Kenneth's School Journal Page Three
Thursday August 15, 2002
The second mishap was also preventable. I bumped another Swift truck while making a back into another dock. It wasn’t a particularly hard back. I had plenty of room when I first looked at it. I waited for another arriving truck to pass behind me and get clear before I started back. Meanwhile, a driver in the dock beside me on my blind side pulled out and stopped his truck to close the doors and get his shipping paperwork inside. The front of my trailer on the passenger side bumped his fiberglass fender. It cracked the area around the headlight and we had to report it. I don’t mind telling you that I am feeling pretty low about both of these mishaps. It was a lack of attention to detail on my part. I was rushing my backs even though I was going very slowly. People have tried to console me by saying it happens to the best, etc, but I don’t like it. I’ll use a six-year-old kid as a ground guide if there’s no one else around from now on. I’ll also be getting out to look more often in the middle of my backs. I have always been pretty good about getting out to check out the area before I started the back. Even in NJ, I knew the car was there as well as two other cars in the yard. My tractor tires just got out there too far and I wasn’t able to pick them up in my mirrors. Same problem with the corner of the trailer when I rubbed the Swift truck. It was a bad luck week for me. I don’t want to keep having these kinds of problems.
Is that all the bad news? “Not exactly,” as they would say on the Rent-a-car commercial. I got a message on the Qualcom that I have a log book violation. Now that’s an internal company-generated report. It’s not like I was pulled over by a DOT Officer and put “out of service.” Anyway, I went through my log and did find some errors in the “Hours of Service” computations. I had to re-do some half a dozen or so log sheets. Once you make an error in that area, it snowballs right on through the subsequent sheets and you have to wind up making changes to all of them. I sat in the Terminal today doing paperwork for about three hours. Of course, my driver manager hadn’t received documentation about the error yet. When she does, I may have to do all this work over again. We’ll see on Monday. These things just look bad on my employment records. I hate making careless mistakes. I know I shouldn’t beat myself up about it, but I can’t help it.
I said there was good news. Being on the road solo is wonderful. For the first week and a half, I kept having dreams (read that as nightmares) that I was still on the truck with another driver. I would wake up and have to remind myself that I am alone. It was strange. My truck has a feature called “optimized idle.” After I set the thermostat in the sleeper, the truck will automatically start the engine when it needs to use the air conditioner to cool the interior down. So, I’m sleeping away and the truck starts up all by itself. I guess this is what brought on the dreams or sensation of “not being alone.” The bad dreams have stopped now. I bought myself a companion. It’s a stuffed Komodo Dragon (Monitor Lizard about 18” long). I call him Larry (NMI) Lizard. “NMI” stands for No Middle Initial. It’s one of those things the military used to do to soldiers who had no middle name. They left Boot Camp with three middle initials signifying that they had no middle initial. You say that doesn’t make sense? Okay. I agree. I spent 20 years in the Army trying to get First Sergeants to understand that it’s easier to say yes or No than Affirmative or Negative. Anyway, Larry Lizard doesn’t have a middle name. If you would like to suggest one, write to me at: kharrod1@ec.rr.com. I won’t use “T.” Kermit already has that one covered. Kermit The Frog. I could use “I” for Isa, but I like the NMI better so far.
You might wonder why I chose a lizard as a mascot. The ladies who frequent truck stops for the enjoyment of the male drivers are affectionately referred to as “Lot Lizards.” I bought Larry to put up in the front window of the truck at night to let everyone know I already have a lizard and don’t need another. So far, I haven’t had a single knock in the night. Larry’s doing a bang up job.
I’ve been from Dallas, TX to Sheldon Springs, VT these last three weeks and haven’t been collecting any moss along the way. I have been running pretty steady. It’s kind of nice to be out there with that condo on the cab. When I pull over, I can relax and enjoy a sandwich or can of something and a cold drink from the refrigerator. There’s plenty of room and the berth is comfortable and roomy. I’ve solved a couple of problems associated with the road. Waterless hand cleaner can be used over a paper towel enhanced wastebasket. Tooth brushing is accomplished over the same absorbent trashcan. Baby wipes work for 55-year-old babies too. In the absence of a shower facility, I use my baby wipes and go to bed feeling and smelling “newborn” fresh. Nearly every day, I see an example of how the Swift policy of keeping the trucks slowed down seems to do more good than harm. Oh, sure. Some of the other truckers get on our case about holding them up on the open road, but when I have the same truck pass me two or three times in a five hundred mile day, I get the notion that that driver is stopping more often than I am. Now maybe he or she is dropping part of the cargo at an intermediate freight stop, but I get the feeling some of these speedy truckers are hurrying up so they can pull into a favorite stop for one reason or another. When I go slower than the prevailing traffic, I see what’s going on in front of me better. Everyone is pulling away from me. I’m not right on their tail when the brake lights come on. I’ve had plenty of time to stop for situations dozens of times because I am coming up on them and not in the middle of them when they start.
