kenhawkeye

Belated good wishes BG from across the pond in UK. I always enjoy your comments and net time I'm in the States, I look forward to seeing a rig overtake me with a vintage Bianchi tightly strapped to the cab.

Bianchigirll 

Time for an update. last I posted here, I was picking up home improvent goods in Georgia bound for PA. I got loaded ran up to So Virgina for the night. saturday I ran up to Pa and then had a few days (well almost a week) off.

I went back to work on Monday the 21st and drew a short straw. Sitting in Carlisle PA about 0830 (8:30am to you fourwheelers) I get dispatched to deliver a load up to Middletown NY at 0800 on monday. YES the load is already 30 min late and I have about 250 miles to run to deliver. I got up there post haste and was fortunate enough to get unloaded. then off to the second stop, OH yes I forgot to mention this was a 3 part load.

So after unloading the first stop I get to run out to Long Island, just about halfway out but I still have to run through NYC! OK so I take off and things are pretty all the way down the Thruway/Degan (I87) until I can see the GWB (George Washington Bridge) and deadstop! fortunately the traffic was Jersey bound so I was able to slip by and head for the Cross Bronx which wasn't too bad for 1630ish (4:30pm). the real suprise was when I crossed the Throngsneck and got to the Long Island Expressway. it took almost 2 hours to go the 45 or so miles to my customer. my appt there was the next morning so once i got there it was nap time. The customer was late opening and it took foroever for the sloths to unload me so I was late to my next stop.

When I finally got unloaded I took off for Lewiston ME. I somehow made it up there only 1 hours after they were susposed to close, but the owner was very nice and came back and unloaded me. after that down to the truckstop in Auburn for the night.

Now here is where things get really good. I heard the news and weather talking about snow but did't think it would amount to much since they were calling for rain near the coast. Lewiston is much further inland than I always thought. I woke up to atleast 4-5" on the ground and more coming down. After getting my new assignment and huge Dunkers coffee (Dunkin Donuts to you non New Englanders) I was off to Skowhegan Me about 70 miles north. unfortunatel for me things took a bad turn at this point. since the roads were somewhat slick I was watching the road and traffic and somehow blundered onto the turnpike headed south instead of north! UGH! as Charlie Brown would say. well 30 min later to go 15mi to the next exit and 45 min up the backroad to my starting point I was headed north into the storm. OH sorry I may be getting too long winded here.

Anyway I ran up to Skowhegan and got my load and headed south. needless to say the roads were awful until I got south of Portland. the traffic was suprisingly quite light for Turkey Day Eve or whatever you call it, until I got to the Mass Pike. it was bumper to bumper the whole 40 or so miles for I495 out to I84. after that it was smooth sailing to just west of Hartford where I stoped at Milldale for then night.

Today fueled by another huge Dunkers "Turbo Ice" I managed to run from Milldale Ct out to Burbank/Lodi OH! not a bads work and the great miles and weather kind of make up for the last three days. This actually goes to two stops over by Kansas City on Monday but I am going to try and swap it out for a different load in St Louis tomorrow night. if I can't do it there I'll try and deliver early on sat or see if I can swap in KC.

Alright I have been keepig an eye out for C&V bikes on top or in back of cars but haven't seen any. but I do have a question, does anyone here live in north west PA and own a silver Honda Odesy?

Chicago Al 

Hi, BG! Very cool to keep up with your travels...we almost need a map with markers to track you. 'Where in the US (East of the Mississippi mostly) is BianchiGirl?'

Happy Thanksgiving to you! It may not be the coziest...but in today's economy, work is something to be thankful for, too.

I am sure Chicago proper is avoided by all sensible OTR drivers but let me know if you are ever this way for more than a few minutes.

And I'll throw out a suggestion that this thread be made a sticky.

auchencrow

BG - I can't imagine hauling a 40' trailer around the city. You have a lot more chutzpah than I could muster.

The wrong turn in Skowhegan ME. turned out much better than I expected, BG. When you said you turned onto the turnpike headed south instead of north, I expected it to get really exciting for the cars in the North-bound lanes, but it seems you were still on the right side of the road.

Why are you asking about a Honda Odyssey in PA? (Maybe I don't want to know?)

I hope your T day is a good one, no matter where you may be tonight.

pastorbobnlnh 

The Adventures of Bianchi Gurll, Long Haul Trucker, C&V Aficionado!


