I made an on-time delivery in Mooresville N.C. this morning. While storing my "living in a truck" stuff in my U-Haul storage room, I received a phone call from the monastery: I was approved by the abbot for a visit. This REALLY excites me! I am looking forward to this monastic r&r!

I returned tractor and trailer to the Concord terminal late this afternoon, and shared a cab ride with two other drivers to the Ramada Inn in Concord. Tomorrow morning I take a cab to the monastery.

Also tomorrow, the EMS service takes Mom to meet her new doctor, and to have the bruises on her legs examined and treated. I pray that Mom receives the medical care and attention she needs, and that she is made comfortable and at ease. Please keep her in your prayers. Thank you!

August 23, 2008

I am parked at a Pilot truck stop in Freemont, Indiana. Tonight, between 2352 and 2359, I pick up a load in Shelbyville, Indiana, for delivery at 0900 on the 25th in Mooresville, N.C. After delivering in Mooresville, I plan to clean-out the truck (eg: store my "living in a truck" stuff in my Mooresville U-Haul climate-controlled storage room), drive to the trucking company's Concord N.C. terminal, and resign.

Why resign after only a week or two employed by this trucking company? Maybe the main reason is that I am simply tired of this particular occupation. I love to travel and I love to drive a big truck; but, this over-the-road (OTR) truck driving situation has become my entire life. There are many, many things that I love more, that I miss, am unable to do OTR, that require a more stationary (eg: not driving from place to place) lifestyle. The drive from Riegelwood N.C. to Sturgis, MI ... and, the QualComm dialog I had with the trucking company's dispatcher while enroute ... were definite factors in my decision to resign.

The load's Bill-Of-Lading stated that the Riegelwood shipper loaded the trailer on the 15th. I hooked to this trailer at 1630 (CDT) on the 19th. I had 1.5 work hours remaining for the 19th, and I decided to park overnight at the shipper rather than having to stop somewhere in very rural N.C. and most likely not having a safe place to park overnight. I realized that the load was already late (eg: it should have been picked up at least on the day before (the 18th), and that I would probably be unable to make on-time delivery. Unfortunately, I did not think about communicating this fact to the trucking company's dispatcher - actually, the dispatcher should have already known that the load was late, and that on-time delivery was in jeopardy.

I began driving @ 0600 the next day (the 20th), had a fuel stop in Wytheville, VA, and I parked for the night at a rest area 20 miles north of Charleston, WV. I drove 508 miles on the 20th - a good day's run! The mountains in Virgiinia and West Virginia, on Inter-State Highways 77 and 64, really gave me opportunities to practice shifting gears - down shifting (eg: 10th gear to 9th to 8th to 7th, etc.) while going up and coming down mountain grades. The load weighed 43,654 pounds - a "heavy" load in a 53-foot dry-van trailer (eg: 46,000 is close to the maximum weight).

Back to the QualComm dialog and the drive mentioned above. I began driving at 0600 near Charleston WV on the 21st - the delivery day in Sturgis MI. At Charleston WV, I exited I-64 onto US-34 to US-35 west. About 20 miles on US-35 west, I crossed the Ohio state line - a state that has a strict 55-mph truck speed limit. I missed a turn onto OH-117 west - I really think the US-117 road sign was missing - and I was 'lost' in farmland Ohio on narrow country lanes. Around 0830 (CDT), I received a QualComm message from the trucking company's dispatcher: he stated that I was 389 miles from the receiver and he wanted to know why I was going to be late (eg: delivery was scheduled for 1215 EDT and impossible to make in 2.45 hours.)

The dispatcher's message (mentioned above and received at this point enroute) really upset me: the dispatcher placed all of the 'blame' and responsibility for the late delivery upon me. I replied that I hoped to make delivery by 1730-1800 on the 21st. The next message from the dispatcher stated that I should have told him earlier that I would be unable to make on-time delivery. Maybe I should have done that; but, the more I thought about the load situation, the more I realized that it was entirely likely that the dispatcher had 'set me up' - to use this load (and its lateness) - to teach me a lesson about planning my run schedule.

