Sometimes you have to lose yourself 'fore you can find anything.

Okay...so the title is a line from "Deliverance". Remember that movie? Of course if you were born after 1970 you may not (although mind you I was born in '68). It was a creepy movie set in the American back country. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm bringing that up.

This morning I was STILL in Kentucky. Dropped off my pipe nice and early. Then got sent about 120 miles away to pick up some lumber. First...I got a little lost. Pulled into a gas station because the bladder was complaining loudly. Everyone had stopped to stare...of course that's probably because this was NOT a truck stop...it was a BP gas station in the middle of nowhere. Relieved myself and then went to call the shipper. I had to hold the phone way above my head to get one bar of reception, but I did get through to him. Lucky me...I was only about a 1/2 mile away from him back the way I came. Get to his location and oh lovely...it's a steep uphill climb on nothing but mud. But I made the trek up. Got directed to the back to get loaded...more mud. Mud everywhere! Oh well there WAS some rock there too..but you could hardly see it through all the mud.


So guy driving one of their pieces of heavy equipment comes on the cb saying "come on bud...follow me". Another guy in another one sees me as I go by and tells him "Dude...that ain't no guy. That a girl." Get loaded...strapping the hell out of that bitch and the old man from the control area drives by in his pick-up truck and tells me I'm doing it all wrong. Wasn't sure what the hell he meant but then he tells me they got another lady driver who's been there for like 17 years and she has her man with her to handle all the "work". Well lucky here eh? I don't have that privilege. But that's okay...I'm not too prissy to get my hands (and boots) dirty. Anyway...get that all done...grab the paperwork...and start the trek back down the mud hill. Oh I took that thing SLOW! Steep and slippery. And at the bottom I turn out in the direction I had come from. Pulled over real quick and plugged in the info on where to go.



Now this is where Deliverance comes in. My beautiful, wonderful, stupid GPS sends me on a two lane road. Okay...no biggie. Of course that road gets very "hilly" and then narrow. But there is no where to even think about getting turned around so I keep plugging along. Pretty deserted back there...some backwoods kinda houses. Dueling Banjos from Deliverance pops into my head.  Next the dumb bitch (GPS) tells me to turn on to this other road. And of course it had a hellacious turn to it. So if you live out there in those backwoods and a semi came through and relocated your mailbox...I'm really sorry. I'm pretty sure it was still standing...just maybe not as straight as it was before I went by it. Anyway...this road was even worse! Narrow...snow fog coming down through the trees. And I followed the path the bitch took me on for probably a good 20 minutes. And wouldn't you know it...I came out right across the street from the BP I had stopped at....which was 1/2 mile away from the place I picked up at. I was pissed! Any other time...she'd just say "do a u-turn" if I'm going in the wrong direction. This time I guess she decided to punish me for threatening to replace her with a newer model.

Finally get on the way FOR REAL...and I'm in and out of snow the whole way. Look one direction and you saw snow and grey clouds...look the other and you saw a gorgeous blue sky. I came close to pulling over at one point...the snow was just coming down too thick and you could hardly see. But I held in there and about 10 minutes later came out of it to hardly anything at all falling.

And wouldn't you know it...I ended in more backwoods roads in Ohio. Was too late to deliver tonight and the security guard for the receiver told me I could go back to the town I had just come through and park at a Tractor Supply where a lot of trucks go to park or I could go about 20 minutes down the road and there was a Wal-mart. I opted for the Wal-mart mainly because there I have access to a bathroom. Also when possible I stick to parking where there is decent lighting. 

So now I'm sitting in the far corner of the parking lot of the Wal-mart in East Liverpool, OH next to a Wal-mart truck. I'm tired...exhausted is probably a better word for it. So sweet dreams and safe travels my friends. Till next time...

Rock Me Gently, Rock Me Slowly

Anyone else feel the effects of last nights storm in the Ohio Valley region? I was sitting here in KY (where I am AGAIN tonight) and all of sudden the truck was a rockin' and the rain was coming down in sheets! Glad I didn't have to be out tarping in that mess...hell...glad I wasn't DRIVING in that mess! It was raining again this morning when I took off for my receiver, but thankfully it quit before I got there to unload.

