"I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere..." (everybody sing!)
Ginnie training:
Joplin, MO to Springville, CO
Springville, CO to Boise, ID
Boise, ID to Rock Springs, WY
Rock Springs, WY to Denver, CO
Denver, CO to Kansas City, KS
Kansas City, KS to Joplin, MO
Joplin, MO to Siloam Springs, AR
Siloam Springs, AR to Waverly, NE
Waverly, NE to Williston, ND
Williston, ND to Plentywood, MT
Plentywood, MT to Sterling, CO
Sterling, CO to Mineola, TX
Mineola, TX to Mount Vernon, TX
Mount Vernon, TX to Port Arthur, TX
Port Arthur, TX to Laredo, TX
Laredo, TX to Joplin, MO (DONE!!)
Mark training:
Joplin, MO to Ardmore, OK
Ardmore, OK to Oklahoma, OK
Oklahoma, OK to Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth, TX to Laredo, TX
Laredo, TX to Plano, TX
Plano, TX to Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX to Lancaster, TX
Lancaster, TX to Grapevine, TX
Grapevine, TX to Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth, TX to Centralia, WA
Centralia, WA to Chehalis, WA
Chehalis, WA to Fife, WA
Fife, WA to Jackson, WI
Jackson, WI to Cornell, WI
Cornell, WI to Taylor, MI
Taylor, MI to Burlington, IA
Burlington, IA to Lawrence, KS
Lawrence KS to Kansas City, MO
Kansas City, MO to Keokuk, IA
Keokuk, IA to Elk Grove Village, IL
Elk Grove Village, IL to Eagle Pass, TX
Eagle Pass, TX to Lancaster, TX
Lancaster, TX to Lewisville, TX
Lewisville, TX to Vinita, OK
Vinita, OK to Springfield, MO
Springfield, MO to Joplin, MO (DONE!!)
Now we are in Lancaster, TX waiting to move into our own truck. Just as soon as it gets out of the detail shop...where it has been for two days...should be really clean...
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Shhhhh...don't jinx it!!
I got a call this afternoon from my finisher!! She will be here tomorrow!! Depending on what time she gets here, we'll either be heading back out tomorrow or Friday morning.
Now then, I hope I remember how to drive...
Mark and his trainer have made their way to Plano, TX. They are in a new truck and heading out to parts unknown tomorrow.
More to follow...
Now then, I hope I remember how to drive...
Mark and his trainer have made their way to Plano, TX. They are in a new truck and heading out to parts unknown tomorrow.
More to follow...
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn......
I think I've just about covered all those since Monday! Well, when I left off the other day we were on our way to Laredo to get a new truck.We arrived in Laredo around 7PM ready to get our new truck and get this show on the road. We found the truck, pulled the rental car up next to it, because we look like the Clampetts with all of our stuff piled into the backseat, ready to unpack and get settled into our new home. My finisher, Kevin, did a quick walkaround inspection and then climbed into the cab because we were gonna need some A/C while unpacking because it is screaming hot down here! Here's the keys, keys in ignition, turn key, next you would expect to hear the mighty rumble as the engine comes to life! Nope, nothing. Truck won't start! A mechanic tried jump starting the truck but to no avail so we were told to get a room. Three days in Fort Worth, then a rental car and 7 hours on the road just to find out the truck won't start. Now, we've been in a room since Friday night, with same rental car, because apparently no one can work on the truck until Monday. So I am highly anticipating what tomorrow might bring. I think my grand total of miles during all this is around 300 miles. A little behind the curve at this point. Need to get done so Ginnie and I can get moving.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Day 13
Day 13...
I have been assigned a finisher!! I still don't know when I'll be leaving, but any news is good news. This morning I took the precaution of catching up on my laundry in preparation. I'm READY!!!
In the meantime, I'm watching the Weather Channel as they are predicting a severe thunderstorm to roll through here within the next 45 minutes or so. It appears to be sunny and a bit breezy at the moment. We'll see. It would certainly provide a break in my routine of get up, have breakfast, take shuttle bus to terminal, take shuttle bus to Wal-Mart, take shuttle bus back to hotel, shower, rinse, repeat.
Yesterday I ran into one of our fellow students from our truck driving school in Florida. That was a complete surprise because he'd been planning o going with another company. Evidently something didn't go as he anticipated and he de ided to go with Con-way. He actually arrived here a few weeks before we did and had completed his training and was in the process of getting his own truck whe I saw him. Go Mike and safe travels!!
