Dependable Transport is looking for drivers.

Dependable  Transport is in need of Drive-Away drivers.  Contact their Recruiting Department to sign up.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

A Class “A” CDL.

A minimum of 2 years over the road experience in driving big trucks.

A good driving record.

A vehicle to get you around the country for deadheading.

A boom, transport trailer for Drive-Away, or saddle mounts for Deck Sets.

A cell phone to make and receive calls from the dispatch office.

YOU are responsible for all Federal and State income taxes.  None are deducted from your Settlement.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM DEPENDABLE?

Pay starts at $1.20 per loaded mile.  There is an additional amount for Deck Sets.

Once signed on you will be required to call in twice daily to let them know where you are and your ETA to pick up or deliver trucks.

Pay is weekly on Friday.  All advances and pay are loaded to a ComData Card, provided by Dependable.  The Settlement Pay can be transferred to your home town bank.  To set that up you will fill out the necessary forms in the packet you will be originally sent.

Dependable supplies all DOT documents, insurance, plates, and IFTA.  You have to show proof of insurance of your personal vehicle and have a valid CDL.

Dependable supplies all Inspection Sheets or “Bills of Lading” as well as log books, state mileage forms and any other document you will need to do your job.  This includes Dock Receipts necessary to deliver to shipping ports in the US when they apply.

Dependable supplies “Trip Pack” envelopes to send in all of your paperwork.  They reimburse for tolls and permits needed to make your delivery.

Dependable sends you a 1099 Form to report all income made during the tax year for you to file for income taxes.

Dependable will withhold a percentage of your Settlement weekly for Escrow until you reach $1,700.  This is for the tags, DOT documents, IFTA stickers, and all Legals you are given when signed on.  Once the Escrow amount has been reached you will no longer have deductions taken out of your Settlement toward Escrow.  All Escrow monies will be refunded to you within 90 days  upon terminating your Independent Contractor status with Dependable.

You DO NOT have to live in the Joplin, Missouri area to sign on with Dependable.  This is a job that can be accomplished from anywhere in the Continental United States.

No “Forced Dispatch”.  This means you are free to turn a load down if you choose not to take it.  Plus you will not have to fear losing your job with Dependable for turning the load down.  You can take time off and be  routed home for things that can only be handled from home.  Doctor appointments, children graduating from school, family vacations, weddings, and any other reason you  need the time off.  We are home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years every year.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE DRIVE-AWAY JOB:

This is the “Ultimate Slip Seat” job.  You will never drive the same truck twice.  Once it is delivered you will not be driving it again.

You will be driving trucks that are 2007 and newer of every variety on the road.  Kenworth, Peterbilt, Mack, Freightliner, Volvo, Western Star, International, Sterling to mention a few.  Every truck you drive will have something new for you.  Fully automatic transmission with no clutch, clutch driven automatic transmission, 10 speed, 18 speed, 9 speed.  In short, you will gain knowledge in everything except a 4 by 4.

Worried about driving so many different trucks?  Hey….I’m a girl and I’ve done this for going on 12 years now.   If a GIRL can do it you can also.

You will be working out doors in all temperatures and weather conditions during the pick up and delivery phases of moving the trucks.

Most of all you will NOT be a “Company Driver”.  You will be an Independent Contractor, therefore you will be running your very own business.  It is important you treat this as a “Business” and not just a job.

The benefits of being a Drive-Away Transporter are many.  You get to see the United States a bit slower than in a regular “Dock Bumping” job.  You will have a personal vehicle to be a tourist when you find yourself in an area you would like to explore with time permitting.  We have seen most all of Baltimore, Maryland including all of the Inner Harbor sites and Fort McHenry.  We have been to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and to Sea World, also in Florida.

Personally, I have been at the waters edge of the oceans surrounding the US.  Florida to Washington State, California to Maine, and the Gulf of Mexico in several locations in Texas and Louisiana.

Contact Dependable Transport today.

2011 Paperwork is nearly finished.

The dreaded mess is nearly done for 2011.  I’m waiting on Settlement Sheets from one company for December to have an accurate income figure.

My “anal” side is happy   Everything in order and filed away.

Invoices, bank statements, household expenses

Loads for 2011 with all receipts

Just a couple files left over for 2011 that have no income documentation.  Since I’m totally crazy these won’t be filed away until they are REALLY finished.

