Catching up

Sorry we haven’t been able to post lately. This current trip hasn’t left much time for writing as we’ve been driving 12-14 hours each day, taking 10 hours off, and then hitting the road again.

We left Fort Morgan, CO around 4:30 Friday afternoon. We "bobtailed" (drove without the trailer) into downtown Fort Morgan Friday morning, did some window shopping, and enjoyed a nice lunch "al fresco."

The weather has been great, a perfect Labor Day weekend. I never realized how rural northern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are. Despite there being big cities like Chicago, Toledo, and Cleveland along our route, we’ve seen as many corn and soy bean fields in those states as we did in Nebraska and Iowa.

We also saw a perfect Labor Day weekend portrait at a farm house near the highway; a big family gathering complete with badminton, picnic tables, lots of folks sitting on lawn chairs, and the grill smoking away. We hope all of you had a great “last weekend of summer.”

We did get a chance to stop by Iowa 80, “The World’s Largest Truckstop.” It’s got to be big to hold two semi-truck tractors and a full length cab and trailer! Enjoy the photos.

A bad streak

A new day is dawning - and we’re still sitting in Fort Morgan.

We arrived at about noon yesterday after dropping a trailer full of canned Arizona tea in Longmont, CO and spending the night at a local truck stop. We had spent most of the day at Prime's yard in Denver since we couldn't drop the tea until midnight. I practiced backing up the trailer for about two hours, developing a blister on the right palm from spinning the steering wheel back and forth. I only "spilled orange blood" (ran over an orange practice cone) once.

The instructions for this current load said get the trailer to Cargill Meat in Fort Morgan ASAP, so we did. And then the waiting began. Lori tells me there usually isn’t this much waiting around so I must be having beginner’s luck (all bad!) this week when it comes to getting in and out of shippers and receivers.

Once this load is ready (which they tell us will be 4:00 p.m. today), we’ll have 3 to 4 days of driving as we’re heading to Assonet, MA and Norwich, CT by Tuesday morning. We’re planning a stop at the world’s biggest truck stop, Iowa 80 in Walcott, IA, since it’s along the way. Our route also includes a trip over the George Washington Bridge into New York City and the Bronx. Lori says I get to be a “tourist” since this will be my first trip through “the City.” After that, no more excuses; I’ll have to drive.

Despite having to wait, this is actually a pretty good load since it will be next to impossible to get a new load over this weekend because of the Labor Day holiday. By the time we’re ready to get another assignment it’ll be Tuesday afternoon and everyone will be back to work.

I’m going to take a look at the Internet and see what there is to do here in Fort Morgan, CO. We really don’t want to hang out at Wal-Mart like we did yesterday. There’s a tour of the meat packing plant here at 10 this morning but I think we’re going to pass. It’s depressing enough seeing all the trailers full of steers going in one end of the plant and then coming out empty at the other. But hey, if you want steaks…

A wierd bit of heaven

I never thought that taking a shower would strike me as a little bit of heaven.

It’s amazing how quickly the things we used to take for granted take on a new importance now that we’re “on the road.” This morning’s shower was a perfect example. I was amazed how much I enjoyed simply standing in a hot shower, something I haven’t had the chance to do since Sunday morning (even though sponge baths are an everyday occurrence). It was also a perfect “pick me up” after spending the night in a loading dock sleeping with one ear open for a call over the CB telling us that our trailer was loaded and ready to go (which happened at 4:30 in the morning).

I did all the driving today, some 530 miles to Colby, KS. I’m looking forward to another new bit of heaven I’ve discovered; a full night of uninterrupted sleep!

"Two Forks" up

There are lots of ways to indicate the quality of a restaurant but we saw what had to be the highest recommendation we can think of; a string of NASCAR car haulers sitting in the parking lot outside a restaurant off I-40 in Henryetta, Oklahoma.

We had seen a steady stream of NASCAR haulers heading westbound on I-40 all morning long as they made their way from yesterday’s race in Bristol, TN to this weekend’s race in Fontana, CA. A couple of billboards for the Pig Out Palace restaurant had also caught our attention, so we were on the lookout for it wondering how a place with a name like that would look. We weren’t disappointed.

There it sat, right off the highway with a low-slung roof, giant sign, gravel parking lot and a long row of car haulers. If there’s anybody that knows good food it has got to be truck drivers who work in the stock car industry. We made a note in our list of truck stops so we can be sure and stop by next time we’re coming through here (it’s open 24 hours!).

