I got home today after spending the last 8 weeks on the road. To say I am tired is a massive understatement.

I have been really surprised that I have not been running into any real weather. Most days are hot and sunny. I did sit through one thunderstorm the other day but that was all I had to deal with during the past 2 months. I guess payback will be hell come the autumn t-storm/tornado season.

I've been staying pretty busy, finding myself taking no more than 10 hour breaks between driving shifts. I don't mind that but after 3 or 4 consecutive days of it you really do start to feel it.

There really hasn't been anything eventful to talk about, which is fitting since I started this blog to talk about eventful things.

One thing I could mention was when I went to New Orleans to pick up a load I ended off missing a turn since the street sign was missing and found myself down in an area where I could either turn into an outside market area or go straight into a residential area. Being Saturday, the market was teeming with people. Fortunately there was a city policeman there and he moved some barricades so I could go thru the market to get turned around. He said if I had gone into the residential area I would have had a major problem since all the street are so narrow and there would be no place to turn around, or even make just a turn onto another street. Being me, though, when I get into uncertain situations, I will stop and find someone who can give me the info I need to get out of the problem.

Once I got to the shipper, coming back out, the street sign for the road I came in from was missing so I went right through the intersection and into downtown N.O. Fortunately the downtown streets were nice and wide.

My best friend, who once lived in N.O. told me that during Mardi Gras a lot of signs get torn down and sometimes the city doesn't bother to replace them. That is not a good thing for truck drivers when they have to go into the area.

Apparently I wasn't the first truck the policeman had to help based on the things he was telling me. His initial comment to me was, "You missed your turn, didn't you?"

Rdrunner

I have been running extremely hard. On most days I take no more than the legally required 10 hour break between shifts. Fortunately, since I have always tended to work varying hours on just about any job I ever had, the varying hours do not really bother me. I manage quite well on 5-6 hours sleep a day. Any more than 6 and I tend to feel tired all day, almost as if I hadn't slept at all.

I have been mainly running between Brownsville, Tx, Laredo, Dallas and Houston since I came out at the beginning of the month. This trip, however, is taking me to Port Allen, La., so it's a nice change of pace.

Probably around Monday or Tuesday I will need to take a 36 hour break to reset my 70 hour log. By that time I will be down to such a low number of available hours it makes no sense to try to work since I won't be able to make any miles.

I have not seen any rain, with the exception of one 10 minute shower north of Houston, since I came out this month. We are getting into HOT and dry time of the year for most of Texas. Dry is ok except that the insects are out by the zillions. Trying to keep the truck clean during the hot months is impossible. Get it was and you can't even go 5 miles without having bugs all over the front of the truck again.

Rdrunner

After 5 days off I am back to work tomorrow. I already have a load assignment, picking up it Corpus Christi, Tx. going to Alexander, Ar., just south of Little Rock. That's a nice 700 mile hop to start the week. Not bad for a regional driver who is used to 200-400 mile trips.

I'll probably stay out till the end of July, though I may come home just for the 4th of July. I need to start saving up money for my annual 9 day vacation from Xmas till after New Year. This is the time of year I spend less time at home so I can have that vacation.

Rdrunner

I found out today the company I work for bought another company. They seem to be buying companies out about once a month. They say it is supposed to increase the customer base, but in the 7 years I have been with them they have lost every customer they got from a buy out. The exception is Campbell Soup which they did lose initially but got them back eventually.

It appears they are having problems attracting drivers to the company, which isn't really unusual these days for any trucking company, so they attempt to gain drivers from the companies they buy out. That doesn't seem to be working too well either as it appears most of those drivers quit before too long. The few I have run across were not exactly impressed with this company and told me they were looking for something else.

I really don't see what the benefit is. One could say it eliminates some competition but if they can't hold onto the customer base of the company they buy out, that argument goes out the window.

It sure doesn't make it easy on the drivers as they clog up they terminal yards with all the trailers they bought and are going to sell.

It sure would be nice if they used that money to give drivers pay raises and give us some of our benefits back.

Rdrunner

Since we were delivering only 60 miles from home this morning I asked if it would be ok just to go ahead and come home rather than wait till Thursday and have to fight with dispatch in Indy to get home. My driver manager said it was fine. I do have 75 earned days off saved up (1 day off for each week I've been out since I started with this company 7 years ago), so I figured it wouldn't be a problem since the company owes me so many days.

Got home and immediately went and soaked in the tub. I really miss that when on the road.

Rdrunner