You have to realize that the trucking company has programmed the QualComm device so that a driver is unable to read or send messages while the truck is in motion. I agree completely with their decision: it is simply too dangerous to use the QualCommm while driving! Each time I received a QualComm message, I had to find a safe place to pull off the road and park in order to read/reply to the message - and parking places for a big truck and 53-foot trailer are not easy to find along narrow farm-to-market roads in Ohio. My last park-and-QaulComm was to send a message to the trucking company's dispatcher requesting that I be routed asap to their Concord NC terminal so that I might resign from their employment.

During the ensuing 8 hours, I made several wrong turns trying to find a big-truck-safe and reasonably direct route to Sturgis MI. I became frustrated with being placed on a route for this load that was not on interstate highways (eg: big rigs really need to be routed on big roads/interstate highways - in my opinion). I finally found the road leading into Fort Wayne Indiana and to I-69 north. Unfortunately, I made my biggest (ever) navigational blunder at the intersection of I-69 and I-80/I-90: I turned east instead of west, and I drove 130 miles in the wrong direction! (Note: my too hasty glance at the Rand-McNally road atlas led me to think the I-80/I-90 exit I needed was in Ohio - it was in Indiana.) By the time I was able to turn around and head west on I-80/I-90, I realized that I was close to the 11th hour (maximum driving / DOT rule) for the 21st. I parked for the night at the Erie Islands service plaza @ 1800, sent a message to the trucking company's evening-shift dispatcher to let them know I had really screwed up on navigating and where I was parked for the night, and FINALLY ate my first real food (eg: not peanuts and crackers) since 0530 that morning.

I made my pre-trip vehicle inspection @ 0545 on the 22nd, and started driving the 160+ miles to the receiver in Sturgis MI @ 0600. Prior to leaving the Erie Island service plaza, I noted that the fuel gauge indicated just over 1/4 full. About 20 miles into this drive, the fuel gauge needle suddenly "jumped" into the gauge's low-fuel zone! One of the first things I was told about trucking, two years ago, is that a driver NEVER allows a diesel-fueled engine ... to run out of fuel. I pulled over into the emergency lane, turned on the 4-way flashers, turned off the truck engine, and called the trucking company's Road Service via my cell phone. I explained the situation to "Terry" in Road Service, he "pinged" my truck (via satellite communication) to determine my exact position, and asked for the truck's odometer reading. Based upon the odometer reading I entered at my last fuel stop and the current odometer reading, Terry said I should have enough fuel to drive approximately 200 miles - enough fuel to get me to the Pilot truck stop in Fremont IN.

After pumping 160 gallons of fuel into the truck's two one-hundred-gallon tanks, I completed the drive to Sturgis MI, and a very late delivery @ 1030 CDT. After sending in my QualComm 'empty' message, I waited an hour in a parking area at the receiver for my next load assignment (not received), before driving back to the Freemont IN Pilot truck stop. At 1600 CDT, I received my current load assignment: pick up in Shelbyville IN @ 2352-2359 tonight and deliver in Mooresville N.C. @ 0900 on the 25th. After hooking to a preloaded trailer at the shipper, I plan to park overnight at a Petro truckstop about 60 miles southeast of the shipper, then drive the 570+ miles to Mooresville N.C. on the 24th.

So..... the above conveys a part of what I experience as an OTR truck driver. Perhaps my current employer is "different" and better to work for. My gut instinct strongly suggests that all trucking companies are basically the same: in an industry with rampant cut-throat competition, an OTR truck driver is a very expendable, usable, and easy 'fall guy' for everyone higher up in the company's food chain. I have never encountered, in each of the three trucking companies I have worked for, anyone who either congratulates an OTR truck driver for a 'job well done' ... or, who accepts responsibility for missed pick up and delivery schedules: it appears that the OTR driver is ALWAYS the person to blame! OTR drivers I have talked to, drivers with 20+ years OTR experience, tell me it was not like this in the 'old days' - that in years past, OTR drivers were treated with more respect and were appreciated for the hazardous work they do every day.

