Tarping a tall load

ROFLMAO, strangely, I understand your POV and empathize...especially with the breaking a nail aspect.


I guess you should qualify for Honorary status, since you were trained, but the invitation to join us in the insanity is still open.

 

I'm knocking on 60, haven't done it for 12 or so years, and I'm starting again..
I must be insane.
I forgot the hip replacement and arthritis also... lol

 

60 is in my rear view mirror, and halfway to the next milestone.
Been off for 4 years and am looking to come back out, so..yeah, that's insanity but my wife's making me do it, even though she doesn't want me to go. She doesn't make enough money to cover all her wants.

I miss the exercise though, also and the reason to get up the next day. I've tried to keep busy, but it doesn't have the same physical exercise as actually working and having to keep busy. Besides that, my license and stuff is up for renewal, so this is probably the last time to decide to use it or lose it. Already have decided not to renew my FAST card, since I won't go to Mexico, and I haven't gone to Canada yet and with the Vaccine mandate, I won't be getting the vaccine so I won't need to worry about the FAST card to go there.
The arthritis I have is in addition to Fibromyalgia/Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Gout, HBP(controlled so far), staving off Glaucoma, so yeah...use it or lose it, so unless I can physically snap out of it, this will probably be my last rodeo at it, but I want it. I miss the road. Sad, but true. Oh and actually still thinking of getting my own truck....

THAT's insanity.

 

That is insanity.... but I absolutely understand, I wouldn't do it without my own truck.
This is my last truck, I've got 2 years left then I'm done. I'll run my bike restoration thing out of my shop and whever it makes it makes, hopefully enough to pay for the lights what and keep me in rides I like.
I worked entertainment for a lot of years. I am an audio tech, learned to drive because we were ALWAYS short of drivers, and learned stages because we were always short of riggers and guys to put the sl320 up.
I talked to a friend I use to do subcontract work for, they are hoping the touring business is going to pick up again and they have NOBODY left after covid. If things break loose this summer with shows hes going to be in tough waters because his core guys all found more secure work and are not coming back. So... things may change again here later this year. Tho a 14hr day on an arena floor and bouncing around with 11 others on a bus may be past me now. If he had enough regional festival work that I could triple dip on,
(deluver stage on my truck, turn into a rigger build stage, turn Into an audio guy, then...reverse it all at the end... 3 day rates!!!!)
I may be tempted. It's a young man's game tho. And the learning curve for all the new consoles and outboard would be steep.
Or I can just keep hauling freight.

 

We had a lumber truck driver retire this year. He was eighty. He used to tarp quite a bit and on the bad days he'd tarp three different loads. I never heard him complain.
He was a little guy, no fat on him ,real wiry and quick. Full blood American Indian. Still rides horseback in the parades.
The main reason he quit was that his wife, 75, was retiring from the school system and if he didn't stay home with her she'd paint the house and their barn all by herself.

 

Yep, one of the many reasons I've been home for the last 4 years, but there are many others that come into play, that just made getting back out harder to do, but is really hard now, considering I've been off so long...according to the insurance and the company... I may have forgotten how to drive. Yeah, right.

 

The insurance companies are the ones that cause the most problems. We haven't had a Workman Comp claim in over ten years but our rates went up this year.
We get a big break on our regular insurance if we require 5 years of comparable experience. The time was when we didn't have any problem finding good drivers with that much experience.
Now? Good luck finding any.

 

Great informational response that I just learned a few things from!

 

Thanks for helping me to learn some things, tips as well

 

Glad to help ! I sure as heck don't know much but I learn everyday and pass on what I can if someone needs help. The guys that taught me how to do ####, said to pass it on down the line. What is life if we can't all learn from eachother