Erie, Pa

Big win for Auburn on saturday, 33-20 over Ole Miss....Well I delivered in Chicago this morning and got a load picking up in Chicago going to Vernon, Vermont...Check out the new YouTubeTruckers webpage......it is called YTTruckers.com and it was founded and created by James of the 593Films channel.....great site if you like YT trucking vids. He also added a forum today so check that out also....YTTruckers.com

be safe
Jimmy

Middletown, Ohio

I am about halfway between Dayton and Cincy. I just returned from Canada, I was only there overnight. I delivered in Guelph which is just west of Toronto this morning and then drove 500 miles down here to pick up for in the morning supposedly. I dont know where the load is going, they just told me to come down here for my next assignment. Auburn plays Ole Miss tomorrow, big game

Later
Jimmy

Chattanooga, Tn

Well hello, I picked up earlier today down in Atlanta heading to Campbell, Missouri which is in southeast Missouri where Tenn, Ark, and Missouri come together. Not a great load, I wasnt very happy with it but oh well.....Not much new here, Auburn has had 3 disappointing losses in a row now, very upsetting. This weekend we play Ole Miss, another tough game.

Yall be good
Jimmy

Houston, Tx

Howdy fokes...I got behind again, I'm getting good at not being a good blogger. I made it to Douglas, Ga and then got a load picking up in Jacksonville and delivering in Austin this morning. I delivered that and came over here to Houston where I will pick up in the morning and head to Villa Rica, Ga (just west of Atlanta)...Its a decent load, 200 empty and 800 loaded due Monday...I will get to watch the Auburn vs LSU game this weekend

Be safe
Jimmy

Birmingham, Alabama

Actually I am still in Huntsville about to leave out. I have to pick up a load tonight at our Birmingham terminal and take it to Douglas, Ga for tomorrow. Its in south Georgia so I will drive most of the night. I wasnt expecting to leave back out until min the morning so I didnt sleep today, this should be a fun night. I see 2 Monster drinks in my near future, maybe 3.

It was a good hometime, I got some cool things for my birthday. I ended up staying with AT&T and actually had an iPhone for about 3 hours and took it back. I didnt like that thing. Touch screen texting sucks. I got a Blackberry Bold 9000, a very nice phone. I may let my phone drive this load to Georgia, hell it does everything else, lol

Yall be good
Jimmy

Huntsville, Alabama

HOME FOR A WEEK !!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is my Birthday, 43

Tomorrow I will also be giving AT&T an ultimatum...They credited my account $8000.00 and then they credited it an additional $2200.00...I am still not satisfied. I did nothing wrong and I am still getting screwed. My current balance is $1250.00 and my ultimatum to them is, I will pay half of that, buy an IPhone or a nice Blackberry and sign a new 2 year contract, my current contract is almost ended....or.....I am going to Verizon tomorrow...their choice

I am a 5 year customer that has never missed a bill.....Either way I get a new phone tomorrow, yayy! Happy Birthday to me, lol

Yall be good
Jimmy

Glade Springs, Va

Hmm, where to begin. Well I sat for 2 days up in Connecticut and finally got a load out of there yesterday that will get me home. Canaan, Ct to Birmingham, Ala...Interesting thing happened at the shipper in Ct. I was sitting there waiting to load with another driver from my company and a third driver from our company pulls in to pick up his load. He walked up and said that his load was also going to Alabama and it was to get him home also for hometime. It turns out he is a huge Auburn fan, as big an Auburn fan as me. So we got loaded and we both ran together last night and today. We stopped today in Harrisburg to watch Auburn get absolutely romped by Arkansas, a very upsetting loss. But still a good season so far for Auburn, 5-1....He actually recognized me from YouTube, he is JakeBrakeProductions on YouTube. So it was a really neat thing the past couple days running with a fellow YouTuber and Auburn fan. I am really tired, we drove 620 miles today from Newburgh, NY to Southern Virginia. Not bad considering we stopped for 3 hours to watch the game. We had to average about 60 mph to do it legally if we were going to stop to watch the game, plus we are both heavy, about 46,000 lbs in the Va and Pa hills.

Ok, yall be good, I will be home Monday until probably next Monday, yay!!!
Jimmy

Hagerstown, Md

Well I got a load out of the Boston area, a crap load but at least I'm getting a few miles this weekend. Kearny, NJ to Radford, Va due monday. Its 200 empty miles and then 470 loaded miles. I could be there today but why even bother. Lowes wont take this load of shingles until Monday so i stopped here to shower and do laundry. Plus maybe I can watch the Auburn vs Tennessee game here tomorrow. Huge game!!! Tomorrow we find out what my Auburn Tigers are made of, We find out if we actually have the #1 ranked offense in the nation.

Yall be good
Jimmy

Boston again

Well I pulled a load from Elizabethton, Tn up here to Providence and I am now at the same truck stop I was at last week. Maybe this time I wont sit all weekend.

Yall be safe
Jimmy

Roanoke, Va

Well I sat all weekend in Boston and Connecticut and finally picked up a load of shingles in Kearny, NJ and brought them here to Bedford, Va. Now I am at the TA in Roanoke waiting for another load. Very discouraged about the miles that I have been getting. I really like the company that I pull for but I wont sit like this much longer. If miles dont improve by November I hate it but it will be time to move on to another company. People say that it is the economy and I agree but I have a lot of friend that are drivers and they arent sitting like this.

Be safe
Jimmy

Boston

Actually I am south of Boston in Foxboro, about 2 miles from where the Patriots play. If I dont get a weekend load out of here then I will drop my trailer and bobtail over to the stadium to have a look see. But lets hope I get a load. I havent been on much lately, I am still having disputes with AT&T about internet billing issues. That crap is almost over, I talked with them for 2 hours today. They are trying to screw me and I am not going to let them. Actually they are working with me and they have been very kind but they say I still owe 2700 bucks and I refuse to pay it. So now they put in a 2100.00 dispute on my behalf and we will see what happens with that. Over the last 2 months I have owed them 7700.00, then I owed them 10,600.00, then they credited me 8000.00 and they now say I owe 2700, wrong answer...All because of 3 hours of Canada internet usage....Yall be good

Jimmy

Lexington, Ky

Good morning, it is a beautiful day. I had to sit all weekend in Blytheville, Ark. I had no laptop signal as i sat all weekend in a Wal Mart parking lot with a couple other drivers from my company. Sitting 2 days in a Wal Mart parking lot can prove to be very costly. So anyways, I got a load out of Blytheville going up to Boston. I really like Boston. Good load, 18 steel beams, no tarp, 47,720 lbs, just put 9 chains on 'er and roll wid it. I just woke up and today I look forward to pulling this heavy load up I-79 in WV and across I-68 in WV and Maryland, lots and lots of mountains and curves, I love it!!!!!!

Yall be good
Jimmy

Elizabethtown, Ky

I am so sorry about letting my blog get so far behind, I have been busy and havent had a laptop signal for a couple days. But Jimmy, you havent posted for over a week. Yea yea yea, my fault, wont happen again...this week, lol....Ok I am not going to catch everybody up on where all I have been. I am currently in the middle of a Pittsburgh, Pa to Blytheville, Ark run.

