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"On the Road with the Original Florida Kid" Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch(including Larry the pig) all want to give ya a big cowboy howdy "Hey!" shout out.... KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Alright, grab a chair and a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, Tommy Boy got the ashtrays.......Okay - so I did it, I went and bought Barbie another car, or truck rather, if you consider the 2008 Ford Expedition a truck, I think it is one.......anyway I got her a really nice black one and as I expected she pitched a fit, mostly because(I guess...) it was a surprise....her 2004 Explorer had a lot of miles on it and her, Grandma, and our youngest, Leah, are now on their way to Michigan(I think she did manage to get the kitchen sink in there, since it's gone....) to settle Grandma June's affairs, following her death in a nursing home here in Florida a few months back. They are headed to southwest Michigan and should arrive there friday night. She sure was upset about the new truck, since the payment is a bit higher, she's the worrier in the family(sometimes I think too much, but....) I knew if I asked her she would say NO, and still I felt it was what I needed to do....the Explorer had always had problems,the factory kind....so .....anyway, I feel really bad she was so upset but also her and Grandma have been on the edge of their nerves for a very long time over all this and the on-going legal business which seems never ever ending and expensive......I really believe Grandma Junes death put them in a kind of state of shock, one they are still in and also truly and genuinely broke their hearts.....It was an all girl family between Grandma June(Grandma's Mom), Grandma and Barbie, even Barbie's 2 sisters were alone for a long time by circumstance and as many of you truckstars, especially you Lady Truckstars, know there are a lot of women in this world who single handedly run families, work and raise kids too, for whatever reason(usually not good ones....), and I can tell you that Grandma June, Grandma and Barbie were as close as family can get. I have always been awestruck by women left alone to work and raise kids on their own....I was raised by one myself, so I know. My Dad's Mom, or "Ma" to anyone who knew her was my Mom most of my life, from when I was 18 months old, and even though she passed over 20 years ago I still think sometimes I hear her voice and can see her face in my dreams....some things, I guess, us mere mortals never really get over, or leastways I can't seem to.....that's okay if the treasured memory of a loved one has to come with a little pain.....I can live with that..........How 'bout you truckstar?........... I miss Barbie already and I'm just kind of moping around the house waitin' on a run myself, maybe a run to the north so I can then meet up with them in Michigan....it's been a little slow in the boat hauling world lately. I did a run to the Chicago area, to a place called North Point Marina on the lake, got back sunday night....nice place.....I will say this to anyone going up there, that both the 294 and the 94 are equally slow due to construction and the 294 tapers to 2 very narrow lanes for a long way and there are 5 toll booths to contend with so next time I'm just going to jump on the 94 up and back, and just deal with the city traffic as it comes.....I'm betting some of you truckstars out there know this area pretty well.....me, I'm just not a big city person so I'm always lookin' to drop my load and get out of dodge as soon as possible....tired or not....I got myself back south on the southbound 65 on the bottom side of Indianapolis and shut er' down at the Flying J there at exit 95....traffic tires me out worse than anything....trying to stay in my lane...you know the drill..... The radio station is coming along, although, in my tireless search for knowledge I have found out what really goes on behind the scenes in the internet world when it comes to doing any kind of a broadcast whether it be just audio, like a radio show, or visual like, well, like a video stream. I've been dowloading software, configuring software, buying cords and headsets and all kind of electronics stuff....then I got to the point where my stream needed more bandwidth and upstream speed so I had to switch to cable for the upstream speeds and I still might need to have a T1 line installed since I want to do my own radio stream and be my own server and not have to pay a web hosting co. AND a server co. to distribute the audio stream...and I'm working on the back side of the learning curve there too.....I think my brain is going to explode......but I am determined to do my own radio station and video show online, it will most likely be both audio and live video too but the audio part is my main concern.....I'll let you know....if money was no object it would already be up and running....... Yeah and as it is I'm way overdue to hit the Nashville music scene and a writing session with some boys up there....been tryin' to get myself together to finish the lyrics to a couple of songs, one of which I hope to get to Jason Aldean's people.... .....this fuel thing has really slowed things down and made what's left a lot more expensive to do....I sure could've used the extra money I would have had.....you too, I know.....guess that's why she was so upset about the new truck.....aww man.......I hate this feelin' like I spend waaaaaay too much time goin' through the "mud of life"........I wish I were better at lookin' to the Lord and hearin' Him....for sure I would've saved myself a whole lot of headaches and heartaches....gotta get me a set of those "Jesus Mud Tires"....I'll be speakin' with Him again tonight.....He's ridin' with Grandma, Barbie and Leah...... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- Trans fats. We've all been hearing a lot about them lately and there's a big move in the food industry to eliminate them from foods because it's more than been proven that they cause a bunch of different health problems, including high blood prssure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Let's get down to the nature of the problem....food co's expose oils to hydrogen, that is, the kinds used in the making of processed food products like cookies, cakes, crackers and breads as well as the types of processed food ingredients used in restaurants, and deep frying cooking oils, (not just fast food joints either.) Now, there are 4 types of fats commonly found in the typical diet - mon and poly-unsaturated fats, or good fats, and saturated and trans-fats, or bad fats. So - they are taking an already bad fat and making it far worse by causing the properties within it to change, hydrogenation changes a natural balance from, what are termed, HDL's,(which are good cholesterols that take fats from the blood to the liver for elimination from your body) and LDL's, (or bad cholesterols which build up and clog arteries and veins) to be far more lethal in LDL's or bad cholesterols. We all eat this stuff every day in toxic amounts, your kids do to in the junk foods they eat, thats why so many kids are overweight and already have health issues because of it. Why do they partially hydrogenate oils? So the products they are used in last longer on the shelf and in the deep fryers, it's cheaper for the food co's, and it makes the oils more solid so they are easier to work with....yeah, it's that simple and gets back to greed....A very long list of interested health agencies and advocate groups including the U.S. government, the American Heart Assoc., the Harvard School of Medicine and the New England Journal of Medicine all have done and published studies on the health effects of partially hydrogenated trans fats, or trans fats, and they all agree that the health effects have already caused deaths in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions by some accounts, in this country from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Bottom line? Read the labels on the stuff you buy at the grocery store!! Even if it says No Trans Fats on the package, check the ingredients panel and if it says "made with partially hydrogenated oils" DO NOT BUY IT AND DON'T EAT IT - EVER !!!! I'm pissed because they turned Oreos into a death snack.......check the package you'll see what I mean.... ask at the restaurants you eat at if they use cooking or deep fryer oils that are partially hydrogenated... The health experts all scream in agreement that the single most serious dietary threat to Americans is trans fats....the evidence and body count is there truckstars.....so what'cha think? Want to be a hero to some abused kid? You can, you know. Check out www.uscattlehaulers.com and find the link to the OOU, it's a new group who's only agenda is the welfare of drivers and Dan Little, who by the way is a working driver, is probably our best hope as a leader and fighter for truckers across the board. It's only $20 to join.....I've talked to Dan several times and I truly believe he's the real deal....see for yourself......I'm in.......you? Also, in case you feel like rattling someone's cage - To find your Representative - www.house.gov - ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - (scroll to your home state) Write them often, tell your friends to write them often......when? Right NOW !!!!! Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas - Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY, with me, for our troops around the world - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) So until next week - Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always, I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
