Letting Go A Piece Of Myself

I feel a little roughed up today.  I got to thinking about something that happened last week.  With my birthday coming up that meant it was time to renew my driver's license.  After a lot of thought I gave up my Class A (trucking) license.  After Carroll Fulmer essentially blackballed me from the trucking industry, I knew I would never drive a semi again.  So it didn't make much sense to carry the endorsement on my license.  Here's why.

If I were to get a ticket of any sort, I can't take the classes to get the points off my license.  And due to the way insurance companies will jack up your rates for any points, I thought it was best to give up my Class A.  Especially if I'm not going to use it. 

If you go to some of the first of my blogs on this site you will see they are about trucking school and trucking in general.  It has been a part of me since 2008.  It like, "how do I not be a truck driver?"  Some of my best songs for my band are about truck driving.  In fact, I think my best song is, in part, about truck driving.  It's such a part of me, and I feel like I've just killed it off.

Despite all the crap that I went through with Covenant, I liked the job.  I had a few great runs, and a great co-driver in Eric.  It was all the paperwork, and things that got screwed up at the front office that I didn't like with them.

Going to Carroll Fulmer was the worst mistake I could have made.  It was one lie after another, and they sent me to some of the shittyist places I've ever been.  There's no way they should have sent me to some of those places.  And all the crap they put on my DAC report just killed any chance I could get on with another company.  In the end it just wasn't worth what any trucking company was paying.  There's a reason they always need truckers. 

So like a lot of things in life, the world isn't split into perfect and awful things (or jobs in this case.)  There was a lot I liked about it.  And there was a lot I didn't like about it.  But regardless it was a piece of me.  And that I will miss.

And for memory's sake, here's a picture of my last truck with Covenant:

And here is a picture of my favorite truck, Trouble.  She was the first one I got after training.

Tough Choices, Evil Empires, and Black Gold

Job hunting is tough all over.  Except for one place.  North Dakota.  Why you ask?  Simply put, black gold, also known as the new oil boom.

The evil empire known as Haliburton has invented a new way to drill.  Instead of drilling from the top of a mountain, they can go in from the side.  They then frak the rock, and suck the oil out.  And there's a lot of oil.  How much?  In twenty years they believe North Dakota alone will out produce Saudi Arabia. 

And that's where I come in.  Or should I say workers from across the United States come in.  Let's be honest, North Dakota is kind of sparse, and doesn't have enough workers.

And they need workers.  Lots of workers.  Heck, even the fast food employees are getting $12-$15 an hour.  And they need truckers.  Lots of truckers to move that black gold from the oil fields to the refineries.  But it is a dangerous job.  I actually had to stop and think what driving a semi truck in North Dakota would be like.  Something like this I suppose.

Ok, hopefully it wouldn't be exactly like that.  It would be more like this.

Then there is the fact that I would be working for Haliburton or one of their underlings.  And we all know what Haliburton means.  It means Dick Cheney will try to shallow your soul.

And with oil comes oil spills.  And no one wants cute animals to die.

But let's get back to talking money.  Yes, it's easy to make $1500 a week, but what are the expenses?  First off, since there are very few people in North Dakota there is very little housing.  What housing there is takes half your paycheck.  And then there's the matter of food.  Food and all other goods have to be shipped in.  They can run quite a bit of money since North Dakota is so far out.  So even if I make a good amount of money, after expenses I don't know if I would have much left.  And I would still have bills to pay. 

I'm not going to make a quick decision on this as I don't want to work in North Dakota during the winter.  Once it hits Springtime I will think long and hard about it.  Different companies up there have options as far as housing and food go.  I would just have to find one that would be a good fit for me.  Oh, and one that would let me keep my soul instead of letting Cheney suck it out.

What Does The Future Hold For Me?

As I am getting my stuff ready for the road, I wonder what the future holds for me?  Hopefully, it won't be a false start like it was with Con-Way.  If it is at least I am only 66 miles from home.

