"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...
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