Of the group of us that went through "boot camp" here, everyone but myself is out on the road in various stages of training. I can't wait to get out there to join them. The sooner we get this part over with, the sooner Mark and I can be back together!!
Storm Update: DUD! It looked impressive on the radar, but never did materialize at this particular location.
I have been assigned a finisher!! I still don't know when I'll be leaving, but any news is good news. This morning I took the precaution of catching up on my laundry in preparation. I'm READY!!!
In the meantime, I'm watching the Weather Channel as they are predicting a severe thunderstorm to roll through here within the next 45 minutes or so. It appears to be sunny and a bit breezy at the moment. We'll see. It would certainly provide a break in my routine of get up, have breakfast, take shuttle bus to terminal, take shuttle bus to Wal-Mart, take shuttle bus back to hotel, shower, rinse, repeat.
Yesterday I ran into one of our fellow students from our truck driving school in Florida. That was a complete surprise because he'd been planning o going with another company. Evidently something didn't go as he anticipated and he de ided to go with Con-way. He actually arrived here a few weeks before we did and had completed his training and was in the process of getting his own truck whe I saw him. Go Mike and safe travels!!
Of the group of us that went through "boot camp" here, everyone but myself is out on the road in various stages of training. I can't wait to get out there to join them. The sooner we get this part over with, the sooner Mark and I can be back together!!
Storm Update: DUD! It looked impressive on the radar, but never did materialize at this particular location.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Good Times!
So, let me see if I can do a recap of the last few days. On Monday we were gonna leave Joplin. Ginnie went with me to load my things in the truck. First thing I did upon my arrival as I was stepping off of the shuttle bus was to misgauge my step and trip on the rounded curb and proceeded to fall like a Redwood tree. On top of that, the sidewalk is very slick so I started sliding like Pete Rose into third base. But since I was falling in slow motion I formulated a plan and fell as gracefully as a large man could. That first step is a doozy!
So now we get move stuff moved in and we are ready to go. I said my goodbyes to Ginnie and climbed behind the wheel and off we went as Ginnie recorded my departure. We are off and running now! To back up a little, the truck was already in the shop to be serviced for a DPF light. You'll have to look that up yo understand it. So truck is fixed and that's where I come in. It's about 1P.M. on Monday the 23rd. We roll by Ginnie. She's recording, I'm waving, feeling pretty good about all this and we head toward the fuel pumps in the terminal. We get fuel and and while squirting wiper fluid on the windshield, notice that the drivers side wiper extends past the windshield, momentarily gets hung up before coming back the other way and does this ka-klump thing as it unhangs itself. So we decide that the wiper is the wrong size and it needs another one. Meanwhile, Miss Ginnie has left thinking that we had left also. So a new wiper later that is the same size and doing the same thing, we decide to go on anyway. We go back by the fuel pumps into the truck wash. When the man is done washing the truck, he ask us if we knew there was a gray box hanging off the back-underside of the trailor? Of course we don't and of course that has to be fixed also. So we take the truck back around to the shop so they can look at it. My trainer tells me he will call me if it gets fixed. So in 2 1/2 hours, I have logged maybe a mile around the terminal parking lot in my first official time behind the wheel.
So I call Miss Ginnie and tell her I'm coming back for awhile and as it turns out, she had just gotten back to the room thinking we were gone haha! So I took another shower and we went out to eat. Then I got the call again! Off I go to spend the night in the truck for an early morning departure. I am on the top bunk. A little warm up there. Oh yeah, A/C had been worked on also. I only brought a sleeping bag which by the way, slides around on that mattress like it's on ice! So I get settled in the best I can. Not liking being away from Miss Ginnie. So I have a CPAP machine and when I decide to use it, it doesn't work! It's about 11 P.M. and still Monday! It has one of those cords like a computer. You have the first half and the other half that plugs into the square box part of the plug. As I am troubleshooting in the dark as to why my machine doesn't work, I hear something fall. Yep, the other half of the cord has fallen to the floor! Maybe I can sleep without it but I would scare this man to death with my snoring! What to do? I can sleep without it. Oh, wait a minute, I gotta go to the bathroom! I can fight it off, no I can't, yes I can. No I can't. So now I have to figure out how to climb out of this thing without disturbing my trainer. Anyway, mission accomplished. Bathroom trip, CPAP machine fixed, it's midnight.
