Running with JCT, Part Deux

Oh my gosh! Tim called and told me the original thread had been shut down and I was like WHAAAAT? So I had to come over here and see for myself. Before I got to the original thread to read the ending to the story ... I found this continuation thread. I called him right back and told him he still had a place to hang out, over here. Wow, too bad it had to end like that, but very glad to see this one. Poor Sharpp ... he has nothing to return to over at his place.

I have not been posting lately because I stayed home this time, didn't ride along with Tim. Our last trip out together proved to be a bit much for me. Got scared too many times while out there in that crazy winter weather from before Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve when we finally got back home to Florida. We drove through every weather possible ... well, almost. Started with rain, then snow, ice, sleet, slush as we traveled up 95 from FL to PA. Then we went across 80 to Wyoming, Utah and down to California. The snow was gone for awhile, then appeared again in Nebraska, where I had to buy a jacket at a truck stop, and thank God I did. When we got to Wyoming we felt cold like we had never felt cold before ... it was windy and something like 14 below zero up there, it hurt my face while walking across the truck stop lot (4 miles, I swear) to the bathrooms. Cheyenne Wyoming truck stops had 6 inch thick ice on the pavement, it was hard to walk without slipping and sliding. We drove over passes that scared me to death, saw bloody animal (I hope that's all it was) carcasses on the highway, drove over ice and snow while being blown around by high winds in the dark when it was hard to see the road ahead due to all the blowing snow. I prayed like a nun. We saw lots of trucks lying on their sides in the medians, blown over by the winds over in the San Bernardino Valley in California. The snow was gone but now we had wind to worry about. We were sent all the way to Southern California and we got to see the Pacific Ocean and feel the warm sun while we waited to get unloaded at some place where we dropped off some pigs feet that were going to China. (to get pickled?) That was the first really relaxing time of the trip, about 3 weeks in. Then we drove up 10 for awhile, so close to Mexico that we could see it right there, almost arms length away. Pretty cool. But then we needed a load to go home and we had to go get chicken at "Trucker You're Staying Over Night" ... and we stayed overnight, I think for a couple nights, if I remember right. When we left that lovely resort, we headed home to Florida with our chicken only to encounter more storms, rain and wind that rocked the truck like it was a Tonka toy ... and luckily we managed to stay ahead of the tornadoes that seemed to be chasing us. I can't even remember where in the heck we were, Tim would know. Anyway, when we finally got into Florida I wanted to kiss the ground at the welcome rest stop. It was finally warm again and we were tired and so ready to get home. Why is it that just entering the state of Florida makes me feel like we're already home when we still have hours and hours to drive, I don't know. But that's how it is, we are home and can relax again. The stress just seems to dissipate. So after delivering the chicken, driving to our town and parking the truck in it's safe place we drove the three miles to the house. It was still there, I worry about that for some reason. Nobody had moved in and staked a claim while we were gone almost 5 weeks. So, all that to say I'm still home. He is currently out on his second trip since we got home for Christmas. He's been out a little over 3 weeks now and is working his way back again. I miss going out. He describes what he is seeing and he got to go all the way up to Washington this time and I'm so jealous that I didn't get to see all that he did, but at the same time I'm glad I was home. He's been driving in some hellacious conditions (as you all have been, I know). Some of the things he tells me about the road conditions and the weather he's driving in just amaze me. You all are heroes. Really.

OK, didn't mean to come in here and write a novel. Just wanted to say that I'm so glad you continued this discussion. It was a great place to hang out after a long day driving (or in my case, riding). The info is good, the energy of the discussion is mostly positive and it's a great place for the JCT drivers to talk to each other. I know Tim looks forward to coming over to see what everyone is chatting about, where everyone is, how you're all doing. While I was riding with him he always asked me to get out my iPad and check on the forum and read it to him while he was driving. It's a good place to be, a friendly place. So thanks again. Annie

 

what kind of trailers does JCT pull? dry van, reefer, flat?

if you are home based in FL where do most of your loads go? was told by one company most would be NE.

 

LOL, that's great! When do they let him come back? Tim said he's on a little "vacation" from posting.

 

Tim can answer that in more depth but from what I remember, he takes juice out of Florida from Tropicana in Tampa. On one trip that I went with, we took juice to TN and OK. Another time we took it to PA. He usually takes juice out of Florida and brings chicken into Florida when he returns. With a LOT of other loads inbetween.

 

You all can come to our house here in Florida. I'll buy the beer! It's warm here ... nice beer drinking weather. Tim should be home by then. (I hope.)