New adventures at every turn

Picked up a load that went all the way to, get this, Metropolis Illinois. Now, when I first heard the town name, my thoughts wen directly to Superman. When I finally got to the town, I was greeted this way.

So I found out that the town of Metropolis, Illinois is the hometown of Superman. What you are seeing here is the large statue of Superman standing in the middle of the business district.

The nice part about it was that I literally had the entire town for myself. Small town in the early morning, there were only a couple of people wandering around and no cars at all. So I was able to wander up and down the streets and take pictures at good angles without having to worry about getting hit by a car or anything.

Days like this prove that for every bad day that I go through, there are really good surprises waiting for me down the line. I mean who knew I would wake up and find a huge statue of Superman and an entire town dedicated to the history and mythos of Superman.


Now the rest of my weekend will be spent sitting around in Matthews, Missouri at a Flying J. Which has not been boring at all. I am currently sitting in the drivers lounge with about 25 truckers. We have been watching A&E all day starting with Shipping Wars, which is about 5 or 6 competing owner/operators bidding on and then delivering loads and the (mis)adventures that are associated with it. Now we are watching Storage Wars, which is the group of people that are running around Storage Unit auctions trying to make a buck. The level of snark and commentary from the crowd is amazing and hilarious.

SO.. I will leave this post with a picture of the statue of  Noel Neill, who was the actress who played lois Lane.

Breakdowns and tribulations

The better part of yesterday was spent in a nice cold room waiting for a repair to be done. The Qualcomm system was having rebooting and transmission issues that was making my job very difficult to do quickly as it is supposed to. So, going to the repair shop was the key point of my day, they fact that the repair took 11 hours to fix was kinda unacceptable.

This was what the back of my van looked like. Each one of those black boxes is a Qualcomm computer being used to figure out what is going on. Now, I come from a technical background so I would ask my questions as to what has been done, what will be done and how long it should take. When I ask them these questions, it is due to the fact that their answers will make sense to me and I can take that information and make some form of executive decision as to how my day is going to be.

After the first six hours there and I was getting looks of desperation from the technicians that were working on the issue, I kinda saw the writing on the wall that stated I would be a guest there for a long while. So that being said, I went and took myself out of service for the rest of the day.



The issue was finally resolved at 8pm. Turns out that the satellite/cellular/WiFi receiver unit had a crack in the housing that was letting water seep in and that caused a short circuit in the unit. That was the WHOLE problem. What screwed them up for the entire day was one "brand new" cable that they had replaced from their own stock. The cable was the connection between the receiver that was replaced and the Qualcomm unit. After speaking to the Tech, he stated that in the 5 years that he has been doing this type of work, he has NEVER seen a brand new, sealed cable be defective out of the package before. So all the troubleshooting that was being done was communication issues caused by the bad cable.

So in the end of the long day spent at the repair facility, there were two issues. The first issue was the receiver, which was replaced. The second issue was the cable, which was thrown out. The original cable that was being used was never replaced and is still in good working order. The fact of the matter is that there were 2 separate techs working on the truck, the first tech was the one that screwed up. The second tech was covering for the second shift Qualcomm tech and he told me that if he was there when the truck came in, I may have only been sitting around for about 2 hours and been on my way.

At the end of the day, I was able to finally crash of at family's house. Once I got into bed, I don't think I was conscious for more than 30 seconds after head hitting pillow. Got up roughly 9 hours later, showered and shaved and made sure that I was back in service and on duty. Now, the waiting game again.

I actually do enjoy this job. Driving with a purpose is kinda fun and being in a cargo van is a lot less stressful than an 18 wheeler. Not saying that I wouldn't hop back into that Captain's chair if I had the chance. I just think that getting there will be another up hill battle to overcome the trails and tribulations I went through while at Roehl. Til that day, I will put miles under my ass one day at a time and enjoy myself as much as I can.