I had that white powdery crap I mentioned in my last post going to Gallent Steel. First...I pulled into the wrong place...oops! Got back out...down the road and into the "truck staging area". Called in...oh...gotta drive further down the road to another gate on a different road. Get weighed...go back to where they instruct me to go. Unstrap, untarp, getting tarps folded when the guy comes out and takes off one pallet of the powdery crap. Almost done folding up the 2nd tarp when he tells me that he's going to have to send me to another building because it's not what he thought it was. He was nice enough to help me get the tarps back on the bed of the truck with his forklift. Then head on to the other building...on the other side of the plant. Unloaded...and done! 

Contact dispatch and let them know I'm empty. They give me a number to call about a load of pipe to pick up. Get directions on where to go and I'm on my way. Now this is where it got interesting.

Down through some little town...with a hard right turn. And when I say "hard right" I mean "HARD RIGHT".  Imagine driving your truck in a V shape. That was how you got around that corner. Tight roads that at times you had to slow down so another truck get get around the corner before you went through. Lots of stop signs (pain in the ass!). Finally get to the road to turn left down to where they were. Rough road...very uneven...and about had a heart attack turning onto that road when the trailer came precariously close to tipping over...that's how uneven and steep that turn was. Thank God I was empty or it could have been a disaster. I just about pissed my pants it scared me so bad. Needless to say when I got the check-in...I had to use the bathroom really bad! LOL!

And I picked up my first ever load of pipe. Made me a little nervous at first...I know pipe can be dangerous to carry...a strap gets loose and you could be re-configuring the shape of someone's car. But I did an awesome job tightening the straps (so tight I might have some issues in the morning un-tightening them!)

So tonight...I'm sitting at a no-name truck stop (which has awesome parking) about 30 minutes from the receiver. The weather for tonight is not sounding good....rain and snow mixed. Blech! I'll just sit here in my nice comfy WARM bunk and get rocked asleep by the wind again tonight (as the wind has definitely been going for the past few hours). 

Oh...I forgot to mention...got another "lady" comment tonight. Went in to the truck stop and was talking to the lady clerk and she said "I gotta give it to you gals in trucking. I have so much respect for all of you doing that job." 

"I wanna shake your hand"

Ah...got the feet propped up...freshly showered (no stink or mud!)...and catching up on what's happening online. Tonight I'm sitting in Sparta, KY as I have a 10 am appointment in the morning not too far from here. Carrying really big bags of some powdery crap. Yes...that's my technical term for it.

I had a drop-off first thing this morning in PA. Now mind you...I called them yesterday and the guy told me they'd stopped at 2:15 so I'd have to wait till morning to get unloaded at 7am. So of course I settled in to a truck stop at 3:30 with a whole evening to do....nothing. So I get up this morning and head into the little town of Monessen, PA. I went to the street address and found no place to pull in the truck so I stopped in front of their office and went in to find out where to go. As soon as I walked in the door the lady security guard grabbed my hand and said "I just wanna shake your hand! I've seen lady drivers come in but never in a big rig like yours!" Her and the lady at the desk were just beaming with joy to see a female semi driver coming into their facility. They then directed me on where the actual facility entrance was. And they were a little miffed that the guy told me that I could not get unloaded after 2:15. They both said it's a 24-hour operation and I could have been unloaded the night before. Nice to know the guy was just too lazy to have me unloaded yesterday.

OMG! THE MUD!!! Nasty, clingy mud. Got parked back where they wanted me and gotta say...every guy out there stopped and gaped at me for a minute. I imagine they've not seen a lady semi driver in there either. LOL! Untarped...unstrapped...unloaded. Had to fold the tarp on the flatbed because there was no way in hell I was going to put it down in that mud!

On to next load...in Monongahela, PA (where the HELL do they come up with these names?) And picked up those big bags of powdery crap. Tarped the hell out of them and then had to back out of the loading area...back through the parking area I drove through...with cars on each side of me. Sorry...that shit makes me nervous as hell. I was having some trouble getting swung around the corner into that area and one guy was nice enough to come out and move his car. I was probably making him nervous as hell too. Ha! So no...I'm not super trucker and can back into any space without any problems (which I guess is evident from my previous post and my meeting with a door frame). Some days I do fantastic backing...others I can't get the trailer to cooperate with me for anything. But anyway...I did eventually get my ass backed out of there and the truck turned around. And on my way to KY I was. Didn't think the trip was every going to end. Hahaha! 