I always liked driving my truck out West.  The interstates are very straight when going East to West and back.  When going from North to South it seems like there are so many branches of interstates it can get kind of complicated in deciding which route to take. 

Since I will be driving solo I will also have to keep an eye on my fuel usage.  As a solo driver you will tend to idle the truck a bit more than team drivers will.  However, I tend to do the things that help to conserve fuel such as not running the truck when I don't have to, and not over-revving the engine when shifting.

During my travels I never really liked going through Kansas.  Actually, I've only been through there twice.  But that was enough.  It's like going back in time to a really angry 1950's.  The billboards are really backwards, as in, they take going back in time to a new level.  I felt the need to do a little modifying to them.

I also worry about the upcoming winter.  I know the South doesn't get too much snow, but even this past Winter in Chattanooga there was snow.  In fact, I was snowed in for about a week.

With a new company also comes new places to fuel up.  That also means new places that I would have to eat.  It can be nerve racking worrying if you have enough hours to make it to a truckstop.  Or, if I will be able to park at a truckstop with any decent food.

I may have to stick with Bologna sandwiches.



The thing about truck driving that a lot of people aren't aware of is that, they can do 90% of what I can do.  It's the other 10% that is completely fear inducing, and is kind of tricky.  But 100% of the time, you have to be paying attention.

The thing I've never figured out is all the people who keep asking for rides.  If any company that I worked for found out that I gave a stranger a ride in their semi truck, I would be fired on the spot.  I had these two very strange weirdos in Texas give me a completely bull crap story about their car breaking down.  And get this.  It supposedly broke down 130 miles away.  Yeah.  It may not be rule number one, but a top ten rule is no hitchers.

I hope I get lots of runs across Interstate 40.  I always like watching all the cows.  The neat thing is the number and types of cows.

You also tend to see other things on the road that aren't so pretty.

The one thing I always know to be on the watch for is BMW drivers.  They are the most arrogant, disrespectful assholes on the road.  They tend to drive their cars like you would play Super Mario Kart.

This will be the first time I will be a solo driver.  I have always been a team driver before, so I've always had someone to talk to.  It will be surprisingly quiet.  It may even be lonely.  I now know why a lot of truckers have pets.

But the one thing that I have learned is to not engage truck drivers in conversation.  They tend to be stupid, complain non-stop, and their attitude sucks.  Not to mention, they curse worse than sailors.

To avoid talking to other truckers I tend to keep myself busy.  I write postcards, play on the computer, play my Nintendo 3DS, write blogs, and other things.

I will keep posting, and keep taking pictures of the road.  Hopefully, this is the start of a very good adventure.

Adrian Gets Back On The Horse

Well, I've finally cooled off from being so angry.  I was not hired by Con-Way.  The way they went about it was cold.  Really cold.  Basically after four days of being in orientation, I talked to a woman who said I had four misdemeanors that I did not report.  I have no clue what she was talking about since I don't have four misdemeanors.  She then proceeded to call me a liar, and told me to get of of the hotel.  When I had arrived at the hotel, sixteen people were invited to orientation.  When I left, there were four remaining.

I was a bit angry.  Yeah, pretty angry.

I kept my cool, packed my bags, and got out of the hotel.  I came straight home, and kind of moped for four days.  On my way home I saw something that I took as a sign.

I saw three semi trucks of the same kind for a company called Carroll Fulmer Trucking.  They were all driving one behind each other.  I figured well, they must be a Florida company, or a company that drives into Florida.  So on Tuesday I gave them a call.

I put my application in, and then I gave them a call.  The good news was that they are a Florida company, drive in Florida, and hire Florida drivers.  Fast forward two days, and they said I was cleared, and I was signed up for orientation on Monday.  The other good news for me was that they drive really nice trucks, not some of the junky trucks I have seen other driver's behind the wheel of.

