A couple of folks have sent questions that I thought I’d take a few minutes to answer in an extra post:

This came from Sully on Friday, 2/16:

… If it is OK, I would like to ask just one question. How do you feel about your safety on the road. Ive noticed from your posts you have been near some pretty undesirable areas. (As far as the high crime areas of the country)How do you feel about your personal safety on the road?…

To tell you the truth Sully, out of all the places I’ve been in the past few months I haven’t felt threatened in any of them.  I had the same concern before I got out on the road, especially after reading some the detailed descriptions of the seedier truck stops posted on forums.  But in my personal (and quite limited) experience the worst truck stops, while unkept, unclean, and certainly in need of repair, were not teeming with unseemly persons of questionable purpose.  Even the rest areas that I have spent the night in have been quiet and seemingly safe.

Now as I’ve pointed out my experience is very limited as to the length of time that I’ve been on the road, and all of it has been in the Eastern half of the US.  I’m sure there are places where it would be unwise for one to stop their truck for the night, but hopefully by following my instincts and gut feeling I’ll be able to identify and avoid them.  I have pulled into places and after taking a quick circle through their lot, without being able to identify any particular reason, just not had a good feeling about the place.  In these rare cases I’ve not hesitated to pull right back out on the road again and search for another place to stop.

Your personal safety is just that; personal.  Everyone has their own threshold between feeling safe and threatened, and that’s what has to be your guide while on the road.  Overall though I feel that truckers are generally good people and tend to watch out for one another, so I have no problem with being among them when I’m at my most vulnerable.

Steve posted this on MOnday, 2/19:

I’ve been Western Regional w/SNI for about a month now and the Maptuit directions are getting me into real big jams. Have you used any kind of GPS to augment what SNI is sending you?

Absolutely!  I’ve been toying with GPS receivers almost since they’ve been available to the public, and have come to depend on their help whenever possible.  But let me break that down for you a little further.  What most of us generally refered to as “GPS” actually consists of two key components; the actual GPS signals and a good map program.

If you have a laptop or other computer available it is entirely possible, and quite useful, to use the map program without having a GPS tracking signal.  I personally use Delorme’s Street Atlas 2007, although there are a couple of others that I’m sure are just as good.  This one just seems to suit my tastes better than the others.

What I normally do is first enter the shipper’s and consignee’s addresses into the program and let it plan a route.  Next I compare the location found for each address with the SNI directions by following the driving instructions on the map.  If they both lead to the same spot I feel pretty good about the reliability.  If not I make a call to the respective company and ask for driving directions to their location and use that as the final word.  Finally I take a close look at the route to see if there are any obvious changes I’d like to make, like taking a bypass around a major metropolitan area.

I could stop here, but I think that would be a huge mistake.  Without fail I check each and every road chosen by the program against my atlas, looking for low clearances as well as restricted roads that may have been chosen.  After all, the mapping program was written for the average automobile and doesn’t consider our special needs as truck drivers. Once I’m as sure as I can be that my route is legal I compare it to the Maptuit route sent by Schneider.  They’re often pretty close and sometimes I make subtle changes based on what they send.

This sounds like a long and involved process, but in practice I’ve found it to be much quicker than doing all the route planning by hand in the atlas.  An added benefit is that once finished I have all the data I need to send in a pretty accurate MAC 18.

Now that I have a route I feel good about I find it very helpful to track myself with the GPS receiver.  Knowing where you are on the map at any given moment can be priceless when, for whatever reason, unexpected detours become necessary.  And personally I enjoy knowing exactly where I am and how far it is to my next destination.

All of this sounds very nice, and I think it is.  But it’s vital to remember that you’re depending on devices that can (and will) stop working at the most inopportune moments.  For that reason I always jot down my route on a piece of paper (or print it out, now that I’ve bought a cheap printer) and keep it handy just in case.

I think it’s also important to warn against letting the GPS screen become a distraction while driving.  If used carefully it’s no worse than scanning your other gauges, however it is easy to get mesmerized by the indicator following the road on the map if you allow it.  As long as I’ve been using them I still have to remind myself to glance at the time and/or mileage indicators only and save the detailed examination of the map for when I’m stopped.

