Border Town

Lori got her first taste of "international" trade. The "high value" load her and Tamara had picked up in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts was some sort of resin destined for the auto manufacturing industry in Mexico. That meant they had to bring the trailer to a transfer yard in Laredo, Texas where a Mexican driver in a Mexican truck picked up their trailer and took it across the border.

They then spent the day waiting for another Mexican truck to bring a trailer filled with flowers across the border so they can take it to three different destinations: Houston, Texas; Alsip, Illinois (just outside of Chicago); and then a final stop at Stoughton, Wisconson south of Madison. The trailer arrived just 30 minutes before the transfer lot was going to close for the night, which would have meant an overnight wait.

In many ways, Laredo is your typical border town; crowded, dirty, and a bit rundown. But Lori says there's also a lot of new develoment. It appears NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) is having a positive impact on the local economy. It also seems to be a regular destination for Prime as Lori saw a number of their trucks coming and going during the day.

The travel plan at this point (which the fleet manager/dispatcher promised will happen) is for Lori and Tamara to be back home in Southern California sometime this Sunday. Lori has made several appointments for Monday, not the least of which is a dentist appointment to get a permanent crown installed. Given the challenges involved with scheduling and rescheduling dentist appointments, we're hoping the fleet manager can get them a load that brings them back into California.

Tamara has also made arrangements for some work to be done on the truck while they're in California, so Lori may have the chance to spend a few days at home.

Security Blues

Sure, we understand the need for security but the precautions in place at Lori's latest shipper seem a bit extreme. We can't tell you where this load was picked up (at least until it's delivered) because it's a "high value load" but Lori has made a note what to expect next time we're here.

Lori and her trainer, Tamara, arrived at the front gate and were told to come into the guard shack with their IDs. Seems they would have to watch a safety video and take a test before they would be allowed in. No problem.

Since there was just one computer, Tamara went first, after which she headed to the truck and drove in. Lori asked the guard if she should take her test now and he said no, only one person per truck could enter. So Lori got to sit at a small table in the guard shack for the next four hours. She had no phone, no food or water, and NOTHING to do. She wasn't even allowed to walk to the truck to get something and come back. Needless to say, it was a long and frustrating day.

If we ever go back to this place, one of us will get dropped off at the local mall or movie theatre!

Really? Why!? - Part II

At this point, Mike isn’t a truck driver. He’s still working for a city in Southern California in a middle-management position that deals closely with the public and the media. His salary is above average, the medical benefits are better than most jobs, the retirement plan is generous, and he likes and respects his co-workers. So why is he considering becoming a truck driver?

The better question is why is Mike ready to leave local government. From a practical standpoint, the political climate in the city he works for is unstable. It’s likely that this November’s City Council election will result in a council majority that wants to fire the current City Manager - which often brings with it a shakeup in the entire management staff. Mike’s been through that situation enough times in his 26-year career to know it’s not something he wants to go through again.

And he’s not terribly anxious to go to work for another city (and he'll become eligible for retirement benefits on his 50th birthday this August). It's not the work that he objects to but rather the public's changing attitude about it. More and more people have developed an entitlement view of government. They believe government - at all levels - has an obligation to give them exactly what they want; not because it's right or just or fair but simply because they're "entitled" to it. (This same attitude is becoming more frequent in many areas but that's a topic for another post!) And if they don't get it it's because the elected officials and/or city staff are corrupt, inept, lazy or all three. Same thing if government does something they disagree with.

It's especially frustrating at the local level because it's so easy for folks to walk right into City Hall or a council meeting and tell you how bad you are. And they do. State and federal officials are immune to attacks at such a personal level because people just don't have that kind of access to the state capital, Congress, or the White House.

Mike believes in the First Amendment and the public's right to address their government as much as the next guy. And of course there have always been people more than willing to exercise those rights. But nowadays there's more of them, their attacks have become more frequent, vicious, and personal, and they've developed political clout. The candidates they put on the ballot and the ballot issues they support are winning more frequently. Not only has that created a discouraging work environment for local government employees, in Mike's opinion it has resulted in bad public policy decisions that will negatively affect the quality of life in many communities. It's a frustrating situation that he'd rather not be a part of any longer - at least not as an employee.

So why trucking instead of some other profession? Well, there's a lot about it that's attractive to both Mike and Lori. Taking long driving trips has always been something they like to do, even before they met. Few other jobs let you experience first hand the vast and varied beauty of this country. They also like the independence that comes with being the "captain of their own ship" out on the road. That's even more true as a lease operator with Prime since they'll be able to control when they run, where they run, and how much money they can make.

We think this gives you a good idea of why we've decided to go down this road. We hope you decide to be a part of our journey by visiting the blog often and sharing any comments you might have.

No Respect

We'd be the first to admit that our opinion of truckers - when we actually bothered to think about them - was indifferent at best. About the only time we gave them a second thought was when we were cursing them for either driving too slowly or too fast and recklessly. Like most people, we thought they were more of a nuisance than anything else, so we didn't give them or the work they do the respect they deserve.

That all changed, though. For Lori, it was when she started driving a truck. Nothing changes your perspective like walking - or, in this case, driving - a mile in someone else's shoes. Taking control of 80,000 pounds of machine and cargo gave her a whole new appreciation of why truckers drive the way they do and the "real" work that it is.

