Bollweevil

Shucks, I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted to add a few cents worth. It was interesting to me to learn that over the last 5 years that these oil company's taxes had exceeded their profits by 19 billion dollars. No one in their right mind would invest ANYTHING in a start up company with only a 5% profit margin. The term oil company is pretty definitive. Why should they invest in alternate energy of any kind? It is only by the sheer volume of business that they generate a profit at all. From east coast to west coast we,re looking at roughly 90 different blends of gasoline, to comply with state and local emission standards. Auto makers are faced with increasingly difficult fuel millage standards. While at the same time the addition of ethanol has lowered actual fuel mileage by 20 to 30%. This is all brought to you by our congress, not by the oil company's. The best thing to do would be to fire every last member of congress tar and feather them and ride them down Pennsylvania Ave. on a rail. There is no excuse not to vote. By law, absentee ballots are required to be made available 60 days before elections

Now Glen, You can always tell when a truck broker is telling a lie, you can see his lips moving. And congress has already promised that Mexican trucks moving products into the USA will be good for consumers due to reduced transportation costs. Why any day now I expect to see the price of Cummins engine parts, Levi's clothing, as well as food prices begin to go down. Surely. our government wouldn't allow a foreign company to build a trans corridor highway across the USA, with no congressional oversite. and then charge us to drive on it. Whats even more ridiculous is the fact that the American public has been conditioned to put up with such nonsense. The Federal dept of Transportation couldn't possibly be staffed and administered by political appointees, instead of experienced well qualified individuals from the transportation sector. On a personal note. Glen, it is not good for someone to keep their anxieties all bottled up. you need to enumerate them and talk them out. I will be happy to provide council for you or anyone concerning anything that affects our industry. The Doctor is in. Bollweevil

Glad to see that you made your round alright. For the uninformed or uninitiated, the greatest difference in a Shetland pony and a horse, is the time it takes to do the same amount of work. When applied to a class 8 truck, it is the difference in having time to rest, and not having time. You still have to do the same amount of work, but having a horse sure makes it a lot easier.

I don't think you could catch it from a toilet seat, but like CABIN FEVER, a continued exposure to someone who has it, is bound to rub off on you.

To clear the air, the OOIDA, is not my advocate, now or ever. They do not represent me or my business in any way. To say that fuel costs are eating people alive, is a gross understatement. If you asked a 100 drivers why fuel prices were so high you would get a 100 different answers. In the 30 plus years I have been associated with the trucking industry, the price of fuel has gone up every winter. There is plenty of diesel, but speculation in heating oil futures has ran the price up every year. It happens every winter. Everyone is upset over something, either real or imagined. From east coast to west coast I have listened to conservations on the CB and truck stops, and most of the people doing the talking didn't have a clue as to what's going on. Personally I would defy anyone to find 10 owner operators who would agree about anything. A major strike might not be a bad idea, IF YOU COULD GET EVERYONE INVOLVED ON THE SAME PAGE. Fat chance. The timing for a strike is not now, The trucking industry, just like any business, large or small is market driven. While there is always freight or product of some kind moving, this is a slow time of the year. If you are setting at home on your butt anyway, calling yourself on strike doesn't mean much. Typically, the 4th of July weekend is the busiest time of the year. That's usually when soft fruit starts coming out of California, and you can't find enough trucks on the east or west coast. You would have farmers, truckers, and the state of California demanding relief. In the meantime, if we are going to hold the country hostage, someone needs to come up with a list of demands. Because, again if you ask 100 operators what they would want, you would get a 100 different answers. As far as having a govt. program to help, look out, they are the ones that caused this mess. How anyone could continually reelect an ass of a congressman ignorant enough to propose an additional fifty cent tax on gas, to encourage people not to drive is beyond me. Now

It is starting to look a little like spring around here, peach trees and pear trees are in full bloom. I don't know if I really qualify for spring fever, or if I have just got a case of the mullygrubs. It just seems that when I have time to do something, it is raining, snowing, too muddy, or it's below freezing and the wind is blowing 50 mph. I did manage to get out with some friends a week ago, and get up to Marble NC, to pick up the dump body. I had bought the thing 6 months ago, but there has been no reason to get in a hurry. A good coat of paint, and a little TLC, and it will look about as good as a new one. Check my album for a picture. James

Too old, too much excitement? Nonsense, dirt is old, rocks are old, trees get old sometimes. Someday I might get old, but I refuse to grow up. I WILL NOT GROW UP. I like 16 just fine thank you. James

Good to see you back on line. I called this week, just got voice mail. Hang in there, James

Glad to see that you made your round OK. I don't know about that u-tube business, although I wouldn't mind learning how. I've got a lot going on this am. Have a good week end, whats left of it. James

I haven't thought of Geritol in years, but since you mentioned it, it brought to mind a story that one of my old friends told me long ago. It seems that Geritol was quite popular in the hill country of Tennessee. A lot of folks would use the empty bottles for a window prop. Now the way the story goes, a fellow had walked out onto the front porch of his hillside farm house with a bottle of Geritol in his hand. After taking a large swallow he was trying to set the bottle on the porch rail, and missed the rail. Wouldn't you know it , the bottle hit the ground and burst. Ever alert, one of the man's big red roosters ran over and began pecking at the liquid. My friend swore that before the fellow could walk down off the porch and stop him, that rooster topped every hen in the yard, and four rows of cabbage.