Hi gang.  It’s been an eventful few weeks; went into Canada for the first time in my life, and saw more snow than I care to see again!  Hope you’re all well… 

• Date(s): 2/15 to 2/16
• From/To: Hebron, KY to Mebane, NC
• Mileage: 477
• Cargo:  Sporting Goods

This load was mostly uneventful until the very end.  I stopped at a TA in Wytheville to fill up w/ fuel (as directed) and immediately afterward the truck started having problems.  As I pulled back onto I-77 I noticed a severe lack of power and noticeable shaking as I tried to climb hills.  It was so bad that I was downshifting to sixth gear and barely maintaining 25mph up the slightest incline.

I was becoming a hazard to traffic so I decided to pull off at an exit ramp before the truck quit on me in the middle of the road.  This was followed by a series of calls and QC messages in an attempt to contact SEM (Schneider Emergency Maintenance) and keep my STL notified of my issue.  Roughly an hour and a half later I talked to an SEM rep who diagnosed my problem as a clogged fuel filter and asked if I could make it to Mount Airy (just across the NC border) where there was an authorized repair facility.

Since it was only ~30 miles, much of it down hill, I decided to forge ahead rather than sit for who knows how much longer waiting for help to arrive.  I did make it although I’m sure I irritated a number of drivers along the way; sorry guys.  The repair shop replaced the filter in short order and all was well again.

The couple of hour delay shouldn’t have been a problem, and my STL was kept aware of my progress (or lack thereof) during the entire ordeal.  However when I arrived at my delivery point in Mebane I was told that they stopped receiving at 4pm daily (it was ~5:30) and that the next delivery opportunity wasn’t until Monday morning.  At this point I received most disappointing instructions; take the load to the Charlotte OC to drop for relay, and be ready to head out on my next load on Saturday morning 8^).  Shucks, it looks like I have to spend an unexpeted night at home…

• Date(s): 2/17 to 2/19
• From/To: Eden, NC to Mississauga, ON, CA
• Mileage: 762
• Cargo:  T-Shirts

Here’s the load that I’ve been both anxiously anticipating and dreading at the same time; a border crossing into Canada.  I hate that it came on a weekend when I didn’t have the usual support of my STL, but here it was and I had to deal with it.  Before leaving the Charlotte OC I made sure I had all the paperwork I might need, but I couldn’t start filling it out until I made the pickup and had the Bill of Lading in hand.

You would think that as often as Schneider trucks cross the Canadian border that the process would be common knowledge, and to drivers who cross often it may be.  The problem is that there are several different methods of submitting paperwork to the broker and each has it’s own requirements, and at least the weekend support staff didn’t seem very familiar with it.  My crossing type was given to me in the load message, and I have a Schneider “How-To” booklet that describes exactly what to do and when to do it, but the forms I picked up didn’t match what was in the booklet and I needed some reassurance that I had everything in order before approaching the border.

As luck would have it the pickup was in Eden, NC where I had no cellular service, so I headed north cross-country to I-64 before stopping at a truck stop and making some calls.  To make a long story a little shorter, I reached a very helpful rep on support shift who promised to find out exactly what I needed and send a QC message with the info.  He did follow through with the message, which was a phone number for the broker and assurances that he/she knew exactly what was required.

Time was a factor on this load and I needed to keep rolling as much as practical so it was Sunday morning before I could call the broker.  After making several calls, trying to follow the “How-To” book, and a lot fretting on my part I found out that all the necessary information had been supplied by the shipper ahead of time and was already in the Canadian system.  All I had to do was show the Bill of Lading with the appropriate bar coded label on it and I’d be cleared to cross the border.