BG, welcome to Northern New England!

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning I was glad to follow an OTR tractor-trailer home at a safe 45+/-mph from the airport with my daughter. The snow came down in wet globs and interstate 89 disappeared.

P.S. I have a silver Honda Odyssey, but live in western NH.

Michael Angelo 

Snow? What's Snow? All we have is 80 degree weather and Palm Trees.....

Bianchigirll 

40' trailer? they went out with button shows!! the normal for OTR these days is 53' and I have in the past been down and dirty right in Queens and Brooklyn with them. add the tractor with a 112" BBC (bumber to back of cab, which is just aft of the door) then a 70" sleeper and you have a 75' behemoth!

OH yes I was on the correct side of the road just wrong direction. I think they redesigned something since I was last up in Auburn a few years ago.

the Silver odyssey had some sort of bike laying down on top, all I could really see clearly was some level of Shimano brifters.

Bianchigirll 

See this why I don't blog, well not keep up and simply the fact that I have no idea what a blog is.

OK I am a bit behind but I saw alot of the country the last 6 weeks and I am safe at home for a few days while my baby has some repairs done. Sorry I don't have dates I left my trick book in the truck

After I took the afore mentioned load of paper to Kansas City I waited quite some time to deliver, seems there was a freight shortage that weekend.

after delivering I hopped down to Joplin Mo and took a load to Lima OH. from there I went south a few miles and grabbed a load for some place near Gary IN. I got that off and it was down to Lebanon IN for a load to Ocomonowoc (is that right?) Wi. something got fouled up and I couldn't deliver until Monday so I swapped with another driver so he could watch some fooseball game.

I got a load from near Milwaukee that took me to Plainfield IN for Sat afternoon. I dropped that load and went to Richmond IN to pick a load Sunday for Cranberry NJ. I got that load off and went to Trenton for a load to Buffalo with a stop in Rochester.

then down to Meadeville Pa for a load to Evansville IN. in Evansville I scored a load to Denver but it had too much waiting time and I was tad late delivering. then after delivering Sunday I had to wait until Monday morning for a load to Greenville Tn.

From Greenville I dropped down to NewPort and picked up a load for Elkton Fla. from there I went to Jacksonville Fl for a load to Zanesville OH. Out of Zanesville I was susposed to get a load to take me to a safety class in Mareitta GHa on the 20th. I got a load from Columbus to Kennesaw GA but then things went wrong. I got a short haul from just a few miles north of there to Social Circle. OOOPs no safety class for me.

from Social Circle I got a load destine for Miami but I had to drop it in the rail yard in Jacksoneville Fla. from there I went down to palatka Fla for a load to Wopakeneta OH. Now here I sit the friday before Christmas and I really wanted to work on the weekend but who knows what kind of freight there will be so...

I scored big. I got a load from Lima OH all the way to Phoneix AZ! While I was lucky enough to not make any wrong turns in Albuquerque the heater on my APU did breakdown. fortunately it quit just as I was getting ready to hit the road so not much a big deal so far. I got yo Phoniex and could not get it looked at so I spent a chilly night there. then off to a Freightliner dealer the next day after delivering and of course my company botches it by not having a ECM code needed for the repair. so I get to spend a night in a hotel YIPPIE! a great cocktail and chance to do laundry

the next day a micky mouse repair was made to the auto shutoff on the ECM so the engine would idle so I had heat. then a grabbed a load out of Socorro Tx for Dekalb Il. Spent a quiet New Years in a tiny truckstop in Ronnie Regan boyhood hometown and then over to Galesburg to pick up for a load headed to Bedford Pa and home.

that was alot of fun and I got some great miles and saw some new roads but I won't be doing any 6+ week stretches on the road again anytime soon, it is just too much.

I got to travel US 54 from just outside El Paso to Tucumcari one day, I had done this befor but alot was in the dark. the next day was the same highway over to Emporia Ks. Beautiful country just not alot of places to stop and bigrig and enjoy it.

In Liberal Ks I wanted to see Dorothy's house but it was still only 0700 when I went through there, so I am sure it was closed plus it was nmot on the main street so I had no way of knowing if there was truck parking or not.