I brought Cheyenne with me for the ride this week. Probably be her last ride too. I can't leave the truck without her yipping her fool head off. Can't say I didn't try to include her though. 

So that's it for tonight. Gotta sort through the multitude of emails and see what's happening in FB-land.

Crash, Bang, Boom

So what's new? I can say I've had an interesting (and at times...frightening) couple of days.

Thursday morning I had a load to pick-up at a minerals plant. You know when you have someone basically spotting for you and giving you direction you rely heavily on them to insure you don't hit anything. At the minerals plant I had to back my trailer into a doorway of a large shed. As you can see from the picture of my side mirror from my view it was pitch black in there so I could see nothing of where I was going. I had no choice but to rely on the guy directing me. So he's waving at me to keep coming back and then all of a sudden I hear CRUNCH! Oh crap! I pulled forward and got out to look at what had happened. The top of my tractor had collided with the top of their doorway. His boss comes over and the first thing he says to me is "You know we're not responsible for that." Geez...thanks for the concern. Now the guy who you can see in the picture to the right was nice enough to tell me "You have no idea how often this happens." Hmmm...not surprised! So now the back edge of the top faring is cracked. I CAN say I'm grateful that the truck's owner didn't get upset with me over it....I was upset enough for both of us.

          

Now there was one highlight of this particular pick-up. When I went into the building to pick-up the bills of lading the girls who were in there were just ecstatic that that I was a female in the field. They said they've only ever seen one girl in there before and she never came back. One of the girls said they think it's fantastic to see it...it shows the guys that the gals can do it too. She also said their bog driver had stood in the window for a while watching me and told them "Well I'll be damned if she ain't tarping the hell out of that thing all by herself." LOL! Yes...I take pride in my determination.

The weather for sure has made things very interesting as well this week. I never really got much in the way of experience driving in snowy/icy conditions when I drove before so this is definitely a learning experience for me. I AM cautious...because I don't want to be one of the trucks seen in the middle of one of these accidents.

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013301210010

Yesterday I got "lucky" enough to get a load out of Franklin, OH picking up from Atlas. Let me tell you...if I never go there again I would not be disappointed. You have to back your trailer into a space that only has inches to spare on each side of your trailer. It took me about 20 minutes to finally get it into the space (after much cursing). Oh...and no thanks to the numerous other truckers sitting there watching me for their amusement. And as I was being loaded the snow came in. Oh joy...I was very glad that I did not have to tarp that load.

I called in that I had the load and was going home. I can say I am glad I made that choice since the roads got so nasty. So on my way home I got on I- 71N. Not long on the highway and traffic came to a full stop. I sat there for minimum of an hour due to an accident about 3 miles up the road that involved about 6 cars and a semi. Word on the CB is that there was a fatality as well. It is these type of instances that remind me that cautious is better than dead. Of course it's made even more difficult by the fact that my window washer fluid refuses to work so the windshield gets really bad making visibility very difficult at times.

Today I stopped by the truck to start it up because of the cold weather. Good thing I did! She didn't really WANT to start but I got her started. And then the air supply for the trailer brakes did not want to fill up. I was freaking out for a few minutes over that. After the tractor's air supply filled up, I tried pushing and pulling out the button for the trailer brakes and then it started to fill up. Phew! And I'm happy that Monday is going to be a little warmer. It's supposed to rain and for the truck that's good...it needs all the road salt washed off!

So that's it for this weeks exploits. It's time for me to do some work on my weekend job...web design. No rest for the wicked...er...I mean weary.

Through the Looking Glass

Monday started out like any other trip. I had a load of titanium to take to Holt, MI. It kind of tickled me to be carrying that load because it's used for creating artificial limbs. How great is that? 

So I'm sure you're wondering about the title of this post. It's because this trip's weather was... wondrous...and scary. I'm driving along in Michigan...clear weather...not much of anything on the ground. I go under and overpass and on the other side I go right into a blizzard. How weird is that? And so I drove through "the looking glass". Must be a Michigan thing. 

Anyway...creep along and make it to the receiver. Then I get to go just 10 minutes away to pick up a load of aluminum coils which go to Tipp City, OH. Driving was not the greatest since I cannot get my window washer fluid to spray. So had to stop to clean windows a few times (not easy to do...not very many truck stops up that way). Once at a rest area by just throwing some snow on the windshield and turning on the wipers. Better than nothing!

