Why yes, it has been a while since I’ve posted!  Sorry ’bout that; it’s due to a mix of being busy and/or lazy.  There also hasn’t been much of interest to post really.  The loads keep coming, and I keep driving.  Freight has picked up a good deal since the first of the year and I’m getting all the miles I’m willing to drive.  And as promised, the job is getting less stressful as I gain experience.

I have decided that being on the road two or three weeks at a time with only a few days off in between isn’t for me.  If that isn’t bad enough, Schneider doesn’t normally guarantee that you’ll even get home when your TAH is scheduled except in special cases.  My STL has been very good to honor my approved TAH schedule and I haven’t missed one yet (well there was one, but that was my choice).  But for some reason not knowing for certain that I’ll get home when expected really bothers me a lot.

I do intend to finish out my one year commitment, and to help make this last 3 1/2 months more bearable I’ve applied to be put on the Home Run Program.  That’s where three drivers share two trucks by working two weeks and taking one week off.  The down side is that you have to constantly swap trucks, and you miss one week’s pay out of every three.  The mileage pay is also .01 less, but to me these are minor sacrifices compared to the extra time at home.

On a personal note, our youngest son got married last weekend.  The ceremony and celebrations went nearly perfectly, and Terrie and I were thrilled to officially welcome a young lady we’ve known and loved for several years into our family.  Now that all of our younguns are married we’re almost finished with wedding plans.  I say almost ’cause it’s rumored that two old folks will be renewing their vows on their 30th anniversary in ’08 (assuming she says “Yes”).

That’s about all for now.  I’m currently in Chicopee, MA waiting on a load that’s headed to Terre Haute, IN.  I’ve been here since 11am this morning and it looks like it won’t be ready until late this afternoon.  The delivery isn’t due until Sunday, so I’ll probably just spend the night here and get a fresh start tomorrow.  Besides, there are very few truck stops along my route until I get through MA and CT, and I imagine they’ll be full by the time I get out of here this evening.

My best to all… I hope you’re well and happy.