Auburn plays West Virginia tonight, HUGE game.

St Louis

I do apologize for being AWOL from my blog lately, I have been pretty busy for the past week. From Monday afternoon to Thursday I drove Birmingham to Charlotte to Chicago to Des Moines to St Louis. I was on my way to a really good week until yesterday when I got here to StLouis and this company was closed and cant unload me until Monday. Actually I knew this may happen after I unloaded in Des Moines yesterday morning and headed here to StLouis to deliver the second part of this load, I knew I may not make it in time. This load was due yesterday but the steel yard in Chicago was 6 hours late getting me loaded so that kinda does away with the delivery appt, but it screwed my weekend.

Ok, so here I sit at this Petro, eating breakfast in the restaurant, blogging on my laptop. Today is filled with plenty of college football but sadly I will have to listen to it on XM. I could go into the drivers lounge and see what they have on in there but I can already tell you that they wont have any sports on in there. It seems that truckers would much rather watch Star Trek or some other ridiculous show rather than watch College Football. Strange people

Auburn plays Mississippi St tonight at 7pm EST

Later days
Jimmy

Huntsville, Alabama

Home for a couple days to take care of some business. I am supposed to go back on Saturday but I hope they dont get me a load until Monday so I can watch the Auburn game saturday night

Later
Jimmy

Decatur, Alabama

I tired....I drove Roanoke, Va to Decatur, Ala today and am more tired than normal for some reason. Swine flu? Damn I hope not, college football starts this weekend. If its Swine I hope it holds off until Monday, lol. Well I deliver here in Decatur in the morning and then I go home for the weekend

Yall be good
Jimmy

Jessup, Md

Well I delivered this morning over in Rockville, Md, actually it turned into this afternoon. It took them forever to unload me. It was a highrise hotel construction site, no fun, big mess. Anyways, I came here to the TA and just got another load. Baltimore to Decatur, Alabama. I will go home for the weekend after I deliver. I usually stay out much longer than 3 weeks but I have some business to attend to at home before the 10th of the month. The best part is I will be home for the first weekend of college football. Auburn plays La Tech saturday. La Tech is no pushover, they won like 9 games last year and went to a bowl game. Auburn is a 14 point favorite but I dont see it. I will be satisfied with a 1 point victory, lol...Mmmmk, I'm out

Hagerstown, Md

Just chillin at the Hagerstown Pilot with another driver from my company. We both deliver in Rockville (60 miles) in the morning. We are planning to leave here tonight and head on in. Our company was unable to get us directions so we are hoping that Google Earth and Mapquest have found the correct address for us. Its a beautiful day, showered, bout to do laundry and maybe watch a movie or maybe shoot a video...Yall be good

Later days
Jimmy

Somewheres East of Lexington, Ky

Well I got my truck fixed today. They got me a load for the weekend, not a great load but its better than sitting. I feared that it would take Peterbilt all day to fix my truck and then it would be too late to get a weekend load....Frankfort, Ky to Rockville, Md (DC)....185 empty miles, 550 loaded miles.....not bad

Later
Jimmy

Columbus, Oh

Sorry I havent been around much lately. I had to sign up for a different wireless interne plan with AT&T and I now only have 5gb of wireless internet per month. I was averaging 10gb per month up to now. So now I am trying to cut back until I can figure out just how much 5gb is.

I am in Columbus. I delivered a load from NJ to Dayton this morning and had some truck problems. Actually it was a major problem. Last night at about around 9pm I pulled into the London, Oh TA for fuel and another driver noticed that my rear drive axle was sitting crooked on the frame. Big problem!!! I was only about 50 miles from my delivery so I drove it on to make my delivery. This morning I contacted my company and told them of the problem and they sent me here to the Grove City (Columbus) Peterbilt dealer. There are 2 big U bolts that hold the axle in place and these U bolts have a housing that hold them. That housing is broken and my axle had shifted. Scary stuff considering I had just pulled 47, 640 lbs of steel from NJ through the PA mountains and curves. They had to order the part, it will be in tomorrow and they will hopefully be done in time so I can get a load for the weekend.

The first thing my company asked me is "what did you hit"? I didnt hit shyt!!!! I have never put a sctratch on a truck. When I got to the Pete dealer, I asked them if they could tell that I hadnt hit anything. The 2 guys looking at it said they saw no evidence that I hit anything. I knew I hadnt but was still relieved and was even more relieved when I overheard him telling my people that there was no evidence that I hit anything. So its a warranty thing and wont cost my company so all iz gud, lol

Later
Jimmy

Rockaway, NJ

Man, I am way back off the road in a residential area, very tight. I have one drop off here in the morning and the rest of this load comes off a few miles away in Caldwell, NJ. This was a great load, only 6000 lbs, no tarp, great weather. I was thinking I may hit a lot of hurricane rain but I didnt hit any at all. I'm ready to go back out west, I think I will ask to go out there

Later days
Jimmy

Effingham, Illinois

Well I delivered that load up to KC and then deadheaded to Tulsa to pick up this load going to New Jersey. I guess i get to play in the hurricane. Sorry this one is so short, I tired and have to get up at 3am to drive...night night

Jonesboro, Ark

On the road again...Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Harrisonville, Mo (Kansas City)...Shes a big ole lumber load, about 48,100 lbs worth. I weighed 79, 960 with a half tank of fuel so I am having to watch how much fuel I put in. Deisel weighs about 7 lbs a gallon so if I would have stopped and filled the rest of the way up that would have been about an extra 700 lbs. So I have to run my fuel down and then only replace what I used. I put in 40 gallons in West Memphis a while ago.

I feel really bad that I finagled my way out of watching Lord Of The Rings with Starla. I am such an azzhole, forreal. She drives all the way up from Montgomery to see me (3 hrs) and always is up for doing anything I want to do. She is always up for any movie I want to go see, any restaurant I want to eat at. She asked me to take her to the Botannical Gardens almost 4 years ago and I finagled my way out of it for over 3 years. I told her this past weekend that watching LOTR with her was the least i could do but then I didnt do it. Whata dck I am!!!!!!!!!