Yes, hazardous work every day, because not only are some loads 'hazardous material' that have the potential to spontaneously combust/catch fire and/or explode and/or leak and release poisonous fumes and liquids ... the work environment, the weather, roads, other drivers (especially four-wheel operators) can ALL be potentially life-threatening hazards. At the time (26 months ago), I gave minimum credibility to a statement made by one of the instructors during my first day in truck driving school:

"A truck driver puts his/her life on the line every time they get behind the steering wheel of a big truck."

In a previous post, I mentioned my Mother's health and her current condition. The EMS people returned Mom to my sister's home yesterday afternoon (the 22nd). Her doctor wanted Mom to stay a week or two in a skilled nursing facility; but, Mom did not qualify per nursing home guidelines! Perhaps my conscious and subconscious reactions to Mom's health, decline, and eventual death .... effected my ability to concentrate and to be 'the best' while driving. Whatever else, I was safe, cautious, and professional during the above road trip and scenarios. I believe I have become more accepting of the inevitable, and definitely more aware of just how precious each moment of life really is!

So, what is next vocationally for me? Perhaps these three goals/objectives: 1). I have not had a real vacation in over two years; 2). I continue to have a desire to try life as a monastic; 3). I would like to 'right the wrong' I inflicted upon myself 45+ years ago by not pursuing a 'higher education'. I have contacted a monastic organization whose life work is the operation of a college/university. Simply being a retreatant at their monastery will be like a vacation to/for me. If it is God's will, I hope to accomplish the aforementioned goals/objectives within this monastic community.

Life is an adventure one should LIVE to the fullest of their abilities, opportunities, and desires! I do not feel 61 years old - more like 'mid 30s or 40s'. I realize that it will take God's help and blessings in order for me to achieve whatever I attempt. I shall also accept whatever fate befalls me ... because if I have asked for God's help, then I must also remember the 'Serenity Prayer' and be happy and joyful about my life, moment by moment!

Serenity Prayer:

"God grant me the ability to change the things that I might, to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Please remember me in your prayers. Thank you!

P.S.: I used the wait time today to take digital photos of the truck. Click on the "Over-The-Road" link on the left side of this page; then, click on the OTR link "The Truck".

August 18, 2008

I passed the trucking company's road test with a score of 90. My personal opinion is that I did a lousy job of shifting gears, and I told the tester that and that it had been two years since I last shifted gears in a big truck ... or anything else. He told me it should be like riding a bicycle (eg: once learned....).

I completed orientation on the 13th, was assigned a truck on the 14th, setup the truck on the 14th with stuff stored in Mooresvile, N.C. I was approved to go to High Point to collect the last stuff needed on the truck, and to visit Mom and Sylvia for a few hours prior to picking up a load in Greensboro.

I parked the rig at Crestwood Suites in High Point and sister Sylvia picked me up. When I saw Mom, lying on her hospital bed at Sylvia's, I knew something was really wrong with Mom. Sylvia, Mom's CNA, and I had a brief conference in the family room, and a few minutes later the EMTs and EMS arrived to transport Mom to High Point Regional Medical Center. After several hours in the Emergency Room, Mom was admitted .... her blood count was "7" (normal is 10 to 14). She received two pints of blood plasma and an antibiotic via IV drip. Yesterday, Mom had an endoscopic exam. The exam did not find the source of Mom's internal bleeding.

The trucking company gave me a two-day emergency medical leave to stay with Mom until she was stabilized. I had to return to work @ 1545 on the 18th. I picked up a loaded trailer at the trucking company's Concord N.C. terminal; then spent the night at a truckstop near Lexington, N.C.

I'm currently at a Flying J truckstop near Haw River, N.C. I deliver in Raleigh @ 1300 today (eg: the 19th); then, drive to Reiglewood N.C. for a pick up this evening which delivers in Sturgis Michigan on the 21st.