Alarm goes off at 4 A.M.. It's Tuesday. Up and off we go at 4:30. Go to Ardmore, Ok and "live unload", they unload while we wait. Travel back to Oklahoma City empty. Drop our empty, pickup another load and head back the way we came. It's been a full day so we decide to stay in Oklahoma City for the night, which is where those cool truckstop pics came from that Ginnie posted.
Now it's Wednesday. We are going to Weslaco,Tx! My trainer wanted to drive for awhile so after about 4 hours we switch out. I got the rough roads and construction through Fort Worth and he says that seems to happen like that all the time and he can't imagine how that is haha. So it start to rain on me of course and the wiper is going ka-klump, ka-klump and then the DPF light comes on. You know, the one that it was already in the shop for. So we have to pull over when this happens and there is a procedure for this that takes about 30 minutes and then you are on your way. I never saw this procedure because it didn't work! Truck would not even do the procedure to even try to fix it. So, we are parked off the exit in a picnic area as it is described off I-35 at Itasca, Tx. Roughly 30 miles south of Fort Worth.
After several calls, it is decided that we should drive the truck BACK to Fort Worth to the International garage. Remember, the truck is supposed to be parked while the light is on but we were told to go ahead and drive it. So we start back. In the best interest of things, he decided it was best if he drove. I agreed. My trainer had warned me that at some point there was going to be a beeping noise. In the meantime I am sending Ginnie text and telling her what is going on. Sure enough, beeeeep, pause, beeeeeeep and so on with an occasional ka-klump ka-klump because of sporadic rain. Now it turns into beep beep beep beep with a glass shattering tone! We get to Fort Worth and guess what? It's about 4 P.M., rush hour traffic and it's still Wednesday! We need to get off at exit 5E and where does the traffic jam start? 5A. In the meantime, my trainer is getting pretty agitated of course and we are afraid this thing is gonna shut down in the middle of the interstate and beep beep beep screaming in our ears with an occasional ka-klump ka-klump. It was a lot going on. I sent Ginnie a text and told her it was gonna blow!
So, we made it safely to the garage where it appears they are not gonna get to it anytime soon. Welcome to Fort Worth. We wait an hour or so for the hotel shuttle to come pick us up and off we go again. Traffic is still bumper to bumper so the driver decides the back way is our best bet. It was a great plan right up until the railroad crossing arms came down and the two mile train was 10 MPH and then proceeded to stop just before the end of the train gets to the crossing! We are tired and hungry. It's still Wednesday. We finally make to the hotel and get our respective rooms and spend the first night just relaxing.
Now it's Thursday and we checked out of our rooms and into to one room together. I dont understand it either. Tomorrow, the plan is this. We get a rental car, got to the garage, empty our stuff into the car and drive to Laredo, Tx which is 8 hours away, where we will be getting a new truck where more adventures await I am sure! I'm tired now.
So now we get move stuff moved in and we are ready to go. I said my goodbyes to Ginnie and climbed behind the wheel and off we went as Ginnie recorded my departure. We are off and running now! To back up a little, the truck was already in the shop to be serviced for a DPF light. You'll have to look that up yo understand it. So truck is fixed and that's where I come in. It's about 1P.M. on Monday the 23rd. We roll by Ginnie. She's recording, I'm waving, feeling pretty good about all this and we head toward the fuel pumps in the terminal. We get fuel and and while squirting wiper fluid on the windshield, notice that the drivers side wiper extends past the windshield, momentarily gets hung up before coming back the other way and does this ka-klump thing as it unhangs itself. So we decide that the wiper is the wrong size and it needs another one. Meanwhile, Miss Ginnie has left thinking that we had left also. So a new wiper later that is the same size and doing the same thing, we decide to go on anyway. We go back by the fuel pumps into the truck wash. When the man is done washing the truck, he ask us if we knew there was a gray box hanging off the back-underside of the trailor? Of course we don't and of course that has to be fixed also. So we take the truck back around to the shop so they can look at it. My trainer tells me he will call me if it gets fixed. So in 2 1/2 hours, I have logged maybe a mile around the terminal parking lot in my first official time behind the wheel.