And that afternoon I found that the process was just that simple; the agent at the border asked for the paperwork and my ID, asked a few simple questions, and within 5 minutes I was across the border and headed toward my destination.  I only wish I could have known the facts before spending the time worrying about it…

• Date(s): 2/19 to 2/20
• From/To: Guelph, ON, CA to Reading, PA
• Mileage: 427
• Cargo:  Scrap Copper

Now that I was in Canada I was looking forward to crossing back into the US for several reasons, the biggest being that I was scheduled to be back in Charlotte in a few days for a long weekend at home.  Driving in Canada wasn’t a big deal although there were a few obvious adjustments to make, like converting speed limits and distances from metric to US.

The load was a relay that I picked up from the Toronto OC located in Guelph.  While there I was fortunate enough to run into several folks who were quite familiar with the border crossing procedure back into the US.  It’s a good thing I ran into them cause the “How-To” book was somewhat out of date, and they knew what had been changed and/or added.  Once completed I faxed the paperwork to the broker, gave them an hour or so to diget the info, then called them to confirm that I was “in the system” and ready to cross.  I was given the go-ahead when I called and left the OC shortly afterward.

Crossing back into the US took a bit longer than coming into Canada; partly because of the number of trucks trying to cross at the same time, and partly due to the relentless questiOning from the crossing agent.  I suppose I should be comforted by the fact our border agents cast a critical eye to anyone attempting to enter the US, but in spite of all the questions the grumpy young lady threw at me she never once asked for my birth certificate or passport to prove that I was an American citizen.  I can only assume that she knows her job…

• Date(s): 2/20 to 2/21
• From/To: Chester, PA to Gordonsville, VA
• Mileage: 263
• Cargo:   Paper napkins, toilet paper

Nothing special on this load except that after all the snow I’ve seen lately it was nice to see the ground again.

• Date(s): 2/21 to 2/22
• From/To: Hagerstown, MD to Charlotte, NC
• Mileage: 524
• Cargo:  Store Merchandise

This load would get me home for a long weekend.  When I was still ~45 minutes out I got a message from my STR; say goodbye to my truck, ’cause it was to be traded and I would get a new one before going back out.  This came as quite a surprise; even though I knew my trucks age and mileage had it on the trade list, I wasn’t expecting it to happen this soon.

I expected to be in Charlotte by noon, and had already been cleared to head home.  My plan was to spend a few hours cleaning and reorganizing my truck, but now I would spend the time moving out instead.  I had to stuff everything I owned into my jeep as they didn’t have my new truck assignment yet, but at least this way I’d have the chance to sort through everything with a more experienced eye toward what I’d really need and want to reload into the new truck.

And no it won’t be a NEW truck, just a newER truck.  Which is fine with me; I don’t feel the need to drive the newest thing available so long as it’s reliable and most of the accessories work.  I was assured however that my next ride would have a Webasto auxiliary heater, so I should no longer have to decide between staying warm or meeting my idling index!

It’s been a busy few days since I was home last weekend.  As you can see I’ve abreviated the text a bit more; the complete blow-by-blow of each load takes more time to compose than I seem to have.  Hope you’re all well… 

• Date(s): 2/13 to 2/15
• From/To: Memphis, TN to Florence, KY
• Mileage: 468
• Cargo:  Corrosive Liquids (HazMat)

My first HazMat load.  Actually it was not much different than any other since the route was 99% Interstate.  I just had to remember to take any bypasses around major metropolitan areas and stop before crossing any railroads.

Florence is just over the Ohio border from Cincinnati, and a winter ice storm had hit the area the day before I arrived.  Truck stops were jam packed but I found a spot at a TA, only to be woken up a couple of hours later and told to move.  It seems I had parked in a ‘reserved’ space next to their maintenance shop.  It was clearly marked according to the mechanic who ran me off, and the fact that the clear marking was under an inch of gray slush had no impact on his decision.  While riding through the two other truck stops at that exit (and finding no place to park) I noticed a “Rest Area” sign on the Interstate and so headed that way.  It was just as crowded but I lucked up and grapped a spot that had just been vacated.

