. Not sure about PeopleNet, haven't used it.

Probably few experienced drivers haven't gone in and changed legitimate on-duty-not-driving hours to off duty in order to add hours to their 70. You can't change your actual driving hours because the QC picks up within 2 miles or less that you're driving.

Your Safety Guy, though, can probably go in and do some rewriting. If your QC was screeching at you last night that you were in violation when you had no place to stop and a mile from your stop, the Safety Guy can fix it for you, up to a point, of course.

Lunch today is snapping turtle soup from the fish and cheese shop and a burrito express from the Mexican restaurant that I like next to Wal-Mart. The fish and cheese shop had snapping turtle shells, claws, breastplates, pretty much any parts you wanted. All for sale. Also had pieces of arrowheads, beaver teeth, lucky stones, old lead sinkers, and other curios. All for sale.

The snapping turtle soup has carrot slices, peas, onion, potato, corn and some green stuff. Um-m-m. My tummy feels like it could pop. Better take some of this to go. Too, too good. Might be time for a nap. Nice of the Mexican restaurant to let me bring my soup. Also bought some smoked carp.

With Columbus (WI) delivered and Prairie (du Chien, WI) picked up, it doesn't matter whether I cover the 400 miles back to Indiana today, tomorrow or...

Have another two loads on Monday, an outbound (44K) and the Prairie again (4K) coming back. It's all good.


Written Thursday, June 5, 2014 at Prairie du Chien, WI. All rights reserved.

 

Waiting to Unload...

Amazing how much better the truck shifts when I'm rested!! Willow Creek Rest Area (I-39 South, near the metropolis of Paw Paw, IL, which I'm told has a Casey's and a bar--although I see a combo high school and middle school on Google Maps) seems my new 'go to' point on leaving Prairie du Chien. Makes no sense run against traffic around Madison when I don't have to; it's my preferred route back (across 18 and then 14) so I took a lo-o-o-ong afternoon in Prairie.

Pulled out of Prairie around 6 pm. Suppose, if I wanted, could bring a pole and do some fishing up there. Probably not. One of my best friends as a kid could stand right next to me and pull in sunfish and crappies while I caught nothing. Not sure how Frank did it, but he did it ALL the time. Lived walking distance from several lakes in our small town and the Mississippi River runs right through. Did catch a very good-sized walleye once near a dam on the Mississippi River we called the 'Federal Dam'.

The Willow Creek Rest Area building is on two levels, great view out to the Interstate from the upper floor, bathrooms and vending on both levels. Top level walks out to the passenger car parking and lower level to truckers--a 'separation of the species' an attendant remarked this morning.

Very funny, very funny.

For breakfast I polished off the smoked carp purchased yesterday afternoon in Prairie from the fish and cheese shop, along with a French cocoa from the vending machine on the upper floor. Pretty good, too.

There's a plaque on the wall of the upper level that explains that until 1900 the Inlet Swamp covered 30,000 acres just west of the Rest Area until it was drained at that time and turned into farmland. This gigantic wetlands was then lost, had been home to millions of birds. Our idea of progress is sometimes a funny thing. Soil around here is a rich, rich, deep black. Wouldn't mind bringing some of that home!

The Mississippi, the Illinois River, Rock River and various creeks run nearby.

Who ever designed the rest area made great use of the property and the hill the building is built into, a pleasing stopover and usually plenty of empty spots to park--definitely an improvement over most truck stops, not to mention better air quality due to fewer trucks packed like sardines running engines, reefers and APU's all day and night.


Written Friday, June 6, 2014 while waiting to unload. All rights reserved.

// Bumpy, I copied everything Frank did as well as I could, even asking him to move over and let me fish in his spot. Nothing worked. He'd move over a couple steps and the fish out there moved with him...

 

Back at Home...

Breakfast this morning started with a Wal-Mart sea food salad I picked up yesterday, followed by steamed brown rice, lentils, barley and wild rice. The wild rice is always 'special'. Earlier had half an avocado, ate other half on the truck. As soon as it cools off enough, the dogs get the same, no avocado--although they would much like it, less wild rice (not much for them, really) with freshly 'super wave ovened' chicken on top. They like my cooking.

Watching Skyfall, bought along with Tom Petty 'Into the Great Wide Open' for $3, $1.50 each from TomCat Pawn last week. Opening chase was worth the price. Enjoyed Petty all the way to Prairie; in Prairie, bought Airplane's 'Rumours' and finally, finally replaced 'Bat Out of Hell' that's still stuck in one of the Haz outfit's CD players. Truck 30, I think. Never did get that back.