See for yourself what they have to offer by visiting their website here.

P.S. - We're currently sitting at a shipper in Fort Gibson, OK waiting to get called to the loading dock. I'll be driving for a couple of hours after we get finished here.

First day of driving

I have now driven officially for Prime, Inc.

We picked up a loaded trailer at Prime’s yard with heading for Oklahoma City. It’s a short trip scheduled for delivery at 11:00 o’clock tonight. Short and sweet; a good first trip for me.

While we were checking out, two more of my classmates were picking up bus tickets home. I estimate that about half of my class did not make it out onto the road with an instructor.

I drove for 3½ hours and then swapped seats with Lori (after a nice in-truck dinner of salad) so she could take the load the rest of the way in. I got a little taste of various driving situations; merging, up and down hills, changing highways, and even some “big city” freeway driving through Tulsa. I didn’t hit anything, so I count it a success!

We’re pre-planned to pickup another load in Fort Gibson, OK tomorrow evening that’s due for delivery in Longmont, CO (just north of Denver) late Wednesday. I think we jinxed ourselves by saying we hoped we wouldn’t have to drive through Denver this week since the Democratic Convention is there. Oh, well. With any luck we’ll be able to skirt around any congestion.

Classmates

I’ve had a chance to observe and get to know a number of my classmates this week. Here are a few observations.

The effect of the slowdown in the economy is apparent here. On the one hand, Prime is bringing on a lot of new drivers; 400 so far this year with plans to bring on another 400 by the end of the year. As smaller, less efficient trucking companies are closing their doors, Prime is picking up the slack.

On the other hand, many of the trainees are here because they’ve lost their job and haven’t been able to find a new one – many for a number of months. Prime’s training program is a great opportunity for folks as it includes free transportation to the training facility, free room and board during the week-long orientation, a $240 per week advance while you work towards your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and then a $600 per week minimum pay check while you finish up your 80,000 miles of training. From what I’ve heard, there’s not a better training program out there, especially when many private truck driving schools charge $4,000 to $6,000 to get a CDL.

I wish only the best for all of my classmates but I believe (and statistics prove it) that a lot of them will not make it through the training phase; some because they can’t pass the written learner’s permit test, others because they’re just not cut out for this lifestyle, and still others because they don’t have the right attitude to prosper under Prime’s performance/incentive-based pay system.

I’ve also had the chance to meet folks from all over the country and all types of backgrounds. In a class of 31 students, there were people from Florida to Minnesota ranging in age from 23 to 60 (I was afraid I’d be the oldest person in class; I’m only the fourth oldest!)

I’m looking forward to seeing how everybody does in the trucks. I hope it doesn’t turn into a bumper car ride!

Catching our breath

Whew, this week has been a whirlwind. We arrived in Springfield Sunday evening to a nice surprise; Prime would supply us with a room in their motel facility while we were both in training this week. That sure beats the heck out of sleeping in the truck or getting a “bunk room” at the main terminal.

Our classes started Tuesday morning so we spent all day Monday getting the truck looked after. The shop at the terminal was able to replace the 12-volt power outlets and install an additional side view mirror but couldn’t get the auxiliary power unit repaired (despite a couple hours of effort). We had an appointment for a front-end alignment, so the shop delayed the APU repair work and we headed over to a nearby truck tire shop. In the meantime, Prime’s repair folks made an appointment for us at another repair shop that could fix the APU (which they did while we enjoyed a movie at the theatre in the terminal building).

By that time it was back to the motel to get some sleep before our 5:45 a.m. wake-up call. Over the next three days, it was in and out of various classes for both of us. Bottom line – Mike has his Commercial Vehicle Learner’s Permit and Lori is all set to teach him how to get his Commercial Driver’s License.

A few more classes on Friday morning and then all the newbies get to drive around the practice pad and meet their instructors. I’ve got a bit of a leg up on the rest of the class since I’ve been driving around the practice pad (forward and backward) on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. Most of the trainees will head out with their instructors on their first load assignment late Friday or early Saturday. Lori and I have decided to stay until at least Sunday afternoon so we can go to church here in Springfield at our “home church away from home.”

A BIG thank you

A big thank you to all our friends and family who helped us celebrate Mike’s retirement and our transition into this new phase of life. Your love and support mean so much to us.

REALLY real

There’s no doubt about it now. Mike is typing this in the passenger seat of the truck as he and Lori drive down US-54 hauling 43,637 pounds of chuck rounds, chuck steak, shoulder clods and chuck roast.

