dr_lizardo

Something like that happened near New Haven Connecticut a few years back I think.

I like not carrying haz.

I'm reading you. Don't worry if you dont get too many responses. I don't either. But I sense your blog is a bit like mine - a diary that you would keep anyway. Sometimes I think SG is all about everybody writing and very few reading.
At least you have recognised "The Can't" Now you can call the bastard to account. Some folks have a "Can't" or "Shouldn't" inside themselves and don't even know it.

That's just about the longest bobtail that I've ever heard of. Most companies wouldn't waste so much money on an unprofitable trip. Seriously poor planning indicative of an "I don't give a shit" attitude by someone in an office.

Pushing in your trailer brake supply while bobtailing will do that. You're essentially opening up a valve on the system without it being a closed circuit. No big deal.

I enjoy going down to Laredo. Pohl used to send me every couple of months or so. I'm thinking the customer who provided the trips must have switched to a cheaper carrier of the JBH or Swift variety however, since I haven't seen that run in a long time.

Dude, I don't know how reefer drivers can stand it. Some of those things are so freakin' loud. When possible, I take special care not to park next to one. But of course, trucks come and go. During the course of my dinner, one with a particularly obnoxious reefer unit decided the (previously occupied by someone else) spot next to mine looked appealing. It's like trying to relax next to a wood chipper.

hellO dR. lizarD

i'vE jusT beeN sO busY latelY...i onlY geT timE tO vieW a feW quicK setS anD replY somE msgS thesE dayS feeL freE tO asK mE anythinG yoU wanT thougH yeaH?

hoW lonG havE yoU beeN practicinG buddhisM?

hopE thingS arEn'T gettinG yoU toO dowN, therE'S alwayS lotS oF prettY girlS tO helP balancE thE equilibriuM aT sG

I've got to be in court in Wednesday in East Rutherford, NJ for a ticket I got a couple of weeks ago. "Failure to clean ice off motor vehicle". There's a dual irony here. The first being that this very issue (as applies to cars in particular) is a real pet-peeve of mine. I am frequently complaining about how lazy and dangerous some drivers are for not cleaning their cars. The second point of irony is that I did, in fact, clean all the ice and snow off of my vehicle (that I could reach, and there wasn't much). I got the ticket after ice came off the top of the TRAILER. A piece cracked some lady's windshield and it wasn't enough to tell her my company would pay for it. She had to call the cops. Cops looked about 21 and fresh out of the NJ Police Academy. My court appearance is REQUIRED. That part I really don't understand... why not just send in a fine and be done with it? Pohl even agreed to pay the fine for me since they don't hold me responsible for the bullshit charge.

So I hired a lawyer. To hell with it. I'd rather spend $600 fighting "the man" than just succumb to the BS. I'm only doing so because they required me to go to court. They coulda just had their money, but if they're going to make it hard on me then I shall reply in kind.

Anyhow, broken down trucks suck. It happens to everyone, true. BUT... it is nice when you always go to the same shop. They know you, they know the truck. They lube it every 10k, change the oil every 20k. Aggressive maintenance pays off in the long run. Now if only my A/C was working properly...

I agree, this girl wants to be a breeder. Fucking ridiculous, if you ask me.

Sounds like you're doing something interesting, though at times quite stressful. Right now, I'm all over the place. I'll write a post about it. I'm leaving town and have to organize my life.

Happy birthday!

That's a fun picture!

Happy birthday, brotha. Hope the road is treating you "acceptably".

Incidentally, I've read the LOTR books in the past, but I just got my hands on The Hobbit. I suppose I should have read this first, but better late than never. I've actually been fortunate enough to participate in the beta test of the forthcoming online game version of LOTR.

Does your trainer own his truck, or is it a company vehicle? I wasn't with that company long enough to have any great insight, but it was my observation that a great many O/O's were either trainers or working as a team. Almost as if it was the only way they could turn a profit with the truck. What is the point behind owning your own vehicle if you're a slave to it? I don't know... I've played the game both ways and frankly I'm perfectly happy driving someone else's vehicle as long as the working environment is good. It's certainly a relief to just call the shop when something goes awry and not have to worry about how to pay for it.

I'm actually under a load going to Augusta, Maine at the moment myself. Although I'm taking Sunday off en route and will leave here Monday afternoon for a Tuesday AM delivery. Did your trainer shut the truck off for too long without leaving it plugged in? Keeping the oil heated makes all the difference in the world. Unfortunately it isn't something that I can do since I park my truck at a self-storage facility. The price I pay for currently living in an apartment in the city. Anyhow, my only point is that it's a rather costly mistake for anyone (and especially an O/O) to make if it was merely a matter of not taking prudent precautions against COLD. Plus you suffer as well.

As miserable as your current scenario may be, I don't think you can really evaluate the situation until you get into your own vehicle. I'd get yourself to that point and give it a go for a while. You certainly do not want to jump ship really early at your FIRST trucking job... despite the poor reputation that Swift has. Is it still their routine that after you finish your training you are paired as a team with another student driver for a while? I'm not sure if that would suck more or less than being with a trainer.