• Date(s): 2/12 to 2/13
• From/To: Beech Island, SC to West Memphis, AR
• Mileage: 731
• Cargo:  Toilet Paper

Time was critical on this load (really) and my imagination humored me much of the way.  I couldn’t help picturing a line of stressed employees anxiously awaiting the arrival of my cargo.

• Date(s): 2/8 to 2/12
• From/To: Hopkinsville, KY to Orangeburg, SC
• Mileage: 599
• Cargo:   Containers (?)

The live load on Friday went quickly so I was able to get home that evening for TAH.  Had a great weekend w/ Terrie and then back to it Monday morning.

A bit of frustration came with this load, but got through it OK and had a little TAH afterward… 

• Date(s):      2/7 to 2/8
• From/To:  Scranton, PA to Owensboro, KY
• Mileage:     779
• Cargo:        Bales of recycled paper

My day got no better Wednesday as finding my way to the shipper in Scranton was no easier than the one in Exeter.  It was listed as only 12 miles away, and by car it probably is, but in order to follow the truck route it was more like 40 miles.  At least the folks at the shipper were nice, and they had a scale on the premises which saved me a stop for axle weights.

If you remember I was supposed to be going home this weekend (actually last weekend, but that story’s already been told) and should be in Charlotte on Friday, but having to deliver this load in western KY on Thursday made that doubtful.  I discussed it with my STL and he agreed to do all he could to get me directly to Charlotte with my next load on Friday…we’ll see.  Anyway since time would be critical I drove as long as my clock would allow and made it to the Seville, OH OC for the evening.  By the way, the temp was again below 10 so another night of truck idling (meaning a warm cab) was in order.

On Thursday morning I got an early start and drove to Owensboro to make my delivery, this time a drop instead of a live unload.  However my next load had come in while enroute; pick up an empty trailer in Hopkinsville, KY (~80 miles south), then sit for a live load w/ a 4 hour estimated duration on Friday morning.  Not only that, but the delivery is in Orangeburg, SC, with a live unload on Monday.  It looked like my TAH has shrunk to 1 day, so it was back on the phone w/ my STL.

Long story short, we agreed that I had two options; a) if the live load went quicker than expected and I could still get to Charlotte on Friday I’d keep the load, stop in Charlotte for TAH this weekend, and deliver it on Monday as planned, or b) if I couldn’t get to Charlotte until Saturday, I’d drop the load there for relay and take TAH on Sunday and Monday.  I’ll let you know how it worked out…

The visit to the south was nice, but here we go back into the cold…

• Date(s): 2/5 to 2/7
• From/To: Old Hickory, TN to Exeter, PA
• Mileage: 830
• Cargo:   Auto Parts

Had a quick 13 mile hop from Goodlettsville to Old Hickory for a live load in a very tight loading dock.  Once finished I headed down TN-45 to I-40.  I followed it to I-81, then headed north as far as Max Meadows, VA where I stopped at a Flying J for the night.

The temp Tuesday morning was 9* but fortunately nothing was falling and the roads were clear.  I continued north on I-81 to the Carlisle OC where I took a break for a shower, fuel, and resupply of goods for the truck.  From there I continued north on I-81 as far as Mountain Top, PA.  There was a little truck stop there called the Blue Ridge Plaza and that’s where I stopped for the night.

Since the temp was below 10* I was able to run the truck overnite, so I stayed warm. When I woke up Wednesday there were a few inches of fresh snow on the ground and it was still snowing lightly.  I went inside for a cup of coffee and croissant, then headed for my delivery.

Getting to the receiver’s warehouse was a treat; everywhere I turned (literally) in this small town there were signs declaring “Prohibited: 102″ wide trailers-Trailers over 28′ in length”.  Since I was pulling a 53′ x 102″ trailer,  I ended up backtracking ~10 miles south so I could come in via the only legal route.

