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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 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..........
"On the Road" with the original florida kid Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 30 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 howdy "Hey"! "KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Alright grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, an ashtray, pull up a chair and let's get to it! Again this week I can't not go into this subject....the nationwide shut-down. I got off the road from 2 back-to-back runs on friday night, all the while monitoring my cb and listening for any chatter about a shut-down. I heard very little about it, except that someone told me that there was a news report on tv about it being planned for sometime next month. Then today I heard it's April 1st., which is tomorrow.I still, sittin' here, can't help but wonder why there's no real organization to one of the largest labor forces in U.S. history....I'm not talkin' about a general truckers "union" because I don't think that's realistic, from financial and time standpoints, not that I'm against it, I'm not, but what we're really talking about here is a voice, one voice representing the 3.5 to 5 million drivers in this country....not to mention the other 15-18 million people employed in "diesel culture" support industries.....amazingly, there isn't one. I, personally, find that more than a little incredible. The OOIDA and the ATA? Okay let's talk about that.....the OOIDA has fewer than 200,000 members as does the ATA....a fraction of the total number of drivers and yet both these groups are the only ones, or at least only trucking organizations fighting like hell, for ALL truckers, men and women, in the local, state and federal arenas and courtrooms of this country.....and making progress !! Who else is? the Sierra Club(that's right, the tree huggers...), the Teamsters(I wish I was one....) besides them I can't answer that because I don't know.....do you truckstar?? There's 10 different trucking papers and magazines, all seperate in ownership. None of the trucking websites are connected that I know of....sooooo what do we do and how do we do it? Maybe we need one of those heavy hitter business and organizational consultants..... And, it's not as big a deal for an independent to turn down a load or park his truck for a day as it is for the millions of company drivers who will lose their jobs if they refuse to drive on the day of the shut-down....me for example, the brokers I get hauls from won't care if I say "no" I can't drive on that day, they'll, I'm sure find someone else in 5 minutes to take the haul....it's the co. drivers who will pay the price....there are so many kids coming out of these trucking schools who don't know any better that it's scary to think the trucking industry as a whole is so cost conscious that it would rather pay low mileage to a greenhorn than it would an experienced pro.....(you know...the kind that helped build this country).......and sure, it'll be a "no money" day for many of us but I'm confident we'll make it up, if nothing else, in fuel savings, in no time and a long overdue message will have been sent to the "powers that be". Those of us who have been around long enough also know that the trucking co's love to pass themselves off as "driver friendly" - and - "on the drivers side" and all that BS but when it gets down to it, most, if not all, care much more about their bottom line even if that ends up being at the drivers expense, and more often than not ....it is. No....I wasn't born yesterday, I know how business works and how it HAS to work....but you can't tell me that screwing your employees and O/O partners IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS...... QUESTION: Is there ONE trucking co. in this country that is shutting down the day of the "shut-down" ? If not....why not? Is there even ONE trucking co. that is going to stand with the drivers? Probably not.....Why? Because they're more afraid of their "big business" customers - THAN THEY ARE OF YOU !! That's why....oh yeah and it's all about the money too..... .............and say what you want about the "flake -o - rama" actor community....but at least they refused to cross the picket lines when the writers were on strike...... Before I go any further I want to urge you, PLEASE, to get involved and join the OOIDA and the ATA !! http://www.ooida.com/ http://www.truckline.com/ (this is the link for the ATA, click on membership up top on their page) and while I'm at it I want to put up these links too so you personally can contact your political rep's ; (you'll probably have to catch them in between $2000 a night hookers and looking for sex in airport bathrooms, or flying around in some corporate Lear Jet somewhere.....) 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 ! I'm working on a few things on my end I'll let you know more about as the next few weeks go by..... I guess ultimately we have to look to the government for relief from the fuel prices......but if this nation is still "by the people and for the people" then we should be able to hope for action on our behalf, and not just truckers but everyday people too.......wha'cha' think truckstar? Maybe I was absent that day but when did big business start telling everyone what to do....and getting away with it? Old school journeymen truckers are some of my favorite people, and it truly breaks my heart when I talk with them and hear them seeming to talk about trucking in the "past tense". I can't tell you how many I've heard about being forced out of business and some even parking their rigs and going to work as co. drivers. I get lots of e-mails from guys like 'bigjackknife' on chicken trucker.com who tells me a lot of his neighbors and friends near where he lives, which is a trucking hub, are done, and have their trucks up for sale, and JW who runs the site, he's an independent and he's breakin' his ass just to make it week to week.....and listen to me...we're not talkin' about losers who don't know what their doing, we're talkin' about top notch pros who have more miles than I'll ever rack up. 