Tags: Truckerblog Driver Florida Kid
"On the Road" with the original florida kid...... Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 38 and....you're on the road with the original florida kid..... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the Wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "hey"! KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Alright, alright grab a chair and a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee(now I told ya last week about checkin' your boots before you step in the kitchen, Grandma's got her old wooden spoon out and she WILL crack ya one.....) the rest of us already have ashtrays and Tommy Boy took a pull or two off Grandpa's bottle of JD under the sink.....it's okay he's an adult....) Tommy's trucking co. he's worked for for a long time is goin' belly up due to high fuel costs, low freight rates and a slow-down in freight loads....he needs a couple of shots, he's got kids......(don't worry Grandma will keep an eye on him.....)....and we'll be eatin' some bbq soon too so..... I guess it'll be snowin' in hell before our impotent, spineless, bought and paid for politicians do something about the un-fair advantage the larger trucking co's have bein' able to bond themselves and not have to pay insurance like the rest of us so's they can under-cut the market....as well as corruption among the surcharges, and.......Do you think they'll ever have the balls to go up against the oil co's? Don't hold your breath....we'll lose ya !... .......and of course, brokers and others involved in the rate setting and payment of freight to shippers don't give a damn if you can feed your kids or not.....I bet they can feed theirs....bet they can even pay their bills too.......seems like the most important factor in the whole equation is the one gettin' the worst treatment......us.... Greed is killin' this country AND the American dream......( I know, I know, I don't have one anymore either.....) The third world economy they are creating in this country is going to come back to haunt them.......yeah it is........ Well since last week's blog, I can't tell you how many guys and gals have sent me e-mails telling me about their situations most of which are bad, and getting worse.........even the very, very worried wives and girlfriends of some ol' boys out there killin' themselves.......this really really really breaks my heart...that's why I've been carrying on about it so much for the past several weeks and put off some of the other sections I usually have here in the blog......and truckstars I'm sorry for that but this is, in my opinion, an emergency situation......we're too big a labor force to have this kind of recession and depression affecting us this bad...... Okay, for starters, we're NOT talking about losers or slackers, bums, crackheads, drunks or third world foreigners looking for a handout.....we ARE talking about the very fabric and fiber of these United States....the American worker. And, for you nit pickers, I'm also speaking about men AND women here....black, white, Asian, Indian, and yeah, even people from third world nations looking for a better life who are willing to work for it...... All of US ! So, we have a serious epidemic raging through the trucking industry.....people working and still not able to feed their families and pay their bills....some losing everything after years of dedicated service....and sadly and most scary of all....there's no end in sight...it's that simple....and the so-called friend of the trucker - trucking co's are full of it when they say they really care about their drivers, and okay...maybe they do, but they care more about their bottom line than they do about you, in fact they have the same mind-set as any big corp. ....... I don't believe trucking is going anywhere either, but the game plan damn sure has changed....Some people seem to think, mistakenly, that fuel prices will stabilize...and sooner or later we'll all live happily ever after when everyone involved comes to their senses, but the fact of the matter is that big business, in an ever changing world, is doing what it needs to maximize it's profit margin at whatever cost, in unprecedented ways - globally - in ways that it never has before. They aren't going back to expensive U.S. based manufacturing.....and countries like China, that have never been major players in the manufacturing arena around the world, now are. Obama's dreamin', and being a professional politician, I'm sure he knows it, but....he's tryin' to get a job, like any politician, sayin' what he needs to say and a desperate American public wants to believe him.....and his racist friends....... Costs are really cutting in to my take home.....and not everyone's situation is the same, there are too many drivers losing it all for this to be a case of personal mis-management across the board...... Obama's talkin' a good game, but I really don't believe he can back it up........McCain is probably hooked up with the same people Bush's people are hooked up with(which means we're screwed for another four years at least......) Let's face it, beyond politics(what does "politics" really mean anyway?......) is "big business" and that's where the problem really is......the government doesn't do what the people want, they do what big business wants......and that's why we're in this situation......yeah....so.....what now truckstar? I have some sad news ....Bozo The Clown is gone.....I was a kid and I'm sure I wasn't watching the real, the original Bozo , he was actually created by Capitol Records in the 40's for recordings, then cartoons, then tv and appearances. A guy named Larry Harmon bought the rights to Bozo and trained many clowns to be Bozo in different parts of the world - he became Bozo and to me will always be Bozo. Some of you younger truckstars might not be familiar with this American treasure but us older truckstars sure are...Back in a simpler day, a time where it was okay to think and do the right thing, a time where greed and self and sex wasn't the sole mission in life, a time when laughter was true and genuine and wholesome, a time the world will never likely see again, Bozo represented a part of that for some of us kids back in the day. Maybe that's why I stopped in my tracks when Barbie told me, when I got in from a run to NY on friday the 4th night, for some reason I sat down and had to think of why it upset me so much to hear the news Bozo The Clown was dead....I guess it was just a signpost of the times in my life where things we see, and hope to see - go from the "up ahead" windshield view to the "rear" view mirror view, in what seems like an instant. TRUCKSTAR TECH- Well it looks like the "mini-laptop" is quickly gaining a foothold in the notebook and mobile tech race with Hp, Acer, Dell, Asus and a few others gettin' into the game.They're smaller, cheaper and do more.....I want one that I can do everything on - including phone/visual calls home on, plus have a real time 3d weather program amd a mapping program running all the time while I'm doing a live blog and broadcast from the road, but alas, I have big hands and I need a much faster processor and I like the big HD screen idea to watch movies and tv on....so what's a tech trekkie to do? Go with the machine that serves your needs, both biz and personal and keep an eye on your futre tele-com needs, like phone and visual communication...check out the www.alienware.com notebooks. If you're going to pay for monthly mobile service you may as well get the most out of it....e-mail is so, like, yesterday dude........and the newer "Smart Phones", like AT&T's new Samsung Access can recieve tv, the web and all the usual suspects...hmmmmm.....still - for me it's a picture size thing.......Oh, and hold off on the new Sprint mobile thing till the end of the year......make sure you have the very latest virus, spyware and security on your computer. The experts recommend trying to "hack" yourself with programs like : www.wireshark.org and experts are sayin that keeping an eye on unknown text messages in your cell phone too is a wise idea - in short - just delete them before they make your phone dial expensive networks and steal all your info, it's the next criminal frontier...... I saw a poster, the other day, for the National Text Messaging Contest with a $50,000 grand prize....it'll probably be won by an 11 year old girl......aww God....the world is definitely coming to an end......... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- Okay so how's the diet coming? What diet, you say? Don't tell me you're idea of food is - fast food and you're idea of a snack is chips and a donut? WHAT??? You're kidding me , right? How about something with whole grains in it and a bottle of spring water instead of soda or even Gatorade (which has a huge amount of sugar in it), try a MetRx protein Bar, they really taste great, like a regular candy bar....or a little box of whole grain cereal......Got Vitamins? What are you taking? Do you even know what's in them? Well....why not? Get a GOOD whole food organic multiple vitamin and a good protein shake, like - www.labrada.com.....trust me on this one.........Listen...I like to eat too, but the extra weight you're carrying around will not only ruin your life.... ...............IT'LL TAKE YOUR LIFE..........Yes truckstars I know it's a bitch having to think of this crap all the time, but listen to me, it's like anything else you do again and again, you get the hang of it and then begin to do it automatically.....and before you roll your eyes....do this....take all your clothes off and go stand in front of the mirror...it's not about what you see, it's about how you feel about what you see.............now do you get it? Want to be a hero to some abused kid? You can, you know. Check out www.uscattlehaulers.com and find the link to the OOU, it's a new group who's only agenda is the welfare of drivers and Dan Little, who by the way is a working driver, is probably our best hope as a leader and fighter for truckers across the board. It's only $20 to join.....I've talked to Dan several times and I truly believe he's the real deal....see for yourself......I'm in.......you? Also, in case you feel like rattling someone's cage - To find your Representative - www.house.gov - ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - (scroll to your home state) Write them often, tell your friends to write them often......when? Right NOW !!!!! Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas - Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY, with me, for our troops around the world - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) So until next week - Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always, I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
Tags: Free Money
" On the Road" with the original florida kid...... Hello again fellow truckstars ! It's week 37 and....you're on the road with the original florida kid..... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch give a big cowboy howdy "HEY"...... KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Well come on in(don't forget to wipe your feet or Grandma'll crack ya one...we have horses...sooo...check your boots....), take a load off, grab a chair and a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee(it'll straighten your hair...) and let's get down to it....First off I want to apologize for being MIA for a couple of weeks I've been out on the road doin' mostly northeast runnin', from Montauk Point(yes, all the way out...) to Cape Cod and Staten Island, all three beautiful places in their right but I still have absolutely NO desire to live there......I'm just not a big city person, never have been...so anyway there it is, I've gotten a LOT of e-mails and calls from folks wonderin' where I was or if I just quit and when the new blogsite and radio station are coming online and all I can tell you is this: the new blogsite with lots of stuff on it is coming soon, it's a money thing....and I soon will have a mobile web laptop with a Skype program and a few other things so I can blog and post from the road but I want a special kind of laptop and it ain't cheap(www.alienware.com) so.....that's where it's at. I appreciate all the cool trucker groups inviting me into their clubs, after all, I am one and it's for my fellow drivers that I do this, NOT for the trucking co. owners or anyone else....don't forget I'm a driver trying to get home in one piece, pay bills too, and all the while hoping Barbie doesn't forget what I look like.....and, Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm tired......I don't have to tell you truckstars out there how it is when you only have a day or two between runs and by the time you get your little roadshow back together and un-scramble your brains, well it's time to go............and so we go.....sometimes with a heavy heart, an eye on the weather and thoughts of where we'll be at, jobwise, in a few months or a year. Can gas get any higher and the economy get any lower....YES......IT CAN.......Is a new president going to turn things around? I don't know, but answer me this: Is the level of greed among the big corp's, that run the show, going to lessen just because there's a new face sittin' behind the desk in the oval office? Let's be realistic..........they ALL talk a good game during these sideshow campaigns, then when they move into the white house the bullcrap picks right up where it left off......I don't know what to think anymore(not that I ever did).......I just want the kind of life I'm entitled to, bein' an American.......how bout' you truckstar?..............I'm still waitin' for Dave Sweetman's book on how to survive as an O/O to come out..... Yeah, and before I forget.....when I was a kid me and my surf buddies used to drive all over the north american continent, this was back in the 70's, we had a cb in the car and used to rely on the truckers for real deal road info (and sometimes just to yak too...) I remember we all thought the truckers were big time and knew the road and had a lot of wisdom...we really looked up to them......but a couple of weeks ago I was goin' through Virginia and the weather was really bad, big rigs were gettin' turned over and what-not, well, I holed up for awhile at the Flying J at exit 104 there in Va., and some of us were tring to get north and southbound reports from drivers still on the road as well as trying to warn them....man I'm tellin' ya there must have been a mass escape from the local looney bin and they were all on the cb...one little girl was tryin' to drum up a little biz(if you know what I mean....), another guy wanted to talk about the joys of gay sex(in picturesque detail), and yet some other ol' boy who clearly was WAAAAAY too revved up on somethin' wanted to blab his whole life story(only problem was ya couldn't understand a word he was sayin' he was talkin' so fast....he coulda' won a fast talkin' contest or somethin'....) so....none of us could get a word in edgewise and I just sat there for a couple of hours and finally took off, northbound.......Uhhhh, excuse me I know it's a free form of communication but.....it seems like somewhere along the line the cb has just turned into some kind of a forum for bullcrap......and.....have you heard the death metal guy who talks like the singers on those records....I can't understand him either, probably just as well, but he roams the east coast and he gets on the air and just croaks and groans and roars like some kind of dyin' critter with a throat problem.....whaaaaaat-ever..........Almost every day I hear so many whackos on the cb, I wonder if that's a sign of the times in a way...I mean, there are so few real deal pros talkin' on it to each other anymore...I don't know......I just turn it off and listen to an audio book........I don't really remember too many "good" old days, but the new days sure aren't much to get up in the morning for.......Barbie says I'm almost working for nothing, just to break even....she looks after the bills and makes sure they get paid...stuff like that...a guy doesn't like to hear that from his wife...but.....maybe she's right.....I don't know what to do, I'm 53 and I can't afford to go back to school and I can't get a grant or assistance to go to helicopter pilot school either...... And before I forget - I wonder why Flying J doesn't turn their crappy(and I mean CRAPPY...) food restaurant into a Sonny's BBQ or something, I'd eat there every day.......or a retro diner with really good food like Lester's........bad food on the road is the biggest disappointment to me....well...after fuel costs, bad drivers, bein' homesick, uh, let's see what else....oh right...listening to politicians fight over the same stuff every day(they look and sound like such idiots...), watching big business close it death grip around the throats of working people, more and more sex and porn on the tv, more casinos and other ways for people to undermine their own futures......(I'm thinkin'........I'm thinkin')God being taken out of almost every way and walk of life......and did I mention fuel costs??......hell man is there anybody out there?....you know, the kind of men they don't seem to make anymore....I really miss Grandpa sometimes..I know Grandma does too...sometimes she stares out the window for awhile and I wonder if she's waiting for him to come across the pasture up to the house for dinner......... okay that's enough bitching.......for now.....if I think of something controversial I'll throw it in when I do...... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I'm leaving in the morning with a big boat to Michigan and I'm bringing my protein shakes and whole food organic vitamins and a few MetRx protein bars and spring water. It is really hard, I know, I have the same problem you do but I still try to watch what I eat and not give in to the fast food stuff that seems to be every where......I want to mention what I do to clean out my colon...I take whole physilium husk in water, a few tablespoons, then drink it down, usually at night, and it really scrubs you out down there...I do it a few times a month for a couple of days.....try it you'll feel better.....also, when guys get older the hormone production seems to dip a little and part of that isn't just bad diet but accumulation after years of sludge build up in the body, it cuts off the blood flow and deteriorates the cell structure all through the body....it's kind of like a motor that has been neglected inside, it loses power and starts to have problems. Next week I'll have more time to write further about this stuff.......remember - fresh vegetables and lean meats, whole grain breads and other baked goods...stay away from fried and fatty foods, watch the salt(switch to sea salt) and sugar....you don't have to have high blood pressure or diabetes, or strokes or alzheimers.......AND READ WHAT'S IN THE STUFF YOU'RE BUYING TO EAT !! Don't forget to think about tryin' to help out an abused kid...every community has em'......they need heroes and truckers are heroes...still. Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas - Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY, with me, for our troops around the world - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you? Okay - I have to go and throw my gear in the truck and finish getting ready for my trip....... Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for........ Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always, I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
