CIGARETTES AND TAMPONS

A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up & down the aisles. The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him.

He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife. She directs him down the correct aisle.

A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.

She says, confused, 'Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?

He answers, 'You see, it's like this,yesterday, I sent my wife to the store to get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco and some rolling papers; cause it's sooooooooooo much cheaper.

So, I figure if I have to roll my own ........... so does she


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Tard Happy

I'm not even sure where to start, but let me just say that this truck is FRIGGIN SWEET. It's like I went from a Plymouth Horizon to a Cadillac STS.

Had a couple of mis shifts due to the clutch being totally different and grabbing quicker, but once I got that figured out all was good. I even successfully "floated" all the gears up and down. So, once I got out of Phoenix the only time I used the clutch was to start and stop.

The power this Cummins engine has is unreal. When she hits 20lbs of boost it actually sets you back in your seat a bit. Keep in mind this is loaded. Drives weighed 32K and the trailer axles weighed 30K.

The best part though is being governed at 68 vs the 62 that I was. I ran at 64, but having that extra 4 mph on tap is awesome.

I went with what the Qualcomm gave me for fueling even though I had half a tank. It told me to take on 146 gallons at the Phoenix terminal, but 115 filled it. Reading through my Pre-CABS course it recommends sticking to the Qualcomm fuel route as long as I report my fuel level correctly every morning when I submit my stats from the previous day. The reason to stick with the Qualcomm fuel route is pretty simple and makes sense to me. See, the computer takes everything into account. Fuel I have on board, how many miles the trip is, the states I am going through, the fuel taxes of those states, the mileage taxes of those states, etc.... Confused yet? Try figuring all that shit out in your head.. LOL

Right now my the truck is saying I am getting 6.7 mpg as does the Qualcomm. However, Angie is going to create a Fueling Spreadsheet for me. That way I can give her all the numbers and start keeping a true average. Plus that will let me know how far off the computer is.

Before I close, I know there are some of you that are wondering what the subject means. If your not on the lead lap, do a search for Ralphie May Tard Happy.... When you hear him explain it, you will understand just how happy I am. :)


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Mind Numbing

I woke up this morning in my new truck as a company driver. By 9am I was released and became an independent contractor leased to Swift. Being leased to Swift is the key, for me anyway. Swift looks at their O/Os not just as contractors, but business partners.

Unlike many O/Os out there who run under their own authority, I do not. I run under Swift's authority, which means I can only pull their freight. However, there are other perks to that as well. Swift pays for my base plates and IFTA sticker. I pay for my single state registration though which is $250 a year. (I have a shiny new Arizona plate)

Since Swift looks at us as a business partner, they are there every step of the way to assist and ensure we are successful. Swift has partnered with ATBS out of Denver, Colorado and they are the largest business services company in the U.S. working with over 40,000 Owner-Operators. I have 60 days to complete a Pre Course of Advanced Business Standards (CABS) course, which scratches the surface on getting started. They also offer a full blown CABS course online that is optional, but I will take it when complete.

ATBS will cost me $15 a week, but to me it is a small price to pay for what they do. I will be assigned a business consultant to help with any questions I may have. They also manage my receipts, accounting, and prepare my taxes. Basically all I need to do is send them my receipts at the end of the month. Everything else they need, they get from Swift. Once they are done doing what they do, they send it back in a neat package with a cover sheet explaining everything. They will also help me set up a budget and so much more..

One thing I learned today is that contracts are a lot like trying to figure out women..... They are both impossible to understand. I will say though that I have read all 62 pages three times now and I think I may just have a clue, about the contract anyway. Not sure I will ever understand women. :)

The major hiccup today came when I went to get issued my flat bed equipment. They didn't have any new headache racks in. All they had is what they take off company trucks. That meant either I had to pay for the rack up front, or settle for a used one. Wanna take a guess at what I did? I called my DM at Gary to let her know. I made that call fully knowing there is currently a trailer full of brand new headache racks for O/Os sitting in the flat bed area. So, I asked if they could get me a van load out of here and issue me everything up there. She asked Ed, the flat bed division manager, and he said not a problem. Apparently it is a liability issue to issue an O/O used gear so I will have to buy all new chains, binder, straps, edge protectors, tarps, etc.

However, being the crafty bastard I am have "acquired" some gear in the past few months. Mainly straps, which means the 16 brand new straps I was issued are now in my new truck along with a few portable winches and some other things that tend to come in handy. :). I haven't decided if I will buy more or not. It's going to cost me right around $1,200 for the gear and another $1,000 for the headache rack. Not sure what 16 straps cost, but it would be a little less I would have to spend.

I really need to take advantage of the next 8 weeks though as I have 8 weeks without a truck payment due to the holiday promotion. That will be the perfect time to get a little cushion in the business account. One thing I need to do yet is figure out what to pay myself, so I don't use the business account for personal items.

Well, I guess I better go grab some grub before the Jake Break closes and NCIS comes on. I realize I didn't touch on everything, but don't hesitate to ask questions.

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Finally getting to Phoenix

It looks like Monday will be the day I get my truck and move into the O/O world. Well, providing I have no issues with the truck.

I have to pick up a load of Quaker Oats in Tucson tomorrow afternoon and deliver in Tolleson, AZ on Monday morning. Tolleson is a suburb of Phoenix.

That means I will be sitting at the Phoenix terminal tomorrow and the Sprint Cup race is in Phoenix this week. Sucks I don't have tickets, but I guess I could get them at the track though.

However, this kid is beat. 630 mile days 3 days in a row kick my ass. But, if everything goes well I will have a couple days of down transferring 3K lbs of gear over to my new truck.