'bigjackknife has more than 2 million miles....JW's been around forever too....THIS SHOULD NOT BE !! Come on, someone has to haul freight....why are the best people getting bumped out yet the damn trucking schools are always full and popping out kids as fast as they can?? WHY? 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......... TRUCKSTAR TECH- On a lighter note I want to mention a couple of new things I came across: the first being the new power source by Cummings Comfort Guard. It's diesel powered and even meets the strict California standards. This is the one I was waiting for, the one I want. Truckstars, fight it out if you want to but more and more areas are stopping overnight idling..... Are you one of the lucky drivers with a mobile web laptop? http://www.dtv4pc.net Want unlimited tv on your mobile laptop? Try this co., for a one time fee around 50 bucks you'll have great tv on your laptop or pc...I'm signing up as soon as I get my new laptop.Check them out! ( I know it sounds to good to be true but it's not, no tuner, no hardware just a fee for a one time software install and access. We're talkin ESPN, NBC, and a bunch or other top stations. I didn't find them, they found me.....) Also if you're looking for a really durable laptop try this co. out - https://www.onthegopc.com/index.asp Here's the Sony Vaio refurbished laptop site - http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=1 0151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644534352 ( I know it's a long one but so what, just click on it.....) Also - if you can check out the new International Lonestar Truck - high style meets high tech, they look awesome and are fuel efficient! Don't worry I'm always looking for cool new stuff that's affordable and portable for those of us who are on the road but want to have media access..... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- If you're like me the biggest health issue you may have, lately, is stress. Make sure you're taking a good "whole food" organic vitamin, eating your meal replacement MetRx protein bars, and drinking Muscle Milk Protein drinks. Back off on the coffee and try to stay away from sodas too, and high fat, high salt snacks. Keep the coffee(I know, I know it's hard, I love my coffee too....) to a minimum! Whole grain cereals and lots of fresh vegetables......you can do this! Every day try a little harder to clean up your diet and you'll see your health, stamina and endurance will improve and "runs" won't burn you out so bad....... .......next week the "endochrine system"...you don't want to miss it !! NASCAR- Denny Hamlin took the checkered at the Goody's Orange 500 in Martinsville. Junior led then Jeff Gordon led for awhile and gave it a good try but just couldn't seem to catch Hamlin and took second in the end. I'm not the biggest fan of short track racing, these cars are capable of such high speed excitement that it's kind of a waste to me, but whatever.... PBR- The Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico over the weekend was another great show! Young L.J. Jenkins, a New Mexico resident took the event title over second place finisher Guilherme Marchi, who is ranked number 1 overall in the point standings. Travis Briscoe, another of the new rising superstars, former world champ Chris Shivers, and favorite Ross Coleman all had good outings. Bull ridin' at it's best! 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..........
Tags: Trucker Blog Blog Driver Trucks Truckdriver
"On the Road" with the original florida kid Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 29 and........ ....you're on the road with the original florida kid.... Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and all the gang here at the ranch say a big howdy "hey"! KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Well let's grab an ashtray, a cup of Grandma's famous coffee and get to it......... I guess it's no big secret that a lot of drivers want to "shut down" for a day, in fact I see in the trucking headlines, some already have in western Pennsylvania. If it were only a nationwide thing and better organized......I really believe it WOULD have an effect....what effect I'm not sure....there's a rally on March 31st at the PA state capital, probably the same bunch......where you going to be at the end of this month? I still feel, and I've said this before, that if we're going to have a "major" shutdown, we need to inform the general public and I know WE "are" also the general public using fuel in our personal vehicles, ATV's, boats, campers(and all the other things we can no longer afford to use....), not to mention the 15 million or so "diesel culture" support industries folks we depend on and also depend on us, that are in and around the trucking industry, from the road service guys to the tire people to the truckstop help and so on.......Now when I say "inform", I mean, to get them "on board" with this thing....and from what I'm seeing on the news and everywhere else