I am always impressed with how much you get done each week. This week was a short week too.

Older Bulldogs had longer ears and a spiked tail. I've been told that the change might have had something to do with OSHA. Herb, could probably say for sure, and put a time frame to the change over. James

Missing truck driver, AKA Other Dog, middle aged, hair sticking straight up, could be confused. If you see him tell him to check in.

Did your wife really let you take him off by yourself? Are you sure she wasn't following in the car? It wont be long, and he will be putting in his request to go with you in the big truck. Have you ever noticed an automobile pulling along side of your cab, with one of those little child seats strapped in place? Well there is that little fellow riding along facing the rear. He's looking straight up, without a care. Until he notices the truck, then his forehead wrinkles up, his eyes get big, and his mouth falls open. Then with a look of astonishment, he will look you right in the eyes, as if to say, damn thats big, and pretty too, can I drive? I need one of those. Have a good week, James

Don't ever get the idea that no one cares, or that no one is interested. While you are out going somewhere, I'm setting at home waiting for you to get back. I enjoy reading about your weekly adventures. The problem with these Blogs is that you don't always have feedback of any kind. Sometimes it will make you feel like you are just talking to yourself. It would probably make you feel better if you could see me sitting here nodding my head and agreeing with you. When you talk about difficult job sites, I can see them in my mind, because I've been there. I love trucks, one of the main things I've liked about trucking is being able to climb into one and make it do what it is supposed to do. When it is easy or when it is hard. Not just anyone can do that. Most wouldn't want to. There is a lot to be said about living right, and doing right, trucking included. When you run up on someone else who who has the same attitude, there's a bond or a kind of fellowship. Be careful this week, I'll be here when you get back. James

I'm glad you finally checked in. I was thinking about calling the police, and having them put out an APB. I miss you and Joe when you are gone all week. Sounds like you've had another busy week. The thing I remember most about folding a wet lumber tarp, is that they are slicker than snot on a door knob, when you have to roll them back out. Not much fun with a 13 ft load, with the wind blowing. Be careful, James

Paul, I don't' see how you could owe anyone an apology. A lot of people would like to have a clean late model truck with a big engine. They just don't want to start with nothing but a dream, and work their way up to it. Sounds like your biggest challenge now is getting started. So, jump on it. Take a lot of pictures so we can look at it through your eyes. Something that is that much fun, should be shared. James

What is this? This looks like scrambled eggs. I don't even like scrambled eggs. This odyssey had began late Wednesday afternoon. I had picked up a frozen load for export in Atlanta. A Pompano, Miami split, with a Thursday am delivery was the usual drill. Both stops had come off without problems. At about 2:30 pm, I was on my way to Homestead. Usually by this time of day produce of all descriptions had began to make its way from the fields to the packing sheds. Availability of product to fill orders, and just being in the right place at the right time, have a lot to do with getting loaded. I had spoken with my travel agent before leaving Miami, and it looked like I would have 4 or more pick ups down south, depending on orders. With about half of my load, I got out of Homestead by about 8:30 pm, ran 27 up to Belle Glade. and shut down for the night. Belle Glade was a good call. The next am. I soon found that I needed to load several pallets of sweet corn at a local shed. With the corn on board, I set sail for Apopka, a small town N. of Orlando, on 441. Let's see, carrots at Apopka, beans at Live Oak, up close to the GA. line, then I would finish out at a small farm just east of Valdosta. This sounds like a lot of work, and it is. Keep in mind though that I was getting a box rate. The more boxes, the more money. At this time of year, California was dead. Guys were coming back to Atlanta for $1700 to $1800. I have gone from S. Fla. to Hickory NC. for $2270. I stopped for lunch at Ocala, and while waiting on my order, I called my best, friend Robert Ware aka Peg-Leg. Rob was recovering from Colon Cancer, they had removed a large part of his Colon, and he was in to the treatment stage. After telling him where I was, and what I had left to do, he wanted to know how I was going to run. Just like I always do, through the woods, whats the use of being an outlaw if you can't terrify someone. Well, He said if you are going through Soperton I'll call mom and have her make you a lemon pie. Just save me a piece. Well I had looked over my shoulder at that beautiful pie all night on the way to Hickory. After unloading this Am, I cut a shuck for the house. Now hear I am in my drive way, and my pie is all scrambled. Disgusted, I made my way into the house, opened the fridge and found about a quart of iced tea. Nothing left to do, I grabbed a spoon and started right in the middle ummm ummm

One of my early excursions in a truck involved rt 250. I had taken a load of ice-packed chickens to Moorfield W. VA, and upon calling in, I found that my next pickup was at Farmdale Ohio. Hey, I said, you know we don't have permits for Pa. Just look on your map and find yourself a way across the Allegheny front. Ha, at the time I wasn't sure that the folks in Littleton had ever seen a tractor trailer before. Maybe they had just never seen anyone driving on the sidewalk. My first little truck was a 4070B IH, with a 144 in, wheelbase, coupled with a 42.6 reefer trailer. I had to use three sidewalks and barely missed a light pole. I have to say that the road did not get reeeal steep until after Littleton. Everyone should try it once.

