WE DID IT!!

Yep we did it... we are now Lease Ops... (sort of an Owner/Operator exept we don't 'Own' the truck, but we are still responsible for it)

Talk about a leap of faith!  Well - we already leaped into the pool, now we are heading for the deep end, but we do have some idea how to swim - just hoping the sharks don't 'get' us (don't 'cha just love my metaphores - LOL)... so we now have just over 1000 miles on her (yes it is a her) and she is doing great.  The gears are a bit tight, but they will get worn to how WE shift, not anyone else.  Also since she is a 'new' truck (2012 Freightliner Cascadia) we have the benifit of the full warranties... with a used truck, we (as a team) might have run out of the warranty and we wouldn't know how the truck was maintained BEFORE we got it... that was a big concern of ours.

We are also going to use their accounting service at least for the rest of this year... 1) they are partnered w/the company, so they get a good portion of the needed information sent over to them and 2) expediency - we wanted to get started with 'our business' and we don't personally have the expertise to do it our selves (at least we realize THAT - and that's a good thing!!)

So we are just now parked at a truck stop, 11 miles away from where we deliver in the morning at 0630, and we already have a load to pick up tomorrow afternoon to deliver the next morning!  I love our DM!!
She actually called us while we were signing papers with a load for us... now THAT is a good DM!

Now this truck doesn't have as many 'cubby' holes as the T2000 did, so finding places for everything we have is a bit of a challenge - but I have ideas <bwahahaha>... I almost need a step stool though because most of our storage is on the upper bunk... this one though, the roof goes all the way up.  So it makes it seem like its roomier (and it is) which is nice.  It doesn't have some of the other 'nice' things the T2000 did - like an air bag dump (used to deflate the airbags when dropping off a trailer) which is a niceity, but not a necessity... we might have one put in later.  We got the 'company' spec'ed truck - so no fridge/side window's/left side jocky box - but to have those would have been $40/wk more - so being 'frugel' we chose not to have those things.  One of our first business decisions - and I think a good one.  I thank my Dad for teaching me how to squeek when I walk (family joke there)...

Well - I guess I should try to get something for dinner - and take my vitamins... then get some sleep - I'm driving in the morning <big grin>

Construction...

At least that is what we think is the culprit - we have had several tire issues.  As I type this we are again sitting in a shop getting a tire worked on.  Yeah it is nice to type and read on a computer that isn't moving - and we did have time to get in a shower - BUT - its frustrating because we were going to swing by WalMart and do some grocery shopping before dropping this load off - now we don't have time to do that - sigh... but hey - that is the way of trucking... its fluid and ever changing.  I'm glad I can roll with the flow - I have for years and now that ability is coming in handy :D

We are seriously thinking of selling a few things too... the toy hauler, pick-ups, and motorcycles.  We aren't using them, they are just sitting there (well maybe not the trucks - the kids use them occasionally to keep the fluids moving around) and not doing us any good.  Plus we are thinking of the direction this 'journey' will be taking us.  So leasing a truck has come up in conversation as well as other ideas... none of them include needing the hauler or bikes. We can always replace them once we get off the 'road'. 

Well looks like they are done working on the tire - and its my turn to drive - so type/talk later - bye for now...

Blurrrr...

The days recently have been mushing into a blurr of sameness. Sleep/Drive/Sleep/Drive. Do I regret this lifestyle change - no, not really - does it still have the same luster of adventure - not quite - LOL!  We have been talking about leasing - yeah THAT talk again - LOL - but then a frustration w/the company/qualcomm/truck comes up and we table it again.  Maybe a short term lease - my trainer said we could lease his truck, but that is for only 2 months now - that's a little TOO short term :)  We also talked to someone at a truckstop that moves travel trailers w/a 1 ton pickup - gets paid more than our O/O!!  So THAT might be a problem.  So for now - we are going back and forth across the country.  I'm even starting to recognise where we are when I wake up now - because we have been there before...

Still stuck in a rut eating wise - so easy to say "we will do this, that and the other thing", but then to actually put that into play??  That just doesn't seem to happen.  We also have been listening to 'audio books'.  So not doing much phone calling or listening to the radio... so we are still traveling in our bubble :^D

Well I'm going to head onto FaceBook - I haven't been on-line for almost 3 days!! <gasp> So I need to make sure everyone is still alive - LOL!

Another day in the life...

This last weekend was a nice one.  We had one load after another, with very little wait time but plenty of time to deliver.  That makes it nice because we were able to fit in a shower (we smell better that way too - LOL).  However now we are waiting - in Casa Grande, AZ.  Its 100 out and the company doesn't like us to idle - so this is what we tried to do...