Because Swift has so much freight to haul, I don’t have to worry about not getting plenty of miles. My pre-tax pay for the last three weeks has averaged over six-hundred dollars. That’s not bad. There are things I could suggest. Pay the driver a larger percentage of the freight bill the customer is paying Swift. Many companies are paying over thirty cents a mile while Swift starts us out at twenty-six cents for Solo drivers. Another sore point is the miles paid on any particular trip. The company is consistently short on the number of miles they pay a driver compared to the number of miles the driver had to run to get the job done. Paying on the number of miles the truck runs rather than a travel mileage provided by a computer program would net the driver over a ten percent raise on average. I know your auto insurance is expensive. Multiply that by many thousands and you might get a sense of what Swift has to pay for its fleet of over 17, 000 trucks. The deductible on your policy may be $500 or $1000. At Swift, it’s over $100,000. If an accident costs less than a hundred thousand dollars, Swift pays for it out of their pocket. Drivers, like me, who have been careless in backing up, cost the company millions every year. Don’t do as I do - - - Do as I say say and please drive safely. Use the GOAL method of backing. (Get Out And Look).
Thank you again for reading my journal. Your nice comments are always welcome. Send me an email. If you send me your phone number, I’ll give you a call when I’m in your area. No, I won’t call you at midnight. But, if you want to join me for a cup of coffee at the local truck stop, I’d love to meet you.
Monday September 09, 2002 I’m at a truck stop off I-85 just below Baltimore, MD. It’s a T/A (Travel America) Travel Center. Now that’s quite an operation. A driver can come here and enjoy a few hours or even days (if “laid-over”). Oh, they have game rooms, restaurant, motel rooms, fairly well stocked sales store, and other conveniences. On this Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend, there are many parking spaces available. I pulled in this morning from the terminal in Richmond, VA. My load can’t be delivered until this evening at six o’clock. That gives me a couple of hours to work on my road journal and this is the result.
I got some bad news since my last journal entry. My new buddy, Dave, who went to the same truck driving school I attended, quit Swift. It seems they sent him out with a trainer on a dedicated run. The trainer was doing some things, which were completely wrong and even illegal, and Dave decided to quit the company rather than to report the treatment he was receiving from his assigned trainer. I hope Dave will be able to pursue his driving career locally and not be placed with such a pitiful excuse of a trainer in the future. I’m sorry we are going to lose him as a Swift driver. I know that his training would serve the company well. Good luck, Dave.
I’m as pleased as punch with my Cell Phone Company. I may have mentioned in the past that I use SunCom. My reception with few exceptions is excellent. The plan I have is nationwide and affords me 900 minutes a month. I try to limit my use of the phone to family and friends. I also use it, sparingly, for business. Swift doesn’t reimburse for Cell Phone use. The service plan I have cost me $100.00 per month. I would also suggest the extra $5.00 per month for insurance. If I drop the phone, on its head, out of the truck (even at fifty miles an hour), they will repair or replace it. Not much chance of that. I don’t usually take the phone when I leave the truck.
I got to Greer, SC’s terminal for my mandatory safety classes. They require the classes after a driver has accidents. They let me look at the Smith System Defensive Driving tapes again. They also sent me out with a local driver in his 10-speed day-cab Freightliner. Tony Lister is a fine driver and friendly trainer. He treated me well and gave me a clean bill of “driving” health after a few hours of driving. I backed up, went forward, drove fast and slow, shifted up and down through the gears and traveled on roads wide and narrow. By the time we got back to the terminal, Tony was ready to clear me for the road. Jose Amador, in safety, was calm and treated me with respect and dignity. I don’t know if I expected to be treated poorly or not, but I wasn’t. It seems I felt badly enough about my mistakes for both of us. Anyway, the day was well spent, and I hope I won’t hit anything else but dock bumpers in the future.
XM Radio has added some channels and I am certainly enjoying at least three of the new entries. Radio Drama is now available with Plays, Books and Stories for most every taste on channel 163. Those who enjoy old time radio, including Jack Benny, Fibber Magee and Molly, and Our Miss Brooks can look forward to many hours of programming from yesteryear on channel 164. Along with Music from the “Forties” (on ch. 4) and Singers and Standards in “Frank’s Place,” (ch. 73) music lovers of the soft sounds will enjoy “Sunny”, which is on the newly designated channel 24. There are some repeats, but, when you think about the variety of programming available on the over 100 channels of XM radio, the ten bucks a month fee is well worth the price and a little channel surfing will bring you a fresh listening experience for the miles ahead.
So far this trip, I’ve been to Charlotte, NC; Lockbourne, Findlay, Clyde, Forest Park, Mason, Lima, and Perrysburg, OH; Ridgeway, Springfield, and Richmond, VA; Romeoville, and Bolingbrook, IL; Marcy, Rochester, Tonawanda (Niagara), and Saugerties, NY; North Bergen, NJ; Greer, Mauldin, and Easley, SC. I’m in Jessup, MD waiting to drive up to Baltimore now. These are just the towns where I made a pickup or delivery. There have been a heap of miles in between. I’ve been out twelve days so far. By the time I get back to Eden, NC for some home time, I will have been out for twenty-one. Where will I go between now and then? Who knows? I travel just in front of my freight. Like so many other drivers on the road, I go where my freight needs to be. Restocking a Target, a Wal-Mart, a Family Dollar, Home Depot or your local Bi-lo store, I have delivered, among other things, Pillows, Washers and Dryers, Furniture, Hardware, Carbonated Water, Hard Lemonade, Beer, the TV insert for the Washington Post Newspaper, and Floor covering chemicals for a Baltimore City School project of some sort.