So I call Miss Ginnie and tell her I'm coming back for awhile and as it turns out, she had just gotten back to the room thinking we were gone haha! So I took another shower and we went out to eat. Then I got the call again! Off I go to spend the night in the truck for an early morning departure. I am on the top bunk. A little warm up there. Oh yeah, A/C had been worked on also. I only brought a sleeping bag which by the way, slides around on that mattress like it's on ice! So I get settled in the best I can. Not liking being away from Miss Ginnie. So I have a CPAP machine and when I decide to use it, it doesn't work! It's about 11 P.M. and still Monday! It has one of those cords like a computer. You have the first half and the other half that plugs into the square box part of the plug. As I am troubleshooting in the dark as to why my machine doesn't work, I hear something fall. Yep, the other half of the cord has fallen to the floor! Maybe I can sleep without it but I would scare this man to death with my snoring! What to do? I can sleep without it. Oh, wait a minute, I gotta go to the bathroom! I can fight it off, no I can't, yes I can. No I can't. So now I have to figure out how to climb out of this thing without disturbing my trainer. Anyway, mission accomplished. Bathroom trip, CPAP machine fixed, it's midnight.
Alarm goes off at 4 A.M.. It's Tuesday. Up and off we go at 4:30. Go to Ardmore, Ok and "live unload", they unload while we wait. Travel back to Oklahoma City empty. Drop our empty, pickup another load and head back the way we came. It's been a full day so we decide to stay in Oklahoma City for the night, which is where those cool truckstop pics came from that Ginnie posted.
Now it's Wednesday. We are going to Weslaco,Tx! My trainer wanted to drive for awhile so after about 4 hours we switch out. I got the rough roads and construction through Fort Worth and he says that seems to happen like that all the time and he can't imagine how that is haha. So it start to rain on me of course and the wiper is going ka-klump, ka-klump and then the DPF light comes on. You know, the one that it was already in the shop for. So we have to pull over when this happens and there is a procedure for this that takes about 30 minutes and then you are on your way. I never saw this procedure because it didn't work! Truck would not even do the procedure to even try to fix it. So, we are parked off the exit in a picnic area as it is described off I-35 at Itasca, Tx. Roughly 30 miles south of Fort Worth.
After several calls, it is decided that we should drive the truck BACK to Fort Worth to the International garage. Remember, the truck is supposed to be parked while the light is on but we were told to go ahead and drive it. So we start back. In the best interest of things, he decided it was best if he drove. I agreed. My trainer had warned me that at some point there was going to be a beeping noise. In the meantime I am sending Ginnie text and telling her what is going on. Sure enough, beeeeep, pause, beeeeeeep and so on with an occasional ka-klump ka-klump because of sporadic rain. Now it turns into beep beep beep beep with a glass shattering tone! We get to Fort Worth and guess what? It's about 4 P.M., rush hour traffic and it's still Wednesday! We need to get off at exit 5E and where does the traffic jam start? 5A. In the meantime, my trainer is getting pretty agitated of course and we are afraid this thing is gonna shut down in the middle of the interstate and beep beep beep screaming in our ears with an occasional ka-klump ka-klump. It was a lot going on. I sent Ginnie a text and told her it was gonna blow!
So, we made it safely to the garage where it appears they are not gonna get to it anytime soon. Welcome to Fort Worth. We wait an hour or so for the hotel shuttle to come pick us up and off we go again. Traffic is still bumper to bumper so the driver decides the back way is our best bet. It was a great plan right up until the railroad crossing arms came down and the two mile train was 10 MPH and then proceeded to stop just before the end of the train gets to the crossing! We are tired and hungry. It's still Wednesday. We finally make to the hotel and get our respective rooms and spend the first night just relaxing.
Now it's Thursday and we checked out of our rooms and into to one room together. I dont understand it either. Tomorrow, the plan is this. We get a rental car, got to the garage, empty our stuff into the car and drive to Laredo, Tx which is 8 hours away, where we will be getting a new truck where more adventures await I am sure! I'm tired now.
Day 11...is anyone out there?!?
Day 11...is anyone out there?!?
Mark left out early Tuesday morning with his finisher. They first took a load to Ardmore, OK. (I think. There was some back and forth between Ardmore, Oklahoma City, Ardmore, Oklahoma City....I couldn't keep up.) From there, they picked up a load heading into Welasco, TX. Unfortunately, they had a truck breakdown in TX yesterday. So they are now experiencing the hosptality of a Super 8 in Fort Worth while the truck is in the shop. Hopefully they'll be out of there and on their way later today or tomorrow.