It worked pretty good to - caught any breeze that came up and kept the sun off of us.  However 100* is 100* and that is just plain HOT!  So we moved back inside at least until the sun goes down a bit... then we are thinking about breaking out the BBQ and cooking up some steaks.  Spotted a special at Sam's Club (went in just for protein bars and walked out with much more - that always seems to happen - LOL) and so picked up a package.  The only thing about Sam's Club is their 'one' package has SO MUCH in it!  However the 3 steaks we will cook up, and be able to munch on for the rest of the week... WLS is great that way... but not great in a way because stores just don't sell single serving sizes - eh - oh well...

We went to a restaurant this morning for breakfast - an actual sit down breakfast - and caught the news - I couldn't begin to tell you what it was about.  Some political debate stuff - but it just reinforced how insulated we are out here.  We have been listening to audio books and music on satillite radio, not news.  So we really have no clue what is happening in the 'real' world.  So if something big happens - could you message me on FB?  LOL! 

I still find it hard to do the computer stuff I'm 'suppose' to do. While we are driving/working I have the excuse of the truck moving - but like right now... I just want to relax and 'play'.  Sigh... I might 'work' a bit - for the most part tonight - I'm going to have an evening off... to play and relax and eat some home (truck) made BBQ!!

Sitting and waiting...

Its a mixed blessing really... got a great night sleep in a cool, non-moving HUGE bed... got to stumble to the bathroom with the lights off and no loud music playing and stumble back to bed WITHOUT really waking up - (the simple pleasures) - however to be able to enjoy that, the truck isn't moving.  Its in the shop right now.  Yeah its a company truck, so we don't have to foot the bill, but that also means we aren't making any $$ because the truck isn't moving!! This would hurt even worse if we were L/O or O/O... paying for it AND not getting paid, but then we would have gotten it fixed the FIRST time the engine light came on and the oil pressure alarm wasn't working right... sigh...

We really haven't been eating right either.  In the south it seems like EVERYTHING is fried - LOL! But it tastes SO good!  Thankfully I can't eat much of it, but we've been eating it.  Of course being stuck in the shop, we have been living on nuts again.  They seem to be our steady diet - sigh... At least we are keeping up on our vitamins :^)

So for now we are watching TV in the waiting room and hoping our truck gets pulled into a bay soon so they can run another diagnostic on it and hopefully fix the problem... we will get our 34 hour resets and not have to worry about the 72 hour DOT crack down... but I think I would prefer rolling instead...

Its funny though - I just got done reading another 'trucker' blog - they are SO much like us... missing their kid(s) but realizing that they are now grown and can survive without them being in constant contact... enjoying being together and the adventures and people... so even though we are sitting in the shop and fussing, I'm still glad we are doing this!!

Another First...

We are at this time in Union Springs, AL - sitting at a chicken processing plant.  Our load won't be ready until 7 pm and we are here early (which is another story all together) so we went out for lunch.  There was a local 'grill' just up the street (recommended by the guard at the guard shack) and so that is where we went.  I have never had 'fried green tomatoes'.  I've heard about them, but never remember trying any.  They are really pretty good. Thank you Alabama for providing this experience!!

Sorry about the lack of 'blogging' - when we are sitting still, its usually when we both are trying to grab a bit of sleep.  Sleeping in a moving truck is do-able, but really sound sleep only seems to happen when the truck is still.  Also trying to use the computer in the moving truck is a trick - to I'm taking advantage of this 'still' time and typing :^)

Yes I'm still glad we chose to 'semi - retire'... it is an adventure/journey I wouldn't trade in.  However some of the more irritating aspects are starting to raise their heads.  Such as 'the company' and their 'repowers'... we I guess it was OUR fault for not thinking it through also.  We had a nice load set up by our DM (whom I really like) but it wasn't due to load until the next day... while we found that out, a note went over the Qualcom (dispatch's way of communicating w/the drivers) that a 'repower' was needed on a 'hot meat load'... so we wanted to stay moving and decided to jump on it.  We should have let it pass... not only did we get the loads (one extra stop) there on time and then have to wait on the unloads - but this next load had us waiting and we are still waiting!!  We don't get paid to wait...sigh...

I am so proud of my daughter - she is doing really well with this pregnancy.  I gained 100+ pounds when I was pregnate with her, she has only gained maybe 15 pounds and she is 8 months along!!  AWESOME!! I was concerned because with Gary's and my eating habits, we taught her well.  No signs of high blood pressure or gestational diabetes (thank you God!!) - and she has been watched closely for those.  I really wish I could be and have been there for the shower and --- oh just all the little things that go along w/being pregnate - cravings, watching the baby move, stuff like that... I understand why we can't - but I want both - LOL!!

We are still bouncing the thought of going 'Owner/Op' and leasing a tractor w/'the company'... but it wavers back and forth with how we are feeling about the company.  Some days we are like "Ok lets do it" and others are "I can't wait for the year to be up!!".  So for now, we are company drivers - getting our minimum of one year experience in - and seeing where we go from here.

Well one place we are going is up to Detroit MI again - that is where this load is going :)