Yall be good
Jimmy

Huntsville, Alabama

Back on the road tomorrow. As much as I love being home, I always miss the road and look forward to getting back out there. Today I have about 5 loads of clothes to wash. I also have to go to Wal Mart for some typical back on the road shopping, always a 3 digit venture. I also promised Starla that I would watch Lord Of The Rings. What in the F was I thinking to promise something like that? I didnt say when I would watch it with her. I promised a trip to the Botannical Gardens and it took over 3 years for her to finally drag me out there. In case you dont know, I am not a fan of anything sci fi or fantasy, AT ALL!!!! But its the least I can do, she always watches whatever I want to watch and she always tries to show interest. I just cant see me wasting 2 or 3 hours of my last day home on Lord Of The Rings...OMG what was I thinking

Huntsville, Alabama

Note to self.....Never ever, under any circumstances, use Cingular AT&T wireless internet in Canada with out an International rate plan. A $7600.00 bill is not and easy thing to finagle out of. Yes you read that correctly, $7600.00....Seven thousand six hundred dollars

Huntsville, Alabama

Wow, I got behind again huh? I sowwy. Let me see if i can remember the last few days. I know they were not the best, I got into it with my company, I remember that much. Ok, I came out of Canada with a load to Chicago and then picked up a load in Rockford, Ill going to Nashville. From Nashville I deadheaded home for a week of hometime. I wasnt even suppose to be home yet. I mean, I was on the road for 6 weeks so it was definitely time for a break, but I hadnt put in for hometime yet. I was very angry with my company and I just told them "Hey, I havent even put in for hometime yet but I need a break, so I'm going home for a week after I deliver this load"...They knew I was pissed, and rightfully so, so they didnt argue. And here I am, enjoying a break from trucking for a few days....I have a couple of video ideas I hope to shoot this week while at home, so maybe that will happen....Yall be good

Later days
Jimmy

Toledo, Oh

I am heading into Canada today so i wont be online for a day or 2. It costs big bucks to use the phone and laptop on Canada. Talk to yall soon

Be safe
Jimmy

Oklahoma City

I just got a load that picks here in OKC going to Canada, somewheres around Toronto. Industrial AC units, light load, no tarp....good load...I will shoot across I-44 to StLouis and then take I-70 to....hmmm...not sure if I will take I-70 all the way to I-75 or what. But I will cross into Canada in Detroit...K, more later

Jimmy

Tulsa, Okla

Well today was a slightly painful day for me. I went back to the dentist and before they started the 2nd half of my scaling and root planing I told the doctor that I was still having a lot of pain. Sure it could be from yall ripping my gums apart but this wasnt gum pain, this was deep tooth pain. So he took another look at my teeth and found that my back rightside bottom tooth was cracked. I told him that I couldnt go back on the road in this pain and that finding a dentist on the road was a tough task. I was there, I wanted my mouth fixed. He pulled it!!!! And it was an oral surgery type thing too. That tooth was cracked all the way down to the nerve and was most definitely the source of my pain. So today at the dentist I had my gums ripped apart and cleaned and then I had a very large tooth dug out of my jaw. But ya know what? Its still bleeding but I am so glad I had that done. Hopefully tomorrow I will get a nice long run and can enjoy driving a truck painfree

Later days
Jimmy

Tulsa, Okla

Well I had my dentist appt yesterday and have another one tomorrow. I am surprised at the findings of the dentist. As a kid and growing up my sisters and I always had good dental care and even as a trucker I brush my teeth a minimum of twice a day. So I was surprised to find that I have the beginnings of periodontal disease. I have been in a lot of pain lately and after seeing what they dug out of my gums, I can see why. I am half way through a procedure called periodontal scaling and root planing or in other words "we gonna scrape all the crap out of your gums"...And they did, all the way down to the roots...I also found that the word discomfort is also code for "you are going to be in a lot of pain"...and...there may be a little blood is code for "theres gonna be so much blood that we may call in the blood clean up team"...There was a lot of blood and it was very painful. He said there would be pain because I have a lot of infection in my gums. You would never know it by looking at my teeth. I have all of my teeth and they look healthy. They arent or at least they werent. Supposedly I am getting this done before any real damage was done and thats a good thing. It is a 700.00 procedure that is costing me 90.00, also a good thing...So tomorrow morning I go back and they will do the left side of my mouth. Fun fun, thats my dipping side, this should be fun. After going through this, I think it would be foolish to continue dipping. So there is a really good chance that I will be dumping 3 brand new cans of dip out on the ground tomorrow....thats a video right there

I just uploaded a new video on YouTube...I recently aquired my 500th subscriber and this is my 500 video....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGOBmWBxK1k

Yall be good
Jimmy

Tulsa, Okla

I delivered in Houston and then picked up another load there in Houston coming up here to Tulsa. We have a terminal here, thats where I am now. I also have a dentist appt here on Monday, I gotz a bad bad bad toof thats hurting. On the way up here today i had a fun experience. Heres the video that I shot today...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCtwkoXlohw

Later days
Jimmy

Houston, Tx

Well they sent me right back to the same shipper that was trying to load me too heavy. This time it was a slightly lighter load coming down here to Houston. I left the shipper weighing 79,940...So all is good, turning down that load didnt hurt my miles for the week, I still got a good run, and a legal one. I loaded yesterday around 5pm, made it to West Memphis last night and got up this morning and drove Memphis to Houston and just got unloaded, they needed the aluminum here really bad. They make aluminum cans here. It was a good trip except it rained...um....well...ok, the entire way here. So hopefully I get a good load tomorrow. I will let you know.

Be safe
Jimmy

Russellville, Ky

Howdy, well today started out wonderfully and quickly went sour. Actually it wasnt quickly, it was a great day all day until right there at the end of it, lol. Yesterday I delivered in Charleston, SC and quickly got another load that picked up in Huger, SC (just north of Charleston) and went to Chattanooga. It was only about 450 miles and I delivered it this morning. Once again I quickly got another load, this time it was Russellville, Ky to Ft Worth, Tx by tomorrow. Thats 185 empty miles and about 780 loaded miles. Thats a really good load. Nearly 1000 miles due tomorrow. I was psyched, ready to roll hard with it to get it there on time. The only thing that bothered me about it was that another driver turned this same load down because when he went to pick it up he found that it was too heavy to pull legally. So this bothered me the entire way here, especially since my Peterbilt weighs right at 32,000 empty, thats pretty heavy. So I get here and sure enough it was an extremely heavy load...48, 650 lbs. So I called my company and told them I wasnt going to pull that load. They agreed and the load was taken off of me. I still dont understand why my company would deadhead (no load on the trailer) me 185 miles when they knew I may not be able to pull the load. Thats a lot of fuel to burn. So here I sit. A small part of me wishes I would have pulled the load. I know how to get around the scales and I probably would have made it with no problems, but I worked hard to obtain my CDL and have worked even harder to keep it clean and that means that I take no chances with my livelyhood.

Yall take care
Jimmy

Savannah, Ga

I was informed today that I needed to stop slacking on my blog, and she was right. Thank you Tina for setting me straight. Ok, where was I? Pensacola? Yup....Ok, so I delivered the Miami load, that all went really smooth, but dadgumit its hot down there. I unloaded yesterday morning and it was only about an hour later that i got this load going to Charleston, SC. I picked this one up in Ft Lauderdale, not far from where I delivered. Shes a tarpped load but oh well, a little work does a man good, even in 100 degree temps, lol. I dont deliver until Monday.

Later days
Jimmy

Pensacola, Fla

Long day...Picked up in Pilot Point, Tx (40 miles north of Dallas) and drove here to Pensacola, on my way to Miami. Thats right at a 700 mile day, not bad for a 65 mph truck. I found out today that they will take this load as soon as I can get it there, so daddy mashed on it!!!! A 650 mile day tomorrow and I'm there

Later
Jimmy

Dallas

Dadgumit, I got behind on my blog. Sorry bout that. Yall probably were thinking I have been sitting in Chicago all this time, nope....I picked up in Chicago and brought that load down here to Dallas. Maybe that last blog said that already, not sure....So I delivered here in Dallas this morning and this afternoon I got a load that picks up in Pilot Point, Tx and delivers in Miami, Fla. So actually I am here in Pilot Point now (just north of Dallas) and i pick up here in the am. This is a good load, about 1350 miles. It actually delivers in Boca Raton, just north of Miami. Right on the ocean. I look forward to this load, I havent been to south Florida in over a year.