I'll try and keep this more up to date when I head back out on the road next week

mkeller234

I'd like to echo a lot of what has been said. Sorry to hear about your job BG, that is always an awful shock. I hope all goes well in your new (old) job. Don't be a stranger!

pastorbobnlnh 

BG,

I always thought if I wasn't preaching, maybe OTR trucking would be interesting, i.e. me and the truck, lots of good music and reflection time. But reading this thread, I realize that is not the kind of life I'd like. WOW! You are all over the place and this looks like really hard work! I'd miss the bike riding!

Bless you and your fellow OTR truckers for doing what you do. You really do keep the gears of commerce and industry humming.

Bianchigirll 

Thank You.

headlight

B, Hope you are enjoying your new adventure. Just wanted to mention that if you are on I-10 (west of Phoenix), stop for a stretch in Quartzite, AZ. This time of the year, it's a massive swap meet with snowbirds from all over the US. Not much in the way of C&V, but you never can tell! The "good stuff" will be on the North side of the Hwy, the south side has new or more commercial "stuff". I picked up a couple of early MTB's a few years ago. There's a truck stop right in the heart of town. It's usually nice and warm or windy as H###!

(ps, your old sig reminded me of a great Philly cheesesteak place I used to go to on Rt. 73 in Mt. Laurel/Moorestown! "Big Johns!")

Have fun and keep safe!

Bianchigirll 

Quartzite? WOW haven't heard that name since I lived in Yuma. I spend alot of time in that area but I don't recall Big Johns I'll have to look closer

strock 

BG, greatly enjoyed your account. I grew up near Lima, OH, and have been to many of the other places you mention. Keep on truckin', and keep those travelogues coming. Safe travels!

bane

I grew up going down to the Los Angeles produce market really early in the morning with my dad to check on the loads coming in everywhere from North Dakota to Mexico. I got to meet a lot of truckers and they are a special sort. My dad always sympathized with them since he was their point of contact coming into LA and they would call him up to check in, get directions, find out what they were picking up or dropping off, and sometimes just to hear a friendly voice. I wish you THE BEST when you are on the road. It's not an easy job, but the wheels of industry would literally grind to a halt without truckers. Thanks for sharing.

Daveyates

Good luck with everything and sorry to hear about your job loss.
Did you really find out only through a note in your paycheck?
That sounds like a horrible way of telling people.

fas2c

Being located just off I-10 in the SE corner of Alabama we are a hub for OTR truckers as they head in all different directions. Our local E- News reported that the Flying J was near full on Christmas day. I thought of you Bianchigirl

Bianchigirll 

OH NO of course not. but it makes for good drama.

dedhed

Oconomowoc, right down the road from Okauchee. The "legend" is, it's where some Native American stopped "I can no mo walk"

Bianchigirll 

Really? I thought that was where I grew up and the Conewago Indians were from and I was once told this name stood for "I can no walk" HHmm perhaps thos eIndians were a bit more boneidle that we were lead to believe..


******* Disclaimer above post was totally ment to be tongue in cheek and I have the utmost respect for Native Americans*********

Bianchigirll 

Well after a couple days off I am back out terrorizing motorist everywhere. I left the house on Sunday and drove the whopping 70 miles to the Allentown area to get my new permits for 2012 and then down to Reading for my load monday morning. After getting loaded I was off for Wichita KS things were going great until I hit a small backup, about 4 miles long on the PA turnpike. I got past that and made good time over to Zanesville OH for a fuel stop and then I was off to Eaton OH to bed down for the night.

I would like to say i was up bright and early on Tuesday but it was just early, nothing bright about it except the lightening! they had a thunderstorm move through just around 0600 or so. But I was up and off in the on and off down pours.

I think this was somewhere in Indiana. Looks like he just drifter off the road during the low visibility period of one of the down pours.



the guy by the tandems is shoveling mud away from the wheels.



Thye also seemed to digging mud from around the .. I believe that is called a spade on the wrecker.

After finally breaking out of the rain the day was pretty uneventfull and i made fantastic time to Concordia Mo, about an hour east of KS and stopped for the night. Then i was back at ti on Wednsday for the final run down to Wichita. I got down there about 1300 and got unloaded quickly and got a new assignment to pick up in Oklahoma City.

Once I got down to OK City and got trailers swapped I was off for fuel stop and headed east for Northport AL. FYI incase you folks in Northport don't know it yet, Hobby Lobby is coming to town! I ended up spending the night in Okemah OK., but was off early Thursday morning. Tursday i made it the rest of the way across OK, across Arkansas, and across Missippi to a place Winfield AL. 560 miles, not a bad days work.