I don't think that's going to be a problem, in fact, in a lot of the online trucking forums everyday people are already giving and showing their support in growing numbers. EVERYONE is feeling this, and I know this is an obvious statement, but, many of us live paycheck to paycheck as do Jane and John Doe and their 2.2 kids....older folks and single parents with kids, students, business commuters.....the list is endless, so like I say I don't think it's going to be hard, to not get only get the public's attention....but their support....and it's just me sayin' it but I have a feelin' the shut down is going to involve a lot of 4 wheelers too.....and I also think, and this is what I'm saying, I think their support is absolutely critical and vital......we need each other right now......wha'cha' think truckstar? Listen to me......the investor community all admit or concede that the price of oil and fuel DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WHAT IT IS !! In other words, the price of oil is being manipulated by the oil producing companies, nations and cartels....and make no mistake, they are powerful groups with little or no regard for what they are doing to people......and what burns my ass is that the tree huggers don't want us or any other nation to drill off the coast of California, Florida, or Alaska or anywhere else that might free us from the hand around our throats by nations that make no bones about the fact that they already hate us anyway......the oceans and wildernesses of North America have a lot worse things to worry about than the after affects of drilling, and for your information, the oil co's are better at keeping the environment clean than any other industry(if the tree huggers want to crawl up someone's butt they need to go after the sugar industry that is destroying the Everglades and the water table of South Florida....or the mineral mining co's that are raping large tracts of land nationwide and in other countries....) Ohhhhh........right, the tree huggers get their money from grants and public financing, they don't pay out of their own pockets, they pay out of OURS........uhhh, me no like........ In the last year I've seen the pay scale go down and the costs of running going up. (And I've also cut my running speed down to 59-63 mph, as per Dave Sweetman's advice, it helps but, well, you finish the sentence.....) It, like you I'm sure, costs me between 30 and 50 dollars more per fill up....meaning hundreds of dollars more per run.....to run. I'm back to where I was when I first started, making very little per run and it's starting to catch up with me when we're talking about monthly bills....man, what the hell ? We're not talking about some little niche market here, we're talking about the most important industry there is when it comes to our nations economic beating heart...the trucking industry.......and the kicker....is that the goods we haul we're getting less to haul and we're paying more for when we walk in the front door of the grocery store and Wal-Mart or Target, or even Walgreen's....the very freight we haul is biting us in the ass....all day,every day.....sooooooo....you want to "shut it down"? Let's do it....but don't let's run off half cocked like a bunch of crazies - Why? Because big business is going to lose a lot of money....A LOT OF FREAKIN' MONEY.....(that's why).....even if the "shut down" is only for a day and scattered across the country, and they are not going to be happy about it. I'm sure they're frantically pulling their puppet strings connected to the politicians they own trying to figure out how to not let the truckers do this, let alone cause change by doing it, and I'll bet they are scared to death the public will be on our side too.....and, truckstars, I believe they will be.....sooooo..what now?....... I don't want to be poor....I'm not afraid to work, I never have been.......but it's just not right that I have to work even harder....for less....Barbie's not well, she needs new glasses and a trip to the dentist, but we can't afford it.....this shouldn't be.......we don't drink, we don't go to bars, I haven't taken her out to a sit-down dinner since early last year.....we watch our money......we live meager lives, and we're still not makin' it because it costs to much to live and work......what?........I SAID - WHAT ??? and it's not just us either, everyone we know, even our relatives with good jobs are feeling it......Barbie's brother Scotty just lost his job at a factory in Michigan, a place he's worked at for 15 years because they moved off shore, he has 2 small girls and his wife is dying of cancer....and we can't help him !! ......I have my map and my flashlight....and I still can't find My America........take the flags down off the flag poles and drape them around your shoulders....you're going to need them because there's a cold wind blowin' across this land....and it's getting colder by the minute...... Truckstars, I'm going to cut it off here this week....honestly, right now I don't give a crap about NASCAR, the PBR, mobile internet, vitamins or anything else I usually write about....I'm sorry. I just got a call for a 1200 mile run and I need to figure out how and if I'm going to make any money.......Please God Please........... So - until next week - Please pray for us all, our Nation(it used to be under God but I think it moved....) the lost, and the ever growing numbers of abused kids and older folks that need food and medicine...... You're always in my thoughts and prayers....... .......you're on the road with the original florida kid......over and out..........