Awaiting further documentation

Once I get the necessary documents I can then put these bins in the stack with the rest of the years I have on hand until I can shred them.

For now, I’m totally stoked that the bin under my desk is EMPTY.  It is ready for 2012….I’m not ready to dive into this mess once again.

Ready for 2012

I suppose you are wondering why I’m so fanatical about this paperwork.  Our son didn’t keep track of his expenses a few years back.  He learned the hard way when he was socked with a tax bill of $14,000.  He liked to have choked.  We will be paying taxes, as we do every year, about $3,000 for Federal and a little over $1,000 for State taxes.

The day to day operations of this business are pretty much the same as what you have in your daily life.  Except ours are sometimes on steroids

Fuel for 2011 was $36,087.47.  That is the diesel fuel we put in the trucks to get them delivered plus the fuel in our deadhead expenses.

Lodging for 2011 was $11,795.56.  While we are on the road we stay in hotels every night.  Most of the trucks we deliver don’t have mattresses in them.  Those that do are covered in black grease or they are so filthy and stinky from sweaty bodies and my phobia of creepy crawlies gets the better of me.  I spend days scratching my head and am positive I have head lice.  This doesn’t count the numerous spider bites I get yearly just from driving.

Meals for 2011 was $11,665.39 with Tips that I can actually document are $1,301.02.  We put cash down most of the time and I forget to write it on the receipt   Truck stop food is an everyday occurrence with a good restaurant from time to time when we are deadheading to the next load.

Equipment Repairs for 2011 was $5,649.38.  This includes my boom breaking and having to be repaired last May or early June.  There is always something in this business.

Repairs and Maintenance on the pickup in 2011 was $2,083.26.  We have a 2002 Ford F-250 with well over 350,000 miles on it.  Gladys is what we depend on to do this job and she has to be very well maintained.

Our total expenses for 2011 were $86,649.95.  This figure includes tolls, permits, medical, clothing, bank fees, faxes sent, photocopies made, FedEx postage fees, office supplies so I can keep track of this ungainly mess, vehicle insurance, oil testing to keep on top of the wear on our pickup engine, cell phones, and supplies like bolts and hydraulic hose replacement.

We put $15,484.43 back into our business last year.  Not all the income we made was kept for ourselves.

The income we made last year sure does look good.  Sitting at $95,250.93 while I wait for the remainder of the Settlement payments.  Take the expenses out of that income and we made a grand total of $24,085.41 that we will be paying taxes on for 2011.

I have about 300 hours of data entry over the course of last year keeping control of this massive job.  To say that I hate this task is an understatement.  It is something that HAS to be done.  Anyone that is in business for themselves must do this.  If you don’t keep track of all the little slips of paper you won’t know how good or bad your business is doing.

If you rely on an accountant or a bookkeeper to do this job for you….well you might as well pucker up and begin to whistle a tune.  Ain’t gonna happen.  They don’t have the time, nor the desire, to go through all the pieces of paper and pigeon hole each one.  Especially when they have numerous clients that are just as needy as I am in getting this crap filed.

I am awaiting bank statements to finish December 2011, the 1099 forms from the various companies we worked with last year, and the last of the Settlement sheets.

Until these things arrive I’m free to now spend my days in my craft room.  My housework is done.  Every room has been cleaned so now it is just the maintenance of dusting and vacuuming and a bit of laundry during the week.

Outta my way, I’m coming through   Time to go play

I’m taking an online class at my local community college again this year.  Last winter I took a class on Basic HTML to create my crafting website.  This year I’m taking the next class which is CSS and XHTML to give my website a kick in the pants

If you want to know what I’m doing check on my other blog – Message In A Fold – to see the crafting things I’m doing.  Gotta have something to do to keep busy

A whole lot of banging going on!

Do you remember my post way, way back in June?  About our home that had been riddled with holes from a hail storm in May?

Hail damage

We….wait, I don’t have a frog in my pocket…JOE has been dealing with the insurance company since June 23rd when we got home to see this mess.

Finally, work was begun on December 28th to get the damage fixed.

Starting the repairs

The roof is being repaired on one side.  The guys were up there scraping, pounding, walking, hefting heavy packs of shingles up there, and just being busy little beavers.