Other drivers have delivered everything you have eaten, drunk, sat on, washed with, or worn. Please remember that we can’t stop on a dime, and when we put space between us and the car in front of us, it is not to provide you with a place to pull over. When you merge onto a road, go ahead and use that accelerator. We don’t mind letting you in, but go ahead and do it. Thank you for letting us into traffic time and time again when we are stuck. When you blink your lights to let us know we have room to pull into your lane, we will often blink our running lights back at you in appreciation. Sure we know we have room, but when you blink, we know you see our signal and expect us to come over. There are drivers of all shapes, sizes, colors, and religious preferences. There are good ones and bad ones, new and experienced, young and old, male and female. All are out there on the roads on any given day. Let’s be aware of each other and drive together. Remember that if the trucks stopped, the nation would soon stop as well. I’m Kenneth R. Let me hear from you at: kharrod1@ec.rr.com
Tuesday September 10, 2002 Obviously, I can’t read a map. The truck stop I referred to at the beginning of the last entry was not off of I-85, but I-95. Now class; did you catch this error? I am actually pretty good at reading maps. I was coming from the South (I-85 below Petersburg, VA) when I began the trip that got me to the Baltimore area location. Must have been a gray moment. I began the remainder of this entry on the 7th of September. Today is September 10, 2002. Waiting to be unloaded at a dock in Charlotte, NC, I’m enjoying a lovely day of Carolina Blue Skies. I spent the night at my home terminal in Eden, NC. One way to get a driver home after being on the road for two or three weeks is to bring them into the terminal and send them on local runs until it’s time for the driver to drive home. I’ll be making local runs until tomorrow night (Sunday) and then spend the night before I take off for three days home. That will be a nice break. I can tell, from the rocking of the truck, that they are beginning to unload the huge rolls of paper I’m carrying. You would be surprised at how much unloading the trailer rocks and rolls the tractor. That means it won’t be long before they get me unloaded.
Last weekend, in Atlanta was a test of patience. The holiday weekend had everyone and his or her brother stuck for freight. I had four days to run 600 miles. Since I couldn’t get the terminal to sign for the load, I was stuck there and had to wait till Tuesday morning to deliver my load in Norcross, GA. I guess you have to expect that on occasion. One thing about being at a terminal when you get stranded is there always seems to be an interesting group of drivers to chat with and swap lies. I talked to another driver on Sunday who wants to quit. She was finishing up her training when I was just beginning mine. It seems this driver is being sent on short little runs that require her to wait on both ends for loading and unloading. Let me tell you, from experience, you don’t make as much money doing that as you do on a good long run.
So why can’t she get a long run? There are a couple of reasons. Her driver manager (Dispatcher) has mostly dedicated and regional drivers assigned to her account. Karen is an OTR driver, like me, and she may be getting the "ash and trash" none of the other dedicated drivers want. The “planners” for the districts or regions also don’t want to lose control of a driver who will, potentially, make these short runs and not complain. It isn’t fair to the Over the Road (OTR) driver expecting to run in all the lower 48 states to keep them in a limited region. An example is my running so much in the Northeast and Eastern States. I may have mentioned how I feel trapped in the “Toll road” areas of MD, DE, NJ, NY, OH, IL and PA. At least my trips have been four to six hundred miles. I hope Karen will stick with it and try to talk with her Driver Manager about longer runs. I’m going to talk to mine about it. It just doesn’t seem fair to keep an “All 48” driver running around East of the Mississippi River all the time. I’ll try to let you know if it works.
Examine your reasons for wanting to become a truck driver. Realize that you will have to pay your dues for the first couple of years. If you understand that, going into it, you will be better off in the long run. The high paying jobs in trucking are not generally available to new drivers. Pick up any newspaper and you will see many ads for drivers. Believe me when I say most of those companies are looking for drivers with one to three years of OTR experience. My take-home pay has averaged $477.00 per week for the last nine weeks. That’s after-tax money and includes reimbursement for my expenditures for scales and toll roads. I have heard some much higher averages ($800 to $1200) from other drivers on the road. They may be quoting Owner/Operator money or gross income (before taxes). They may, also, have been telling some fibs. The fact is that my annual income, based on the above average will be just under $25,000.00. If you don’t think you can stand being on the road (away from friends and family) for two or three weeks at the time for that kind of wage, perhaps trucking is not the career choice for you. If you are willing to work and learn for a couple or three years, you will be in line to reap the benefits of an experienced driver. You’ll be sought after in the industry. You can pick and choose between carriers and geographical locations. If that’s your choice; If you can meet the challenge and maintain the standards set by hundreds of thousands of professional drivers who have gone before you, take that first step and go to the Department of Motor Vehicles close to you. Get the CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) study guide. Pass your tests and attend a good Community College Truck Driver Program in your state. Stay away from the Truck Driver Training “Mills.” Your state Trucking Association can help you find a school. Ask them to help you. I think you will find they will be pleased to do just that.