"On the Road" with the original florida kid... Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 36 and..you're on the road with the original florida kid..... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "HEY!" KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Grab an ashtray, a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee and pull up a chair. Grandma's got a batch of her out of this world "sticky buns"(and they are) in the oven so we're in for a treat here in a few minutes but in the meantime let's get this party started......Okay so it's not that great of a party what with O/O's going under left and right, the ever skyrocketing cost of fuel(and every other damn thing.....), payscales bein' what they are, AND, our legislators turning their backs on the voting public in general....yeah man , having some fun now! I'm starting to feel like I live in a third world country, watching people I've never seen struggle before, well they're struggling now......and, truckstars, I'll be the first to admit it, I'm no genius but it really feels like something's wrong here.....really really really wrong....I don't know....do you really think the election coming up is going to change things? I hope so......riiiiiight...... I'm leaving a little later today to take a big boat to NY state so this week's edition is going to be shorter than usual..... I'm trying a new service for discount hotel rooms called - www.checkinncard.com - I'll let you know, sometimes I have to stay overnight in resort areas to get off-loaded and there's nowhere to park the truck to sleep so I just get a room, this service claims you get 35-50% off on a room and I don't have to tell you at this point every bit helps.......I'll let you know but if you go onto that website you can sign up for free and they take $4.95 for every room you book, it's kind of like Hotwired only you get a card, if you sign up make sure you read through and print a voucher for the times you need a room before your card arrives, or maybe print a temp. card, you'll see the click buttons... TRUCKSTAR TECH- I'm looking into mini-laptops...I've told you before cell phones, PDA's, mobile scan/fax, all the stuff we use whether at home or on the road is merging into one device, and it appears the mini-laptop is it....I'll have a full report on the state of the art next week....and it also appears as I predicted, that wi-fi is bombing ans soon regular radio too.....stay tuned......Did you know that you can now watch a full tv channel line-up on your mobile web laptop? http://www.dtv4pc.com/ and also: http://www.satellitetvtopc.com I recently discovered a site for directions on the road called - http://www.truckmiles.com - it's a sister site to proMiles which is a software based main site for truckers but truckmiles is free....and for you techies out there I found a good site for free security downloads - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/ - just look in the upper left and click on downloads. The highest rated anti-virus and spyare stuff can be free to load if you know where to look....be careful it might try to download something on your computer...... http://www.azentekonline.com - you have to check this out, I am probably still going with a laptop for portability but I think this is a really cool idea, it's an in-dash computer.....with a mobile web card slot too......I believe all the upscale cars in the near future will have them factory installed.... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I've found a new protein drink (I bought a case at the health food store) I think, so far, this is the super drink we all need to keep zoomin'.....it's called "Lean Body" from - www.labrada.com - try it....I'm still looking for a way to get more amino acids in a bar or drink, I'll let you know what I find.....keep a few really good protein bars with you like MetRx brand, I like the "meal replacement" one......and don't forget, spring water doesn't have all the added chemicals tap water does, including flouride, which causes a lot of issues with the endochrine system and has been linked to, and is at epidemic levels of, thyroid problems in men. Across the board, when you look at your diet in a given day, the amount of harmful stuff we put into our bodies without even thinking is absolutely staggering......really.....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE look at what you eat AND drink every day! Ruffage - whole grains and fibrous vegs' - not canned or frozen, but fresh - and watch your fat intake......always remember boys and girls....a clean colon is a happy colon........get the book "You- The Owners Manual" and read it.......check out this guy, he comes off as a bit of a wack job but he's not.....http://www.garynull.com/ Check out www.uscattlehaulers.com and find the link to the OOU, it's a new group who's only agenda is the welfare of drivers and Dan Little, who by the way is a working driver, is probably our best hope as a leader and fighter for truckers across the board. It's only $20 to join.....I've talked to Dan several times and I truly believe he's the real deal....see for yourself...... Also, in case you feel like rattling someone's cage - To find your Representative - www.house.gov - ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - (scroll to your home state) Write them often, tell your friends to write them often......when? Right NOW !!!!! Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas - Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY, with me, for our troops around the world - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) So until next week - Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always, I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
"On the Road " with the original florida kid..... Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 35 and........ ......................you're on the road with the original florida kid..... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the Wonder Dog, and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "Hey!" I want to give a big cowboy howdy shout out to bigjackknife and all the boys in Kentucky - "Yo!!" KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Okay, so everyone grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee,(there's a bottle of JD under the sink in the cabinet if you're in the mood...but remember...little sips...and no, it's not mine, it was Grandpa's....) pull up a chair, get us all an ashtray(aw hell just grab a beer can out of the trash....) and let's sit down, we have a lot to talk about this week too... You know - if I didn't know any better I'd say the public is on the verge of a revolt of some kind too, over this fuel bullcrap. Why do I think that? Let me ask you something first - "Where in the hell have you been lately?" Everyone - and I mean everyone - I talk to, even the boys down at the barber shop this morning, people at Publix, everywhere, people are up in arms over fuel prices....so I really think as drivers, whatever we decide as a group or as individuals, to do, the public will be with us all the way...and let's not forget, the add-on pricing from our services and/or freight costs, plus the high prices they are paying themselves at the pump...well, they need to know they're getting double pumped , if you know what I mean...(hell, we are too, I go to the store and everywhere else.....) Barbie needs new glasses and a trip to the dentist but she's on hold, for now, fuel prices have cut into my take-home money so much that I seem to be backpeddling to a basic wage driver.....uhhh...me no like.......... .......ahhh yes...the new American dream.....the greedy people get to live it and the working people get to watch them......... I don't know about you truckstars, I mean, I must be gettin' old or somethin'.....Barbie's been so sick for the last couple of years and the doctor says she needs another operation, girlie stuff, you know....and I feel so protective of her and miss her so much when I'm on the road, not to mention how much I worry about her...and I know, I know what the Good Book says about not worryin' and I try not to but I can't help it.....it's easy to say stuff when it's not your ass in the sling..