Hangin in the Carolinas

Jobs are picking up. Was able to complete a total of 3. The last two were riding back and forth from North Carolina to South Carolina. I ended up back in Charlotte today and now waiting for the malfunctioning Qualcomm unit to be repaired.
I am enjoying this job a lot, I just gotta watch out where my time on the road is spent. I just pulled a 26 hour shift without realizing it. While at the repair facility I was able to grab a power nap for a couple hours, now I feel a lot better. Still need to sleep properly, but I will get there soon.

Start of a new week...

Almost done with my first delivery. I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at my wife's grandparents house. Got to catch up with my sister in law and grandparents.  Just being back in Charlotte was tough, I had forgotten a lot about what I had gone through to be where I am today. I enjoyed being reminded.
Soon this delivery will be done and I will start the new week with being busy busy. Here's to hoping.

Living the dream

The funny thing about living a dream is trying to believe it when it happens.

I finally got a load opportunity yesterday, the timing of it was quite curious. I spent the morning sleeping in and getting laundry done while watching a couple of TV episodes that I had brought with me. Once that was done, I packed up everything, cleaned up my sleeping area and moved everything back out to the truck, "Just in case". Figuring that spending some time in the truck waiting would be beneficial. Turns out, getting into the truck was not in the plan. Once outside the passenger door, the phone rings and its a load opportunity. Scrambling to answer the call, it was disconnected. Luckily there are two safeguards in place. One is that one an opportunity is sent, there is a tem minute window in which to replay to it. Second, there is a phone number to call in to listen for any available opportunities that are available.

Once accepted, the ten minute window must expire before finding out if the load was awarded. So I ran back inside and said my quick goodbyes and ran back to the truck. My on board computer is called a C-Link and it's made by Qualcomm. The C-link bursts to life with all of the load information and I start to work in trying to remember what to fill out on my Bill of Lading. Once thats done, I pop the address into the GPS and take off. One of the many key points that a driver is graded on is arriving within the time frame given for pickup and delivery. Since I am in an expedite branch of FedEx, these are live orders that came in and MAYBE were places 5 minutes before I was given the info. The expectation is that once a customer calls, you are there to get the load, whatever it is, and then head out and deliver it.

Once I was all packed up and cleared to leave, that was when the realization hit me that the dropoff was in North Carolina and that it didn't need to be there until 7:30am on Monday. So with a bit of executive privilege, phone calls were made to verify that the delivery was indeed on Monday. This was done because the actual delivery was not confirmed on the original order. After calling a couple of times with 3 hours between calls, it was pretty obvious that Monday was the correct time. So I started calling family in Charlotte, NC to see if I could hang out there for the weekend instead of wasting money I don't really have yet at a truck stop or a motel.

So here I sit now in Charlotte, NC at my wife's grandparents house visiting family. Then it struck me that I have been wanting to come visit Charlotte for quite awhile. Driving to the house, memories and emotion struck me with an almost physical force as I went past familiar places and crossed familiar streets. Charlotte was my first true home after leaving Massachusetts. This was where my second attempt of life began. I grew up here in more ways that I can count. Some days were good, some were bad, but all were important. Breaking out of old habits and shedding off shadows of my past layer by layer. Perhaps one could say I was reborn or that I finally opened my eyes a little wider to see what was going on.  Breaking out of the shell I built around myself growing up and conforming to the ideals of the world around me instead of finding my own path as I do now. This place is dear to me. Only coming back here, as I have now, shows me how much I have missed this place.

Living the dream.

I have heard this term countless of times in the last few months as a sarcastic response from a Co-Worker anytime he was asked by a person on the phone, "How's things?"
I never really took much stock in it after the first few times I heard it. The depth of the term is subtle and can be as simple or as complex as one wants it to be.

What does the term mean for me though?

I find that it means that one follows their heart, grabs opportunity to see where the path leads. To not worry about consequence of the day to day, and enjoy the moment.

I drove 12 hours straight through mountainous countryside from Pittsburgh, PA to Charlotte, NC. It was the most enjoyable trip I have ever had in my entire life. Towards the end, I was a little punch drunk, I will admit. The energy and challenge of the trip was nothing I have ever experienced. There was no stress, there was no second guessing. All I had to do was drive and it was all good.