I’ll be going back on the road Thursday morning. I should be out for three weeks again. With any luck at all, I will get some trips out West this time. Wish me luck. I’ll catch you up on my next “Road Journal.” I’m Kenneth R. Write to me at: kharrod1@ec.rr.com If I can ever get on-line on the road, I’ll be at: kharrod1@juno.co Meanwhile, say a little prayer for all those fine folks at Consolidated Freight who have lost their jobs since their company went bankrupt. Most of the drivers will be absorbed into the system by other trucking outfits, but there are a whole bunch of support personnel who will have to find work where they can. My best wishes to each of them and to each of you too. God Bless - Good day.
Saturday September 28, 2002 Almost a year since I began my sojourn into truck driving. What a year it has been. A lot of water has passed under the bridge and a many a mile has passed under my wallet. All in all, it’s been a good year. Getting started was tedious in the paperwork and study of the CDL materials for my basic license. Going through the North Carolina Truck Driver Training School for two months was the first of many adventures in driving. Life, on the road, is an adventure in itself. Day to day trucking operations can be looked at as boring or, at the very least, possessive of a sameness that can grow weary in a short time.
I sit in the driver’s seat and stare out at that long road ahead; the only variety in my stare coming in the form of continual mirror checks and periodic glances down at the instrument cluster. Ike (You may recall Ike was my Swift Trainer) told me to make a sort of game out of the “Sign Search.” The sign search is a process of identifying and reading all roadside signs, followed by a search for the next sign. This “Game,” (As Ike thought of it) had, as its purpose, to assist in breaking the boredom, alleviating significant sleepiness and keeping the driver informed. I have been saved a wrong turn on many occasions by playing “Sign Search.” If you are on the road, try it. (Note from webmaster: Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!! If you have the chance, give your former trainer a huge thumbs up!) If you make a living driving, adopt it as part of your driving routine.
I mentioned Sleepiness. This is one of the terrors of the road. Every driver suffers through a fight with sleepiness sooner or later. I guess the best advice I can give a person who feels sleepy at the wheel is to pull over RIGHT NOW and sleep. Even if the sleep is only a half-hour or so, you will be better enabled to continue the journey refreshed. There’s no substitute for sleep. Some try various tricks of the trade to stay awake, but believe me when I tell you, there’s no better way to overcome sleepiness than to take a short break and get some sleep. I’ve tried all the legal ways to get around pulling over.
Here’s a partial list: Cup of coffee/Mountain Dew/ or other caffeinated beverage. This method works with varying degrees of effectiveness. Keep in mind that even Caffeine tablets (NoDoz, Vivarin, Equate, etc.) take a half-hour or so to do their magic to your system. The varying degree of effectiveness seems to depend on the amount of caffeine already in your system. Here’s how it works, as I understand it. Caffeine causes a boost in blood pressure and/or heart rate. This pulse rate hike causes you to breathe a bit faster and puts some extra oxygen into your system. This tends to make you a bit more alert. I’ve read somewhere that this is accomplished by causing your adrenal gland to secrete a little “bolus” dose of adrenaline into your system. The problem is that a heavy coffee or soda drinker my have exhausted the gland’s ready supply of adrenaline. Like certain other drugs, you reach a point of diminishing returns. Remember that, even if it works, you may feel awake, but you are NOT RESTED. Rest will restore your body. Caffeine is not recommended over sleep. Nothing is. I mentioned that caffeine’s effects on the body resulted in increased respiration. You breathe faster. If you find it hard to get awake after you have been asleep, you might find that a combination of deep breathing and rapid breathing will wake you up. Take a very deep breath, then try to force some more air into your lungs way down deep near your stomach. Really fill them up, and when you finish coughing, do it again.
Eventually, you will be able to hold a good tank full of air without coughing your lungs out. Hold the breath for a few seconds and let it out. Do this deep breathing exercise for a couple of minutes and you will feel the effects of an oxygen boost to your system without the inconvenience or expense of caffeine. If “Deep Breathing” makes you light-headed, don’t do it while you are driving. Be careful if you try “Rapid Breathing.” Rapid breathing can cause you to hyperventilate. (You may get out of breath and not be able to catch your breath.) Stop the vehicle and get out. With certain exceptions, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require commercial drivers to stop a minimum of every three hours or 150 miles to inspect their vehicle and load. {FMCSR 392.9(b)(ii)&(iii)} For Hazardous Materials, it’s every two hours. {397.17 (a)} If you feel sleepy, a good brisk walk in the open air will revive you for a time. While you are doing your en route walk-around, stretch and bend some. It may keep you alert and save your life and the lives of others.
Talking and/or singing aloud to yourself. This really doesn’t work. I tried it and almost nodded off in the middle of reciting “Gunga Din.”