Be safe
Jimmy

Chicago

Ok, lets see...I made it off of Long Island and then picked up a load in Connecticut going to Rochelle, Illinois. I delivered it this morning and am now in Chicago at the shipper picking up a load of steel going to Dallas. This load isnt due until Monday but I have had a really good week so iz all good.

I got a ticket yesterday!!! I had a blowout and one of Ohios finest gave me an unsafe vehicle ticket because I didnt pull over right away, I was trying to make it to the next exit. I called and its only going to cost $90.00 and O points on my CDL. But still, whata d!ckhead!!! He gave me the ticket for not getting off the road and then he says ok I'm going to follow you to the next exit. Duh!!! Thats where I was headed moron, lol

Okie doke, yall hava goodn
Later days
Jimmy

Long Island, NY

Well today was fun, yeehaw, lol...I delivered this morning in Philly as planned and then headed over here to LI. It went good, lots of traffic of course. One of the bridges going into the Bronx had a fire nearby so it was closed which meant that the eastbound traffic all had to use the Whitestone Bridge. BIG TIME eastbound backup!!!! Like 20 miles worth. Because of the backup, I decided to stay out here on LI until tomorrow morning. I wasnt about to get back out and head into the city in that bridge traffic, no way not me, my momma didn raise no fool. So I am going to get up at about 4am and head back into NJ and park at the first service plaza I come to until I get a load. Right now I am parked in Nesconset at the Smith Haven Mall, I am in Dicks parking lot. It nice here, about 70 degrees, a breeze blowing through the windows, nice area.

Later days
Jimmy

Pittsburgh, Pa

Actually I am just east of Pitt on the PA Turnpike at a Service Plaza. I stopped here because I knew I would have a good laptop signal from Pittsburgh. I have a lot of YouTube catching up to do. I dont have to be in Philly until monday morning and then out on Long Island monday afternoon. I cant wait to leave Long Island in that NYC rushhour traffic, its gonna be GREAT!!!

I met up with Keystrucker (Jim and Janet) yesterday in Ohio and we had another great visit. I love those 2 folks. Janet posted a rather interesting video that involved me...heres the link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMFsskUSWhA

Later days

Chicago

I delivered this morning in Michigan and then got this load going from Chicago to Philly and then to Long Island, fun fun....I am here at the shipper now waiting to get loaded, it is 11pm

Later days

Perrysburg, Ohio

I almost forgot something, the first part of this blog is below, this is an add on, lol

Today is day 3 with no Mtn Dew, actually no soft drinks at all. Today is also day 3 of nothing fried. I still eat a lot but I am trying to eat healthier. In addition to eating better, I made a can of Skoal last from monday until this afternoon, thats not bad considering I have been a can-a-day dipper for a very long time. I am not going to quit dipping all together until I am completely off of soft drinks. The plan is no soft drinks during this time on the road (5 or 6 weeks) and then quit dipping altogether next road trip. But a wheening process will be underway this time out.

Total savings from quitting Mtn Dew and Skoal? Over $200.00 a month, probably close to $250.00......add eating healthier to that and I am saving about $300.00 or more a month and am a much healthier SillyTrucker

Later days

Perrysburg, Ohio

Hello everyone. I had a busy day and did on not much sleep. I have been fighting a toothache that is going to require some attention one day very soon. I am going to make sure it isnt going to just go away first before I go see a dentist out here on the road. For now, Aleve is holding back the pain.

Today I woke up in Lebanon Jct, Ky and drove onto Louisville to deliver the 1st stop of this 3 stop load. I then drove to Cleveland and got out from under the 2nd stop. This one made me happy because the Cleveland stop wasnt due until tomorrow morning, yay. I then drove here to Perrysburg (Toledo) and will drive up to Jackson, Michigan (an hour north) and deliver stop number 3 in the morning. It was a good day.

The best part? Well, besides getting to unload stop 2 a day early......65 MPH SPEED LIMIT IN OHIO

Later days

Birmingham, Alabama

Today pretty much sucked, lol...I started my day out by delivering a load here in Birmingham. I arrived at US Steel early this morning and found out quickly that they dont allow dogs inside the plant property. A lot of places do this but I usually know about it ahead of time and can tie Jack up in the bunk before arriving. The guard told me that I could tie Jack up outside the gate, and I did. Of course it took me 2 hours to get unloaded, 2 hours that Jack sat in the rain tied to a tree. Once I got unloaded I found one helluva dirty Jackdog. He was filthy muddy and rain soaked. I threw him in the truck and made him sit in the passenger seat on a towel until we got to our Birmingham terminal, about 10 miles away. Once I got there, Jack got a good bathing.

Soon after bathing Jack, I got a load that picked up in Decatur, Ala (90 miles north) that was going to Iowa, a decent load. I got to Decatur and found out that the load was 48,900 lbs. I cant pull 48,900 legally and my company has a strict 48,000 lbs policy that supposedly our shippers are aware of. Worthington Steel wasnt aware of it obviously. So I waited there a few hours only to find out that the load was being cancelled.

So I found a place to park in Decatur and at about 4pm I got a load picking up at our terminal in Birmingham going to Jackson, Michigan. So now I am back in Birmingham, I will leave here in the morning. This load is a 3 stopper, Louisville, somewhere in Ohio, and then to Michigan. Its a light load, 3 industrial air conditioners, no tarp....Rough day, coulda been worse.

Later days

Huntsville, Alabama

Well I am still at home. I have a ton of days accumulated and decided to stay home a few extra. I do however have to be at our Birmingham terminal on Monday to take a load only a few miles away into Birmingham. Another driver dropped this load at the terminal so he could go home. They are making it worth my while financially so I agreed to do it. I will go down there on Sunday since it delivers first thing Monday. So, I'm home for the 4th

Later days

Huntsville, Alabama

Well every man needs a "kickn around town" pick up truck right? I bought me one today. I drove out to Madison (15 miles) and bought a 1990 Ford F150 Lariat XLT. Its a pretty nice truck for $1350.00. It needs paint but it has good rubber and only 127,000 miles, runs great and doesnt smoke or leak any oil. I may or may not paint it but knowing me I will paint it, put rims and nicer tires on it, maybe headers and a nice dual exhaust. May as well redneck 'er on up right? GitRDone

Later days

Huntsville, Alabama

HOME!!!!!! For a week or so

Montgomery, Alabama

Well I brought this load from Chicago and will deliver in the morning. It was a good trip down after a very nice visit with Jim and Janet (Keystrucker on YouTube) up in Chicago.