It was slow going...but really slow when I got close to exit 157 on I-94. There had been an accident on the West bound side. Apparently three semi's had attempted to occupy the same space and did not succeed. One ended up on it's side in the median. The lanes on that side were all blocked and at a standstill for at least 5 miles. Other truckers were recommending to those on that side to take exit 162 which wasn't far past where the end of the "parking lot" ended.

And of course right before I got to the Ohio line...it cleared up again. I know I drive a little more cautious than most of the other truck drivers on the road...but I completely intend to stay alive and in one piece. I'd much rather go slow than be the one who's truck is laying on it's side.

Anyway...I got to my receiver in Tipp City and woohoo! It was where you can drive inside to unload. Seeing as ow it was bitterly cold last night (approx. 12 degrees) that was a REALLY good thing. I got another comment last night too. Black gentleman told me while we were waiting that he was on the phone with his mother and saw me and told her that he just saw something new...a woman driving a flatbed. LOL


Finished and went to the nearest rest area for the night because I was out of hours. So I was extremely happy that I could pick up a load of brick today going to PA which allowed me to be able to come home tonight. And the shower I took when I got home felt sooooooooooooooooo good!!!

Now...time to relax!

The First Weekend

How sweet it is! The first weekend after starting the job. A week filled with hard work makes you appreciate your weekends even more. Not that I'm just lounging about though. Ran down to Harbor Freight and picked up a pack of work gloves. Ran over to Planet Fitness and enjoyed a Hydro Massage bed (if I had one at home I'd be on it every night!). Picked up some window washer fluid for the truck (since it was empty and driving with salt covered windows really sucks). Then over to the truck. Cleaned out the garbage, made my bed, installed my Sirius (because constantly changing channels irritates the crap out of me and it'll get more use in the truck than in my mini-van), and did a few fixes on the tie down of the loads tarp (still getting the hang of that part). The truck needs to go through a truck wash pretty bad, but no money to do that yet. And of course stupid me forgot to grab my window cleaner...I had planned on cleaning the inside of the windows. But screw it...not going back over there today. Probably will tomorrow so I can start up the truck for a few minutes. It's going to get cold so she'll need to run for a few. Just wanted to get most of it done today while the temps were in the upper 40's (sweet!).

Of course the highlight of the weekend is re-cooperating from the cold I managed to get this week. So in one week I went from bronchitis to head cold (which is really weird because with me it's usually the opposite).

So I've finished the first week. It's not been easy. But I'm not ready to give up. I'm proud of myself for taking this huge leap.

Where did that truck that hit me go?

Okay...no...I did not literally get hit by a truck. BUT...my body sure feels like it! I had to tarp and untarp in one day. And when I headed to pick up the next load this afternoon I was praying HARD that it wasn't a tarp load. Someone was listening because it wasn't! Yay! I even got lucky enough that a fairly decent looking guy took the time to help me with strapping down my load of bricks. I had to giggle to myself a little at the look he had when he realized that it was a female driver coming out of that rig. No...you just do not see a whole lot of female flatbed drivers (not saying I'm the only one...just that they are the minority of women drivers).

So the first load I picked up this morning was a bunch of grass fertilizer to be delivered in Columbus, OH (Oh so close to home!) It was going to a a John Deer store (which was interesting getting to). First I missed my exit and had to go 16 extra miles to get to the store. Then I missed the turn onto the road they were on (which was a very tiny road). Got that bitch untarped and unstrapped...watched the guy unload (making use of his restroom real quick)...then got out and put my stuff away. And as I was finishing up this lady from the store next to it came out to her car. She looked at me and asked "Did you do this all by yourself?" I told her well the guy used the forklift to unload everything. She says in return "I know. But did you do everything yourself? Did you have anyone to help you?" "No...just me." To which she merely says "You rock girl!" then got in her car and drove off. Can't say it didn't make me proud to receive that kind of recognition for doing this job.

I AM proud of myself. I stepped into a hard job. Driving a semi is hard enough...it's no picnic. But add in the element of flatbed hauling and it triples the difficulty of being a truck driver. It also adds to the danger as well. Drivers have fallen off the top of their loads. On my first pick-up I had a guy walking past tell me as I was strapping tell me "You've got more balls than I do. I married a 4'11" woman because I'm afraid of heights." How could I not feel some sense of pride when I get remarks like those I've received so far? Maybe one day we'll see more women flatbed drivers out there. Just cause you're a woman doesn't mean it's too hard!

