Checking In

Hello All;-) Its been a little while since I posted an update. Guess because trucking is all so "normal" to me now that I dont feel like I have much to say. Im currently unloading at Central Grocery in Joliet, IL. Im due to pick a load at our terminal going to Cali! First Cali load ever so guess you can say Im nervous. Guess all the DOT talk has me a little off. Not sure how this is gonna work since im expected there 1/2 @10am. Ive just come off a recovery mission. Left Allentown, PA @9pm 12/27 after waiting for a load all day only to have to drive to Kennett Square, PA to recover it and make delivers by 12/29@ 4am (3 drops total). I got a trainee a few weeks back but that only lasted a day as there was info not disclosed to WEL. Driving into downtown Toledo in the middle of a snow storm to hit the bus station was just awesome....NOT! THEY DIDNT PLOW THE FOOT OF SNOW OFF THE GROUND. Manuvering out of the city and around all those stuck cars was great fun lol Im due to get a brand new '15 KW T680 by March. Cant wait to get MORE SPACE! Im glad to see some of our old experienced driver popped back in. Im always learking around here so if anyone has questions pm me or request my facebook Nalee Malcombe McPherson. Im not good at long drawn out responses but better over the phone. Just ask Special K;) Im the master trip planner. One day ill get around to posting a week in the life of me. I make those "no hope" loads possible. Month of Nov. I was #1 in my company out of 500 drivers! The only number 1 at that so I was pretty proud of that. I worked everyday that month. In dec. I had a boo boo with a trailer door so im not keeping my #1 spot but it was minimal damage. I rubbed the door on a pole backing in at ST Pare in Oconto Falls. If youve ever been there you would know that place is hell. Who puts a pole right on the line to the dock door anyway? Welp guess thats it for now.

You know I follow you on FB...but its good to see you back in here !!! I almost have your blanket done...so if you are going to CA...maybe they will send you up north...Not likely, since you run reefer..but theres hope. If not, I'll just mail it to your home !!! Now that you will be in sunny CA, you can use those pink shades !!! Have fun out there....and stay warm safe, and sane....

Month of Nov. I was #1 in my company out of 500 drivers!

That's amazing!!! Even getting top 20 or 30 out of 500 would be amazing, but first??? Nice!!!

Ya know, it's funny because the stuff that experienced drivers find to be normal after a while is the stuff that new drivers coming into the industry are dying to know! Just everyday stuff - where do you shower?...who pays for fuel?...where and when do you sleep?...just the everyday things. So anytime you want to share any stories or do a journal like you mentioned don't hesitate! That's the kind of stuff people want to know!

Glad things are going well for ya out there. You've only mentioned having a couple of students. Have you been training people all along?

I have only been to sunny Cal twice. But both time my trainer stressed. "Make sure your tandems are slid to where they are suppose to be.

He hammered that into me and the 55MPH speed on trucks in Cal.

Both times I was there, I went through LA. I am sorry to say, I was not impressed.

Maybe I really shouldn't say anything like that. I really couldn't see much of LA due to all the SMOG.

I have always heard how bad it was. Being told how bad it is and seeing it for yourself is two completely different things.

One more thing. They say the docks in the east are small and very tight compared to the ones "out west". Well the one dock I was put into. Well lets just say, it wasn't the most fun place to back into.

And the traffic. I have been in NYC rush hour and DC rush hour more times than I want to count. LA is no different really. Except in NYC and DC, you do run out of the rush hour traffic eventually. In the LA area, it seems to go on forever. It is so spread out, out there.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be your own. Joe S.

LA is not a part of CA. We Californians do not associate ourselves with such a crappy city.

LA is a completely different territory. They out to make a wall around it and sell it back to Mexico.

LA is not a part of CA. We Californians do not associate ourselves with such a crappy city.

LA is a completely different territory. They out to make a wall around it and sell it back to Mexico.

Spoken like a true Northern Californian. I second that. LA, while a great place to visit, is not a place I would like to live. But then again, I'm born and raised in the Bay Area, so we do things a little different up here. Oh and Redgator, if you make it up here to the Bay Area (anywhere in the East Bay to be exact) give me a ring, I can recommend some good food places for you.

LA is not a part of CA. We Californians do not associate ourselves with such a crappy city.

LA is a completely different territory. They out to make a wall around it and sell it back to Mexico.

Truer words never spoken. I'm from Bako and from what I can tell the rest of Cali doesn't want LA.

Well this trip has been HELL! 511 IN CO lied!!!!! Had to chain up at 2am over Eisenhower and Vail:/ Had to have another driver show me since nobody ever taught me how. We I stopped to remove em one had slipped off the tire around the rim and lets just say I was too through. Nasty dirty water dripping all over me while I was hugging the tire:/ It took me 5 hrs to go 100 miles! UGH! And no I didn't break a nail. Brett that was my only student so far. WEL doesn't get many girls to train. Thanks James ill nake sure too. Im sitting in Beaver, UT now. Have to be in La Mirada by 10am so that means a 12am wakeup call. These 2340 miles are gonna be great but the trip is killing my body. Joe ill see for myself in a few hours but im already not feeling impressed and im not there yet

Oh and PS my 2nd drop is in Livermore. Looks like its by SF. Is that the Bay area?

Kudos to ya for being top driver! That's quite an accomplishment, but of course we all knew you had it in you.