Repairing the roof

There were a couple places on the back of our home that had some holes.  While the guys were working back there with their pounding and banging there was some jingling and crashing going on inside.  That back wall is where the  master bathroom is.

Rear wall

The roof is finished on the one side with new shingles.  That is one of the sore points with Joe.  All the homes in this housing area have had their entire roofs replaced.  The insurance company has only given way to having one side repaired on our home.  Joe is fit to be tied.  At least it is finished.

Roof repaired

The siding on the front of our house has been replaced, finally.  I didn’t get photos of that and need to remedy it.

Front of house repaired

The last thing for the workers to do is to replace the skirting around our home and this work will be finished.  Joe has asked that we get rain gutters installed.  The contractor is looking into what he can do for us.  That will be done later, in February.  The most important part is getting all those holes taken care of before we get another storm and have damage inside.

I’m very thankful we live where there has not been a lot of moisture from rain or snow.  And now when I come home I don’t have to look at my home and think it has been used as military strafing practice

There is always some kind of foolishness and mayhem going on around me   Otherwise known as “Blog Fodder”

A chuckle to start the new year off right

My daughter-in-law sends me funny emails from time to time.  This one will make you chuckle, or even snort with laughter

These are classified ads, which were actually placed in U.K. Newspapers:

 

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old,
Hateful little bastard.
Bites!

FREE PUPPIES
1/2Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbour’s dog.

FREE PUPPIES.
Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd.
Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.


COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED.
Also 1 gay bull for sale.


JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer £100.


WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE .
Worn once by mistake.
Call Stephanie.



FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Complete set of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition, £200 or best offer. No longer needed, got married, wife knows everything.

Feel free to copy and paste this into your emails.  Send someone you know a chuckle for the day.

Happy New Year

2011 flew by!  I want to start the New Year off with a quote I found that sums up my wish for each of you, my friends.

Aisha Elderwyn
Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself.

A toast to Just Be Yourself

May this year, 2012, bring you health.   Those battling diseases and sickness, may you find this year one that gives you a better life free of last years ills.

May this year, 2012, bring you happiness.  Those going through troubling times in relationships, job worries, or housing issues.  May you find this year to begin a fresh new life that renews your spirit and uplifts your heart.

May this year, 2012, bring you wealth.  May the troubling times of 2011 be put behind you and this year turn the tide on your troubles to bring you peace and comfort.

My wish for you, my friends, is that you experience life to its fullest this year with the confidence of BEING YOURSELF.

Leslie

 

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,900 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Attaching a hex nut to a piece of copper tubing.

I take responsibility of enlightening you to the mysteries of life very seriously.  Those questions you have always wondered about.  The questions that keep you awake at night.  How can you possibly live through another day without finally getting the answer to……”How is a square nut attached to a round pipe?”.

Oh….you have never wondered about that.  Okay.

Then I’m going to blame this post all on Joe.  It’s his fault you are being subjected to this and not mine.  I will further blame Joe because he said “Bring your camera.  I’m going to do some silver soldering.”

A length of copper pipe will have a hex nut attached to the side of it.  Later, the pipe will be drilled out and some screw threads will be “tapped” into the pipe.  Or maybe they will be “die”d into the pipe.  I have no idea what “Tap and Die” is but it is only a man person that would give this particular bit of business that name.

Copper tubing and a hex nut

Hemostats are excellent tools to have on hand.  We get ours from a place in Wichita, Kansas called The Yard Store.  The Yard Store is a mish mash of stuff.  Military surplus, airplane manufacturing scrap, tools of all kinds are at this store.  They have, over the past several years, gone into acquiring the detritus of businesses that have closed or are getting rid of their overstock items.  I think they even have someone that attends auctions to buy tools and equipment from estate sales.  Some of the tools they have are really old, rusted, and well used.

In short, this is a good place to go when you need to find a bargain. So back to hemostats.

Hemostat to hold the nut

Hemostat

While Joe positioned the hex nut where he wanted it placed on the pipe I held the hemostat and he worked the clamp positioning and grip.

Claming the hex nut to the copper pipe

The next bit of business is important.  Do any welding or silver soldering on a barbeque grill.  In particular a barbeque grill the wife is threatening to haul out to the street for the trash people to come and get.

