I just sat down and read all 41 pages. Thanks alot for putting this together. Its given me alot of good incite into the life of a trucker .

You're welcome......glad you enjoyed it. I know it must be a great sleeping aide

11/13-16/07
I made my pick up first thing in the morning on Tuesday the 13th and drove to Missoula before shutting it down for the night. On Wednesday I hit the road around 9am and just lazily drove to Glendive, ND before shutting it down.

On the way to Glendive, I got to thinking about how the final on this load is due on Tuesday the 20th in RI. From my stop in Momence to the final in Maplesville is just a little over 1,000 miles. That would mean I would have to drive a 1,000 miles in about a day and a half. It’s doable but I hate to run that hard if I don’t have to. So I called the customer to find out what their receiving hours are and just my luck they stop receiving at 2pm. So now that means I would have less than a day and half to run a 1,000 miles.

So, I pushed it a little harder than normal the next couple of days and made it to my Momence, IL customer this afternoon. Now I feel better knowing that I have all weekend to get to Maplesville, RI.

The past couple of days of getting up in the wee hours of the morning and running 700+ miles a day has taken a toll on me and I decided to shut down at the TA in Lake Station, IN. Not where I’d like to be, but I needed a hot shower and a meal.

Tomorrow I will sleep in and start making my way towards Rode Island.

Hey DD,you going to make it home for Turkey Day? Glad things are going good for ya.

hey devildice and danske, it was nice meeting you in Missoula while I was in orientation. I finished that and was assigned a trainer. My trainer is a great guy and we got along very well. He did get excited though when we were in Texas in a construction area. As I drove through the coned area I followed the truck in front of me. The problem was it was part of the road repair crew and drove off the road into the repair area. It was carrying asphalt. I ended up in the repair area also. No harm done, brought the tractor and load to a safe stop and was able to just get back on the "highway" with no problems. The good part was, I showed the trainer I don't panic and kept control of the vehicle hahaha. Passed that test. Things were going great until Butte, Mt. We were resetting and also had a bad valve stem on our trailer. I was checking the load of superbags and while pushing down on the winch bar I felt what seemed like an electric shock go up my arm. Yes, I was doing it exactly like I was taught in Missoula. Anyway, I didn't think much about it and the pain eventually went away. The next day though it began to bother me. I told my trainer about it but it still didn't seem serious. On the third day after Butte I noticed swelling in the area above my wrist and so did my trainer. After consulting with my daughter-in-law who is a nurse we decided to call Missoula and our truck boss. I still felt I could go on though. We were in Pennsylvania. Wrong. My trainer and I treated ourselves to a buffet and then as we were leaving we noticed that the top of my forearm was turning red and the side was now a purple color. My trainer made the decision to go to emergency and a good samaritan took us both to Lock Haven Hospital. Xrays and 3 hours later I was given the bad news, a torn tendon in my wrist with an infection. No driving for a week to 2 weeks at least. No strenuous work for minimum of 4 weeks or more. Hand, wrist, and forearm are splinted. The next morning we call Missoula and Davis and I both agree to stay with the truck as I can still learn. Davis will still keep me on-duty and paid. Not much help for my trainer though. I felt like an ass watching him do all the work. Stayed with it although the pain, despite the Vicodin, was neverending. Vicodin is a strange drug and I didn't like it. I was having my own party and no one else was invited. Anyway, after four more days of bouncing in a truck we dropped our load in La Crosse, Wi. As I was getting into the sleeper area I tripped and tore the tendon again. It was all I could do but get out of the truck while I got sick to my stomach from the pain. My trainer and I both agreed it was time to get off the truck and get home. Besides, I needed to see my doctor soon anyway. I went to the train station and headed home that evening. The ride home was another experience also but I've stolen enough space from DD so I apologize. Anyway, it's Saturday morning the 18th. My trainer has to reset his hours at Ontario, Ca. which is about 20 mins from my house so I'm taking the wife and two granddaughters to see him and the truck. He talked to one granddaughter on the phone previously. I'm working with Missoula and the doctors here. The prognosis isn't too promising. I should've been on a plane and sent immediately home from the emergency room. I had to pay my own way but will get that money back from Workmens Comp. I hope. I will be driving again soon but flatbedding may be out of the question. We'll see. I'm a fast healer. Never underestimate a sharp pain and take any injury such as a tendon very seriously. I didn't know they could easily rupture when injured and this results in surgery and permanent injury. Sometimes when we don't see blood we think the injury can't be that bad, I'm finding out that ain't always the case. Hopefully I can finish out training as I did complete 3 weeks. See you all soon I hope.