That was annoying enough, but when I finally got to the address it turned out to be the company’s administrative offices.  They were nice enough to give me directions to the warehouse a few blocks away.  Once unloaded I headed for my next load…

Gettin’ a little closer to home…

• Date(s): 2/3 to 2/5
• From/To: Des Moines, IA to Goodlettsville, TN (Nashville)
• Mileage: 631
• Cargo:   Canned vegetables

On my way to Des Moines to deliver one relay I received this load to pick up another.  At least this one was headed in the right direction…south.  The sun was out and from inside the cab of the truck it was a beautiful day, however when you opened the door and the high wind and -2* temp hit you it wasn’t quite as beautiful.  And of all the rotten luck, this was a freeze protect load, meaning I’d have to idle the truck when stopped if the temp is below freezing 8^).

The trailer had to have a new light installed, so I made a quick run through the service dept.  ’Express Bay’ before heading west on I-80 to Walcott, IA, where I stopped for the night.  You may remember that Walcott is where the ‘largest truck stop in the world’ is located, but since I’d been there once (and once is all it took for me) I parked at a Pilot across the street for the night.

I stayed fairly comfortable Saturday night, but it was so cold outside that the operating temp of the truck would only reach ~120*.  Normally it will stay over 150* when idling, but at least the heater was still effective.  On Sunday morning the outdoor temp read -9*… this was by far the coldest climate I have ever been in.  The morning pre-trip inspection of the rig was somewhat accellerated, and even so my fingers (with gloves on) were numbing by the time I got back in the cab.

I-55 south to St. Louis was first on the list Sunday, then east on I-24 as far as Oak Grove, KY where another Pilot was my host for the evening.  The day’s drive was long but uneventful; again beautiful from the cab of the truck, but wicked cold outside.  It had gotten to almost freezing by the time I reached Oak Grove, but was falling again soon afterward.

This being Super Bowl Sunday the truck stops seemed to fill quickly and the chatter on the CB radio ceased as it neared game time.  I couldn’t get a channel with the game on my TV, which was no big deal to me, so I had to wait ’till morning to see who had won the game.

Monday morning arrived and I drove the last few miles on I-24 into TN, then cut across TN-45 to I-65 and my delivery point.  The live unload went rather quickly, although I did have to get a Comcheck authorized for the lumper fee.  While being unloaded the next load came in, allowing me to make use of the wait time by trip planning.

And I thought I knew what winter was…

• Date(s): 2/2 to 2/3
• From/To: South Hutchinson, KS to Des Moines, IA
• Mileage: 456
• Cargo:   Salt

Once emptied in Wichita I drove west on KS-96 to Morton Salt in South Hutchinson (~50 miles) for a live load.  The temp was still in the single digits and the wind was blowing steadily, but at least the sun was out.  From there I drove north on I-35 to a truck stop in Lebo, KS for the night.

I had to get up early to crank the truck on Saturday morning when I woke up cold.  As I headed out around sunrise the temp was 0* and although the sun was out it didn’t warm up at all as I continued up I-35 to the Des Moines, IA OC.  It was -2* as I dropped the trailer and fueled the truck; this was getting to be serious cold.

This was a sweet load, except for the snow of course.  And even that wasn’t too bad…

• Date(s): 1/29 to 2/2
• From/To: Scarborough, ME to Wichita, KS
• Mileage: 1690
• Cargo:   Paper Rolls

WooHoo!  Finally a load over 1000 miles!  Only problem was that I was scheduled for TAH this weekend and the load would have me out way beyond that.  My STL gave me the choice of running the load and pushing my TAH out or he’d take me off the load and see that I got something else.  Since I had just asked for longer runs I didn’t think refusing this one would be such a great idea, so I pushed TAH out another week.

I pulled my now empty trailer to Scarborough for a live load of huge rolls of paper headed for a printing company in Wichata.  Once loaded I drove south on I-95 out of ME and into NH, then grabbed I-495 into MA, and hopped on I-90 and I-84 to cross CT before stopping in Newburgh, NY.  There I fueled the truck and spent the night at a Pilot truck stop on I-84.  The weather had cleared somewhat but the temp was still in the teens.