Yesterday after I got loaded, I was on some back roads south of Joliet, Illinois cutting across to I-57. I took the back roads so I wouldnt have to go into Chicago at rushhour to hit 57. Actually the trip into Chicago wouldnt have been bad, the bad part would have been going south out of Chicago on 57 at 5pm. So I cut across and came out 60 miles south of Chicago and missed the traffic. But while I was doing so, Jim called me and informed me that a 2 fatality accident had just happened near the Minooka Pilot where they were. He said a flatbed had rearended a bulk tanker and both were killed. I immediately thought of Brian (BTJohnson on YouTube) because he pulls a bulk tanker. I didnt really think it was him but he came to mind, and what are the chances he was in Chicago. So I get down to Effingham and stop for the day, I was at the shipper all day, big load, 2 lumber tarps. I parked and got online only to find an email from Brian saying "hey man, I see you are picking up in Chicago, I will be in Chicago today, give me a call"...So then I was like Oh Man, Brian was in Chicago. Still what are the chances but I immediately called him to make sure....A very sad story about the 2 fellow drivers who lost their lives. Everyone please drive safe!

Ok so, I deliver this load in the morning and head home (200 miles North) for a week off. Wow!!!

Later days

Chicago

Actually I am in Gary, Indiana but close enough. I delivered that load of lumber in Shelbyville, Ind yesterday and got a load picking up Monday up here in Chicago. Joliet actually, but close enough. This load delivers Wednesday in Montgomery, Ala and from there I will be going....where?...Yessss!!!!....HOME!!!! Home in Huntsville, Alabama for a week.

I sit here in this Gary, Indiana TA awaiting the arrival of Jim and Janet of the world famous Keystrucker YouTube channel. They should be here in a few hours. We will visit, eat some good food, and shoot a video or 2. Should be fun, this is the second time we have met. They are great people. Visit their YouTube channel and subscribe...http://www.youtube.com/user/keystrucker

I have been pondering the idea of venturing into a different trucking field. I love flatbedding and will probably do it for a while longer but I have been thinking a lot lately about trying my hand at pulling long and heavy loads. Like really long and really heavy. I would like to try pulling the big windmill blades that are like 160 feet long or the big cylinders that take up both lanes. What an extreme job! I dont see this taking place anytime soon but maybe down the road. I know me, I grow bored very easily. Your average ordinary flatbedding may not be enough to satisfy the extreme inner child of this SillyTrucker forever. I love my current company and have no plans of leaving or even looking any time soon....Just a thought, or maybe just a fantasy.

Later days

Birmingham, Ala

Howdy yall!!!! Well after I delivered in Irvington, Ala, I then picked up a load of lumber in Cypress, Fla, that was actually this morning. Not a particularly fun day at the shipper. They loaded me, I strapped it down, then before I tarped it I wanted to make sure they didnt load me too heavy, they had a scale at their yard. I was 81,250. I knew I was heavy, I could tell by looking at the tires on the rears. So I had to unstrap the entire load so they could take a bundle off and reaarange the load. Then I had to tarp the load, 2 eight foot drop lumber tarps, 100+ temps, fun fun....Oh yea, I almost forgot, this load is going to Shelbyville, Indiana, just south of Indy....Ok, so I drove today from Cypress, Fla to Birmingham. I would have gone further but the trip up Hwy 231 into Alabama was a tough pull with 48,000lbs of lumber, there are about 794 traffic lights through there and it wore me out, so I stopped here at our Bham terminal. I will take it on up tomorrow.

Later days, thanks for reading

Irvington, Alabama

Well, had I known that I would get a load at 7am this morning, I wouldnt have stayed up so late last night. 7am straight up and my Qualcomm is beeping like theres no tomorrow. I get up and its a load picking up in Cleveland, Tx going to Irvington, Ala(Mobile) due as soon as I can get it there. I got it here!!! It was a good load, no tarp, just 8 straps and roll with it. I unloaded about 1030pm here in Irvington, it was a good trip across I-10 and I am very tired. I think I will go ahead and crash just in case my Qualcomm wakes me at 7am again.

Later days

Baytown, Tx

First of all I want to say thanks for reading my blog. I am new to this and I am trying to figure what to do as far as replying back to you guys. Just know that I read each comment and appreciate them greatly.

I left Knoxville early Saturday morning and did make it to Baton Rouge that night, about 640 miles. There is absolutely nothing better than a 600+ mile day and then laying down in this bunk, complete with 2 foam matress pads, and an idling 500hp deisel caterpillar engine. When I go home, I wake up many times during the night, its just too quiet. In my truck, I can sleep 8 hours and never wake up..... I woke up this morning early, walked Jack, ate me a bowl of Kashi, and hit the road headed here to Baytown, Tx (Houston). I arrived here at around 1pm, unloaded by 2, and was sitting in this truckstop by 215. I showered, ate a grilled chicken sandwhich (thats about the only decent dish TA truckstops can make, IMO), and did my laundry.

Overall it was a very uneventful trip down here fron Pa. I will take uneventful any day of the week.

I hope I get a load out of here tomorrow but this is a very heavy flatbed area and there are many many flatbeds sitting in this and nearby truckstops waiting for loads. The last time I was in this truckstop, it was snowing and I sat here 3 days waiting for a load. But that was winter and flatbed freight slows to a crawl in the winter months. I expect to sit here until Tuesday at the latest but I may get a load first thing tomorrow, who knows. I wont complain if I sit because I have been running pretty hard lately. San Fran to Reno to St Louis to Atlanta to Baltimore to Pittsburgh to Houston in just the past week and a half, not bad considering theres a lot of time spent strapping, chaining and tarping in there.

Later days

Knoxville, Tn

Yawwwwnnnn....Long day man.....I got up this morning early after only a few hours sleep, got loaded at around noon, and drove down here to Knoxville. Good trip, about 550 miles. I was going to go further but I am still about 3 days behind on sleep and I was getting sleepy. No need to risk driving sleepy when I am in no hurry to get to Houston. I left Ambridge Pa, came down 79, cut the corner on 19 down to 77, to 81, to 40.

I had a close call at the shipper. They dont allow dogs at the steel yard that I loaded at. I didnt know this piece of information. Nowhere on my load assignment did it say No Pets. Nowhere at the shipper were there any signs that said No Pets. I was asked when I got there, "do you have anyone else in your truck or any pets?"...I lied....Its a 1700 mile load and I wasnt going to lose it. There are other plants that dont allow dogs and I always just tie Jack up in the bunk. However, today Jack just about messed up. I was very polite with the kid that was working the guard shack at the shipper, he was also the guy that asked if I had a pet in the truck. There were about a dozen trucks waiting in the holding area and he kept walking over there trying to see if and how many trucks were waiting, and writing down truck numbers. Well, Jack saw him walking by and barked....TWICE....the kid looked up at me, I looked back like a deer in headlights, he kept walking and never said a word. After I got loaded, I went back outside the gate, finished strapping and as I was leaving I walked over to the guardshack and said "Hey man, thanks"....I'm pretty sure he knew why I was thanking him.