Ready for soldering

Add some flux.  Goop that gets applied to the surface of whatever is being welded or soldered.  Something to aid in the adhesion of different metals….or something like that.

Brush on flux

Fire is the next component.  I have not been made privy to the gasses used in this blow torch thing.  I take that back.  Joe has told me what the bottles are filled with but I don’t use the thing…ergo….not something I paid attention to.

Torch

With the “focused” fire and the silver solder he is starting the “Tack” process.  Tacking the hex nut to the copper pipe.

Tacking the hex nut

This photo is pretty cool…if I do say so myself   I got the drip of silver solder as it melted off the wire.

Silver solder

Now the hex nut is tacked to the pipe.

Hex nut tacked to the pipe

 

Tacked on

Another slathering dose of flux on the nut and the pipe to finish the attachment.

Slather on the flux

Add more silver solder for good adhesion.

Adding more silver solder

Get it all melted in there

Next is to drill a hole in the pipe through the center of the hex nut.

Drill out the center

Hole drilled

This bit is a “Tap” or a “Die”.  I’m not sure what it is.  When it is placed in the hole it will drill screw threads in the pipe that match the threads of the hex nut.

Tap or Die

Making the threads

A little too hot to handle

And…..TA DA!  A screw will go through the pipe.  This one will be used on the top of a tripod to stabilize the mounted object.

Screw in the pipe

Joe will be leaving town after the first of the year.  The weather is supposed to turn pretty bad before he leaves so I am taking advantage of him and his tools.  I need more cardboard cut up to make more Post-It-Note holders.

Cutting cardboard

And to keep myself from feeling left out   I did a bit of heating things up as well.  I made cookies.  Joe has been requesting “Date Pinwheel Cookies” for the past few years.  Now my pinwheel cookies never look like the ones pictured in the cookbooks.  Mine are more elongated and swirly than pinwheel-y.  Joe says they take him back to his childhood and his Grandmother making them for Christmas.

Date Pinwheel Cookies

While I was in the baking mood I decided to make some Chocolate Chip cookies as well, and some Oatmeal Raisin cookies.

Just what Joe needs to take with him on the road.  Sugar filled snacks.

Chocolate Chip cookies

Oatmeal Raisin cookies

I hope you have all enjoyed your Christmas this year.  Family, friends, feasts, and Santa.  Before I’m late once again and miss the next opportunity I will wish you all a Happy New Year.

A crack in Joe’s confidence

I truly mean a CRACK, and Joe’s confidence took a hit.

This trip is his first without me for the winter season.  It has been a trial for him, physically and emotionally.  He had about 200 miles left before delivering when he encountered an immovable object.  A concrete pad.

Cracked bumper

He was backing into a spot between two other trucks in the hotel parking lot.  Keeping track of some yellow steel barriers making sure to not hit them by backing in too far was his main goal.  Little did he know the concrete pad would be the thing to cause damage to the back truck’s bumper.  Crack it right in the center.

Concrete pad and steel barriers

I helped him call around to find a Kenworth facility that would fix the bumper before he delivered the truck.  All of the dealerships with body shops were backed up in work for the next two weeks.

Joe delivered the truck, letting the people know that 15 minutes away was a body shop that would have a bumper for them to replace the one he damaged but it would not happen right away.

Poor Joe.  He was devastated.  We both pride ourselves in taking care of the trucks we move.  Even the ones that look like they will implode at the first pothole in the road.

When he called me that night to let me know of the bumper damage my poor Joe was sure he was going to be fired right then and there.  Adding to his worsening trepidation was the cost involved in replacing the bumper.  Everyone he called told him the cost would be around $3,000.  Worse was the fact that all the places he called could not get him in right away to fix the bumper.  The part would have to be ordered and shipped, then it would have to go to the paint shop which would take about two days to paint and dry, then it would have to be mounted on the truck which would take another six hours.  All of this, he was told, could be started in two weeks.

My Joe was beside himself with misery and I could do nothing to make him feel better   I could not even be there to wrap my arms around him

The next morning he called our dispatch office to inform them of the damage.  The chewing out he expected to get didn’t come.  He also was not fired on the spot.  Next was to face the owner of the company that bought the trucks.  That went better than Joe expected and I was pleased to hear his confidence back when I talked with him later that same day.