Life will be a bit inconvenient at times, but that's ok. I know I have people looking out for me everywhere I go. I know that I won't have the availablility of sleeping in a bed every night and that my truck will be my home. That's ok too and I accept that. To me, this is living a dream. Having the ability and freedom to actually go see the people I talk to and build friendships with. That in itself, blows my mind.

For ahile there, I thought my ability to travel was dead. The last few car trips I were on, I couldn't stay awake long enough to make it out of one state. I nicked 4 states yesterday. I think I got this.

*Tap tap* Is this thing on?

Well I spent my first night at a truck stop.

To be fair, the mattress that is in the back of the van is quite comfortable. The problem, as it turns out, that keeping the van idling for power and a/c is not economical at all. I went from a half tank to a quarter tank in 6 hours. Aside from that, I slept well.

So it was another day of sitting around. I called my dispatch a couple of times to make sure that I was actually active in the system. Come to find out, it was just a slow day of sales. No sales, no trucking, makes a sad Obie. So when 6pm rolled around, I figured that I would not waste any more fuel and swapped my port of call from Canton Ohio to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Oh look, a bed I can borrow and shower I can use. The real threat of being stuck without a load for the weekend is a big one, so I might as well position myself in an area that I am comfortable and not waste fuel.

Its kind of depressing that I don't have anything to do yet but after talking to a few drivers, that actually happens but the month usually balances out and you will long for a day that you can just take a break. Which is something I am looking forward to.

So I am hanging at a friends house in PA and I am tired as hell. So I will just get some sleep while I can and hope I get some load offers tomorrow.

First night

Spent my first night at the truck stop last night. I think spending a night in a motel would be cheaper. I use a cpap for sleeping,  as such I have to idle the truck to keep from killing the battery.  I went from a half tank to a quarter tank of fuel in 7 hours of idling. This probably wouldn't be too bad were I getting load opportunity calls, but I haven't yet.
I spent most of my day at the qualcomm installer location getting a problem fixed. So by the time I was able to login as available, it was Well after 5pm. So, we will see how today goes. 

Orientation day 1 done..

I got up early today to head out to training, which turned out to be a good thing. The drive was 2 hours long and pretty straight forward. Once I got there, the 45 minutes to an hour i could have spent sleeping or slacking was actually spent filling out a ton of paperwork.

The day went by with getting pictures taken for badges and going over all the basics for the job. There was a lot to cover and get organized.

I would write more, but I am exhausted..

Will talk more about it tomorrow i suppose..  *yawn*

On the road.

So I am back on the road traveling to my vehicle of transport today. I left Florida at,12:30am and arrive at my rendezvous point in Columbia, SC at the state farmers market at 8:00am. We beat my pickup here by 90 minutes.
I still have a lot of stress and pent up energy about this move. I am pretty sure it's all unresolved stress from my first attempt at driving. Everyone I talk to states that I will do fine and I do believe them in that assessment. Shaking off this stress is rough so far but everything that needed to fall into place to make this job happen, slipped into place like a cog wheel. I think the hardest part is separating myself from a permanent structure that I can call home. The last place I was calling home had been dismantled and shipped back to Orlando to be packed in boxes. I know I have several ports of call that I am welcome to show up at but having a place and a space that I can claim as "home" is lost to me at the moment. I feel like I did 10 years ago when I left Massachusetts and struck out with what I could carry in my car.
I know I can shake this and do what needs doing. It's just going to take time.

From tech to truck...

I have been contemplating the idea of changing my trade from Technology to Trucking for awhile now. I am certain that someone from the outside looking in will ask, "Why? Technology is the place to be." While this is true, the problem lies in where my niche in the technology field lies.

Every day is another step

Confirmed that I will be doing my orientation on July 9. My birthday. I guess that's my present this year. I have to get to Columbia, SC the previous Friday to catch a ride with my new Boss back to Virginia. From there I get the keys to the van and head out towards Ohio for orientation on the following Monday.