Knoxville to Baton Rouge tomorrow probably. Thats about 630 miles

Later days

Ambridge, Pa

Ambridge, Pa is just NW of Pittsburgh. It is about 2am friday morning and I just arrived here from Jessup, Md. I will be picking up a load of steel pipe here in a few hours that is going to Baytown, Tx (Houston). This load is due as soon as I can get it there and that is the best kind. This is a good load, 265 empty miles from Jessup, Md to Ambridge and 1390 loaded miles to Tx. I will be there saturday night and will unload sunday. Best part?....she's a NO TARP load, yessss!!!...Just strap 'er down and ride.

Gotta go sleep for 4 hours

Later days

Jessup, Md

Wow, I dont know where to begin telling you about yesterday. I will say that I will never type the words "Tomorrow will be a better day" as I did in my last blog posting. Needless to say, tomorrow was not a better day. Yesterday morning I delivered just east of Atlanta and a couple hours later picked up another load in Tucker, Ga going to Beltsville, Maryland. I delivered that load today but the trip up here was anything but pleasant. I left Georgia with the intentions of driving the entire 680 miles without taking a 10 hour break. Considering I had already started my 14 hour clock 2 hours before even picking the load up, it was going to be tight on the logbook but I had it planned to barely make it legally, but with no time to spare. And then....BOOM....yes we all know that boom oh so well...The trailer tire blew in Charlotte and I drove it to the TA in Whitsett on 17 tires. Thats 90 miles. I knew the TA would be a lot quicker than a roadside service. And it was, an hour at the TA and I had a new tire, a full belly, and an empty dog. It worked out great. And then....BAMBI...Bambi had fallen victim to a car or truck earlier and was laying dead in the slow lane just north of the 40/85 split in NC, only 30 miles from where I had the tire fixed. I had a car on my left so my only choice was to straddle it and drive over it. It was a small deer but that didnt stop her from busting my airline from my brake chamber on the trailer as I drove over her. Needless to say, I came to a stop very quickly. Ok now I am thinking that I will never make it to Maryland in one driving shift, I will have to take a 10 hour break and take it in there tomorrow (today). The load was due anytime today but I sure wanted to get here last night to insure being unloaded early. I called my company who then called Petro roadside service. They showed up about an hour after I hit the deer. As I sit on the shoulder of I-85 in NC waiting for them to get there, I can hear what sounds like Hurricane Katrina headed my way. It is dark when he arrives and we both know that he has maybe 30 minutes before the rain hits. IT HIT and it hit hard. We were both under the trailer trying to stay dry in the hardest rain that I have seen in a long time. I am thinking that he is probably almost done with the repair when he says "well, I got it fixed enough for you to follow me to the shop". He hadnt brought the correct fitting and I had to go 10 miles back to the Petro so they could fix it. By this time, it is about 10pm, raining a monsoon and I am soaked. The 10 mile drive back to the Petro took 30 minutes and it was 1am when my head hit the pillow. At 430am it came off that pillow and headed to make my delivery. It did make it, on time, and I am damn proud of it.

Ya know...screw it...Tomorrow WILL be a better day

Lawrenceville, Ga

I had a long day. I arrived at my delivery in Highland Illinois last night, from Reno, at about 10pm for a 7am delivery this morning, first in line to get unloaded. I untarped, unstrapped, and about 20 minutes later I was told that they didnt need this load at this particular plant and wanted me to take it 600 miles to Ga, to their Lawrenceville facility. Thats all good but if they had only told me a few minutes earlier, I wouldnt have had to restrap and retarp it. After arriving there last night, I watched a movie and then decided to turn in. What I didnt realize was that the sounds of the movie had been drowning out the sounds of the German Shepard that was barking across the street at the animal shelter. He was about 50 feet away, he barked all night. At about 3am, another truck pulled in behind me. The 3rd shift told me earlier that the receiving dept opens at 7am, I set my alarm for 645. They obviously opened early because at 645, the driver that had arrive at 3am, bangs on my door and tells me that they told him that I could pull into door 6 or 7. He then pulls around me and quickly pulls into door 6. I pull around and notice that a dropped trailer was in door 7, so I couldnt pull in. He basically jumped in front of me. After listening to a dog bark all night and getting only a couple hours of sleep, I was in NO mood for a prick jumping in front of me especially since I got there the night before so that I could get unloaded first. And I made that very clear to him. After several "choice" words to him, to include "you are exactly whats wrong with trucking today" and many others that I wont repeat, I collected myself and started untarping. You know the rest of the story. Long day. Tomorrow will be better.

Later days
Jimmy

I almost forgot, this was funny

Right after I posted that blog down there I remembered something that happened to day that was kinda funny and very satisfying. I was on 80 in Nebraska and we were coming up on a construction zone that lowered the speed limit to 55 and we lost the left lane. I had a feeling that the England driver ahead of me was going to do about 55 or less through there so I tried, unsuccessfully to get around him before we entered the work zone. The work zone was about 10 miles in length and, yes, the England driver not only did as expected, he did worse. At one point we did 40 through there and averaged about 45 to 50....in a 55 zone. Not to mention it was a nonactive work zone (no workers). By the end, there were about 5 or 6 drivers that were ready to kill the guy. He didnt have his radio on but that didnt stop the verbal abuse that he received. I said 2 things during the entire ordeal. I said "England, theyll let you do 55 through here, I promise you man"...and...I said..."the speed doesnt bother me, I have nothing but time to get where Im goin, I just dont understand how someone can go 40 -45 in a 55 and think thats ok, with a line of trucks behind him"......sooooo......As we exited the work zone, I quickly passed him, as did the truck behind me. The only difference is I kept on going but the truck behind me had other plans. Once he passed England, he got over on front of him and slowed way down. England then got out in the left lane to pass him and when he did, every truck in that line fell in behind the other truck in the slow lane. By this time, I am up ahead but in my rearview I see a line of about 30 trucks on the slow lane and our friend the England driver all by his lonesome in the hammer lane. Little did he know that a mile ahead of him was another work zone and he would soon need back in that right lane....YEA RIGHT!....Of course no one let him over and he came to a complete stop at the merge point and waited until the last truck went by... I think it was kind of extreme punishment but I enjoyed the hell out of it

Later

Omaha, Neb

Howdy yall...I guess yall means the 2 people that might read this. I am in Omaha Nebraska on my way to Highland, Illinois which is about 30 miles east of St Louis. It has been a good trip across the country from Cali. I didnt see anymore ternaders but I did have a trailer tire blowout in Battle Mtn, Nv. While the guy was fixing my tar, he told me that Battle Mtn is a gold mining community and according to him there are several rather large gold mines in the area. I thought that was interesting. That subject came about when I asked him what people, in that town of about 2000, do for a living. I often find myself looking at these desolate communities throughout the west and wondering what people there do for a living. These towns are all over the place out there, some are no more than a few houses or trailers, maybe an old store, and some are hundreds of miles from anything. How do they live? Oh well, it was a cool trip, as usual.

I am not due in Highland until monday. I will probably make it on in to Troy Illinois tomorrow. Thats about 450 miles from here and about 25 miles from where I deliver.