Mike’s also decided that he’s going to switch from “third person” to “first person” in writing this log. (Now that I’m just a truck driver, it takes too much brain power to write like I’m talking about somebody else.)

It’s been a whirlwind since I walked out of Yorba Linda City Hall for the last time as an employee on Friday afternoon. Lori and I did some last minute packing, our son Jason drove us up to the TA truck stop in Barstow to meet Curtis and Candy as they came across from Bakersfield with a trailer full of ground almonds headed for the Mars candy factory in Pennsylvania.

Lori and I throw all of our stuff up into the cab and settled into our places for the ride to Denver. With four people in the truck, switching places was a bit like a Chinese fire drill: one person in the driver’s seat, one in the passenger’s seat, one in the lower bunk, the other in the upper bunk, and Percy the pub laying on the floor or up on the lower bunk.

In the course of 20 hours on the road, we went from 100-degree heat in Las Vegas, to rain/snow in the Rockies, to a downpour and overflowing creek beds in Denver (which made for a damp transfer of clothes and supplies from one truck to the other).

No more riding for Lori; it was time for her to drive – 10 hours to Dodge City to pick up the beef load. About 4:30 a.m., we parked at the Flying J truck stop across from the National Beef processing plant and FINALLY got in our own bed/bunk.

This morning, we had a nice sit-down breakfast (using our Flying J gift card, a present from Shannon, Chris, & Allie) before hitting the road for Prime’s “world headquarters” in Springfield, MO. Our ETA is 9:00 p.m. tonight.

Party's over

Mike received great send-offs from his friends and family at lunch AND dinner celebrations today. His work "family" took him to lunch at one of his favorite bar-b-que restaurants, Lucille's, while it was dinner with his relatives at Macaroni Grill. Besides being stuffed with food, he got his fill of gifts, fun, and warm wishes.

Tomorrow it's into the City to fill out some last minute paperwork, provide some instruction to those that will be taking over his tasks, turning in his keys, and cleaning a few more things out of the office. After a quick followup at the oral surgeon, son Jason will take Mike and Lori up to the TA truck stop in Ontario where they'll pile into Curtis and Candy's truck for the straight-through trip to the Prime yard in Denver by noon Saturday.

It's been an exciting and challenging 26 years for Mike in local government. While it's had its up and downs, the good memories will certainly outweigh the bad.

Reality setting in

Today was the first day Mike felt the reality of his upcoming career change. It's always been something that was going to happen in the future but with only two days left in his "local government" career, it finally felt real to him.

That could be because all of the loose ends that needed to be addressed at work and at home have been taken care of. Tonight's final service as part of Calvary Chapel East Anaheim's worship team also made an impact. Music is a big part of Mike's life and it's always been bittersweet to leave each of the musical groups in which he has played over the years.

A number of folks have asked him over the past few weeks how he felt about the prospect of not being able to play regularly. That's when he realized that this time around he doesn't have the same sense of "leaving something behind" as he has previously. In the past, he felt like he might never have the opportunity to be a part of a musical group ever again. This time, however, he realized that if God wants him to serve in that way sometime in the future, then it will happen. And if that's not part of His plan, that's okay too. There are more than enough other opportunities to serve Him if that's what He wants.

On her way

Lori is now on-board her brother's truck headed for California. He and his wife have a load that delivers in Fontana, CA so they will drop Lori off Thursday afternoon in time for Mike's "retirement" dinner with his family.

The return phase of the trip remains as previously planned. Let's hope it doesn't change!

Plan B

You get these kind of streaks in the trucking business sometimes. Unfortunately, it's happening to Lori and Mike THIS week. Lori was scheduled to be home by late Wednesday so she could be on hand for Mike's retirement lunch and dinner on Thursday. Now it's looking like she'll be home Thursday afternoon - and not even on her own truck.

The load she is picking up in Napoleon, Ohio was delayed while the warehouse waited for another truck to arrive with part of Lori's load. So, instead of leaving Monday morning for Denver she didn't leave until after midnight. That will put her in Denver Wednesday morning, which is still two full driving days away from home. Of course, that's if she had enough available driving hours left in her 70-hour/8-day limit.

So... The plan is for Lori's brother and his wife (Curtis and Candy) to swing by Denver to pick her up in their truck Wednesday and take her (and their load) to Southern California by Thursday afternoon. Then, Curtis and Candy will pick Lori AND Mike up on Friday evening and take them back to Denver, where Lori and Mike will get on Lori's truck, head to Kansas to pick up a load of fresh beef, and get it to the Prime facility in Springfield by late Monday. Another truck will take the beef to its destination and Mike and Lori will begin their training on Tuesday. Whew!