So on Monday, I will attend orientation for Carrol Fulmer Trucking in Groveland, Fl.  Luckily, it is only 66 miles from the house.  So when I return for home time, I will be able to park the truck in the terminal, and I won't have far to travel to return home. 

After the crap that went down with Con-Way I don't want to say that I am hired with Carrol Fulmer.  I do have to do the usual, 1.  Paperwork, 2.  Physical, 3.  Drug Test, 4.  Road Test, 5.  Backing Test,  6.  More paperwork, 7.  Learning how their system(s) work, and how to fill out their forms correctly.  If I do get hired, I will hit the road immediately.  Since the terminal is so close to the house, I am taking everything with me so I can load up the truck right then.

They mostly move freight in the Southeast, but I can be sent anywhere in the lower 48 states.  I've actually never run too much freight in the Southeast.  I've mostly run out West and back.  But for year round trucking, the South should be a nice place to run.

As I get internet connections I will keep everyone updated on my happenings.  I will make sure to take pictures of what I see.  I never know what I will run into.

Getting Hired Is Kind Of Like The Movie "Highlander"

"In the end there can be only one!"  If you've seen any of the Highlander movies or the TV show you know that's the catchphrase.  It is also very true of trying to be hired at Con-Way/ CFI.  Here's what's happened so far:

Funny, I don't feel Scotish. 

There were supposed to be 16 people in my class.  8 were told not to show up because they did not qualify.  That brings the new total to 8.  Somehow, only 6 made it to the hotel.  So then, on the first day of class we are told we are not hired yet.  No one has a contract.  Maybe only half of us will be hired.  We were flat out told that out of every 200 applications, Con-Way would hire 5 drivers. 

Truthfully, I was not feeling good about this.  Today, another driver got the axe due to a recent accident.  Now the class total is down to 5.  Now, I'm really not feeling good about this.  The instructor said he liked me, and that I was more intelligent than the usual dumb asses that come through there.  However, that doesn't guarantee anything.

Tomorrow is the driving and backing test.  It will be the first time I will drive a 13 speed semi truck.  Our instructor said that only one person has failed the driving (road) test in three years.  So I figure as long as I take it easy, and don't hit anyone I am safe.  I'm not too worried about the backing as I am usually pretty good at backing on a backing course.  Usually all the dimensions are the same, and it's like backing into the same dock every time. 

In the end I just want to be able to work for a good company.  I also want a big, red shiny Kenworth.

Under The Mountain In Salt Lake City

As I sit here in the Flying J at Salt Lake City, Utah I realize I have a lot of time on my hands.  That means it's picture time.  I was looking at the mountains yesterday, and knew I should take some pictures of them.  However, my batteries have a habit of dying quickly.  That, or my camera chews them up like pieces of gum.  I suspect a little bit of both.  But I did manage to get them recharged, and they were ready to go this morning.

A lot of people think that Salt Lake City is in the middle of the desert, but that's not so.  It's more on the side of the desert.  It sits underneath a series of mountains.  So there is quite a bit of vegatation and water around the area.  Like a lot of Western cities they get their water from pack ice off the mountains. 

It's always an interesting trip driving into Salt Lake from Wyoming.  You go up and down the mountains for about an hour.  Going from East to West it is mostly downhill.  However, going from West to East with a heavy load is always interesting.  Going up the mountain with a combined weight of 70,000 to 80,000 pounds makes the truck go slow.  Really slow.  As in, you are creeping up the hill at 25 MPH while all the cars go by you at 55 to 65 MPH.

Once you get into Salt Lake City, and finally park you can see how beautiful the area is.  Here are the pictures I took this morning.

Adrian Gets a Ticket, Gets a Bonus Out Of It

The Scene:  My Co-driver had just driven through Illinois and Iowa, and was just entering the Flying J in Nebraska.  It was five in the morning, and I was feeling good so I took over.  I had only driven five miles when I hit the weigh station in Lincoln, Nebraska.  As I put the truck on the scales the light stayed red for just a few seconds too long.  That's when I knew something bad was about to happen.