Later days

Fremont, Cali

I just arrived at my delivery in Fremont, well, I got here about an hour ago. I pulled this load from Tooele, Utah over the weekend. I find myself in a common situation here as I wait to pull in to be unloaded. It seems that I was the 2nd truck here but another drivers feels like he was 2nd. This is a first come first serve kinda thing. I arrived and got in behind the 1st truck like I was supposed to but this other truck pulled in up the road facing the wrong direction. The 1st truck and myself are both saying that I was here before this other guy, who is one of those "mad at the world" types that we see out here so often. The 1st truck has just pulled in and I have jockeyed myself so that I will be next, yayyy me!!!...It may seem like not such a big deal but it is. It takes about an hour to unload and that hour could mean the difference in getting a load out of here today or having to wait until tomorrow, or longer. Not to mention I was here before him. I'd hate to put a man over a knee today, I'm not really in the mood.

The drive out here was a nice one. I saw more dust devils coming across the desert than I have ever seen. They were everywhere I looked. I shot a video of them and was able to turn it into a funny video thanks to my friend Annette, who played the part of the 911 operator when I called to report the "ternaders"...here is the link if you would like to watch it...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKRde5kE24

Ok, well, I need to go remove a few straps before I pull in....Yall hava goodn

Another repower

Man, I have repowered my last 4 loads. Repower, for all of the nontruckers, means to swaps loads with another driver, usually to help get him home or closer to home. Fortunately all of my recent repowers have worked to my advantage. I swapped my Rialto load with a driver from LA and I didnt have to deliver the load in Rialto yesterday morning. He and I just swapped and I brought his load up here to Brigham City, Utah (just north of Salt Lake City, almost to Idaho). So now, tomorrow morning I deliver this load to a high school nearby and then probably sit all weekend here. I must admit, there are worse places to be sitting. There is some beautiful scenery around here and I actually have a very nice view from this Flying J. And of course, the most important thing, a full laptop signal, with 3G!!!!! If I am ever sitting for the weekend somewhere and I dont have a good laptop signal, man that bites. A lot of times I will head closer to the nearest city in hopes of finding a good signal.

Ok, I'm out...just an update
Jimmy

Ontario, Cali...always a cluster f

Well I just made it out here to Ontario, Cali. I took my time coming across from Tulsa. I dont deliver until thursday am. So I have plenty of time to do laundry and chill with Jaedck, maybe make a video or 2. I actually stopped in Winslow, Az and shot a new video which I just posted to YouTube. I expect only about half of those that watch it will understand it. Overall it was a really nice trip out here. I dont really like coming out here to Cali but the trip out here is always so relaxing and really just a good break from the east coast. Back east if you pull a load of any decent length you are guaranteed to run through 1 or 2 major cities, maybe more. I just drove Tulsa to LA (1400 miles) and did not hit any bad traffic. I hit a few rain storms though. I love rain storms out here, you can see them across the desert for 100 miles sometimes, really cool.

So here I sit, at the TA in Ontario Cali, chillin in the bunk on the laptop. Its a nice day, a nice breeze blowing through the opened windows, very relaxing.....wait.....what was that?....oh Gawd....brb.....ok, I'm back....Let me rephrase....it is very relaxing until one of the many lot lizards feels like being a nuisance. I bet her momma is so proud of her.

I'm out!

Change of plans

Well, I was headed to Laredo for monday but my friend Scott (TrukinTyme on YouTube and Twitter) needs a load to get him home so I am going to swap loads with him tonight and take his Cali load to Rialto, Cali. The bad part is that it isnt due in Cali until thursday. My fleet manager was halfway confident he could get my appt moved up to at least Wednesday. That would be good. One good thing is that I can now film a video that I have been waiting to film for months, a video that will be filmed in Winslow, Az on my way out to Cali. If you know classic rock music then you can maybe guess the idea behind the video.

So I sit at the Flying J in Tulsa waiting for Scott to get here with the load. He is strapping it down in St Joseph, Mo as I type and will be here tonight. I will leave tomorrow morning.

Be safe everyone on this holiday weekend
Jimmy

Leaving Tulsa, Back to Tulsa

I got a load out of Tulsa delivering in Philly. It was a good load, 2 industrial AC units, 4300 lbs total weight and no tarp. However, somewhere around Columbus, Oh I got a call from my fleet manager asking if I would repower that load in Canton, Oh so that another driver could get home to Philly, no problem. Actually it worked out great, I got a load from Minster, Oh to Laredo, Tx. 1400 miles due monday. 5 coils weighing around 8000 lbs each, tarped. I'll be there sometime this weekend depending on how hard I feel like driving it. I am going to route through Tulsa to get my TWIC card application started. TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential)is a money thing that "they" are requiring truckers to get in order to pull loads in and out of ports. It cost 130.00 bucks. Plus I am going to start my passport procedures because as of June 1st, a birth certificate wont get you into Canada, it will require a passport. Soooo, tomorrow morning I will roll into the Tulsa terminal around 8am or so, do all of that, and probably sleep there tomorrow night and get up saturday and start towards Laredo.

I know yall are dying to know....Yes, the bluetooth works marvelously

Blueteeth are so frustrating

Well I made it to Tulsa with no problems or complications. I made it here yesterday afternoon and quickly dropped my trailer at the yard so that I could bobtail a few exits down to Best Buy. Best Buy is the anti Christ. I swear, I have a built in sense that detects a Best Buy better than any GPS. As a matter of fact, my GPS directions to Best Buy were incorrect and as I was following the GPS directions, which told me that it was about 2 miles further, I noticed that I was in an area that a Best Buy can usually be found. Low and behold, one glance to the left and there she was. I promise, you give me a Home Depot, a Target, and a Buffalo Wild Wings, and I'll show you a nearby Best Buy. What was I in search of at Best Buy you ask? A fuhreakin bluetooth that I can fuhreakin hear with. Dadgumit those things frustrate me to no end. I promise you, I have 4 of these things, yes 4...Well, 5 now....The bluetooth makers must be worried about a lawsuit from damaging peoples hearing because I have yet to find one that I can hear what the heck people are saying. UNTIL NOW!!! Hahaaaaaa! .....Introducing, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Motorola Motorokr T505. What is this mastermind of bluetooth technology you ask? This bad boy links to my phone just as a regular bluetooth, clips to my visor, and is also linked through my stereo in the truck which broadcasts the person on the other end through the speakers in the truck. Hahaaaaa!!!! I cant hear you? Welllll, just let me turn the volume up on the truck stereo. I love this thing, I just sit and talk. Nothing hanging around my ear, its just as if you are right next to me. Finally after wasting hundreds of dollars on blueteeth, I found a winner.

I am delivering this load here in Tulsa tomorrow morning to a KMart that is having roofing work done. Then I will come back to the terminal, go through the inspection bay, clear safety, clear logging, and finally meet my fleet manager with whom I have developed a very good working relationship with, I look forward to that.

I never should have had that chocolate pie after my steak and eggs at Waffle House, uuugghhh.

Lets go truckin"!!!