11/17/07
As stated previously, I slept in today. I did not set my alarm but instead woke naturally about 7am local time (6am Mountain). But instead of getting right up and going through my morning ritual, I just lay there with no motivation and thinking about what I will do today.

After about 30 minutes, I turn on the T.V. and started scanning the channels. There was nothing interesting on and I knew I needed to get my butt up and moving. As I lay there, I was half listening to some romance comedy movie while running the days events through my head. Before long, I found myself watching the movie. This is not my typical choice for a flick, but it was like a train wreck and I couldn’t turn away.

When the movie was over, I forced my lazy self to get out of bed and get moving. As I was conducting my pre-trip inspection, I noticed that my right side rear most outer tire on the trailer looked low on air pressure (I’ll be the first to admit, I do not check my air pressure every day, I do it about every other day during my inspections). I put the air gage to the tire and nothing, zip, nada. I press on the sidewall of the tire and sure enough it’s flat. But there were no visible signs of any sort of blow out on it yesterday during my post-trip inspection or today during the pre-trip. No problem, I have an air hose that you can connect to your air line on the tractor for such a case. I hook it up and nothing, no air is going into the tire. I check the connection and there is air supplied to the line, but the tire will not take any.

I call Davis and let them know what was going on. I am no expert, but suspect that maybe the valve stem is shot and has a slow leak hence no visible signs of rips or tears in the tire and the fact it won’t take air. Since I was at a TA truck stop, they said to go ahead and have the mechanic check it out.

While I am sitting outside the bay awaiting my turn to go in, I realize that I am just 800 miles from needing a PM Service. So I called Davis back and ask them if they want me to get that done now (knock out 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak) or wait until next week after I drive the 800 miles. They tell me it’s up to me. Well since I am less than a 1,000 miles from Maplesville, RI and this load doesn’t have to be there until Tuesday (I’ll have it there Monday though) I have the spare time, so why not go ahead and get it done now.

After about 1 ½ of waiting I finally roll into the bay. About another hour later and they are done with the PM and now looking at the tire. The valve stem turns out to be O.K. but there is the ever so smallest piece of round metal (like a nail but it wasn’t) stuck deep inside that cause a slow leak. Another hour of repairing the tire and I was all done. By now its 2pm local time and I am even less motivated then I was this morning.

While I am fueling up, the thought, or I should say a strong urge is more like it, comes over me about just parking the truck and calling it a day. As much as I wanted to just be a “couch potato”, I knew I would regret it if I did not get some miles under me today. So with every ounce of energy I could muster up, I hit the road. Besides, I knew that once I got rolling down the road I would get into my “zone” and all would be good to go in my world……..so I thought.

Every mile seemed to take for ever to go by. It didn’t help that today was a rainy and gloomy day, just adding to my “less than motivated” feeling. As I was rolling down the turnpike, I would occasional see a house with a plume of smoke coming from the chimney. I thought to myself that I bet the owner is sitting in his favorite chair, wearing those old ratty holey sweat pants that his wife has been trying to get rid of for years in front of a cozy fire eating his favorite junk food and chasing it with a cold beer while watching T.V……what a lucky bastard!!!