How about slapping yourself? Don’t take that kind of abuse from yourself. Just pull over and get some sleep.
Stretching: Well, I suppose stretching leads to deeper breathing and that’s been covered.
Listening to the radio: Could be. I have XM Satellite radio and the comedy channel helps me to stay awake as well as any of the others. Why? Well, I would say because I laugh so hard it makes me breathe harder. Oh yeah! That’s already been covered. A last word on fighting the boredom. That XM Satellite radio really does help to pass the hours and the miles. I’ve mentioned before that they have Radio Drama and an excellent selection of music, information and entertainment channels for any taste. At ten bucks a month, it’s a bargain. Oh, and it’s deductible. Did I mention that XM radio has a 24-hour Travel Weather Channel? This is a business expense for someone who makes a living on the road and needs to know precise weather information for his or her region. Your employer will not reimburse you for this essential tool to your trade, so you might as well take the legal deduction if you itemize on your taxes.
Thank goodness I am finding the necessity to “Turn Around” a less frequent operation. A wrong turn can’t be helped on occasion, but I was finding myself overshooting a turn into a supplier or their customer’s loading dock. Unnecessary turn arounds can lead to property damage claims and always cost valuable time that could be spent in the sleeper or taking care of paperwork. The one thing I have started doing to reduce my turn arounds is slowing down when I start getting close to where I am going. I turn on my four-way flashers and try to look as far ahead as possible. It still happens, but not quite as often. May all your pickups and deliveries be without unnecessary turn arounds.
Did I mention that I got a good lesson on backing into a tight spot by a fellow the last time out? I was having a hard time getting into a spot and a young fellow was waiting for me to get backed in to unhook. He came on the radio and said I ought to go around again and try for a better set-up. I figured he was just in a hurry, so I agreed to do a loop and come back. He was the only other person in the drop yard at the time. I told him I’d let him go ahead and get in and that I wouldn’t crowd him when I came back around. When I got back, he was already in a tighter spot than I was having trouble with. I complimented him on his skill and told him I was a bit “gun-shy” after having a couple of fender benders backing up. He told me I wasn’t setting up right. I was waiting until I was too far past the slot before I started my set up. He told me he started driving as a “Yard Mule” operator. It only took him a few minutes to fine tune my “Pull up, Turn out and Set up” technique. I wish I’d have gotten his name and address. I’ve regained much of my backing up confidence since that day. I’d sure send him a thank you card. I’m not perfect, but I’m not so nervous when I get in a situation where I have to follow that box into a tight hole. Let me say that a big reason for relating the above story is to teach a lesson. It’s a lesson in humility. I could have gotten defensive and told this guy to mind his own business. I’d be finished when I was finished and he could just wait. I didn’t do that. I started to give him a little jab in the ribs when I said I wouldn’t “Crowd Him.” Now he could have come back with some smart remark and it would have been another truck driver confrontation. As it turned out, I caved in and told him about being “Gun Shy.” I also listened and learned when he explained my basic error in setting up. The lesson is that we shouldn’t be quick to bark at someone who may turn out to be a blessing. I’m glad I didn’t let my old “false pride” get in the way that day. I’m going to try to keep letting my vulnerable side show. Oh, I might draw back a nub on occasion, but I suspect I’ll pick up more tips and handshakes by working with folks instead of worrying about getting my feelings hurt.
I got home early this morning from two weeks on the road. I’ve decided to change my schedule from three weeks on the road to coming home every other weekend. It’s better to be able to see Linda and the cats that way. Make no mistake about it; loneliness will get to you on the road. I thought staying out for three weeks at the time would give the “Planners” an opportunity to send me out West or up to the Great Northwest. It hasn’t turned out that way. They have been scheduling me like a regional driver (Northeast). I don’t see any point in plugging away for three weeks at a time if I’m not going to be treated like the Over The Road/48 driver that I am. We’ll see how this goes for now. My new Driver/Manager (D/M), Lisa, did pretty well by me for the last two weeks. She updated my Potential Time of Availability (PTA) to match my Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) at final destination. That lets the Planners know I’m ready to be given a new Preplan (P/P) for my next trip. The sooner you get that, the better you are able to take a close look at the plan for suitability. In other words, you are able to look at the start and end locations, loaded and empty miles they are going to pay you on the trip, when you are to pick up and deliver the load, and if the trip is a driver load or unload. All essential information for me before I accept a trip. I occasionally miss an instruction and wind up on a driver unload. With the disability on my lower back, that can be trouble. This past week, I accepted a trip from Martinsburg, WV to Franklin, MA. I didn’t realize until I got to Franklin that the load was a Driver Unload. Uh oh! I got a crash course in the use of an electric pallet-jack from another driver and began struggling to move it down the warehouse toward my truck. A representative of Dunkin Donuts stopped me and told me to have a seat in the break room. He said he would have the truck unloaded. It was one of the only times I can remember that my Service Connected Veteran’s Disability was an embarrassment. It made me feel bad that one of the warehouse workers had to do my work for me. I really appreciate the forklift operator and the supervisor at Dunkin Donuts’ Franklin Distribution Center for helping me out.