Well the next journey in the life of this Auburn crazed truck driver has officially begun. I will pick up not far from here in Scottsboro, Ala in just a couple hours. I have just enough time to throw a few more things in the truck and stop for a Hardees biscuit n gravy before I head out. This load goes to Tulsa, Okla which doesnt thrill me but its a decent load. Our main terminal and offices are in Tulsa so I will have to go through the same process in Tulsa as I did in Laredo. Goodbye Huntsville, Alabama, until another day

The Last Day

I wish I could explain the feeling I always get the day before I go back on the road. It is definitely an anxious feeling and when I say anxious I mean that as a form of the word anxiety. Dont get me wrong, I love the road and I look forward to getting back out there. Its just that, I take trucking so seriously and I become so focused on trucking while I am on the road, maybe culture shock is a good way to describe it. Life on the road is not only a physical change but very much a mental and emotional change from being at home. Whatever it is, I look forward to getting back out there but, at the same time, cant get the thought of a month or more of 24/7 hardcore trucking out of my mind. Often I spend my last day home, alone and in kind of a daze, packing and mentally gearing up for the road.

My sister and I were sharing a nice house that our other sister owns, but Robin recently moved out, as I will do probably do during my next hometime. Robin owned the washer and dryer so I had to go to a laundrymat yesterday. While in the laundrymat, a local YouTuber that I have chatted with once or twice, approached me out of the blue and said "hey man, I love your videos". I was shocked because I didnt recognize him. Of everything that I did while at home, that was probably the most exciting, lol. Sad huh? Randy, aka Blue, is a really cool guy and I hope we can hang sometime. We exchanged numbers and went our seperate ways.

Overall, it was a good and productive hometime for me. I got just about everything done that was on my Jimmydo list. Ok, I cant lie, I got about half of it done. As usual, I made a list that I definitely WOULD be doing, and by day 2 started checking off things that could wait, lol. Like cleaning out the truck. I can do that on the road, right?

Well lets go eat....theres a good Mexican restaurant on South Parkway that has great white cheese, Mmmmmmm

Talk soon
Jimmy

Home!!!!

I am home!!!!! Nine weeks on the road and I am home! I have to say that I am mildly surprised that I made it home tonight. Three things had to happen in order for me to make it home and all three took place very nicely. I awoke yesterday morning in Beaumont, Tx and had to swap loads in Miss, pick up another in Mobile, swap it in Birmingham, and come home. All three went down without a hitch.

I accumulated 9 days off (1 day for every week I was on the road) but I told my company to expect me back Thursday morning, 5 days. I have a lot to do but as usual, I wont get it all done and will start missing the road sometime around Monday. I sit here now in an empty house, the TV is on, Jack is running about, I bought a few groceries. I look forward to breakfast with my friend Allen, lunch with my friend Starla, lunch later this week with my friend Sean, spending time with my family.....and getting back on the road.

Ahhh, we have a plan

As I sit here in Rayne, La at Frog City (great Cajun food even though I wont be indulging today) I was just informed of the plan to get me home. This load delivers Monday in Miss. I am taking it to another driver that lives about 40 miles from the delivery. He is on hometime now there closeby. After handing off this load to him, I will take his empty trailer to pick up in Mobile tomorrow morning. That load is going to Connecticut and I was tempted to jump on those good miles but I really need to get home for a few days. So instead of taking that load to Ct, I will be dropping that load at our Birmingham terminal for another driver to take to Ct, and then I will take an empty trailer from the terminal and go home to Huntsville. They owe me 9 days home but I doubt I will take more than 4, maybe 5. If all goes as planned, I should be home tomorrow night. Wow!!!! Home!!!

Beaumont

Every driver is very familiar with the feeling of getting sleepy. That first sign of fatigue is a sign of a possible very long night. I first felt that feeling tonight somewhere between San Antonio and Houston so my last couple hundred miles were not as enjoyable as the first couple hundred. I made it to Beaumont, Tx, a 425 mile effort. This load isnt due for days and my relay with another driver isnt officially even set up yet so I decided to just pull her off the road and get some sleep.

I will say that I enjoyed, very much, driving tonight in my new drivers seat and 10 new tires made the ride even that much more comfortable. Nice ride tonight, enjoyed

Driving all night

Just got strapped and tarped. Fun fun in 100+ temps. Showered and ready to drive all night. This load goes to Purvis, Ms due monday but i am relaying it to another driver that is on hometime in SoMiss. Laredo to Slidell is 690 miles so i doubt I make it that far by morning but I hope to get close. May get sleepy, I've been up since 6am, but thats truckin' right?

Laredo...going home!

Well maybe there is something to this blogging thing. Ten minutes after I posted my first blog, I got a load to Mississippi that will get me home. Wow, going home. Nine weeks on the road and I am going home. What a feeling, wow!

Laredo...going home?

Well this is my first attempt at blogging and am not sure that I will go through with it and maintain it. I have been sitting here at our Laredo terminal since Sunday night. There is a lenghty process that one must endure when pulling a load to Laredo with my company. You must first bring all loads to our terminal and go through the inspection bay. You must then report inside and they will determine whether you will be delivering the load wherever in Laredo which will then determine when you can complete the Laredo "process". Once in a blue moon we get lucky and are able to just drop the load at our terminal and they then have our local driver deliver the load at a later time. Just my luck, I had to deliver this load about a mile from our terminal on Monday. I came back, from making my delivery, and then had to put my truck into our shop for many minor as well as semi major repairs. Hmmm, lets keep it at minor, unless you would call tires and a new seat major. Actually the seat was major, or at least it took them major time. Once placing my truck on shop status I then had to go back in and clear the logging department and safety. Safety is no big deal but if you are one to "outlaw" the comic book then the logging department can be a major hassle. Actually, these days, you WILL NOT outlaw the logbook with my company and if you do, it will result in a suspension if you are lucky. My outlawing days are long behind me and my time sitting at the desk of our logbook checker was a pleasant and brief one. Around 9pm monday, all of the repairs on my truck were complete. Two steer tires, 8 drive tires, a brand new drivers seat, and a fixed electrical problem in the bunk that had previously left me with no bunk lights and no bunk AC. No it was not a fuse.

If you dont know me, then you dont know that I travel with a miniature schnauzer named Jack. Jack is my boy and the perfect truck dog and far more popular on YouTube than I will ever be. Mini Schnauzers are a shedless breed so I dont have to deal with dog hair in the truck. One thing I do have to deal with, and this is the only drawback of traveling with Jack, is what to do with Jack while the truck is in the shop. Fortunately our terminal has a nicely maintained lawn and some shade trees that I can tie Jack up to. It actually works fine but it has been around 100 degrees this week in Laredo so I had to keep an eye on his water.

Tuesday I chilled out around the terminal that is complete with a TV room, kitchen, a work out room with nautilus machines. Dont get any ideas, I basically laid on my arse online in the bunk all day. I made John (YouTube.com/18wheelsoffaith) a few clips that he used in a video. The video turned out very well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL0j8csj_fA

Today, more of the same. I went over to the Blue Beacon and had my truck washed. The washbay here at the terminal leaves soap spots badly and we cant have soap spots, no no.

So I sit, waiting for a load that will head me home. I havent been home in over 2 months. If I were willing to take just any load, I would be under a load already but I have to put my foot down at some point. I need to get home.

Well this is my first blog. I rambled much more than I had previously planned and am more amped about blogging than I was 20 minutes ago

Have a great day
Jimmy