1/19/09

If you've ever wondered just how dumb people can be, you should flip on a CB radio in a crowded area on the day before the first black president is to be sworn in. Wow. There is always a bit of the typical racist drivel bouncing around the CB airwaves, but wow. That was something.

I was thinking for a little while that the local drop/hook routine was a nice break from the long days on the highway. Then I got to my third broker. No English was spoken there, at least none that I could understand. We were eventually able to communicate well enough to figure out where I was to drop my trailer. Holy smokes. I got one of those spots that would be decent for a 28-foot pup with a day cab. Maybe that local routine isn't so fun.

Then the last drop came around. For those of my colleagues here at CTL, I imagine that you've been to the broker on Sara Road with the El Gato Road address, at least once or twice. The usual routine there is to go through the trailer inspection and then check in with the guys on the dock. They show you where they want the trailer and then you make the drop and go on your merry way. As I sat at the guard shack today, I saw one of our local drivers backing to his blind side around a pretty tight corner. I thought to myself, "Damn that looks tough. I'm glad I don't have to do that." I pulled around to the docks and checked with the receiving guy. He walked out to the yard and tried to find a spot for me. The place was overflowing with trailers. After speaking with the yard dog, he showed me where I would need to drop my trailer. Shit. Yeah, I had to make the same maneuver that the local driver had made, with a bigger truck and no window on the back of my cab. I had to turn to the blind side into a narrow opening between two trailers. Then after passing through the narrow opening, I had to make an even sharper blindside turn to get lined up with the drop spot. In the tight quarters, there was a whole lot of inching forward and inching backward involved. The guys who showed up after I did were directed to drop their trailers alongside mine... without having gone toward the docks first. In other words, they had it even easier than usual. You're welcome guys. Glad to be the Guinea pig for you.

Back at the yard it was time to hit the mechanics' bay for my annual truck inspection. Everything checked out okay there. I was up to #34 on the board once I got settled in to relax for a while. The four drops this morning took a little over three hours in total. The bulk of the three hours was spent waiting to get into the first broker and then doing that 180-degree blindside at the last. I guess that's not the worst way to make $75. I don't think I would want to deal with those brokers' lots on a daily basis though. The open highway didn't sound so bad by the time I was done.

My assignment just came through a few minutes ago. They have me headed for Lansing, so home will be a short hop from there. I think I'm going to head out in a little while once I've had ten hours off. I haven't given the timeline of this run much thought yet, but I'm tired of being in Laredo. I'll head up Satan's Driveway for a while and hope that I don't get too sleepy. This thing is due in Lansing on Thursday morning. Sounds like I'll be doing some driving for the next few days.

After seeing this picture on the internet today, I had a sneaking suspicion that women's golf was trying to attract a more robust male audience. Then again, it is just a trophy. I don't know what you were thinking.