Lori's also had the opportunity to spend time with truckers, newcomers as well as some real veterans, as has Mike when he went to spend Christmas with Lori at Prime's headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. While truckers can be a bit more independently minded than other folks, they're just people like everyone else. They've got families, bills to pay, opinions about religion and politics, and the same sort of hopes and worries as the rest of us.

But they also have a passion for trucking. You can hear it in their voices when they swap stories. And do they ever like to swap stories! It seems everybody's got one or two (or more) that they're just waiting to tell to whomever will listen. We hope to share some of the best ones right here (both our own and other's) in the future.

You also come to realize they must have a passion for what they do because they keep doing it, in spite of the many challenges that go along with this profession. Even with all the positive things there are about being a truck driver, you've got to respect someone who makes the sacrifices they do so we can have easy access to the "stuff" we take for granted every day.

Without trucks, America stops

Here's a poem written by Dan Baker, a nationally-known speaker, teacher, and consultant to the trucking industry (visit his website from our Favorite Links section). He has also written a number of songs and poems, including the one below about the value of truckers in our everyday lives. It's a down-home, heartwarming story that captures the essence of our new understanding about trucking.

Daddy Was a Trucker
by Dan Baker

It was his turn next in Sunday School class,
To tell 'em what his daddy did.
The lesson that day was on the way,
That daddies loved their kids.

One kid's daddy was a doctor.
Another's was a CPA
The teacher said their daily bread,
Was bought with their daddy's pay.

The teacher looked at the little boy.
He could tell he was about to cry.
He figured something must be wrong,
So he quietly asked him why.

The little guy with tear-filled eyes,
Said, "Ya'll have all the luck,
Your dads are rich, they drive big cars,
And mine just drives a truck."

The teacher spun his wheelchair around;
He grimly faced the class.
"I've taught you well, but I'll burn in hell,
'fore I let that statement pass.

"You kids see me as a Sunday School teacher,
Just a cripple with a lesson plan.
But down inside these twisted legs,
Are the bones of a truckin' man.

"I was a high-rollin', hammer-stompin', pill-poppin' dude,
'Til the ice on Interstate 10,
Sent the finest ol' rig that a bank ever bought,
To the bottom of the Rio Grande.

"Not much to tell about what came next,
'Cept this ol' wheelchair I ride,
And now and then, I teach your class,
So the Lord will know I tried.

"And I've tried, young fellas; I've tried real hard,
Just to pay for all I've done.
But I'm gonna close the Good Book now,
And talk to the truckerman's son.

"He's a truckerman, son, do you hear me?
Don't give me that hang-dog look.
You're the son of a gear-jammin' king of the slab,
Who's a winner in any man's book.

"Who feeds you, boy? Does the grocery store?
Does the fast-food joint down the street?
Or some eighteen wheeler, runnin' all night long,
Bringin' home every bite you eat?

"There's not a thing you'll use today,
That some ol' trucker didn't bring.
Somebody's daddy rolled all night long,
So you could do your thing.

"Your thing, my thing, this country's thing,
The whole thing rolls on wheels.
We're kept alive by the men that drive.
These men God made out of steel.

Really? Why!? – Part I

That’s the response we typically get whenever we tell someone we want to be truck drivers. It’s an understandable reaction. After all, Mike has worked in local government for nearly 26 years while Lori has spent the past several years as a successful real estate agent. Not the kind of work experience you would expect to see on the job application for an 18-wheel truck driver.

While there have been a few interesting twists and turns along the way, our lifestyle has been that of a typical Southern California suburban family. We had every reason to believe our lives would continue along that same path as we advanced into middle age and our children became college students and graduates, husbands and wives, and parents of their own kids.

But as He so often does, God changed the circumstances of our lives. Instead of worrying about it (which we did for a little while), we decided to trust Him and pursue whatever opportunities He might put in our path, not try to knock down any doors He closed along the way, and adjust our attitudes accordingly.

The one thing about being a real estate agent is that, if no one is buying houses, you’re not making any money. The mortgage industry meltdown and resulting downturn in the real estate market meant Lori went from being one of the top producers in her office to having no sales in over three months. Knowing we needed two incomes to meet our financial obligations, Lori started looking for another job but nothing presented itself - despite Lori’s best efforts.

That’s when her brother, who’s been a truck driver for over 10 years, suggested Lori think about learning to drive a truck. He invited Lori to ride with him and his wife for a few weeks to see if she liked it. If she did, his company – Prime, Inc. – had a driver training program where Lori could get paid while she trained. We figured why not; she could manage the handful of real estate listings she still had from the road using her cell phone while Mike would provide whatever in-person support service was needed back home.

Lori loved being on the truck so she started the training program, got her commercial driver’s license, and is currently putting in her required 70,000 miles as a “B seat” driver with her trainer, another middle-aged, Christian grandma who lives in the same area as us. The two of them get along great; it’s too perfect of a match to not be a “God thing.”

Once Lori completes her B seat requirements (probably in late April or early May), she’ll be eligible to operate her own truck for the company, either as a direct employee or an independent operator driving a leased truck.

As for real estate, Lori has transferred her listings to another agent in her office and periodically gets phone calls from potential clients, which she refers to an agent friend of hers. Should any of the listings sell or the referrals result in a buy or sell, Lori would get a referral fee. But given the current condition of the market, that’s not likely to happen any time soon. For all practical purposes, Lori has made the transition from real estate agent to long haul trucker.

So where does Mike fit into all this? Well, that’s the subject of another post!