(faith is a gift and I'm working on it).....I pray for her all the time and sure things could always be worse, lots of folks have really bad situations going on in their lives, way worse than mine and my heart goes out to them - it really does. This life....a mixture of good and bad, the bad makes you feel so helpless sometimes....man, I hate that.... Did you ever feel like you were livin' someone else's idea of a life? I do...sometimes..... When I was a kid, I read a lot of stories about adventure in faraway places, heroes, men with boundless courage who travelled the world saving the day in dark, mysterious, wild places filled with bad guys, danger and fierce, exotic animals roaming the jungles, forrests and plains. I hoped one day to grow up and see the world through the eyes of an adventurer, righting wrongs, defending the innocent and that I would be climbing mountain peaks, crossing blistering deserts and diving to the bottoms of the oceans, flying planes and helicopters, and hot air balloons....I thought things would turn out a lot different than they did....I'm still hopin' God will grant me a few of my dreams....What about you truckstar?....I hope your dreams are still within reach.....God's grace is a precious thing isn't it?.... .........I am grateful that the one greatest dream I could ever hope to have, has come true....some one loves me......and I get to run home to her every day of my life, and she's always there, and if for no other reason than to do just that, I pray God gives me many more years...... I'm sorry truckstars, I know I must sound like I'm depressed...I'm not really, I just get a little down sometimes, and this is one of those times......maybe I'm just tired and frustrated.....still waitin' for word of another run....hope the guy calls soon......my bills have bills.... Okay so, here it is....I don't know where this is all going but I can safely tell you this - fuel prices are probably never going to go down, and don't forget...the rest of the world has been paying $10.00 a gallon for a long time....and unless the everyday consumer and pro truckers can form some sort of cohesive alliance or join as one voice, then I really believe we're pretty well screwed as far as gas prices go. True, truckers have a lot of other issues but I feel the most pressing one right now is fuel cost....don't you? I'm doing everything I can to keep my other expenses down but I still feel like I'm losing some kind of battle.....dammit.... Check out www.uscattlehaulers.com and find the link to the OOU, it's a new group who's only agenda is the welfare of drivers and Dan Little, who by the way is a working driver, is probably our best hope as a leader and fighter for truckers across the board. It's only $20 to join.....I've talked to Dan several times and I truly believe he's the real deal....see for yourself...... Also, in case you feel like rattling someone's cage - To find your Representative - www.house.gov - ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - (scroll to your home state) Write them often, tell your friends to write them often......when? Right NOW !!!!! TRUCKSTAR TECH- I'm looking into mini-laptops...I've told you before cell phones, PDA's, mobile scan/fax, all the stuff we use whether at home or on the road is merging into one device, and it appears the mini-laptop is it....I'll have a full report on the state of the art next week....and it also appears as I predicted, that wi-fi is bombing.....stay tuned......Did you know that you can now watch a full tv channel line-up on your mobile web laptop? http://www.dtv4pc.com/ and also: http://www.satellitetvtopc.com THE HEALTH DEPT- I can't tell you how many young adults I hear from who already have high blood pressure and are on medication for it....this doesn't have to be! In our culture, fast food, junk food and just plain low grade foods are every day life for most people...don't wonder why your blood pressure is high and your energy is low....it's in the diet...fresh leafy green salads, lean broiled(not deep fried or flat iron grilled)meats, poultry and fish, whole grain breads(not bleached 0 nutrition white bread), low fat dressings and cheeses. Also - think roughage!!! Think, Think, Think about what you are eating....THE HARDEST PART IS BREAKING OLD HABITS, SOME GOING BACK SEVERAL FAMILY GENERATIONS........next week - amino acids... PBR and NASCAR next week! Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas - Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY, with me, for our troops around the world - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) So until next week - Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always, I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
Tags: Blogs Blogger Trucking Blogger
"On the Road" with the original florida kid - week 34 Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "HEY!" KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Alright, alright grab a cup of grandma's famous cowboy coffee, an ashtray and pull up a chair, we have a lot to talk about this week - so let's get'er goin'........ ..................Dan Little from the www.uscattlehaulers.com site has set up a non-profit truckers group - check it out at: http://owneroperatorsunited.org/ As I've said before I've talked to Dan Little a few times over the phone and I'm convinced he's got the rights of truckers in his heart when he decides to do anything, he's the one spearheading the surcharge lawsuit and he's working on a bunch of other stuff too , right now as we speak. It isn't just about a "shutdown" because of fuel prices, we all know that, a lot of things working against truckers has come to a head - some politicians are on our side, some are clearly not - but if the laws are changed and held up then we will have something, even the mexican thing has been held back to a large degree, and that's a good thing. I'm joining up with the OOU today and I hope you can put the $20 together and do it too, in fact I'll say this, if you're going to join any group, or just one, this is the one..... You can read up more on Dan Little at www.uscattlehaulers.com He's all about gettin it done with all of us in mind...... I just want to say one thing(okay more than one thing...) here before I go any further, and it's this, for me, this country needs truckers worse than it needs politicians and a lot of others who run the show but it's truckers who are getting treated worse than a old rented mule. What do I mean? I mean, in every way you can think of, from the food(if you want to call it that...) at truck stops to the pay scale. The most important factor, that's us,( I know the trucking co. owners think it's them but it's not....most of them are just arrogant pricks who would still own slaves if it were legal...) in a tricky equation of logistical freight movement is the most abused and worst thought of, and thought of LAST, not to mention the hardest working member of it, but you would think that we were all doing something wrong by the way we get treated. If I were a politician I would bend over backward to romance such a huge labor and voting force in this country, instead they act like we're a bunch of dumbasses that don't really require their serious attention, and truthfully it is partially our fault from the standpoint of - organization. Okay there - I said it again - organization. Since I've been a driver I still can't get over the very idea that between 3.5 and 5 million drivers, I've read government reports stating that there are really 7 million plus drivers, yet, there is no real major player or organization repping drivers. Hell man, the damn migrants who can't even speak english(by choice so I hear....) and most of whom aren't even here legally have better organization and representation than we do and WE BELONG HERE! This is a sad statement but it's also true, so don't wonder why every body, including the people we work for, up and down the line has been treating us still to this minute, like a twenty dollar hooker. Truckers, by and large, and very active in their communities, current affairs, including relevant politics. Most of the ones I've met or interviewed are decent good ol' boys and girls who have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else, and it just so happens that we play a critical role in the supply chain of this nation, we move all the freight. From the port crane operators( I love those guys....) at the ports to the dock people to the lot jockeys to the mechanics to the waitresses at the few restaraunts with good food....without the drivers it all stops. Why is it then that almost all of the drivers I speak to can't even pay their bills at home? Why? And it isn't bad financial management, bad habits or stupidity.....it's the overwhelming costs and the ever declining pay scale. Now, you'll talk to or read guys like Dave Sweetman, who now writes for Landline, who are major league vets in the O/O field and who make it all sound so easy, but listen to me, most of us are neither as smart or experienced or lucky as guys like Dave and (here's my point...) because there is almost no general large scale organization across the country most of us have been to the school of hard knocks and some of us are still there....but that still doesn't justify the bad and even illegal treatment(can you say surcharge middlemen.....brokers....??) and disrespect that hangs over the trucking industry like a black cloud.....and no, not all the trucking co. owners are greedy asswipes, there are some really great people who look out for their drivers and do treat them with respect, and they have my respect and gratitude, but most of the major co's don't.....and they have been getting away with ripping off the drivers on things like actual hub miles to skimming to all the deductions for bull crap ins. and other stuff(most of which they have a piece of....) all the while letting them go over the HOS and fixing it, even on the Qualcom,(yes it can be done...I've done it...). And this is what makes me so upset, it's not just for myself either....I have thousands and thousands of weekly readers and some of the stories I hear just rip my f 'n heart out, they really do. How much harder should a person have to work just to get by?.... Old school, old timer red-neck cowboy truckers are my heroes and have been since I was a kid. I was awestruck by the men who jumped down from the cockpit of these massive rigs, beautiful and so heavy and loaded with cool stuff in em', they always had a smile for a kid like me. Men who knew the goods and food and medicines they were transporting were vital to Americans all over the country, so, day and night in every kind of weather nature dished out, missing their families....they ran...and still run....and just to live to see the state of affairs in the trucking industry especially when it comes to drivers, well, don't wonder why I'm so upset.....and believe me I am...... I'm sure I'll get a few pissed off e-mails from some douche bag trucking co. owner or ass kisser co. employee who I may offend with my writing - but I'll tell you this right up front - You can kiss my ass and go straight to hell....and you can even quote me on that....