In addition to the mile markers slowly passing by, it seemed like they built all kinds of new travel plazas because if I didn’t know any better, I would swear they were only a few miles apart. As I came across them, I had the overwhelming urge to just pull in and shut down but knew that just wouldn’t cut it for me, so I pressed on. The proverbial “icing on the cake” though, was when I went to look down at my dog whom normally sleeps in a little ball in her bed between the seats was not there. I glanced back in the sleeper and she was sprawled out on the bunk and just as I look at her, she looks at me and rolls on her back and stretches, as if to taunt me! Good thing I like her, or she might have found herself on the turnpike (just kidding of course).

Anyways, enough was enough and some lousy 250 miles after I started I decided to go ahead and shut down for the day in Perrysburg, OH. Tomorrow I will have to make up for lost time. I just hope I am motivated.

Thanks, i too am glad things are going good so far. And no I will not be home for Turkey Day. That is my chioce nad not because of Davis. In fact, I have been out for 5 weeks so far and plan to stay out another 5 before heading home. I intend to take a couple weeks off durning X-mas and New Years.

It was a pleasure meeting you too and I am very sorry to hear of your injury. You're doing the right thing by following Doc's orders and trying to get better. I certainly hope it does not affect your driving career in any way and hope that faldbedding is still an option since you enjoy it. In anycase, I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery, keep us posted. Oh, and feel free to post ANYTIME you like on this thread, I may have started it, but I certainly do not own it.

11/18/07
My motivation was much better today. Since the east coast always seems to be a bear to find parking, I decided to leave Perrysburg at 5am and shut it down early in Columbia, NJ. This puts me at about 250 miles from my customer for a Monday delivery. I decided to treat myself and hooked up to IdleAir. This way I can kick back and watch football the rest of the day. I am parked next to another Davis truck, and although the truck number rings a bell in my head, I can not remember who the driver is. Perhaps I will see him later.

I would like to know who ordered all the snow. From the time I left Perrysburg, OH early this morning until Columbia, NJ, it has snowed. Fortunately, for the most part it was not sticking on the road but there were several spots in PA where the snow plows were either hard at work or sitting on the side of the road ready to spring into action. In fact as I sit her typing this, it’s still snowing. I hope it isn’t like this tomorrow. It would normally take me about +/- 4 hours to go the 250 miles, but just in case, I will factor in extra time.

Not sure if you wanted to see this:

NEWTON... WASHINGTON... MORRISTOWN...

ALLENTOWN... BETHLEHEM... EASTON 310 PM EST SUN NOV 18 2007 ... SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY...

A SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY.



TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY IN THE LOWER 30S THROUGH TONIGHT...

RESULTING IN SNOW IN WARREN, MORRIS AND SUSSEX COUNTIES IN NEW JERSEY AND IN LEHIGH AND NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA.



SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL TONIGHT. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW SHOULD BE ON THE GROUND BY NIGHTFALL... MAINLY ON GRASSY SURFACES. SNOW MAY FALL AT THE RATE OF 1/2 TO 1 INCH PER HOUR AT TIMES. AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE.



AS THE PRECIPITATION COMES TO AN END ON MONDAY... 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW SHOULD BE ON THE GROUND. AS A RESULT... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CONTINUES A SNOW ADVISORY.



ROAD SURFACES WILL BECOME SLIPPERY... ESPECIALLY TONIGHT IN THE AREAS THAT GET THE SNOW. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WILL BE THE FIRST TO GET SLIPPERY. THIS IS THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON IN MANY AREAS. THIS FACT COUPLED WITH THE NEW WORK WEEK AND SOME PEOPLE BEGINNING THEIR HOLIDAY TRAVEL COULD CREATE MORE TRAFFIC ON ROADWAYS. IF YOU WILL BE TRAVELING AROUND THE REGION... BE PREPARED FOR LESS THAN IDEAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. BE SURE TO DRIVE AT A REASONABLE SPEED AND LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN YOUR VEHICLE AND THE ONE AHEAD OF YOU.