After delivering in Akron, Ohio Joe deadheaded to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to pick up two trucks going to Grand Island, Nebraska.  Yesterday afternoon he called to report it only took him 2-1/2 hours to fully hook up.  He has shaved off a half hour from his time in Dallas and he is happy.

Later in the afternoon he called to tell me about his next bit of mayhem.  The bottom step of the truck he was towing danced around on the step hanger.  He found a safe place to pull off the road and go back to see why the step was loose.  The bolts that hold the step on were missing.  That is something he would not have known EXCEPT had he crawled under the truck to inspect the underside of the step assembly.

Loose step

A Highway Patrol officer stopped to see if he needed assistance.  Joe told him what he was doing and was assured he had stopped at a good spot and to take his time in getting it fixed.  The officer told Joe he admired him for stopping to check on the step.  Had it come off the officer could have driven over the step and put a tire out.  Joe told the officer that was not the worst of it.  Had the step come fully loose, as light weight as it is, it could have flown into the windshield of a passing or following motorist and killed someone.

The step is safely inside the back truck.  It will be reattached at the dealership in Grand Island after he delivers it.

So far this first week for Joe being out by himself has not been a very good one, to say the least.  He did get a bit of good news.  The truck company in Akron, Ohio has sent an email to our dispatch office praising Joe for the work he does for them.  They don’t want to lose him and are going to fix the bumper “in house” to keep the costs down.

I am really proud of my husband.  He has ethics and faces problems with honesty.  He takes responsibility for things and does not go the easy way like other drivers do.  Saying it was like that when he picked the truck up or some other foolishness.  He has a reputation he is protecting and I’m so proud to be his wife.

While Joe is off being a road warrior I am going to take advantage of the flat surfaces in our home that I’ve cleaned off.  I’m going to be filling them up with the stuff from my craft room.  That place needs a good purging, cleaning, and organizing.

My craft room

What a mess!

Yikes, it just keeps getting worse

I hope to be able to get this done today.  It definitely WON’T be the Flylady way that is for sure.

 

If your life could be different….

what would it look like?

I have a fantasy.  Winning the mega millions lottery and being presented with a ginormous check made out in my name with multiple millions of dollars on that check.  That would make my life different and complete.

Problem is….I don’t buy lottery tickets.  But in  my fantasy I have a list of things I want to do, be, and have.  When I do purchase lottery tickets the numbers I’ve chosen are always not winning numbers OR I find that the numbers I’ve chosen have been winners to the tune of $3.  Big whoop.  I spent $5 to win $3.

Would mega millions REALLY change my life?  Yes, indeed it would.  However, like the zombie movies that frighten the living daylights out of me…even if I watch 30  minutes of one in the DAYLIGHT…I would have “zombies” chasing me to get a piece of the money.

My real life is what it is.  Truthfully, I am happy with my life, finally.  I have been blessed beyond measure with the people in it.  Some people I don’t even know, have never met,  have blessed my life.  My internet friends that live far away daily bless my life.  My internet friends I have had the opportunity to meet in person bless my daily life.  My neighbors bless my life.  My children bless me in so many ways I can’t name them all.

My children are all grown and leading their own lives, and I’m very proud of the people they have become.  The home I live in….a single wide mobile home….is not as spacious and plush as a stick built home but it is my personal haven.

In my fantasy I dream about having a new stick built home with a concrete basement and plenty of spare bedrooms for anyone that wants to come and visit for several days.  In the real world….someone has to clean that house.  Vacuum the carpets and floors, dust the furniture and all the stuff atop the furniture, clean the kitchen and bathrooms.  My small mobile home is hard enough to purge and clean.

So scratch the big house off the list

If I had mega millions I would not have to work another day in my life.  That does not sound appealing.  I’ve worked since I was 16 years old, and I am now 56 years old.  40 years I’ve been working daily.  To just stop working and have no purpose in my life….that does not sound like a good thing.

So scratch off not having to work another day in my life

What can I do to change the life I have and make it better for not only myself but the people in it?  Start by changing ME.  I have been on a quest of self improvement for at least 30 years.  That quest has been in fits and starts.  Not a true “mission”, or a true quest.  This year I have made the choice to make changing my life a Mission.