Tags: Trucker Blog Blog Driver Trucks Truckdriver
"On the Road" with the original florida kid Hello again fellow truckstars!! It's Week 28 and....... ...you're on the road with the original florida kid...... Grandma, Barbie and all the gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "hey!" KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Grandma has a fresh pot of her famous coffee ready - so pull up a chair, grab a cup, an ashtray and let's get to it! Do you remember the movie starring Marlon Brando, called "On the Waterfront"? Some of you younger truckstars out there might not, if you don't, it's a great old black and white film about crime, corruption and the toll it took on one guy, an aging prize fighter turned longshoreman, who took a wrong turn in life. I've always remembered Brando's line in the film when he says to Charlie, "I could'a been a contenda!" Sometimes, looking back on my life, I feel like I could'a been a contender, too....maybe....... Don't think for a second I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself, because I'm not.....it's just that my life has been a wild ride, a really wild ride and I can't help but think back and wonder how things might have turned out.....if things had played out differently when I was younger...and how it all would've ended up affecting my life now........ I don't know if everything has to have someone or something to "blame", I mean, I don't think like that. Sometimes, and I truly believe this, I think the things we want maybe wouldn't be the right things....I mean is anyone capable of understanding ALL the ramifications of hopes and dreams? I'm damn sure not.... We all have hopes and dreams and most of the time they don't work out like we had hoped or planned, at least for me they didn't.....my deepest regret is not making it to the pros as a baseball player. I was a pitcher, one of the first of the new crop of speedburners throwing in the 90mph range in the early seventies, I was on a pony league, a high school and triple A team at the same time in one season, I think it was 71' or 72'. I was by far the youngest member on the triple A team, a second stringer. I remember once in awhile one of the guys would just suddenly be gone and then everyone would be woopin' and hollerin' once we heard the guy got called "up", we were all just waitin' our turn, only, mine never came because I got hurt. I injured my foot pretty bad foolin' around up at the beach one day, and as I was limping home, I knew....I knew it was over, and it was. You have to be so on your game, even at that level. I went to a tryout for a major college, hoping to sign into the pros out of this school, a lot of guys did, but I couldn't throw a strike to save my life that day. The foot I had broken, or cracked an instep bone in, was my push off foot. Speed without control isn't any good so I just walked off the mound that day, I never said anything to the coaches, by the time I threw 10 or so pitches they were all lookin' down at the ground anyway. I just walked off........ Every year when October rolls around and the World Series starts, right when the first pitch is thrown, I get a little misty....wonderin'............I do every year, since then.............I could'a been a contend'a...... I guess maybe I'm feeling the same kinds of feelings lately...that sense of dread and fear about the future, and that something I love very much is slipping away.....Yeah, I'm going to face it all head-on, that's my style, and it's not a "scared of the dark" kind of fear I'm talking about here, but I guess I'll never get used to that "cold slap" of reality that life has it's own unique way of delivering....it always seems to catch me off-guard......like the couple of hundred dollars - LESS - I made off this last run because of fuel costs.....and that was even after setting the cruise at 59mph(I did get better mileage, much better than trying to bump 70 all the way down the road....)but, shock and awe....I'm sportin' a brand new shiner on my eye.......some drivers will survive and some won't....... Barbie's at work right now and I'm sittin' here wondering when my next run will be.....the un-certainty kicks my rear end........something is going on in the trucking industry, (I know you already know this.....) but this time, it feels like more than just a little speed bump.....the economic indicators are off the charts, this isn't just another lull or a mild recession. Listen to the business programs and read the business trade papers, and not just the agenda based trucking ones either....watch CNBC too, you'll see what I mean. It's hard to tell when you look at the truckstops all over the country, at night they're all full, the rest stops are full too, but when you talk to drivers, right away you hear what's really going on and no one seems to know, for sure, what's up ahead, but everyone agrees that the "big picture" is the worst it's ever been. Fuel, freight, freight pay, maintenance, and licensing costs, Mexican trucking, more and more legislation against everything from idling sanctions to new drivers certification standards, road construction, American off-shore production is at it's highest level in history.....it's a long list and no one expects costs to ever go down.....but when you read the trucking business news, a lot of companies in the industry are making big profits....still. Everyone seems to be making money - except the drivers.....Why ? Sure, freight will always need to be hauled, but the question is what's it going to take to do it and who's going to be able to do it? Thank God the OOIDA goes to bat for our industry's drivers every single day.... I hope you'll decide to join up...even if you're a company driver.....hell, even if you're not a driver at all......www.landlinemag.com Dave Sweetman is at Landline magazine now....