When I got going on Tuesday it was snowing again and the temp was below 10.  The roads were in good shape in that they weren’t slick, but the salt/whatever junk used to keep them that way was getting to be a serious problem.  I had to stop four or five times during the day just to clean the windshield and all the mirrors and windows.  And each time they would start to cloud up with that mess again within 20 miles or so.  But in spite of that aggrivation I made it out of NY and into PA on I-84, then took I-81, I-80, I-76, and I-71 as far as Columbus, OH where I spent the night at the Hilliard OC.

Guess what it was doing on Wednesday?  Snowing…again.  I did a good wash job on all the windows and headed out.  Today however the Interstates were almost dry, so it wasn’t nearly as hard to see.  So me and I-70 got well acquainted as I traveled out of OH, across IN and IL, and into MO as far as Kingdom City.  There was a Petro truck stop there that had IdleAire, so I treated myself to a night of heated air and cable TV.

Thursday morning came and guess what?  It’s snowing!  (Geez, I couldn’t live where it does this all winter.)  At least the roads continued to stay in good condition as I battled the windshield slop west on I-70 to St. Louis, then south on I-35 to Wichita.  I could have delivered this afternoon, but the customer only receives from 8am to 10am, so I had to find a place close by to spend the night.  There was a little truck stop (more like a convenience store with a large parking lot out back) called the Kum & Go, so there I went.

Friday morning it wasn’t snowing, and I wondered what was wrong.  It was cold though (11*) and the skies were cloudy, so there’s still hope for later today.  I had a short drive to the receiver, and then a tight squeeze to back into their dock.  It wasn’t the tightest place I’ve had to back the trailer before, but it was the first time I had to do it with ice on the road.  I know now why the Interstates are in such good shape; they don’t spend any time on the secondary roads.  Every few feet the tractor would slip downhill and I’d have to pull up and get back into position.  For added excitement the steer tires would skid straight when I really needed to turn.  However with a little time and patience I got it to the dock and was unloaded in a timely manner.  Now on to the next load…

OK Gang, here’s the new format.  Happy trails…

• Date(s): 1/26 to 1/29
• From/To: Eden, NC to Lewiston, ME
• Mileage: 870
• Cargo: Beer

Guess my STL was good for his word; this trip is almost 900 miles!  After Friday night’s agrivation of riding around Reidsville looking for an empty it was a pleasure to wake to a clear and beartiful day on Saturday, even if it was at the loading dock of a Wal-Mart.  I bobtailed from there back to Eden to pick up my loaded trailer and hit the road.

I stopped at a TA in Elkton, MD around 4:30 for fuel and called it a night there.  It was a bit early to stop but it was my designated fuel location, plus it seemed the prudent thing to do considering my route.  This is the last truck stop before crossing into New Jersey and the NJTP, which is followed immediately by I-95 through New York City.  I certainly didn’t want to travel through NYC for the first time in a truck (in my life, actually) on Saturday evening in the dark.  Better I stop now and leave early on Sunday morning to enjoy that experience.

And the plan worked out well.  Traffic was light enough that I could change lanes almost at will, and following I-95 through the city wasn’t as confusing as I imagined it could be.  I was crossing the Connecticut state line by 9:30 and well on my way to Maine.

I had to stop early again on Sunday because I had a live unload appointment for 8am Monday morning.  There were no truck stops listed in my directory anywhere near my destination, and the last Travel Plaza on I-95 was 57 miles from my exit.  So I spent the night at the Travel Plaza.  By the way my load of beer was listed as “HV” (high value) and and “FP” (freeze protect), the latter meaning that I MUST idle the truck all night to protect the load.  There’s no heat in the trailer, but they tell me that the vibration from the running truck will keep liquids from freezing back there.  I’ll take their word for it, especially if it means I get to sleep in a warm bunk tonight!

On Monday morning when I made my delivery the temp was 6*; welcome to Maine!  This is as far north as I’ve ever been and the area is picture post-card beautiful, although I have to admit I wouldn’t want to live here and deal with this kind of cold on a day to day basis.  Oh, and I saw a couple of guys on a frozen lake ice fishing this morning.  Cool…