The whining about my lot in life began at the first of this year with the paperwork I do in my business.  I whined but I did it.  Making my friends totally crazy in the process but I did it, got the paperwork finished.

With suggestions from my friends I tackled the paperwork as I could throughout the year.  Instead of “Super Sized” I now have a “Happy Meal”

The next thing to change was my attitude about my job.  I’m an over the road truck driver six months out of the year and a “Wanna Be Craft Maven” all the time.  I have to “keep my day job” so I can be in my craft room working on the “Maven” part

I spent $30 on an audio program from Anthony Robbins titled “Unlimited Power” to listen to while I drive the endless ribbons of highway.  The goal was to get fired up about creating a craft business so I could remain home and make an income.  What happened instead was a new found appreciation for my job.  The sights of my world changed.  I changed from “Gawd, I hate this job!” to “Look at that!!!  I just have to take a picture and share that!”

While working my day job we would come home for an overnight stay and we would bring in the collected items purchased on the road.  A couple times during the year we were home for a couple weeks.  Same thing, bring crap in and dump it.  As I walked through my home I saw neglect.  Dust covering everything, clutter growing and accumulating.  I did not feel happy to be home.  Instead I felt more like running away from home than being home.

Back on the road once again with a new purchase from Anthony Robbins, “Giant Steps“, I listened as the miles and days passed.  Still with the total intent of having a craft business at home.

A mental shift began happening in me.

I went from “I’m such a loser” to “I can accomplish anything I choose”.  I have to figure out what my “Standards” are and what – ultimately – would make me happy.  I have a video I want to share with you.  One that helps to keep me focused on my little life.  A life I am beginning to be very proud of.

I am not being paid by Anthony Robbins to add this video in my blog.  Nor have I requested his permission to do so.  This video is added for the sole purpose of letting you know that much can be accomplished in small chunks.

What are my “Standards”?  First and foremost a clean and organized home.  Second, daily getting some paperwork done in only one hour.  Third, creating items for a friend to give his family and friends as Christmas gifts.  Each one of my daily items is to be done to my “Top Ability” with great effort.  All things that at the end of the day I have a feeling of triumph and, dare I say it, power.  Power of ACHIEVEMENT in my goals.

I seek out people to help me reach my goals.  Flylady with the house cleaning.  YouTube for inspiration in my creations.

Taking small bites out of each of the giant projects I have to do.  Daily doing something toward my end goals.  Seeing progress in each room in my home as I clean it.  Watching the mounds of paperwork get less and less.  Challenging myself to create something unique from my stash of papers and tools.

The bulk of my day is spent in my craft room.  I have an ultimate goal to be off the road entirely.  No more truck driving for us as our day job.  I am fortunate in that I can spend so much time doing something that I truly love to do and get lost in during the winter months.

How can you change your life?  What can you accomplish in small bits of time?  What can you do to make your personal life better for yourself?  Making your personal life better for yourself makes the lives of the others in it better as well.  What are your goals and standards?

I’m not going to run out and purchase a lottery ticket so I can win the mega millions.  My life is complicated enough as it is.  I seriously don’t want to add more complications to it.  I just want to be happy with the life I have and make the people in my life happy to be a part of it all.  The other things that come my way because of all of these choices is a BONUS.

Okay, now it is time to do my 15 minutes in Joe’s bathroom and get back into my craft room.  I’m still recovering mentally from a challenging day with a Post-It-Note Holder that got the better of me.  Today is a new day with new possibilities for greatness

The lonely road to Akron

Joe left for Dallas on Saturday, December 10th.  He had two trucks at Stevens Transport to pick up.  Delivery will be made in Akron, Ohio where we have been many times.  After delivery he will be headed to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for two trucks going to Nebraska.  I don’t remember if he is going to Grand Island.

Saturday the weather was fair.  The temperatures were in the mid to upper 40′s.  He had a slight breeze while working.  The breeze was just enough that he needed to have a light jacket at times, which became too hot when on the lee side of the trucks.  Out of the breeze he said he was hot.

When Joe called me, around 4:30 p.m. he was totally disgusted with himself.  Together we can hook up four trucks in two hours.  He was upset with himself because it took him three hours to do only two trucks.