My journeys over the past two weeks have taken me to Greensboro, Browns Summit, Statesville, and Eden, NC; Stuarts Draft, Lowmoor, Lovingston, and Williamsburg, VA; Boston, Lakeville, Ayer, Leominster, and Franklin, MA; Wilton, NY; Florence, VT; Raymond, NH; Baltimore, Hampstead and Havre de Grace, MD; Zanesville, and North Canton, OH; Midway, and Chestnut Hill, TN; Johnstown, PA; Westerly, RI; and last but not least, Athens and Barnsville, GA. I’ve hauled Textile Factory Spools (Think of me when you wear Spandex), Sweetheart Cups, Plastic Dinnerware, Carter Children’s Clothing, Braun Kitchen Appliances, Printed Paper Products, Bush’s Canned Chili, High Fashion Clothing, and a lot of what they call “Freight / all kinds.” My loads have weighed as little as 12,000 and as much as 44,000 pounds.
I’ve logged 7032 paid miles in since the 12th of September. How much is that travel worth, you may ask? $1828.32 cents (Before taxes). Sound like a lot of money for two weeks? Not really. Consider that the time I was out was really 16 days. That comes to $114.27 per day. Still sound likes a pretty decent wage? Okay then; get yourself a CDL and join me on the road. We’ll spend 24 hours a day on the truck, drive for 7 to 10 hours a day, and get to see our loved ones and families for 2 days and 2 nights. There’s an hour’s worth of maintenance inspections and fueling, and we’ll wait for an average of 3 hours a day to be loaded, unloaded or dispatched. We’ll pay for every meal (I mostly eat on the truck.) Paperwork and trip planning will take up an hour or more a day. If any other industry in the country were to try to demand that kind of dedication from its workers, the fair labor practice act would surely force the employer to amend its policies and pay rates. Not the trucking industry. If the trucks stopped running, this nation would stop running. People would starve, the economy would collapse and, for a time, the roadways would be easier to drive on. That wouldn’t last, however, since trucks bring the fuel for the cars as well as the parts to repair the cars and the cars themselves. Am I complaining? Not really. I’m enjoying being on the road. I’m getting to see much more of the Northeast section of the United States than I would ever have seen without trucking to take me there. The time I spend behind the wheel is, mostly, enjoyable. I’ll stick it out and see what the future brings. Thank you to those who take time to write: kharrod1@ec.rr.com. It’s always good to hear from others who are interested in driving. I have answered every email I have gotten to date. Take care of yourself. “Keep me and mine in your prayers as I keep you and yours in mine.” (Kenneth Harrod)
Monday October 14, 2002 I think I’m going to enjoy this two-week schedule so much more than the three-week stint I started with. Three weeks would have been okay if it weren’t for wanting to get home. For a single person, three weeks or more might be magic. I have met teams on the road who are married. They stay out for months on end and then take long periods of free time for vacation. One couple enjoys cruises. They save their money on the road and blow it on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Not a bad way to spend your time off. Did I tell you about the ex-forest service worker in Western NC who got into truck driving and had the utilities turned off in his mountain home? He stays out for up to six months at a time. These stories give a whole new meaning to the term “Long Distance Trucker.” Imagine leaving on a road trip and not quitting till you have driven 50,000 miles. Whew!
I finally got out of the Northeast this trip. Oh, I started out in NY and MA, but as I write this, I am in Paris. Paris, TX that is. I’m at the Kimberly Clark plant in Paris waiting for my load. It was to be ready at 11pm tonight. I got here at three this afternoon. Bad move. They are telling me that I may not get out of here till four in the morning. I’m surrounded by a “sea of orange.” There are more Schneider trucks and trailers at this plant than you can shake a pumpkin at. It doesn’t bother me. These drivers are just like any others. Nice folks. The Bible says we reap what we sow. I found out long ago that folks are folks. If you treat people right, they will generally return the favor. On the same note; if you treat a person with a lack of respect, they often come back at you in a similar vain.
As a corrections officer, in the North Carolina State Prison System, I treated the inmates with common decency and respect. I didn’t care what their crimes were. Unlike some of the officers I worked with, I didn’t look inmates up on the computer to research their criminal history. It paid off, for me, in less trouble working with the population. How does this relate to my life as a truck driver? I have found that a pleasant smile and a cheerful greeting goes a long way at a shipper’s dock or when trying to get unloaded at a crowded destination. It doesn’t always get you out “lickity-split,” but it always helps. It helps you feel better and it shows the folks at the various loading docks that drivers don’t have to be “old poops.”
I didn’t get caught up in the hurricane-generated rainstorms yet. I’ve gotten a little rain, but it hasn’t been as bad as some of the stories I’ve run across. I talked to a team up in Statesville, NC. Those boys were running along Interstate 10 when the flooding and high winds were causing so much trouble for the automobiles. The guy I was talking to said he was going through water at the top of his tires. I don’t really need to get into anything like that. I’ve done some high water in an automobile and come close to getting stuck. I didn’t get my truck driver training in the Merchant Marines. No sense trying to make a barge out of my trailer. This ol’ Freightliner Classic is not a tug-boat. It’s been raining here in Texas this evening. I know some wish it had come earlier to make the crops yield a heartier harvest. I guess it’s a bit late for helping this year's summer crops, but it will help the water table and, hopefully, fill the reservoirs. I’ll try to remember that rain is a good thing when I get on the road later this morning. I’ll be traveling before dawn and, with any luck, I’ll miss the bad traffic on my way past Littlerock, AR later this morning.