"Driver, pull your truck to the side, come inside.  Bring your logs, licences, and paperwork," said the disembodied voice.  Just great, a D.O.T. inspection.

As I walked in, the D.O.T. Officer told me my right front headlight was out.  My co-driver had been driving all night and didn't notice.  I had only been driving for a few minutes, and didn't notice either.  What made me mad is that, this must have just happened.  The truck had a complete preventative maintenance inspection performed on her only one week before. 

I handed the officer all my paperwork and licences, and gave him all my information.  He told me he had to give me a "Fix-it Ticket" for the headlight.  What that is for those who don't know, is that, I get the part repaired that needs repaired, and have a Law Enforcement Officer sign off on the repair.  I don't pay a fine, I don't have to go to jail, or do community service.  I just have to get it fixed and signed off.  Hence the term fix-it ticket.

The officer then tells me that my paperwork inspection is all clear, and that I passed that no problem.  He then gives me the fix-it ticket and the clear inspection paperwork.  He then very nicely informs me that I can have a D.O.T. Officer at the North Platte, Nebraska scale house sign off on the paperwork. 

I then head to the T.A. to grab a new headlight.  I then had to fight Cassie the Cascadia to give up that blasted headlight.  It took me asking a mechanic how to get that stupid thing out, and even then I had to resort to breaking out my channel-locks to remove it.  But I got the new light bulb in, and got it working.

It was then, and only then that I called our company's citations department.  I told them what happened, and that I had already got the bulb repaired, and I would put the expense down on my expense sheet.  Needless to say, the citation department was happy with all my efforts.

And then!  It was then that I let my dispatcher know what had happened, and that I repaired the bulb, let citations know what happened, and would have the D.O.T. Officer in North Platte sign off on the repair. 

I also let him know what had happened the day before.  I basically sweet-talked the Sears Distribution Center in Illinois give us a load early.  There was a paperwork snafu, and we were told to get a load at 18:00 that day instead of the next day.  So I talked them into loading the trailer early, and I managed to get it out that night.  Then something happened that had never happened before.  I was given a complement by a dispatcher.  He told me, "Thanks for all the effort out there."

I then made my way to the North Platte, Nebraska scale house.  The D.O.T. officer was less than nice to me, but did sign off on my paperwork.  I then faxed it to the citations department along with the clean inspection report.

And then, something happened that had never happened before (yet again.)  I got a message across the Qualcomm (our truck computer) that I had gotten a bonus for a clean inspection, and it would appear on my next paycheck.  My co-driver had to tell me that the amount for a clean inspection was $75.00.  I had to ask him, "So I just made $75.00 for a blown light bulb?"  Sometimes this is one weird company. 

Now, I will mail in the signed off fix-it ticket to the Nebraska D.O.T.  I will chalk this up to one of my weirdest days of work in a very long time.

Cassie the Cascadia

I have told my friends about the new truck I'm driving.  It's a Freightliner Cascadia that I've named Cassie.  She's very German in that, the seats are very stiff, and almost L shaped.  The transmission is also very stiff and rugged as well as unforgiving.  She has a Detroit Diesel 15 engine.  Right now the odometer reads 255,000 miles, so she's not quiet broke in yet. 

I just had the mechanics do a preventative maintaince performed on her.  That's when they go over everything, and make sure she can pass a D.O.T. inspection.  So right now she is running pretty good for a Freightliner. 

It's always weird driving someone else's truck.  You never know how long you will be driving that truck.  For me, I never know if it will be two weeks or another year.  I once had a truck that I really liked get called in because the mileage so too high.  So that meant it was time for them to sell it. 



But all I can do right now is treat her as well as I can.  That's what I plan on doing, and to keep rolling down the highway.