Trucking's always about delays, road delays, traffic, construction, speed limits, congestion, alternate routes, TONU's, waiting to load, waiting to unload, fatigue, having to rest when you don't want to, not able to rest when you need to, brake chambers go bad, valve cover gasket weeping so needs re-torqued at the least, APU red-lights then doesn't, can't fix if ain't broke.

Didn't get to MHC (Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a Bloomington, Indiana non-profit) until 5:15 pm, usually takes a couple hours to take care of their worm bins. Were they closing up tight at 6?? Answer: Yes. Okay, fine. Will do my best. Found my worm food in cooler, one 5-gallon bucket with soupy, smelly greens, another with dead bananas, a third with unidentifiable ugh. Perfect worm food!! Ah ha!!

By 5:40 ALL worm bins had been looked at, fed. They were all really hungry since I didn't get there last week. How can I tell? The youngsters climb the walls of the bins looking for more food. At Sam's Club the gal in front of me had a 4-berry sundae. Wow!! Perfect! Know where I'm going next.

I buy two.

My 95-year-old buddy Hal is over at Bell Trace, a senior living place. Charlie was visiting, another friend of Hal's. Turns out Charlie's the one who brought Hal the book's on the Vikings. I offer Charlie half my sundae, he declines. Hal wolf's his down as I knew he would. Then gotta get home. There were six eggs in the nesting box when I swung through, took the dogs out back for the first time since Wednesday when I left out.

Next load's 44K outbound, will be there 6 am at a door in Illinois on Monday. Hopefully this time with correct PU number and date on BOL. Ted held me up two hours last load because I transposed the PU number and the date was for the next day. Trucking's always about delays.

We try do our best.


Written Saturday, June 7, 2014 at home, six miles north of Spencer, Indiana. As I wrap this up, Skyfall wraps up. Judi Dench died. "Are you ready to get back to work?" her replacement asks Bond. "With pleasure," Bond responds. "With pleasure."

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Second Heartland Interview--Trucker 84xx

Thought would pull into northbound Willow Creek Rest Area on I-39, in sight of the two-level southbound rest area that I like so much. Compare the two rest areas and take mandatory 30. What do I see??

Another Heartland with a GTI trailer.

I pull along side, go to driver's door and rap. Tractor's so short thought it was a day cab. Unlike Noah, my first 'interview' with an HTLD driver, 84xx never stopped talking in rapid-fire manner, interrupted only by my questions. Doesn't run system like Noah, mostly dedicated, St. Louis~Chicago, Chicago~St. Louis mostly. Regional-Dedicated.

How's he like Heartland after 3-1/2 years? "Trucking sucks," 84xx says, "But I make $45K a year and every, every weekend off. No, it's not much money but where I park I could walk home."

"Brand new Freightliner, has 10K on it so far. Mostly cosmetic, but I'd trade it for a 3-year-old Pro Star right now. Got a blind spot. Two little mirrors on each side of truck I have to rely on. Sucks." (Double mirrors--up and down--mounted on doors, no spots up on the fenders.)

"No one goes west of Colorado, no one. I run Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, mostly. All dedicated accounts. Don't want sent east. Don't want New York. Don't want it."

"Got great accounts," rattling off big box retailers including some, like Lowe's, that I never encountered at Gordon. "Mostly drop and hook."

Thoughts on the Gordon acquisition (he's pulling a GTI trailer)?? "None, absolutely no thought. Hasn't made any change in my job whatsoever." Well, actually, it has I thought, you're driving a Freightliner... but I didn't have much chance to say anything as 84xx rolled on.

Any runs where you're up all day and then dispatched to run all night?? "Never. Never. I mean, it does happen, I'm sure. Just doesn't figure on my runs."

"Just had KFC and got to get this out of the truck," 84xx says as he climbs out, trash bags in hand.

With that done, 84xx climbed back up into his cab, slammed his door shut and drove off...

Summary: Trucking sucks but $45K/year and home every, every weekend works for 84xx. No complaints about Heartland. None. Like Noah said, regionals (HTLD Interview #1, who said HTLD was the best job he'd ever had.) make less with better home time.



Written Monday, June 9, 2014 from the Willow Creek Rest Area, northbound I-39 near Paw Paw, Illinois. All rights reserved.

// 25(2)+2, 84xx barely stopped talking long enough for me to squeeze in a question and I mean, literally, then he slammed his door shut and pulled out. Never got his name and no 'g'day, mate', just got in and drove off without another word or a look back. Never asked me anything, not boo. I definitely plan to talk to both HTLD and GTI whenever possible.