Got my new bank account all set up for payroll and now its just a matter of tying up loose ends here in Florida before I go. Gave my two week notice and there will be a birthday/going away party of some sort being planned for next Saturday.

Its gonna be a rough 2 weeks.

Orientation dates are in, help needed.

I was notified as to what my option for orientation date are. Which means I officially have a new driving job. I am shooting for July 11th as my orientation date. So I now have a timeline in which to put in my notice at work and get organized to do this trip.

Here is the thing though. All my "work" money has to go to the move that is happening at the house in the end of July. Which means, I gotta raise up some extra money on the side to take care of a motel room for the 3 days of orientation and food. I have no idea what motel prices are at the moment and I will be looking closer into that, plus I have AAA for motel discounts. I am not above hitting a motel 6 or something either. I am simply stressed about getting there and getting started. Since my birthday is coming up I could use cash presents which will go toward lodging and food for my orientation days. Once I get my first load, I can pull 40% of that for the gas and living foodstuffs I will need for driving.

Living paycheck to paycheck is rough, especially when the majority of a paycheck is slated for other things like cost of living for your family in a separate house and future moving savings. I get by, but this upcoming change is going to put a strain on things. I am excited and nervous about the whole change, I want this to go better than a year ago. I have high hopes that it will and that I will be very successful. I also look forward to writing about my days on the road here to share with all of you that take the time to read it. I know that there is a heavy interest in this job path I am continuing as the statistical number of viewers explodes every time I come back to add some new update.

For this, I thank each and every one of you. For with your interest, I look at it as support. You validate to me in ways that I cannot even fully comprehend that I am on the correct path for the time being. It is a very powerful validation for me, thank you.

If you are interested in throwing me a buck to help with my orientation expenses, I have a donation link:  Obie's Birthday / Donation Link

If you don't want to or cannot, that's cool too. I appreciate you coming here to check up on me from time to time as well. I just want to give the opportunity for everyone just in case. There is no obligation or requirement, just wanted to put that out there now.

So, now I take things day by day and see where they go. I have a bunch of stuff to do and a good amount of time to do it in. I just hope that my head doesn't explode in the process.

Paperwork, completed

Filled out the initial paperwork that came in the packet, including the "quiz" documents that needed to be filled out. Copies of my ID and Proof of Residency all done as well. So now I just have to mail it out tomorrow. Whee!

Driver packet received

Now I know why it takes a week to process. This thing has me filling out a ton of information, some of which I have already submitted..

Oh well, time to start filling out the longest application in my life.

Step by Step..

Driver's Packet did not get sent out on Friday like it was supposed to. Spoke with the FedEx contact and they shipped it out today. So I will have the package in hand tomorrow morning. According to the tracking, the package is still in Canton, Ohio. Once the packet is in hand, I have a lot of paperwork filling out to do, then to ship it back. Once that is done and processed, I will have a date when my training in Ohio will be and the start of my new adventure.

DMV Background cleared

Got the word Friday night that my DMV background was cleared by FedEx.  Yes, I will be a FedEx driver, kinda. I am working for an independent company that sub-contracts to FedEx for Critical deliveries. Not sure of the specifics, but I am going to find out as they are now overnight sending me a Drivers Packet.

Soon I will know when my start date is for training/orientation and then I will get my first load to deliver.

It is official

I have just finished filling out and submitting a job application for a driving position within FedEx as a subcontractor.  My current job is good til the 18th of June, if all goes well, there will be a seamless transition between one job and another with little downtime of funds.

My hope and wish is that this job will allow me the freedom to make money, visit people whom I care about and satisfy my wanderlust.

I will keep posting updates as I get them.

Surprise..

So I am sure you thought that this would be a dead blog. Heck I thought so as well.

It seems that I may be bringing new life to this adventure. I got some interesting news today and I may just take another stab at driving.  Nothing set in stone yet, but I always look at opportunities that knock on my door. Especially when I am not looking for them.

Keep an eye out here. Once I figure out what is going on, I will let you all know.