Desolation...that's the best way to describe I-15 through Montana. Drove across it last night. Very little traffic (other than deer) and very few people. But it gives me time to think about things, if I'm not listening to talk radio. But at night, with no moon, it can get a little intense. The upside is, though, that it keeps you awake and on your toes. And when you're on the road for 11 hours straight, it's good to stay alert.
Really makes me wonder why people would live in such isolated areas. I never stop there, and I'm sure few people do. I think it would drive me crazy. As much as I enjoy the isolation (I could totally become a hermit if I let myself), but I like to be in areas where there are other people. Just so there's something to do. But I see some houses that are surrounded by miles and miles of nothing. I just don't see what is so appealing about it.
Delivered in Helena, MT this morning. Made it on time, which is always a plus, but there's very little freight heading out of the area, and I kinda figured I'd be there a while. And I was. After several hours waiting, dispatch told me to take my empty trailer to Idaho. Dunno why, but that's where they want it. Whatever. As long as I get paid for it, I'll head that direction.
But at this time of year, that creates a bit of a challenge. That means I have to cross 4th of July Pass in Northern Idaho. It can be pretty treacherous in the winter, as it's one of the passes that can get very dangerous in the snow. Think Donner's, but not quite as long. As I'm going over the pass, it starts raining and just a little snow. Then, I realize that while I have tire chains on-board, I don't have the tool to tighten them up, so my chains are essentially useless. Damn. I might have to fix that problem soon, since I'm sure that I'll have to chain up sooner rather than later.
All things considered, I really like driving up here. The geography reminds me of my time spent in British Columbia, which I loved. I wouldn't mind getting back to Canada soon. Might look into that.
Which brings up my next thought. Wonder if northern-dwellers up here ever worry about Canada invading? They'd be right on the front lines, fighting to keep the Canucks from covering everything in gravy. When I placed my order at Carl's Jr. tonight, I asked the girl behind the counter what her thoughts on this topic were. She looked at me strangely, cocked her head to the side a bit, and said, "Uh, you want an oreo ice cream sandwich with that?" Sadly, she didn't get my sense of humor. So few people do.
Anyway, I'm in northern Idaho tonight. Shut down because I ran out of hours. Gotta keep the DOT happy. Then I'll head a couple hours south in the morning, drop my trailer off, then wait to see where they send me next. I'd like to head back to Arkansas. I was looking for a restaurant down there that served possum, but I only saw a bunch of Denny's. My quest continues...
I'm a second-year trucker, experiencing all that driving and travelling for a living has to offer.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
More about my last trip to Pennsylvania
In my last post, I mentioned that I had a delivery to Harrisburg, PA. I picked it up in Tooele, UT, not far from my brother's house. What I didn't mention is that I was late getting to the delivery, as I had to spend five hours waiting to get my truck repaired.
After I arrived at the shipper, I tore my air lines, the lines that go from the cab of the truck to the trailer. They supply air to the brakes, and without air the trailer isn't going anywhere. I could blame this problem on a lot of things, but ultimately the fault was mine. I forgot to unhook them when I pulled away from the trailer. Whoopsie.
That required a trip back to the terminal to get the air lines replaced. This is always a pain, as the mechanics work at a painfully slow rate. It was a 15-minute fix that took several hours to do. I already didn't have any spare time on the trip, and this slowed me down even further.
As a result, I ended up at the final destination late. Fortunately, they didn't hold this against me, and actually rescheduled the delivery for me. Sweet.
I rather enjoy long cross-country trips. Just me and the road. But I hate going to Pennsylvania. It seems like every freeway is under construction, and parking is a real bitch to find. The few truck stops that are there are always packed, at all times of the day. Once I had to circle a truck stop for 45 minutes before I could find a place to park. That was the end of a pretty bad day.
That trip, I hauled Coors from Golden, CO out to Harrisburg. Made it to the final early, which I always try to do. However, they were in no hurry to get me unloaded, and I spent 14 hours waiting.
When I finally opened the trailer and prepared to back to the dock, I had to remove my load locks, which keep the freight from moving. However, one of the locks refused to unlock, and I had to attack it with my hammer to get it out. Several of my swings missed, and punctured beer cans, spraying warm beer all over me. (It was summertime and quite hot). So, I had to find a place to park, frustrated and covered in beer. Good thing I didn't get pulled over, as I imagine I'd have had a hard time explaining that I hadn't been drinking.
When I pulled into the truck stop, my check engine light came on, and I was out of commission for the better part of a week. No bueno, as I don't get to make money when the wheels aren't rolling. Fortunately, my company put me up in a hotel, which kept me out of the blistering Pennsylvania summer heat. But the whole trip sucked. Perhaps that's why I don't like going there so much.
After I arrived at the shipper, I tore my air lines, the lines that go from the cab of the truck to the trailer. They supply air to the brakes, and without air the trailer isn't going anywhere. I could blame this problem on a lot of things, but ultimately the fault was mine. I forgot to unhook them when I pulled away from the trailer. Whoopsie.