Mark left out early Tuesday morning with his finisher. They first took a load to Ardmore, OK. (I think. There was some back and forth between Ardmore, Oklahoma City, Ardmore, Oklahoma City....I couldn't keep up.) From there, they picked up a load heading into Welasco, TX. Unfortunately, they had a truck breakdown in TX yesterday. So they are now experiencing the hosptality of a Super 8 in Fort Worth while the truck is in the shop. Hopefully they'll be out of there and on their way later today or tomorrow.
OKLAHOMA CITY
Yowza!
Fort Worth
Scenes from a truckstop...
(Unknown drivers) OOPS!
OH MY...
Monday, June 23, 2014
Day 8
Day 8 of captivity...
Actually the folks here at the Holiday Inn have been terrific. They are evidently quite accustomed to stranded truck drivers hanging out for several days at a time either waiting on trainers, truck repairs and other miscellaneous reasons.
Good news! We met Mark's trainer yesterday afternoon at the terminal. He seems like a pretty great guy. They are hoping to head out sometime today to drop a load in Oklahoma. More to follow.
I still haven't been assigned a finisher, but I know it will be soon. I'm next on the list. Another class of students should be arriving here today and I know they'll want me out of here before assigning trainers to them.
In the meantime, we're getting Mark packed up in preparation!!
All together now..."On the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again..."
Actually the folks here at the Holiday Inn have been terrific. They are evidently quite accustomed to stranded truck drivers hanging out for several days at a time either waiting on trainers, truck repairs and other miscellaneous reasons.
Good news! We met Mark's trainer yesterday afternoon at the terminal. He seems like a pretty great guy. They are hoping to head out sometime today to drop a load in Oklahoma. More to follow.
I still haven't been assigned a finisher, but I know it will be soon. I'm next on the list. Another class of students should be arriving here today and I know they'll want me out of here before assigning trainers to them.
In the meantime, we're getting Mark packed up in preparation!!
All together now..."On the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again..."
Friday, June 20, 2014
Some random observations about Joplin...
Some random observations about Joplin...
1. The people here are wonderful, friendly and courteous. Even the teenagers!
2. There are more flies than people here. I'm not making that up. They're everywhere, but nobody seems to notice but us. Weird.
3. There are crosswalks and traffic lights for pedestrians, but a real shortage of sidewalks. So as long as you don't mind tromping through the grass or dirt, there will be a safe crossing at the corner.
4. Because an EF-5 tornado destroyed a large portion of the town in 2011, most of the businesses that we have been in are brand new. Its like the entire place is brand new.
5. This is a PEPSI town!! Ugh!! We are having the worst time trying to get Coca-Cola products!! Its AWFUL!!
Mark received word today that his "finisher" will be arriving in town tomorrow evening and they'll be heading back out on Monday. Small world, his finisher is from just down the road from us in St. Augustine, FL! There is still no word on when mine will arrive. My student adviser is speculating on Monday or Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to being separated for the 3 weeks or so that the training with take, but the sooner we get it started the sooner we can wrap it up and get back together in our own truck.
1. The people here are wonderful, friendly and courteous. Even the teenagers!
2. There are more flies than people here. I'm not making that up. They're everywhere, but nobody seems to notice but us. Weird.
3. There are crosswalks and traffic lights for pedestrians, but a real shortage of sidewalks. So as long as you don't mind tromping through the grass or dirt, there will be a safe crossing at the corner.
4. Because an EF-5 tornado destroyed a large portion of the town in 2011, most of the businesses that we have been in are brand new. Its like the entire place is brand new.
5. This is a PEPSI town!! Ugh!! We are having the worst time trying to get Coca-Cola products!! Its AWFUL!!
Mark received word today that his "finisher" will be arriving in town tomorrow evening and they'll be heading back out on Monday. Small world, his finisher is from just down the road from us in St. Augustine, FL! There is still no word on when mine will arrive. My student adviser is speculating on Monday or Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to being separated for the 3 weeks or so that the training with take, but the sooner we get it started the sooner we can wrap it up and get back together in our own truck.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Hello Everyone
Hello everyone! Although Miss Ginnie has covered most everything up to this point, I would like to share this with you. Our trucker physical was an adventure in itself. A lot of stand on one foot and touch your nose, I know, but it really wasn't a field sobriety test, up, down, squat, carry this, carry that, read this line. But the most interesting part for me was when they wanted to collect hair for the drug testing on hair follicles. Due to the lack of sufficient hair on my head, he ask if I had chest hair and I said absolutely I do. Upon revealing my chest hair, he seemed pretty enthusiastic about the possibilities that lay before him. He took a little set of clippers and proceeded to shave my chest and all I could do watch hair fall on the piece of paper he was catching it on. So later that night, I revealed my shaved chest to Ginnie and she of course laughed. And then we stood in front of the mirror trying to figure out the shape that had been shaved into my chest. After a couple seconds of serious studying, I thought it looked like the state of Texas and Ginnie said it looked like a Canadian Maple Leaf. So there you have it, I have a Canadian Maple Leaf from the state of Texas shaved into my chest! I'm just glad it's not a tattoo!