Everybody is keeping their fingers crossed...

Not California but at least it's the right direction

Once again, the best laid "pre-plans" did not work out as expected. Instead of getting a load directly out of the facility in Streetsboro going to Ontario, CA, Lori was given a load assignment going from Napoleon, OH to Denver, CO. It is schedued for delivery on Wednesday but Lori is hoping she can drop it at Prime's terminal in Denver Tuesday evening and then pickup a load from there headed to California.

Incommunicado

incommunicado \in-kuh-myoo-nih-KAH-doh\, adverb or adjective: Without the means or right to communicate.

Well, Lori wasn't completely without the ability to communicate (her CB and Qualcomm were still working) but her cell phone was "dead" most of the day Sunday. That's because her portable 12-volt cooler short-circuited the fuses to the various power outlets inside the truck, leaving her without the ability to recharge her cell phone battery.

After a series of messages back and forth to Prime's "Road Assist" staff, she was able to isolate the problem and get some new fuses installed. She also found out (from her trainer, Tamara) that she'll need to have a heavy-duty 12-volt power outlet installed for the cooler. Otherwise, the outlet will continue to get too hot and "melt" the cooler's power plug, which caused the short circuit. One more thing to add to the "fix it" list when Mike and Lori are at Prime's headquarters next week for training.

Hole in his head

Mike's recovering at home today after having a wisdom tooth removed, his "50-year-old molar" as he likes to call it. He figured he should get it taken care of before he goes on the road with Lori next Friday.

Speaking of Lori on the road, she's on her way to Streetsboro, Ohio (just outside of Akron) with a load of frozen pizza from Springville, Utah. Her route will take her along a road that she's gotten to know pretty well this summer - Interstate 80 through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The load is due on Sunday. After that, she should have a load heading back to California as she is scheduled to be back home on Wednesday.

Farr, far away

Lori's on her way to West Farr, Utah after making her delivery this morning in Commerce; a load of Yoplait "Go-Gurt."

Two of the cases weren't accepted because they were damaged - which left some Go-Gurt on the floor and walls of the trailer. And that meant a trip to the truck wash before picking up the load headed for Utah at Unilever in Rialto, CA.

This load is packages of Knorr sauce and gravy mixes. It isn't scheduled to be delivered until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday but Lori should be there by Wednesday evening. Not wanting to sit around waiting for 24 hours, she's going to ask Cheryl if she can drop the trailer early and pickup another load.

Surprise - Part II

While it wasn't as much of a surprise as last time, but Lori got to spend Monday night at home, too.

The load she picked up at Inland Cold Storage in Riverside on Sunday didn't get loaded until early Monday morning. The late start meant she couldn't get it to its destination in Illinois on time Wednesday morning. So, she met up with a team in Las Vegas and swapped trailers; they took her load going to Illinois and she took their trailer headed for the 99 Cents Only Stores distribution center in Commerce, CA.

Since it doesn't deliver until Tuesday morning, Lori parked the trailer at Prime's "drop yard" in Ontario and Mike picked her up on his way home from work. He'll drop her off in the morning on his way into work and she'll finish up the trip to Commerce.

Not sure where she's going next but her "home counter" is set so that she'll be back in So Cal by next Wednesday so she can celebrate Mike's "retirement" from local government on Thursday. On Friday, they'll both be on the truck and on their way to Prime's headquarters in Springfield, MO so Mike can start his truck driving career.

Surprise!

Mike had a surprise visitor over the weekend - Lori!

She made her delivery in Phoenix Saturday morning and then had breakfast with her son and daughter-in-law. (She also had the chance to have dinner with her sister Friday night.)

Anyway, she called Mike to say that she was leaving Phoenix to make her next pickup at the Dole plant in Yuma, AZ headed for Sterling, IL. Mike said "great" and then went to his nephew's birthday party for the day. Mike figured something was up, however, when he called Lori on his way home from the birthday party and she was still driving.

When he got home, Lori called to ask if Mike wanted to come meet her. Mike was all set to drive to Yuma when Lori said "I'm at the drop yard in Ontario! Come get me because my next load picks up in Riverside on Sunday night." So, Lori got to spend a night at home, go to church, and have lunch her some of her "Southern California" kids.