That required a trip back to the terminal to get the air lines replaced. This is always a pain, as the mechanics work at a painfully slow rate. It was a 15-minute fix that took several hours to do. I already didn't have any spare time on the trip, and this slowed me down even further.
As a result, I ended up at the final destination late. Fortunately, they didn't hold this against me, and actually rescheduled the delivery for me. Sweet.
I rather enjoy long cross-country trips. Just me and the road. But I hate going to Pennsylvania. It seems like every freeway is under construction, and parking is a real bitch to find. The few truck stops that are there are always packed, at all times of the day. Once I had to circle a truck stop for 45 minutes before I could find a place to park. That was the end of a pretty bad day.
That trip, I hauled Coors from Golden, CO out to Harrisburg. Made it to the final early, which I always try to do. However, they were in no hurry to get me unloaded, and I spent 14 hours waiting.
When I finally opened the trailer and prepared to back to the dock, I had to remove my load locks, which keep the freight from moving. However, one of the locks refused to unlock, and I had to attack it with my hammer to get it out. Several of my swings missed, and punctured beer cans, spraying warm beer all over me. (It was summertime and quite hot). So, I had to find a place to park, frustrated and covered in beer. Good thing I didn't get pulled over, as I imagine I'd have had a hard time explaining that I hadn't been drinking.
When I pulled into the truck stop, my check engine light came on, and I was out of commission for the better part of a week. No bueno, as I don't get to make money when the wheels aren't rolling. Fortunately, my company put me up in a hotel, which kept me out of the blistering Pennsylvania summer heat. But the whole trip sucked. Perhaps that's why I don't like going there so much.
On the road again, soon...
So, several of my friends and family have suggested I do a blog, chronicling my travels. Seems to make sense. I finally got a computer, and a mobile hotspot, so I can post on the road. I don't know how much I'll be able to update this, but I'll do my best.
Time is at a premium for a professional driver. I can drive up to 11 hours a day before taking a mandatory 10 hour break. 10 hours may sound like a fair break, but in reality, it's not. I gotta get my sleep in, eat, shower, do laundry, all within that 10 hour break. Granted, sometimes my schedule allows me more time than that, but often not.
Just a few weeks ago, I had a load going from Salt Lake City to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, around 2000 miles, and I only had 3 1/2 days to do it. Those are long days, and they don't give me time to do much else other than drive and sleep. I do get to listen to the radio (satellite radio is a wonderful thing, and it keeps me sane), but that's about it. To make matters worse, my truck is governed to 62mph. Yeah, I can get it going faster than that downhill, but generally speaking, 62 is it. That makes for a slow and boring drive across country.
Honestly, though, I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing. I'm no longer sitting at a cubicle, listening to customers yell at me all day. I have the freedom to set my own schedule, provided I deliver on time. I get to see some amazing areas of the country, and some I'd rather forget (Kansas, I'm looking at you. You suck. Also, central Nevada sucks too).
For now, I'm at my mom's house, and not on the road. I was able to make it home for Thanksgiving, which really was no small feat. One week ago, I was bouncing around the South, Memphis area mainly, and I had serious doubts that I'd be able to make it cross-country in time for the holiday. Made a few side trips on the way home from Memphis, like Wichita, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Cheyenne Wyoming, and Denver. I rarely get to go straight home from wherever I'm at.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to get back on the road again. I won't find out where I'm headed until just a few minutes before I go. My company doesn't seem to like to plan me ahead, but that's one thing that keeps things interesting. I never know where I'm going to end up at the end of the day.
Time is at a premium for a professional driver. I can drive up to 11 hours a day before taking a mandatory 10 hour break. 10 hours may sound like a fair break, but in reality, it's not. I gotta get my sleep in, eat, shower, do laundry, all within that 10 hour break. Granted, sometimes my schedule allows me more time than that, but often not.
Just a few weeks ago, I had a load going from Salt Lake City to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, around 2000 miles, and I only had 3 1/2 days to do it. Those are long days, and they don't give me time to do much else other than drive and sleep. I do get to listen to the radio (satellite radio is a wonderful thing, and it keeps me sane), but that's about it. To make matters worse, my truck is governed to 62mph. Yeah, I can get it going faster than that downhill, but generally speaking, 62 is it. That makes for a slow and boring drive across country.
Honestly, though, I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing. I'm no longer sitting at a cubicle, listening to customers yell at me all day. I have the freedom to set my own schedule, provided I deliver on time. I get to see some amazing areas of the country, and some I'd rather forget (Kansas, I'm looking at you. You suck. Also, central Nevada sucks too).
For now, I'm at my mom's house, and not on the road. I was able to make it home for Thanksgiving, which really was no small feat. One week ago, I was bouncing around the South, Memphis area mainly, and I had serious doubts that I'd be able to make it cross-country in time for the holiday. Made a few side trips on the way home from Memphis, like Wichita, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Cheyenne Wyoming, and Denver. I rarely get to go straight home from wherever I'm at.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to get back on the road again. I won't find out where I'm headed until just a few minutes before I go. My company doesn't seem to like to plan me ahead, but that's one thing that keeps things interesting. I never know where I'm going to end up at the end of the day.
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