(if you go to church you may as well stop - you're still going to hell along with you're buddies at the oil companies.....and a few freight brokers and car dealers.....). A thieving bastard is still a thieving bastard in any industry......What kind of a people is it that can steal money from needy families to take home to their own?.............Can someone tell me?...... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- Okay so, having just gotten off the road on an extended run I too know all to well the problem of trying to get a good meal down your gullet while on the road....but, it can be done! The hardest part is to fight the urge to go for the good smellin' burgers and fries, not the salads and other stuff that won't come back to haunt you. Most high blood prssure is caused by arterial blockage, and that in turn is caused by slidge and fats in foods that we eat everyday. The domino effect within the body tends to, as we age and the sludge build up continues to shut down other systems in the body, like the endochrine system, which is the glandular system in the body. This is why not only good diet is important but so is sweating thru exercise. Sweating is another way beside roughage,(and just as important,) and low fat diet that the body gets rid of fats and toxins from the body. try to find a way or figure a way to sweat as often as you can by exercising. I can't emphasize to you how important it is to sweat.....more next week on the endochrine and cardio-vascular sytems...... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas in Sept. 4-7th (http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Don't forget about abused kids, and our impoverished neighbors in West Virginia !! Write down the following web addresses, bookmark em' and make it a regular part of your web surfing! To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state. Write them often, tell your friends to write them often... Don't forget too, truckstars - if you're lookin' for a critter - I highly recommend you start lookin' at: www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org (humane society) I see lots of drivers with little buddies on the road, I like the Jack Russells......my buddy Randy, a boat hauler too, takes his Golden Retriever on the road everywhere with him... DON"T FORGET! You really need to start thinkin' about gettin mobile web access you guys, seriously. Just Google "refurbished notebooks" and you'll find, usually factory sites, with really good deals. Try Cyber-Power.com , or, Computers4sure.com You want mobile web access capability, upgradeable ram(at least 2 to 3 gigs, 4 if you can swing it), a big screen 17" or larger HD if poss., a built in web cam and mic, if not, then just buy a headset with a mic and a usb web cam, they're cheap. QVC and HSN also have a good selection of notebooks with great features AND you can break up payments on one for 4 to 5 months too! I'm hearing Sprint has the best mobile web network......I'll let you know....T-Mobile too, AT&T?? Don't know yet..... Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day -When? I don't know - you tell me!! Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Billy Mack on(XM-channel 171) Bozo Radio's Open Road Phone Line 12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 1-817-451-6055 Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have NOT gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable..... .........how 'bout you truckstar? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) so - until next week......... Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always I want you to remember - I mean it - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... You ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
Tags: Trucker Driver Blog
"On the Road" with the original florida kid Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "HEY!" KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Alright, so, I'm not sure where we're at with the nationwide shut down, I haven't heard much lately , it's kind of gettin' skimmed over in the headlines but there are still pockets of activity across the country. I wonder where our radio heroes have been in all this.........probably afraid of repercussions from their employers and sponsors and waiting to see which way the wind blows so they can jump on the big gravy train and act like they were there all along.....hmmmmm....someone(that means us) needs to keep this in the headlines and try to get some organization rolling. Truckers started it and truckers need to(as usual....) lead the way, and believe me when I tell you the Public is WITH US ON THIS ONE - GOT IT???? I know the public,(and by public I mean yours and mine next door neighbors, including the little old lady down the street whose husband died and can barely afford to feed herself and now can't afford to go anywhere either.....) in general, has even started their own little protests, I've seen it in the news and heard it on the radio, they're definitely on our side. The longshoremen in California are planning to shut down the ports(awesome!!....) and the localized driver protests are continuing...... Sooooooo what's it going to be?? (you've noticed fuel prices rising day by day I'm sure......) Fuel prices are getting even worse, the oil co's aren't afraid of anyone, not even the government.....by the way, in Europe they're paying $9.00 and more, a gallon, already.......same oil co's......and why should they be afraid of truckers when they know there are over 3 million of us with almost no real voice or organization, the OOIDA and the ATA combined have less than half a million members and most of that is the same drivers belonging to both I'm leavin' again on a run tonight or tomorrow morning to Kentucky or somewhere else maybe Ohio, and I guess I'll be giving up a little more money, no a lot more money on this trip too.....since fuel is even higher this week than it was last week, probably even higher than yesterday....why is it that everything goes up but peoples pay? I'm not going to carry on about this, I'm sick of hearing myself talk about all of this crap, including the presidential race, if that's what you want to call it. I can't remember any good old days, but if I could - I'd wish for em'..........yeah, it's a rat race alright...... Speakin' of the presidential(rat) race, Obamas friend, Reverend Wrong, talks a lot about how he hates white people but....he looks like a white guy to me, at least he looks more white than black, don't you think?....(don't tell him that.......then he'll have to start hating himself..).....uhh..don't we have any other choices? I'm sick of looking at all of them.....I'll vote for Arnold.....or one of the bullriders like Justin Mcbride or Ross Coleman......What happened to real men?....Don't see em' in politics anymore....I guess you have to get neutered and buy a five gallon jar of vaseline before you can run a corporation or run for office......or be a just plain greedy person who has no problem turning his back on his countrymen......or some crazy racist who drives 2 Mercedes and lives in a million dollar home(that right.....)just drumming up business at the expense of his own people............what'cha think truckstar? I'm tryin' like hell, sittin' here, to think of something to talk about on a positive note....but I can't, I just can't....hell man...I'm drivin' longer hours and more miles and I'm makin' less.....how does that happen? The house bills are getting bigger every month and we're livin' the same way, except for not goin' out to dinner or the movies anymore.......God help us......this country I mean..... Well, I guess the mere fact that I'm workin' should be enough(uhhh......).....and I Thank the Good Lord for that, and, the many readers of my blog and their support, which I humbly Thank You all for. It sure helps........I still think we need a National Truckers Prayer Day..........if we have nothing else in common, but a belief in God, if we had that together than nothing else would matter.....and I don't think truckers would get treated the way we do either........okay....so I'm a dreamer......... I'm still working on my blogsite and truckstar radio, it's always about the money ain't it?................yeah well........ THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I know we've all seen and heard about food ads that say "juicy" this or juicy that, stuff like steaks and burgers, well I'm here to tell you that this juicy stuff is a load of crap. You don't want juicy anything, why?, because the juice they are talking about has fat, blood, steroids, anti-biotics, bacteria, other kinds of growth hormones(there's dozens). It's pure poison, I'll say it again, IT'S PURE POISON and in fact it's the worst part of eating meats of any kind especially when you consider the fact that the meat buyers who own these stockyards where they buy the cows alive and put them in pens and feed them any kind of crap they can shovel into the animals mouth, and I mean anything....I hope the laws stopping them get passed...it's where mad cow disease is spread from.......so you're telling me you trust greedy business men not to poison you? Hmmmmm...............and don't forget to get a good whole food organic vitamin, meal replacement Muscle Milk protein drinks and MetRx Colossal Protein Bars and stop eating chips and other greasy fatty salty foods in between meals, watch where you touch door handles and other places, even money is dirty, get a large bottle of the new Lysol Anti-Bacterial wipes, the ones that kill the flu virus, I use em' whenever I get back into the truck from a rest stop, truckstop or store. Okay? Listen to me, try the vitamin, protein bar and drink thing for a week, eat more salads and leaner meats, watch the cheese, then see how you feel....okay truckstars? Okay that's it for this week I'm sorry this thing is late again, I don't have a laptop yet otherwise I'd write it from the road, and, I'm exhausted, (I watched a multi car pile up happen right in front of me at 3am the other night.....) I have some chores to do around the house here before I go off again, need to change my truck oil too..... STAY CALM no matter what happens out there on the road............... The next few issues will bring back all the different departments everyone seems to enjoy so much, including the Wanted:Heroes, Health Department, Cowboy Corral, Jukebox, and Truckstar Tech. and a few new dept's., like The History Book. (I like history, not just trucking history but American history too. I found out there are a lot of Civil War relic hunters, for example, and I find this kind of thing very interesting.) Also a new section I'm calling - TRUCKSTAR KIDS - (check out these sites for kids, http://www.howtoons.com/ and http://www.truckerbuddy.org/) I'll be writing a weekly series on the exciting adventures of Johnny Duke, and his computer wiz kid pal, Tommy "the Hacker" Jenkins, as they solve crime mysteries, while on the road with Johnny's trucker Dad. JD and TJ are 12 year olds who want to be a trucking industry detectives when they grow up..... The adventure begins when Johnny thinks he sees a suspicious vehicle, an older model Ford van, white, dirty, following them from a hazmat pickup in Miami, Dad says it's nothin' but Johnny and Tommy think otherwise.......Tommy's runnin' the plates...don't ask how.......... Don't forget about abused kids, and our impoverished neighbors in West Virginia !! Write down the following web addresses, bookmark em' and make it a regular part of your web surfing! To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state. Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky trucks and bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going! Remember - NO paycheck and NO load is worth dyin' for...... Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day - contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's Open Road Phone Line, 12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 817-451-6055 Don't forget too, truckstars - if you're lookin' for a critter - I highly recommend you start lookin' at: www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org (humane society) I see lots of drivers with little buddies on the road, I like the Jack Russells...... DON"T FORGET! Check out www.laptop.com You really need to start thinkin' about gettin mobile web access you guys, seriously. Just Google "refurbished notebooks" and you'll find, usually factory sites, with really good deals. You want mobile web access capability, upgradeable ram, a big screen, a built in web cam amd mic, if not,then just buy a headset with a mic.The Skype.com download is free and it's dirt cheap to make calls on, I used it all day yest. I think I called everyone I've ever met, I even called myself(alright you in the back...I heard that) I called myself to check the voice quality, which was great.................. QVC and HSN also have a good selection of notebooks with great features AND you can break up payments on for 4 to 5 months too! More on this next week! I'm hearing Sprint has the best mobile web network......I'll let you know....T-Mobile too, AT&T?? Don't know yet..... Well alright - that's it for this week truckstars! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me........I know...... Watch what you eat and watch the road !! As always I want you to remember - I LOVE YA AND I'M PRAYIN' FOR YA!!!! So - play nice, drive safe, and pull it on home...........until next week - you're on the road with the original florida kid......................we gown..........
Tags: Trucker Blogs Trucking Column Driver
"On the Road" with the original florida kid Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 32 and..... .........you're on the road with the original florida kid...... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "HEY" KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Well don't just stand there - grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, a chair and an ashtray and have a seat around the table.....we have a lot to talk about this week! Okay soooo - this shut down or protest or whatever you want to call it, is still scattered across the country with different areas and drivers doing protest drives near or at state capitols or grouping together on the road and at specific locations. The media still has yet to really grab ahold of this thing and I believe it's because the organization of it is really not what it needs to be.....I think it's safe to say that the public is very much on our side, after all fuel prices affect every aspect of their lives too, and let's also keep in mind that it's not only about fuel prices, it's about cheap freight, it's about the ability of bigger trucking co's who don't have the same insurance structure that everyday drivers and O/O's have to pay thereby giving them an edge in operating costs and undercutting freight prices, it's about corrupt brokers and fuel surcharge scams.....it's about a lot of stuff that affects us as drivers every single day, hell, every single mile! And listen to me.....THE CO'S AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RAPING AND PILLAGING THE DRIVERS FOR MANY YEARS KNOW - THEY KNOW - 99% OF TRUCKERS WON'T FIGHT BACK , AND THEY ALSO KNOW THERE IS LITTLE, IF ANY, ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVERS THAT WOULD GIVE THEM A VOICE AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY HEAVY HANDED OVER THE YEARS IN TRYING TO SUPPRESS IT..........YOU OLD ROAD WARRIORS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT DON'T YA.......... And let's not fool ourselves, seriously, [most of] the big trucking co's are raping the drivers worse than anyone........What? you might ask....just talk to any of the newer drivers when you see him or her getting out of a company rig at a truck stop. On an entry level, for a new driver that is, the job doesn't pay a whole lot more than delivering pizzas or working at McDonald's. The trucking co's love the new driver labor pool, that's why they know they don't have to pay more per mile to keep more experienced drivers on the payroll, and, sadly, these new kids coming up look at this as just another job, not a career or a profession......ask one you'll see........(when I was a company driver the miles I logged and the miles I got paid for were always different, less, a lot less and if you say something suddenly your miles go way down, AND AFTER SITTING ON YOUR ASS FOR A FEW DAYS YOU LEARN TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT......and the co. I worked for was "in business" with all the co's that were deducting from my paycheck....health ins. and other stuff.......sound familiar truckstar?? Dan Little from the U.S. Cattle Haulers Assoc. is a human dynamo when you're talking about stepping up to the plate here in this battle.....