I got a chance to layover for a day on Sunday near Abingdon, VA. I have friends there who came and got me at the truck stop and took me to Church. I was treated to a fine lunch in a private home and attended another evening Church function at a different Church. There was a nice visit to the parents of one of my friends whom I hadn’t seen in years. What a beautiful day in a beautiful part of the world. I’d like to have more friends around the country to visit when I’m in their area. If I knew anyone near Paris, TX, we could have spent the whole evening together taking in a movie or chatting over a nice meal. Seeing friends on the road can sure make those long waits seem a lot shorter.
The trees have begun to change up in Pennsylvania and throughout New England. I guess I’ve noticed it in other parts of the Southern States too, but to a lesser degree. They say it’s not too bold as in some years when there has been more rain. How do those trees know when to start changing anyway? I’ve heard some say the temperature does it. Others say the length of the daylight triggers the change. When the daylight hours grow shorter, the migrating animals know to start South or to their Winter graze, and the trees know it’s time for shedding their leaves. All I know is it sure is pretty to see a tree when it turns red or gold in contrast to the trees around it. It’s also nice to hear the call of migrating geese as they pass overhead. Someone asked “did you ever wonder why one side of the “Vee” is longer than the other when you see the geese migrating in formation?” I said I’d noticed it and asked them why. They said “there’s more geese on that side.” I’ve always enjoyed that one. I don’t know where I will go from Littlerock. It’s Wednesday, as I type this, so they will have to start planning my route to get me to the terminal in Eden, NC on Friday afternoon. It will be nice to have the weekend off with Linda. We’re going to see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in its new location. We saw it before it was moved and we saw it being moved, but we haven’t been up there since they got it settled in its new foundation. Let me hear from you. Thank you to those who have written. Thank you also, to those who have suffered through reading this whole thing. As Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say, “Bless your little pea-pickin’ hearts.” I’m Kenneth R.
Friday October 25, 2002
It’s been a good couple of weeks on the road this time. I’m not even complaining about being sent for loads up in the Northeast this time. The weather has been off and on rain, but the views of the changing foliage have been marvelous. I haven’t gotten to do much traveling up in the Northeast as an adult. When I was 18, I was stationed up in Fort Devens, MA. I think I mentioned that on one of my last journal entries. In 1965, I didn’t get up to Fort Devens until October and I don’t recall looking at the trees the way I have this last week. I think it’s what they call “Peak Season” up here. I was in PA when I began writing this entry. The deciduous trees have turned (or are turning) orange, gold, red, yellow and other shades all mixed in with the coniferous evergreens. What a show to travel the roads and catch a glimpse of fire red or pumpkin orange. The leaves are still holding on and are just starting to drop now. I really feel lucky to have this opportunity to view a part of nature’s glory.
Today, I’m in a truck stop in Bloomsburg, PA. I’m out of hours for driving until after midnight, so this is a good chance to sleep and make a journal entry. Someone asked me how I keep up with my correspondence with my busy schedule on the road. Believe me, I wish I could collect my email on the road without it costing me an arm and a leg. They want $5.00 for thirty minutes to log on to a truck stop Internet terminal. I won’t spend my money like that on a regular basis. If I can’t get on-line from the comfort of my cab, I will have to wait until I get home and use part of my weekend to catch up. I do enjoy hearing from you. It always surprises me when I open my e-mail and find a new friend waiting to share a thought or two about trucking.
Let’s talk a little about trucking now. “The Frustration Of Confusion.” or “ Which Way Did You Say?” Have I talked about directions lately? If not, I want to make it perfectly clear that clear directions are a rare bird in this profession. An example of not-so-clear directions would be the ones I got on my last load. Now, I was approaching Dayton, OH from the Southeast. The directions given were from the interstate in the opposite direction. That means that I had to adjust my directions from the “git-go.” That was the easy part. They told me turn left onto Webster from Needmore. Still Okay, but then I was to go to the stoplight and turn left on Stoplight. There is no Stoplight on Webster and no street called Stoplight either. The street I was supposed to turn onto turned out to be “Stop Eight Road.” The problem caused by these poor directions was a delay in me getting to the shipper, extra miles (approximately ten miles) to get turned around without damaging someone’s property, and frustration for the driver who feels lost (No Kidding) and abandoned by the system. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not always the fault of the instructions. I have been known to turn the opposite direction from what the instructions give. I don’t know why that happens, but I never catch the error until I’m convinced someone wants me to practice turning around in “Small Town,” USA. It’s always a good idea to double-check your instructions and write down the phone number of a contact at the shipper or receiver (consignee) so you can contact them if something goes wrong. At Swift, they want drivers to make corrections and additions to their instructions. I have done just that on several occasions. I hope they are getting the word out to future drivers. Send in those Qualcomm changes to directions. It will help the next driver. If Mrs. Whipple’s Toilet tissue Boutique (listed as a landmark) is now El Toro Supreme Restaurant, let someone know. I might be the guy picking up in the neighborhood next time.