But alas...I've had a long hard day...and I'm ready to shower and rest. I look forward to the weekend!!!

A Turn into Wrong Turn Country

Third day on the road. Monday I picked up my trailer and fuel cards. Then for my first day I picked up close to home which was nice....until my very first flatbed load turned out to be a tarped load. LEARNING EXPERIENCE!!! Dropped off next day near Detroit. Then immediately to pick-up in Ecourse, MI. Yay! NOT tarped load. Made it back home with just minutes to spare within legal time.

Unfortunately I finished the day with bronchitis.

So this morning I got a late start. I lay in bed sweating out my fever.  But it did make me feel better afterwards. Up and at a 'em...headed to McKees Port, PA. unloading didnt take nearly as long as getting that cobble plate loaded. Unfortunately the morning delay meant that by the time I got unloaded, it was too late to pick up the next load today. I went on over there...making an accidental detour through some tiny town next to a river (thank you Garmin). I had to drive to the other end of town which took ages because one stop light would only let two cars through at a time. And of course NO place to turn around till other side if town. But eventually got turned around and made it back out if town and back on the highway.

Made it over to Martins Ferry, OH where my next load is. Now that I've found it I'll go on over to a truck stop for the night. And of course this takes me back the way I came. Finally see the big TA sign...woohoo! Off the exit I go. And then right past the road to the TA. OMG....BIG FUCKING MISTAKE!!! I found myself going downhill on a long winding road with curves sharp enough that I had to use both lanes to keep all of my truck on the road. I saw homes straight out of Wrong Turn. That road scared the crap out of me. I'll never make the mistake with THAT one ever again! But I'd be lying if I didnt say that I was proud of myself for making it down it in one piece AND without hitting anything. I am so glad that most if the things I learned driving semi three years ago seem to have stuck.

Now it's time for this lady trucker to get some sleep. I'll spell check this when I'm home on my computer.

And so it begins...

Okay, so I'm not a Goddess in the the traditional sense. I'm not gorgeous (but not ugly either) and I'm a little on the chunky side. 

In the next several days I'll be hitting the highways again and I'm extremely excited! But nervous too. It's been just over three years since I drove a big rig last. Let me give you a little background. 

In Spring of 2009 I was working as a 3rd shift stocker for Wal-mart. And I'm sure you know, as most people do, that it's not a lot of income. I had taken the job several months earlier to 1) earn a little extra money for our family and 2) get me out of the house.  Around the same time, my husband was diagnosed with Metastatic Malignant Melanoma. 

Now my husband was a truck driver. It was what he decided to do when he got out of the Army and he had told me it was his dream as a child to be a trucker. He was finally living his childhood dream. It was not an easy life and he hated being away from his family so much. But in the year or so before he had finally gotten on with a company that he loved. He was home every weekend and sometimes on Wednesdays as well. This illness though took that dream away from him. He was no longer able to drive as he was going through the chemo treatments and the numerous Oncology appointments. There was no way we were going to be able to survive on just my Wal-mart income. With much thought I decided that since he could drive any longer (which is how we paid our bills) that I would step in and do it.

And so...that was how my path to truck driving began. I won't get into the long story of everything that occurred between June and October of that year. Suffice to say that on October 20th, 2009 I turned in my truck...and my husband, Micheal, passed away on October 22nd. For the first couple of years I was too damaged by the loss to work a steady job. (You can read more of the time after the loss at The Melanoma Widow blog.)

Fast forward to now. A neighbor of my moms knew of my past driving experience and was in need of someone to drive one of his trucks. And so the offer was made and of course I wasn't going to turn it down. I've been feeling that itch to hit the road again. I guess once it gets into your blood the urge is always there.

And so...I'll be back on the road again very soon. I look forward to it very much. Nervous as all out though...it has been three years after all, however, I have no doubt that everything I learned will come back to me once I'm in that driver's seat again. It will definitely be an interesting ride. My previous experience was with a reefer (for those who do not understand what that is...it's a box trailer with a refrigeration/freezer unit on it to carry cold goods). This new job will be with a flatbed. MUCH different...but I believe in myself to have the ability to learn the job with no problem. ANYTHING I set my mind to learn...I learn and I do it very well.

And so begins this blog...a journal...as I start a new journey on the open road. And I welcome you to ride along!