So this morning I was up and trundling off into the early darkness again. I got down to Northport and was unloaded by a heard of turtles, OK OK yes unloading the fixtures was hard work but I hate sitting and being loaded or unloaded I like to drop and hook.

When I was finally empty I was offer two loads I took one to pickup in Byhalia MS and deliver to Monroe OH. I beat feet up to Byhalia only to sit and wait another 2 hours while I was loaded!! once that was done it was a short hop down the street to gas up at the truckstop and hit the road.

Tonight we are in Hurricane Mills Tn and will head up to Monroe first thing in the morning.

I saw this a few weeks ago down in Fla at the railyard.



This one was manned but sometimes they are remotely or automatically piloted.




Look at this... no wonder road construction projects take so long, the work crews are busy learning Arts and Crafts rather than fixing the road!!



I'll have to try look up the exit but it was in Kansas City Mo off the 435 by the Flying "J"

Grim

Wow missed this thread.
You been bouncing all around me. Durring the day I'm in Kennesaw and in the evening I go 2 miles east to Marietta where I live LOL.

009jim

"I will be crisscrossing the country a Professional Over the Road Driver."

So... do you mean you will be driving an 18 wheeler?

Captain Blight

She already is. And when she said that there were jobs going wanting, I looked into it. Long story short, I'm testing for my own CDL on this coming Wednesday or Thursday, and should be at a new hires' orientation for Roehl on the Monday after.

The only questions I have left are, Do I buy a Brompton or a Long Haul Trucker and Where on the truck do I carry it?

Thanks again BG, this thread has turned my life around.

DavidW56

BianchiGirl, I'm sorry I missed your thread until now, and I am belatedly offering my sympathy for losing your job. I've gained and lost about a dozen contract jobs in the past ten years, so I do understand a little bit.

It's fortunate that you had an opportunity available for an alternative job, and I appreciate that you make over-the-road driving sound like an adventure.

But you're absolutely right - it's not for everyone. And I hope that all who are reading your posts on this thread will understand. Driving a truck is not an adventure; it is hard, monotonous, dangerous work. Those of you who doubt this, if you can get a chance to ride along with a driver, take it, so you can experience it first-hand.

My father was a truck driver all his working life, based in Detroit. Most of his work was city driving, delivering frozen foods, then delivering Faygo beverages (or glass bottles or sugar). But for a period of about nine years, he was OTR, and that happened to be when my brother and I were young and growing up.

My dad didn't have the random loads and destinations that BG has; his routes were limited to Faygo customers and suppliers in the Great Lakes region. All the same, he'd be gone for 2-3 days at a time, and when he was home, he'd be asleep, and Mom would tell us we'd better not wake him. Then he'd be up and gone by 4 AM they next morning.

He told me years later he was very happy to get off the OTR job. It was illness brought on by the stress of OTR driving that likely did it to him. He took a series of company jobs for awhile -- dispatcher, safety director, hired and fired drivers -- then saw the handwriting on the wall when the company was bought out, and went back to city driving and the union just before all the office staff were replaced with kids making $8 an hour. He was able to work until age 65 driving a truck on a city route, and then retire with a good union pension.

Sorry for rambling a bit. The point is, when times got tough for me and my family, and I couldn't find a decent-paying job despite my college degree and professional experience, I considered truck driving. And my dad very pointedly said he'd break my arm if I ever went to drive a truck. His reasoning? "I didn't bust my ass driving a truck to send you to school, just so you could end up driving a truck and busting your ass the same as I did."

Someone mentioned above a news report that there was a shortage of truck drivers. Hello? You know why? Because it doesn't pay diddly-squat anymore. Which results in high turnover. Ever since the dismantling of the ICC and resultant deregulation of the industry, it's gone downhill. It's a young person's trade now, and not for very long. The hours and the stress wear out the body and the mind.

Those of you who think there's time to bicycle and sight-see between runs? Forget it. There's time to eat and sleep -- maybe. Aside from the fact that there's no room to store a bike on or in the truck, and no place to go ride a bike at the destination. This is no vacation trip.

Bianchigirl, I apologize for using your thread as a soapbox for a lecture, and I'll stop now before I really go off on a rant. Folks, most people do not realize just how difficult it is to drive a truck for a living.

Good luck to you and God bless you, and all truckers on the road tonight.

Your reference to Tucumcari reminded me of one of my favorite songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJHcD...eature=related