A Disappointment

Being a trainee has some down sides, as Lori was reminded yesterday. Their pickup location was just south of Louisville, Kentucky. The trailer wasn't going to be loaded for several hours so Lori and Tamara had some time to kill. Lori had seen a sign on the way in that said Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, was just a few exits away so she suggested to Tamara that they run up there and have a look around. Tamara said no, so they proceeded to sit in the shipper's parking lot for the rest of the day.

Lori was disappointed to say the least. But it did motivate her to say a quick prayer and make a promise to herself, asking that she might never take these kind of opportunities for granted, to never become so jaded that she won't take the time to enjoy the beauty and variety of what this nation - and life in general - has to offer.

She and Mike talked about this and are in agreement; no sitting around loading docks when there's something worth seeing and the time to go see it!

Lori and Tamara did finish their "top secret" delivery this morning and have their next assignment in hand. It's not scheduled for pickup until Monday morning so they'll have the chance to attend evening service at a trucker's chapel in Clinton, NJ.

The run is from Hanover, PA to Fresno, CA for a Thursday delivery. If everything works out, Mike might try to meet up with them Thursday evening (since City Hall is closed next Friday.) We'll see...

Down on the Bayou

The variety of physical beauty to be seen in this country is amazing. On the way down to their next pickup in St. Rose, Louisiana, Lori and Tamara got to travel through the bayou country surrounding New Orleans. The early morning fog created an eerie feeling, "just like something out of the 'Creature from the Black Lagoon,'" according to Lori.

It was beautiful and ugly at the same time, she said. (We're definitely going to bring the digital camera with us when Mike gets on board so we can post photos here; words just don't it justice.) She was amazed there were actually houses out there. The surface looked like a combination of black water and mud; not the kind of place you'd want to wander through let alone live in!

They also drove along the edge of Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans. It's quite a sight to see a city the size of New Orleans sitting in what amounts to a "hole" next to this huge lake. The area's vulnerability to hurricanes is obvious when you see it in person. Hard to imagine anyone ever thought this was a good place to build a major city.

Lori and Tamara did have an opportunity to attend Sunday services at the Petro truck stop in Hammond, LA. The pastor and his wife operate Yoke Up Ministries. They also started an outreach known as the "Thank You Fairy," which grew out of the desires of their college-age daughter who died unexpectedly. Click on these links to find out more.

Anyway, the load of lubricants and grease Lori and Tamara picked up is headed to Pico Rivera, CA by Wednesday, so there might be an opportunity for a quick visit with family and friends.

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.

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!