(Dave will be the last trucker on earth and God will use him to haul wine and food for the "end of the world after-party") WANTED: HEROES- Truckstars - I want to put a call out for a little future trucker named Chance Rodgers, grandson of longtime truckdriver and OOIDA member Jim Rodgers out of Oregon. Young 12 yr. old Chance has osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, and he's undergoing extensive treatments for it. His folks Jennifer and Jim Jr. along with his 3 sisters are in the fight for this kids life. A hero named Miles Verhoef has taken up the cause for Chance and he'll be at the Mid America Trucking Show later this month for an auction in the boys name : MARCH 27-29: MID-AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW, (Kentucky Exposition Center - Louisville, Kentucky) More info at the official web site - http://truckingshow.com (for more info on the auction contact Colleen Sims at Gulf Coast Filters: 1-800-398-8114) If you can spare anything at all I'm sure the family , and Chance, would greatly appreciate it. He wants to be a trucker when he grows up - "like my Papa Rodgers!" Chance says. You can see how he's doing and leave him a note on this great site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chancerodgers Truckstars, this is one of our own and we need to step up to the plate - so Please, Please stop by to say Hello to the little fella and help out if you can...maybe you know someone who can.....okay? Wha'd'ya say truckstars? Keep Chance and other kids like him, as well as their families, in your prayers......and heartfelt Thanks to LandLine writer Suzanne Stempinski for the article about Chance on pg. 60 in the March/April issue! I've found, in my life, that, even when I'm in a tough situation, making the choice to help someone else who may be in a tough situation too, well, it makes something of value out of my situation, even if it's bad.....you'll have to ask God how that works....but it does...... PBR- Well alright, former world champion Chris Shivers took the win at the Tacoma Invitational this weekend in Tacoma, Washington with a monster 91.25 point ride aboard Cooper. When Chris is ridin' well there's nobody better..... Young Brazilian superstar Valderon De Olivera took second followed by North Carolina cowboy, young gun and fan favorite J.B. Mauney. Earlier in the weekend at an event in Portland, Guilherme Marchi, overall points leader and the PBR's number 1 rider took the Portland Invitational. It was a double event weekend of bull riding at it's finest. But, noticable, were the absence's of American superstars Justin McBride, Ross Coleman and Mike White. Somebody check the barn, I'll go down and check by the lake....... NASCAR- Bristol Motor Speedway in Tenn. was the site for the Food City 500 and Childress racing took the 1-2-3 spots, Burton, Harvick, Bowyer in a team finish of Chevrolet's. Awesome work! Bristol seems, to me, to be too short of a track for this type of car.......... TRUCKSTAR TECH- try this site: www.cyberlinklive.com - and this one: www.hulu.com - Let me know what you think. Also next week more on where to find an affordable laptop you can upgrade the ram in, with a pci mobile broadband slot.....At&T is makin' a run at bein' top dog in the mobile internet arena..... you go boy!....... THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- This week I want to talk about STRESS.....now, listen to me....stress can be both internal and external at the same time, meaning, internal can be how you think about what you need to think about, AND, from what you eat and drink. External stress for the most part you can't do much about, however the way you deal with it is the key....Me? I try to pray and think my way through every situation, all the while watching what I'm putting in my body, and when. If you tend to think like a forgiving parent with situations in your everyday life and while you're out on the road, and you're capable of unconditional patience, the effects of stress will go down ....a lot. But, if you're like me(strung tighter than new barbed wire), then, coffee, sports drinks, soda's with caffeine in them, foods with lots of salt and sugar - Please be careful about how much and when you drink and eat this stuff...limit yourself as much as you can....and pace your caffeine intake. Hell yeah I drink coffee and once in awhile I like a cherry Pepsi but you have to remember this stuff stays in your system for several hours whether you "feel" it or not, salt too. It affects your body chemistry and most importantly - your brain chemistry. Caffeine has drug-like properties, in that, it has an "acidic" affect on the nutritional quality of your blood while it keeps you alert, but, the overall effects include mental fatigue and physical depletion, both of which amplify stress. How? Why? Isn't it harder to deal with stress when you're tired, especially the mental kind, like driving strategies and home life? It's the same thing as driving the piss out of your rig while running "bad" high octane fuel through it. Over time, years even, the end result will be irreversible poor health. Vitamins, protein drinks and protein bars will give you a much higher grade fuel source for your body and mind and there are NO side affects...you'll sleep better and feel better when you wake up. Please truckstars, find a way to break the cycle you're in of lousy foods and too much caffeine, okay? ( Muscle Milk is sold almost everywhere, including Wal-Mart and most grocery stores, as are MetRx protein bars. Vitamins are too but I want you to find a source for "whole food" organic vitamins, get a bottle that says the daily dose is ONE pill, bring em' on the road with you......more on this next week! Also next week - an update on my, so far, fruitless, ongoing saga on trying to find educational/financial help to go to helicopter pilot school.......... Don't forget about the Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas - June 26-28 here's the link: www.greatwesttruckshow.com
I want to Thank all you truckstars for stayin' with me here "On the Road" with the original florida kid...... 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? Here they are, bookmark these sites ; 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 un-safe trucks with bad drivers, accidents and public costs..... DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE OOIDA(.com).............. Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day! Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!! Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's "Open Road Phone Line"on-the-air - 12noon - 4:00pm - mon thru fri - you can call into the show at 817-451-6055 Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?) 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' ! So - 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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