Mom will stay in the hospital today, perhaps tomorrow. She now requires EMS transport for doctor visits, etc., and is bedridden ...cannot walk, stand, feed herself, etc. Mom may not have many days, weeks, remaining here on earth. Please keep her in your prayers (eg: Helen Stanfield).

Take care and thanks!

August 8, 2008

On August 6th, I resigned from employment with a trucking company. On August 11th, I begin three days of orientation with another trucking company, followed by more OTR driving. I hope to eventually (3-to-4 months) be assigned to either local driving or dedicated southeast driving assignments.

I have added content to the Photos section.

August 3, 2008

A life of work and education summarized on one page: my resume is in progress.

August 2, 2008

If you pray, please pray for me, that I might make the right decision.

July 29, 2008

TOOT! TOOT! TOOT! TOOT! (eg: a regal blast of trumpets) ...and... DRDRDRDRDRDRDRDR (eg: drum roll)..! A very special day for me: my birthday!

And, a sense of melancholy on this day .... as I see Mom slowly slipping away from us.

July 26, 2008

This morning I checked into a Crestwood Suites in High Point, N.C., for a four-day "hometime" visit with Mom and family. It's been two months since my last hometime break, and it feels strange without a windshield in front of me, and without the rumble of the Detroit Diesel engine.

While on break, I hope to develop/upload a lot of page content, including a few photos I will scan via a new HP model C6240 printer/scanner/copier I purchased earlier this morning. This is a birthday present to myself, and having a copier/fax/printer/scanner on the truck will be great!

July 20, 2008

After more than two years without a website, this humble attempt will suffice.

My current vocation/job does not allow frequent (daily) Internet access, so my updates will be sporadic (as time and access allow).

I plan to keep this website VERY SIMPLE! . . . just html, gif/jpg/png images, and a few javascripts. Previous versions utilized either asp.net/vb and ms-sql2005-db or ColdFusion/cfml and ms-access-db. I enjoyed the challenges of developing a multi-lingual website utilizing (at the time) the latest-and-greatest software from the Microsoft kingdom.

Actually, a week ago I tried to reincarnate my previous version; but, I discovered that the server configurations and "installed/governing software base" have changed, that the previous version's xml coding would not work, and that I would need to make tedious and time-consuming upgrades/tweaks. I have neither the time nor an interest in pursuing said upgrades/tweaks. My sincere apologies to native-speaking French, Spanish, German, Russian, Dutch, Korean, Chinese, Greek and Portuguese citizens of planet Earth: I can only manage two languages at present - English and bad English!

You may anticipate lots of photos of various USA and world locations, and a diverse mix of articles/pages which reflect my varied interests and concerns.

I humbly ask for your patience and understanding while I (once again) recreate what was, and add a significant amount of new material to this latest (hopefuly, the last) version of, my website.

ALWAYS!!!!! carry a roll of duct tape with you - camping, OTR driving, international travel....

During a 34-hour restart at a Flying J truck stop in Resaca, GA, I had a bout of sneezing (6+ sneezes in less than 2 minutes) and damaged/cracked at least one rib bone at the rightside bottom of my rib cage. No ACE bandages available at the truck stop, and I did not want to bother with a hospital emergency room (eg: money, ya know). So.... a bit of experimentation with my trusty roll of duct tape..... and, voila! - an el cheapo and very efficient restraining bandage for my damaged ribs. This morning, the ribs are much better; but, I extended my restart downtime thru today, to make sure the ribs are reasonably healed prior to continuing with load assignments. Believe me! - when the ribs cracked, it was a bit painful and the entire right side of my chest "froze" (eg: a sensation very similar to having a "charlie horse" in leg muscles) for a minute or two. Hopefully, I will not experience this again; especially while driving the rig.

Yea, I have put on a bit of excess weight around the waist - an almost unavoidable result of driving a truck OTR.