Come on fellows, somebody help David with these king pins. I have never seen a tapered pin set up, taken apart. HELP HELP HELP.

The truck speed limit in California is 55. That is not much for such a wide open area as I-40 between Barstow and the Arizona state line. But thats where I was, in the right lane, headed east. I had just passed the east bound rest area, which is at about the 22 mm, when an owner operator pulling a set of pups blew by. Come on big truck, she said I need to get this thing to Memphis. I can't do that I said. I always ran the speed limit until I got past Ludlow. CHP had a refueling stop at Ludlow. No sense in peeing on somebody's leg and trying to convince them it's raining. At least in the high desert anyway. Well, Ludlow was behind me and I had begun to pick up the throttle a little bit. I soon caught up with, and passed the girl with the doubles. I as I went by, she said, well you can run if you want to, do you mind if I tag along? No, I said just pay attention, and give yourself enough room if I have to get on the binders. Who am I talking to? Little Bo Peep is my handle. Ok, Bo Peep, call me Bollweevil, I'm just a looking for a home. A funny thing about the desert, radio reception is fantastic. 20 to 25 miles with a well tuned CB is not unusual. We ran along together for 15 or 20 miles, it was full dark by now, and we were running 30 0r 35 mph too fast for a bust your butt state like California. There were 5 or 6 drivers some where in front of me chattering away on the radio, and every time I tried to get a bear report, one of them would cover me up. After a while I began to get irritated. Bo Peep, I said, I can't run front door like this with all this racket. All I can hear is these guys bumping their gums. Out of the night came a voice " You Probably don't have a truck that will run the front door anyway, come on up here and we will show you what a front door truck looks like." Dang 98.6 to 212 in a 1/10th of a second. Kinda like saying sic-um to a bull dog. It took every bit of 30 min. to find them. I caught them on a long grade about about 10 mile before the Goffs cut off. I passed the last one just as we crested the hill and pulled back in line without saying anything. All the while these guys were running their mouth. Who is that? That looked like so and so. We were coming up on a slower truck and the truck behind me flashed his lights. I took the left lane and left. That driver said, I don't know who it was, but he's gone now. By the time I got to the Goff's exit, I couldn't see headlights behind me, so I took the exit pulled under the overpass and cut all the lights off. A they went by they were still chattering about the red truck with the turbo wing. Hee Hee Hee

Joe, seeing a child of your own in such a situation, gives you a feeling of complete helplessness. You don't have to say that you would gladly have taken his place. Realizing that children are a gift from God, the only way to have enough peace in your heart to get in a truck and drive off each week, is to give them back. God can take care of them a lot better than you can, and when you give them to him to take care of, you can leave them without worrying about them. Before you know it, they will be wanting to go with you. James

As I continue my theme, I had just learned that Haygood Truck Parts had a reconditioned RTO15615 in stock. My next question was, can you get it shipped today? Tomorrow morning, was the reply. Back at the garage we drove the truck into a bay, and started to dismantle it. I say dismantle because I had to pull the whole lower fairing, front to back off the right side. Otherwise once you get the transmission down to floor level, you cant get it out from under the truck. Back at home I could have used the front end loader to raise the truck off the transmission. Lot's easier. With the transmission out all I could do was wait. West Texas in the summer is hot. Without a Motel in sight, at least I had a bed of my own to sleep in. I have never been able to understand why a truck manufacturer would build a conventional truck without a sleeper door. Evan with a shop fan, when the outside temp is close to 100, You can't sleep well. For the next two days, I spent my time back and forth from the garage to the restaurant. About 9:00 O'clock on the third morning, I called Haygood. Where is my transmission? I don't know, was the reply, I'll find out and call you back. In a few minutes I had the bad news, the transmission was sitting on a loading dock in Odessa, 90 miles east, waiting for a freight forwarder. No one had an Idea when it might be picked up. As I left the bank of telephones, and walked through the restaurant, I saw Uncle Bill sitting at his table. Uncle Bill, I have a problem that I don't know how to deal with. What Kind of problem? Well the transmission I have ordered is sitting in Odessa, and the have no idea when the can get it here. I know how to deal with it, he said, take my pickup and go get it. No, I'll have my brother in law take you, he knows his way around Odessa. In short order we were on our way. In Odessa, we picked up the transmission, stopped by an oil distributor for 5 gallons of 50w and left. When we got back to the garage and unloaded, I asked Bill, what do I owe you. Just put some gas back in my truck, was his reply. Thats how I remember Bill Kiker, Generous, and kind to everyone. Back at the garage, I, along with the grandson put the truck back together. When I went in to settle up with the owner I asked about the bill. Oh I guess about $150.00 for the bay and $165.00 for my grandson. Wow