to all end dump haulers...

You’re absolutely right about the staying out. And this week was abnormally absurd. Every truck stop the fuel lanes were full, no one with a hose in their tank. I understand the guy who pulled up taking awhile, so you run in, then he leaves and when you come out you look like the butt head that didn’t pull up. But that can’t be the case all the time. I loaded rail scrap in Little Rock Monday, got there at 2:45 and they said you have to be on property at 2:30 to get loaded. Great. So spent the afternoon in Little Rock. It went to Webster SD and they had a blizzard goin across SD. So I came up to KC, did some local work Wednesday and then took off up north. The roads were open in the morning. They weren’t GREAT, but they weren’t bad either. It was however one of the worst spots I’ve ever had to dump a frameless. Tight, uneven, leaning rutted out and covered in ice. I reloaded fert in Iowa and came back to KC. Friday I unloaded that, and the chick was having car trouble so just dumped that and came home. Thank god that week is done. Friday afternoon dispatch called and said the asphalt plants are cranking up, concrete is starting and if I wanted to come back local. Thank god. Sometimes the monotony of local is boring and frustrating, but when you have a bad day you can go home and de stress. And start over. I like running the road, I like seeing different places and loading interesting ####. But it’s not worth the headache to deal with these idiots at the truck stops anymore. I honestly do not know how guys can stay out weeks, months at a time. I’ll be happy to do local stuff til it dies off in winter then hit the road. After about 3 months I’ve wet my appetite and it’ll hold me over for awhile.

SD Highway 20

One plus about hauling heavy steel is it very seldom freezes. A couple spikes my freeze up here and there but for the most part it comes crashing out, and takes everything in its path with it.

 

Lol i know EXACTLY where you delived to. I live less then 15 minutes from there. I see you stomping around mah back yard.

As for the staying out part as one of those idiots who stays out.....yea im getting pretty burned out. Its like the collective IQ of drivers drops by 25% every single year. Trying to find parking, showers, food or well anything anymore is like pulling teeth sometimes.

 

What bums me out on the road is the lack of professionalism, I get in my head too much when I’m surrounded by guys in pajama pants at 3 in the afternoon, the overwhelming stench of urine in the truck stops, and the wonderful wait for a shower at the end of the day, only to go back to my truck and eat my microwave meal in the confines of my own company, it leaves me asking myself more often than not, “why am I doing this?” I know that’s a crappy attitude to have, and some days I work through it but I can honestly say that’s what holds me back from going back out on the road, can anyone relate, or am I way out in left field ?

 

All that an plus some. It sure is a different world today then when i started almost 30 yrs ago. I find the lack of parking an a good place to sit down an eat harder an harder to deal with. I end up eating out of the truck most of the week. Certainly glad to be home on weekends now.

 

I’ll add too, the southeast, Florida especially, has become so overrun with bad attitudes and bad drivers, anytime we venture to Missouri for vacation it’s definitely a different pace, I’m sure it gets hectic up around St. Louis but down in Cape Girardeau it’s pretty peaceful and laid back.

 

You’re so right. I try to avoid truck stops like the plague for overnight parking. I’ll either try to make it to a customer or find somewhere else to hide out. It’s bad enough trying to find a parking spot in a truck stop, and then you have to try to think like these morons and ask yourself “ok where might some one park, can I get out?” And inevitably they come up with something I wouldn’t have dreamed of. Creating spots long ways in the row in front of you, or clogging an exit/entry way. It’s unbelievable the lack of common sense and courtesy.

No dude I think the same thing. When I got turned away in Little Rock they were very nice and told me “it’s not a great area you’re welcome to stay here, although I know it’s a long time” well screw it im here now and it’s better than risking someone backing into me at night. As I was making my turkey sandwich and eating an applesauce my gf text me her and her friends were goin out to dinner and it was a nice evening they were going to take the dog on a walk. Suddenly the confines of a sleeper and my 14th sandwich of the week didn’t look so appealing. I live in literally the only area JK runs locally, and the rates are very good on the local side, it’s CLOSE to what it pays running the road. Close enough for me anyway.

 

I love Southeast MO for all the reasons you just stated. It’s spread out, and just has that laid back atmosphere. Especially now that MO is a rec pot legal state, it probably will be now more than ever! I meant to tell you we are going to Jensen Beach this summer. My girlfriends brother has a vacation house there and offered it to us to stay so we couldn’t turn that down. Looking forward to being there, but after reading some of your posts about SE Florida, sounds like I’m not looking forward to getting there.

 

There’s too few of us out here who are still “old school”, I have nothing in common with the generation that I share the highways with, although I’m not even 40 yet, Ive spent 20 of those years trucking, and those that don’t know me think I’m just a grumpy old man, I have a few good friends and I’m good with that, and at least a few of us ag haulers on here that I can shoot the breeze with, so it’s not all doom and gloom

 

Be glad you dont need to do laundry in them. The loves im at atm has all their machines down right now because someone tried to wash stuff covered in motor oil or some #### and the machines are all splattered. Last week they were all broken who knows why amd the week before that someome had quite literally taken a crap in one of the machines and there were 12 guys fighting over the other one.

Im actully going to get an uber over to the nearest laundromat at this rate.

 

Just an update for ya. Fertilizer an seed beans are kicking in for us. I was given 2 loads to do for next couple days an by end of the day boss found me 2 back hauls to go with it. Said probably be busy now for a bit. Rates aren't bad as i look to make a grand for a couple days work an then load Friday an head home.