There are several Defensive Driving programs out there. One of the “Standards” of the industry is the Smith System. One of the important things they teach is to “Aim High in Driving.” It’s important to look far down the road to see what is going on. If you are just paying attention to the road close to the front of the truck (Trying to stay in your narrow lane, for instance.) You might miss a traffic snarl up ahead. There is more to it than just looking way up ahead. If you don’t react to developing traffic, you may just as well look a few yards ahead of the truck. Keeping a good space in front of the truck is not always possible, but getting your foot off the fuel pedal and poised on the brake when you see brake lights ahead is possible and prudent. Play it safe, react before you think it’s necessary. Another thing to do, well in advance, is to signal your intentions. Let em know what you are doing and make sure they see you. Some drivers don’t like to use their cruise control. They feel like it takes away their control over the vehicle. Let me say that I use my cruise every time I feel it’s safe. Cruise Control as well as Engine Exhaust Retarders (Jake Brakes) are not safe during periods of reduced traction. Be careful in your use of these options. A good thing about using the Cruise Control is that it will save you fuel in the long run. An engaged Cruise Control may also give you an additional fifty horse power going up hill. It does at Swift. Speaking of going up hill; please get into the habit of turning on your four-way flashers when your speed falls below fifty mph. Some places recommend using flashers below forty-five, but the rule of thumb is fifty. Most drivers use the 50mph mark to turn on the four-ways warning faster traffic, to the rear, that they have a potential emergency situation in front of them. I also use my flashers after merging onto roadways until I get up to the speed limit or 50 mph. (Whichever is lower) I like it when other truckers do that too. I want to tell you about one of the coolest things to have happened to me since I began driving. Last Sunday, I was traveling on US 220 and US 158 South going into the Winston-Salem, NC area. Along the road, I notice pockets of what looked like people having parties on the side of the road. As I approached they waved and pumped their arms for a honk. Obliging each group, I reveled in their warmth and shouts as I passed. I finally figured out what was going on when I was passed by a fancy painted tractor-trailer. It was a NASCAR Hauler (Number 90, I believe.) coming from the race in Bristol, Virginia. It seems folks along the route, to the next race, go outside and wait for their favorite driver’s Van to pass. They must have gotten bored or had a beer too many because you never heard such whooping and hollering for a Swift Truck in all your life. I’ve been down that road from the Eden, NC terminal to Winston-Salem quite a few times, but the drive never went so quickly as it did this past Sunday. Thank you NASCAR, and my thanks to all those wonderful mosquito-bitten race fans. I loved every mile and every smile. As I finish up this entry in the journal, let me assure you that I have a smile on my face for you. Thank you for reading my saga. Let me know what you think. I’m Kenneth R. My E-mail address is: kharrod1@ec.rr.com
Saturday November 09, 2002 I’ve been out for another two weeks. With very few exceptions, my most recent trip has been very much like the other trips I have taken. I evaded the heavy snow this past week in New England. There’s not much sense in saying I avoided the snow in the upper mid-west and Northwest. It looks like I’m not going to make it up there anyway. The company seems to save those Montana trips for teams. Whether it’s a trainer and rookie or an actual team operation, the Western and longer runs go to the teams. They pretty much keep me East of the Mississippi River and primarily running up and down the Eastern states. I’m really getting familiar with the routes up through Virginia and all across the Northeast. PA, NY, NJ, MA, CT, and MD are becoming my “Ol’ Stomping Grounds.” It could be worse. I could be working for a company that doesn’t have enough freight to keep me running between 2500 and 3000 miles a week. Swift does, so I’m getting my Over the Road (OTR) experience required by so many trucking firms.
I decided to make this my last entry in the journal. I want to thank you for reading it. I especially want to thank those of you who have taken the time to write and give me such high marks for my efforts. It’s time you started your own journal now. If not on the Internet, please jot down a few lines to keep for the future. Some day, you will look back and read your first impressions of trucking. Some of the things you say will surprise you. For those of you who have e-mailed me, I will try to answer your letters and questions. I will be closing my email account down soon. I use the Roadrunner Cable Internet Service Provider (ISP). Because I am only home for a couple of weekends a month, it’s silly for me to continue to pay over $45.00 monthly for a service I can’t use. If I ever check my e-mail in the future, my address will be either: kharrod1@juno.com Or elizcityken@yahoo.com Those are a couple of free e-mail accounts I’ve accumulated over the years. I may get a chance to log-on in the future. If I do, I’ll try to collect and answer any email that might come my way through those addresses. Thank you again. In the same way I’ve left you on a couple of occasions, I’ll leave you now with the “Harrod Benediction” “Keep me and mine in your prayers as I keep you and yours in mine.”
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