Con-Way Boot Camp Graduating Class of June 14, 2014
We are now on day three back at the famous Holiday Inn in Joplin, MO awaiting our trainers.
Not knowing when our trainers will be assigned to us, we went to Sam's Club this afternoon. It is within walking distance and we are trying to conserve our dollars. Eating out 2-3 times a day with no income coming in yet is cutting into our reserves. Naturally everything is in super-economy size packages. So we ended up with a "5 gallon" bag of corn chips (Mark's description), 2 quart sized bottles of Pace Picante sauce (they don't sell single containers), a 3 lb family size rotisserie chicken, a platter of pastries for breakfast and a gallon of milk. Next we make our way to the check-out when it suddenly dawns on me that Sam's Club doesn't use bags...and we're walking...yeah. So imagine the sight of Mark carrying an M&M's box filled with chips, salsa, chicken and breakfast breads up on his shoulder across the parking lot and down the road to the Holiday Inn. He let me carry the milk. If y'all need snacks, just knock on the door of room 179. We have enough here to feed an army!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
How did we get here, you ask?
Yesterday Mark and I were officially hired as team drivers for Con-way Truckload. As we sit here in a motel room in Joplin, MO waiting to be assigned to our respective trainers, we've been reminiscing about the series of events that brought us to this day.
Let me begin by thanking (or is it blaming?) cousin Eddie Terry for planting the seed that ultimately resulted in us quitting our steady, if hum-drum jobs for the adventure of traveling around the country while someone else paid for the fuel. Eddie has happily been a team driver for Old Dominion for almost 2 years now. The more he and Mark talked on the phone, the more we began to consider making a change. That was March 2013. We were both miserable in our jobs and the youngest of the kids was due to graduate in May 2014. The time was right. We began saving and planning in earnest with a goal of leaving our jobs in March 2014 to begin 8 weeks of Truck Driving School. The idea was that we would finish school and be ready to embark on our new careers by the time Mark's youngest son was heading off to college. So far so good...and here we are. Vaguely wondering what we've gotten ourselves into and very excited at the prospect of finding out.
As part of our research over the last year plus, we have been following several blogs written by husband/wife teams. These are three of our favorites. Anne and Craig are owner-operators with Farm2Fleet; Randy and Irene are owner-operators with Con-way; Jon and Jade are a much younger couple who are company drivers for US Express. They all have great stories and have been a great inspiration to us.
http://betweenthegears.blogspot.com
http://anneandcraigleonard.com
http://jadeandjon.wordpress.com
We'll try to keep everyone posted and up to date on our travels and adventures.
And with that I'll close for today.
Let me begin by thanking (or is it blaming?) cousin Eddie Terry for planting the seed that ultimately resulted in us quitting our steady, if hum-drum jobs for the adventure of traveling around the country while someone else paid for the fuel. Eddie has happily been a team driver for Old Dominion for almost 2 years now. The more he and Mark talked on the phone, the more we began to consider making a change. That was March 2013. We were both miserable in our jobs and the youngest of the kids was due to graduate in May 2014. The time was right. We began saving and planning in earnest with a goal of leaving our jobs in March 2014 to begin 8 weeks of Truck Driving School. The idea was that we would finish school and be ready to embark on our new careers by the time Mark's youngest son was heading off to college. So far so good...and here we are. Vaguely wondering what we've gotten ourselves into and very excited at the prospect of finding out.
As part of our research over the last year plus, we have been following several blogs written by husband/wife teams. These are three of our favorites. Anne and Craig are owner-operators with Farm2Fleet; Randy and Irene are owner-operators with Con-way; Jon and Jade are a much younger couple who are company drivers for US Express. They all have great stories and have been a great inspiration to us.
http://betweenthegears.blogspot.com
http://anneandcraigleonard.com
http://jadeandjon.wordpress.com
We'll try to keep everyone posted and up to date on our travels and adventures.
And with that I'll close for today.
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