(www.uscattlehaulers.com) also a spin off of this site is - (http://www.uscattlehaulers.com/strike.htm) - check this out to stay on top of the latest news! I've spoken with Dan Little from the U.S. Cattlehaulers Assoc., and truckstars let me tell you if you want to get involved this is the guy we need to look to, he tells me he's even suing some of the big trucking co's, on our behalf, so they have to pay insurance like the rest of us... trust me...........check out the website and GET INVOLVED! TODAY! I just finished a haul and back-haul to Virginia then I picked up a back-haul in South Carolina headed south to Florida, Thank God I got lucky getting a back-haul because the fuel prices are affecting my bottom line so much at $4.00+ a gallon that I'm really feelin' it.......BAD! In the boat hauling business it's tough getting a backhaul, it's not impossible but it is hard to line up the timing...... I know you are too truckstars, believe me, I talk to a lot of guys on the road and it really breaks my heart and kicks my ass at the same time to see decent working people getting beat down so bad by a profit margin greed thing.......the "Good Book" says not to worry and I'm tryin' not to.......but I'm workin' harder and harder and still comin' up short! Man..................what the hell........... I'm micro-managing my driving, I'm going slower, I'm shopping fuel prices, I'm on the phone all the time trying to line up more work.... and I still struggle to pay my bills............and all the while the government is LETTING big business rob the people into poverty.......where's it going to end truckstars? Where? When? I hope we can all get together on this thing, there's a lot of drivers out there trying to make a go of this thing and we ALL need to get involved. I feel bad for the company drivers whose co's aren't into this because of their corporate clients or for whatever reason and they've threatened drivers with losing their jobs, co's like Swift. I know these guys and girls want to help out but a lot of them will lose their jobs if they sit out a day or a delivery - it's a tough call but these trucking co's should also know that they will benefit from lower fuel costs and happier drivers - Hey, here's a novel idea! - How about a driver who can pay his bills at home?? I'd be happy...................................so what's it going to be truckstar? Are you in, or what? HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I want to talk about the "endochrine system" in your body, that is, your glandular system, to put it simply Your testasterone(for us guys) and other really important chemicals your body needs to be able to produce to keep your hair your, uh, giddyup, let's just say, brain function and a whole lot of other functions that begin with glandular chemistry. Now, here's the thing, when we get older and start losing a few hairs or whatever else, let's call it losing a step or two, and maybe some health issues come into play also, well, these can be traced back to years of poor diet and exercise, not to mention drinking and smoking or even drug use and the endochrine system suffers and becomes almost inactive. just like your colon and arteries get layered or clogged your endochrine system basically can shut down or at least be marginally functional. This is why older guys not younger guys get ED and go bald or lose their sex drive and muscle tone. I'll go more into this in detail as the weeks go by but for now I'm just telling you that eating a low fat diet, lots more fresh and steamed vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, a good "whole food organic" vitamin, Muscle Milk Protein drinks. Watch the lunch meats and other products with additives like nitrites and nitrates, which have been linked to cancer, drink low fat or non-fat milk. You can bring your body back, I've seen it, I've done it....you don't have to be old while you get older! Think it over truckstar.....get this book and read it - "You-The Owners Manual" Dr. Oz also has more books out on how to take care of yourself and eat...any good bookstore has them, even Wal-Mart and Target (Target has a much better book section and they discount too). Once again this week I have to cut it short, I'm leaving in a few minutes to take a couple of boats up to the northeast and maybe do a backhaul from Conneticut if I get lucky........ To find your Representative - www.house.gov - ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - (scroll to your home state) Write them often, tell your friends to write them often......when? right now ! Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock in Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) so until next week Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
"On the Road" with the original florida kid Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 31........ ....and you're on the road with the original florida kid..... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say "HEY"....... KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Alright let's grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, an ashtray and pull up a chair, we have a lot to talk about this week! I want to apologize first off to you regular readers because I wasn't able to write for several days, for 2 reasons. 1), I was on the road and 2), my computer got messed up when the power went off and surged back on while my computer was booting up. It took 4 days to get it fixed, and yes I could have gone to the public library to write but my online list of trucking websites and blog sites was not available to me, so, any way you slice it, I was dead in the water for several days. I'd like to welcome a new guy to the blog, goes by Mudslinger, and he seems like my kind of guy just a straight up man who isn't afraid to work - so - a big "cowboy howdy shout out" to Mudslinger! You can find him on chickentrucker.com - and also a big "cowboy howdy shout out" to one of the seemingly busiest lady drivers I've ever heard of - Cybergal - you can find her all over the forums on thetruckersreport.com that is, when she's not runnin' loads! Listen, some of the best drivers I've ever met are women drivers........ http://www.uscattlehaulers.com/strike.htm - here's the best place to get info and also get involved in the trucking effort to lower fuel costs and raise awareness of the other issues we need to look at. Mr. Little is really working hard to make a difference for all of us and I hope you can see your way clear to getting involved. Last week was a really good start and now we know the general public is definitely on our side, what'cha' think truckstar? Some are saying they want to make another shut down happen at the end of this month....... I have to tell ya, truckstars, I'm already tired of feeling stressed and a little bummed out all the time. It's hard enough to make a living and look after my family, and forget about hopes and dreams, this whole thing in life has turned into a paycheck to paycheck stress session, for me anyway......I wish I were smarter.....or luckier........now am I saying that I've given up? No, Hell No, it's just that once in a while I feel like I'm bleeding too much, too often....... HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I want you to check out this link to the NY Times newsletter I get : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/fashion/03Fitness.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha4 Just check it out.........and also this is a site you should have bookmarked - http://www.webmd.com/ I go there when I am looking for a starting point to research, sometimes. I'm still looking into the "endochrine system" as it pertains to men, mostly, and it is getting more involved than I first thought so bear with me, next week I'll write about it. It's one of the most important systems in the body, yet so little is ever written about it.....I subscribe to this ezine/newsletter, I think you should too - http://www.healthresources.net - look for the newsletter sign-u in the upper right. TRUCKSTAR TECH- Check out this site, it's a map and directions kind of thing. Also I'm looking into a new system by Garmin, it's called the Synthetic Vision System, I know, I know it's for boats but I'm thinking of what it could mean to drivers to be completely adaptable in a more visual sense, and yes, it's mostly for boat navigation but I'm talking with them to see if it's adaptable for trucking or road surface navigation. Some of these boat nav systems are so advanced it makes the stuff we use look like fred flinstone, check this one out - www.FurunoUSA.com - check out the NavNet3D System. Maybe you'll see what I see. Also check out - http://www.gasbuddy.com/ - you can even get involved as a gas spotter. www. cyberpower.com - a great place to check out the latest in pc and laptop gear. this co. is one the tech's I talk to you are starting to buy from. PBR and NASCAR next week! I've got a boat waiting for me to go to South Carolina, I had to turn down a run from Pensacola to Idaho because it was a low ball deal and with the price of fuel I couldn't risk ending up driving all that way and back with no back-haul.....this is what it's come down to. Six months or a year ago I would have taken the haul........... To find your Representative - www.house.gov - ( just enter your zip) To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - (scroll to your home state) Write them often, tell your friends to write them often......when? right now ! Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?" Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you? I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention......... Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock in Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!! Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar? Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) so until next week Remember - NO load and NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!! God hears prayers, trust me - I know. As always I want you to remember - I love ya' and I'm prayin' for ya' ! Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home........... Are you ready? Let's roll.......... ......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........
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