His ill mood was not made any better by me reminding him that he had to do ALL of the work by himself.  All the duties I perform when with him, he had to do.

1. Inspection of both trucks and fill out the appropriate forms.
2. Connect the brakes to the back truck.
3. Tie off the steering wheel of the back truck.
4. Attach ratchet straps to the steering wheel and secure to the seat base.  Safety in case the seat belt comes loose.
5. Attach boards, clamps, and straps to the air fairings of the back truck.
6. Attach the air line to the brake fitting, run the electrical cord to the light bar.
7. Tie down the air and electric lines then connect them to the rear of the trailer.
8. Walk around the trailer, several times, to lower the landing gear and place a block of wood beneath each of the feet.
9. Drive the pickup onto the trailer.

All of the walking round and round.  All of the climbing up and down.  All of the back and forth to get all of the individual items in place.

On top of that he had to do the tasks that he normally does.  Sling the axle chains and get the axles ready to be raised off the ground.  Attach the trailer to the back truck.  Get his personal belongings installed into the truck he will drive.

Loading the pickup on the trailer was another sequence of up and down.  Drive up on the trailer, get down the ladder to install the stops where the front tires will rest during transport.  Climb back up into the pickup and drive forward to the stops.  Get down the ladder to install the tire straps to secure the pickup to the trailer.  Up and down, up and down.

When all of that is done then it was to get the truck he will drive connected into the front of the trailer and connect the air and electric lines from the truck to the trailer.  That is a lot of work for one person to do and he has not had to do all of this for the past six months.

After all that work he ended up having to stay the night in Dallas.  Mesquite, Texas actually.  The back truck had a chip in the windshield Joe noted on all of the forms.  The windshield would need to be replaced before he could leave with the trucks.  He took his aching body to the hotel and took a hot, muscle soothing, shower before going to bed.

When he arrived at Stevens Transport yesterday morning he found that someone had played around with his trailer.  I don’t know what they did…frankly there is nothing that someone COULD do to the trailer without the hand held or remote controllers to raise and lower the hydraulics.  Joe told me the batteries had been worked enough that he barely had enough power to get fully loaded and out the gate.

Joe proceeded to spend the next five hours driving with one stop.  His legs nearly collapsed on him as he was getting out of the truck. He did not fall or hurt himself.  It reinforced to him that he needs to move around more.  Joe continued on his trek eastward with a stop in West Memphis, Arkansas for dinner at a Shoney’s then getting as far from Memphis, Tennessee and the traffic congestion from road construction as he could get.

On a related topic…the Mythbusters did a show about a toilet bomb test to see if the movie, Lethal Weapon 2, could be real.  The part I’m referring to, here in this post, is the consult with a Neurologist about the results of sitting in one position for 12 hours.  The Neurologist stated that two hours would be the maximum time recommended to prevent nerve damage and blood flow problems to the legs through the veins and arteries.

In our job we sit for hours and hours at a time.  The toes on my left foot have a permanent tingle from all of the sitting.  My sciatic nerve reminds me it is still there from time to time.  While at home or on the road I do daily stretches to my feet, legs, and back.  Joe chides me for wanting to walk when we stop.  Funny, it took the Mythbusters to CONFIRM what I’ve been nagging at him about these past 11 years.

Holladay, Tennessee was where he stopped last night.  Getting through Memphis was his main goal yesterday.  Poor Joe.  He was whooped when he got to the hotel.  Saturday night, after he got to the hotel in Mesquite, Texas, I told him that I missed him before I said “good night”.  His response was “Well, you know what to do about that”.  Ummm, NO.  So I did not repeat that last night when we talked.  I’ll just say it here.  I miss the big galoot

While he is gone I’m going to take advantage of his absence by cleaning his bathroom.  The Fly Zone for this week is back in the bathroom and his needs a lot of attention.  I’ve cleaned the bathtub/shower stall and his shower curtain is in the washer.

Joe's shower/bath

Shower curtain in the wash

Back into my craft room to make more Post-It-Note Holders.  If you have not seen what I am making you can check out my other blog to see what I did yesterday.  I think I am now up to 17 completed Holders.  I have several more to go before I am finished.

Okay, off to go play with paper, ink, and adhesives