/// Denali, this was a small-footprint, twin-screw tractor with regular dual drives as far as I could tell. Very, very short sleeper. How are you doing?

 

Beyond Here Be Dragons...

"So you'll be here by 2 pm??" Nate asked; he's the shipper/receiver/dispatcher where this load goes.

"Umm, nah, no," I replied. "I'm shooting for before 4, will call if after and park on your lot by the blue building and unload in the morning if much after."

"Great!!" he replied.

Could have made it, too, except for the long ####-chat and rest stop with 84xx back at Willow Creek.

Drove out last night to shipper in Illinois so would have 10 in when loaded in the ahem (morning, to you). Last time had 80,300 on and BOL (bill of lading, aka shipping papers) today showed 44,400. Whoa, I thought. Last load showed 44,000 even. If the load is 300 over like last time and 400 additional product, which the BOL showed, that's too, too close to 1,000 pounds and BOL usually does not include weight of pallets and I've got 22 pallets...

What to do?? I'm told Illinois will allow you 1,000 over (81,000) but if you're over that, they go back to 80,000 and compute your damages (your fine) from there. The BOL refers to these as flatrack loads and flats with no walls or ceiling are lots lighter, can take heavier loads legally than I can.

Well, I'm running up I-39, hunting for a way into Prairie/Postville with less hills than through Dubuque, avoiding all the scales, but turns out pretty close to legal anyway. Gross scales out at 80,300 again, 12K on steers, 34,140 on drives and 34,160. Left doors open until I scaled (there's a scale on-site) and could have moved a couple bags forward. Decided would just run it the way it was. The tandems don't slide very well on this trailer, altho just one hole back would probably bring the tandems down to 34,000.

As my Mexican friends would say, 'No vale la pena' (not worth the trouble to futz with sliding the balky tandem). Anyway, I'm full of fuel and the drives and steers will drop down some as I burn off diesel.

Everything was fine until Galena. Had I checked, my Ipad did not run me through Galena, that was my Garmin and she'll take me down a cowpath if it's 20 feet shorter. (And has.) As I approached Galena, saw that I was climbing the very upper plateau I had so wanted to avoid.

Later on, when I had a better chance to see what my Garmin was doing to me, she had me running right through Dubuque on 20 and right up to that light at the top of the hill that killed a tanker driver about a year back and just tears up drive shafts.

That's what I'm trying to avoid.

So imagine my chagrin as, on the same kind of crazy angle as west of Dubuque on 20, traffic on 20 east of Galena halts for construction and a flagman with a red, stop sign out. Drop gears as I might, could not keep forward momentum without driving over the top of someone.

Fortunately, there's an apron (which west Dubuque on 20 does not have) and I pull off. At least I can see who's behind me and quickly wave three cars forward as the flagman gives us the slow. Oh, I'll be slow. No problem.

The problem is how this old truck will buck and how much I have to feather the clutch to get going while feeling like riding a bucking bronco.

With one hand on the trailer hand-valve, I hold the trailer with that and the brake pedal as I start to let the clutch out. Very, very tense. Just as the truck starts to buck, I let the clutch out full, one more short lurch and we're moving. Cool. I'll take it. Still, it's really steep and I push the ISX, challenge it, really.

The ISX answers, no whimper, a throaty growl at 1500-1600 rpms to get enough momentum to make my shifts. The ISX calls out, 'bring it on'. Good ISX. Good ISX. Go-o-o-od ISX...

Later, when I finally find Plattsville, there are two choices, 80 straight up to 18 which sounds like my best bet, or 81 to Lancaster. I take Lancaster and immediately regret it, enter a long, long stretch of ski slopes--no, EXTREME ski slopes. They were that bad. You need a little run at each one so despite 55 mph speed limit we're reaching 65 mph plus and still barely clearing the tops without pushing the ISX further.

Finally, the really important decision. Stop here in Prairie or push on to Postville 20 miles further?

Well, pizza place in Postville's closed tonight. That's the best Internet reception. Decision made: Prairie first and on to Postville after!!


Written Monday, June 9,2014 at Prairie du Chien. Had fajita salad, half chicken, half beef. Yummy, too. Great panoramic views going into Galena (not quite as sweeping as the Guttenberg overlook onto the Mississippi). Nice view on right hand side in Galena to Ulysses S. Grant home. Not stopping today, but thanks. All rights reserved