In other news, Angie volunteered for a special duty assignment to Keesler, AFB which is in Biloxi, MS. That is where her tech school is and she has always wanted to go back and be an instructor. It's really the perfect time in career to make a move like this, plus her Chief has already made a couple of phone calls. So, based on my 16yrs in the military, it's not a matter of if she will get selected but when.

I couldn't be more proud of her and happy for her. She has already been searching for rentals and giving me all the details. Ya think she may be a little excited???

It's awesome though and even better is that her housing allowance goes up $300 yet we can rent way more down there for what we are paying now.

So, a lot of exciting things and changes on the horizon in the 'ol Everson household.

For those wondering how this will affect me and my current profession, well it doesn't really. I will still be based out of Gary, IN. The only thing I will have to do is get a MS CDL as Swift requires that your mailing address match your license.

Will keep everyone abreast of the situation once hard copy orders are in her hand.. I said breast.. Boobies Make Me Smile!!! LOL

I would ramble on some more but have been up since 2am and my brain is mush. Wait, it's always mush so I guess it's mushier than normal. :)


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A refreshing change: TV tackles real trucking issues

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009
POSTED BY DAVID TANNER AT 2:58 PM

All too often, it's the fiery crash that grabs up media headlines and leaves audiences with an irrational fear or dislike for heavy trucks that share their roadways.

While crashes and fatalities do occur and are tragic, the viewer rarely gets to hear stories about other trucking issues or from the men and women behind the wheel.

Every so often, someone gets it right. Recently, that someone was Dan Rather, who dedicated two recent episodes of "Dan Rather Reports" on HDNet to trucking issues with an emphasis on driver training. Even though he did cover safety and crashes in his reports, he also asked truckers about training, experience and other topics such as the economy, driver pay and competition.

The latest was Episode 436, titled "Truck talk," which aired Tuesday, Nov. 10. It was based on a trucking roundtable discussion that featured OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer and OOIDA Life Member Miles Verhoef.

Rather's team invited the panelists to Willie's Place Theater at Carl's Corner, TX, to break new ground in addition to revisiting topics covered in a previous show (Episode 433, "Queen of the Road") featuring OOIDA Member Desiree Wood.

Rather demonstrated his reporting experience by researching the issues and asking tough but fair questions of the panelists. Many of the subjects were ones that OOIDA and its trucking constituency have long been concerned with.

It was refreshing to see an established newsman like Rather asking the right questions and allowing the panelists time to answer without a lot of editing.

Spencer is no stranger to TV cameras, having appeared on CNN, Fox, C-SPAN and other networks through the years. Time constraints on many news or talk shows leave little time for much more than a sound bite or a brief discussion of a single issue. Not so with the Rather report.

So what made this latest report so darned good? For one thing, the topics did not magically appear out of thin air, thanks to OOIDA Media Spokesperson Norita Taylor who fielded numerous calls from Rather's producers during the months leading up to the taping. The time Rather and his staff put into the research paid off.

While we at Land Line Magazine and Land Line Now report on many of these topics extensively, it was quite refreshing to see Rather bring the dialogue into America's living room.

He is not going to stop there. Rather said he will continue to pursue trucking stories for future episodes of his news program. On behalf of all highway users, let's hope for a big audience.

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Grabbin The Bull By The Horns

After much research and the support of my beautiful wife, I am taking the plunge and becoming an Owner Operator Leased to Swift.

What does that mean exactly? Well, some say it's like being a company driver with a truck payment. However, it's not that simple. Basically I will be self-employed and lease my truck through Swift. I will be responsible for everything at that point, but Swift pays for my DOT# as well as the base plate registration every year. All other expenses fall on me. Yes, that includes fuel.

However, I get a fuel surcharge based on the national average price per gallon. One of the benefits of being an O/O is that I will be able to fuel anywhere and when I want. I won't have to go by the fuel route they send me. In a nut shell, this is the area where I can make the most money. The better fuel mileage I get, the more money I bring home.

Now for some of the details:

I will get paid $0.94 a mile loaded and $0.89 a mile unloaded plus fuel surcharge. Right now I get anywhere from $0.30 to $0.33 a mile for both depending where I am at.

They recommend putting $0.05 a mile into my maintenance account but I can go up to $0.20 if I choose. The maintenance account is like a savings account and if I want or choose, can take money out of it at any time for whatever reason I want.

My taxes will be handled through American Trucking Business Solutions (ATBS).

I have to take a Success 101 course as well and that has to be completed within two weeks of signing the papers or I get put on safety hold until complete.

That's just a brief synopsis of it but in the end, running exactly how I am now, I have the potential to bring home between $800 and $1,200 a week. That is after ALL expenses are paid.

Angie and I have talked extensively about this and weighed the pros and cons. I have also talked to many O/O and in the end feel like this is something I not only can handle, but can be successful at.

It is a huge gamble, but sometimes in life you have to take chances and make shit happen instead of sitting back waiting for something to happen.

One of the things that takes some nervousness out of it for me is that Swift has so many people there to help and keep you on the right track. The more successful I am, the better it is for the company.

Oh, forgot to say that this is a 2yr lease. At the end of the term I can turn in the truck and get a new one, go back to being a company driver, or buy the current truck.

Another benefit is that I will no longer have to worry about out-of-route miles since I pay for the fuel. For example, the load I picked up in Baltimore going to Iowa; my route took me up through Chicago. I asked to go through St Louis to stop by the house but was told no because it was 232 miles out-of-route. Well, doing the math that means if I was an O/O at the time it would have costs me $80 to go through St Louis. If you ask me, stopping by the house at the cost of $80 is more than worth it. Obviously it would be a case by case basis, but you see what I mean.

The next step is heading to Phoenix to pick out the truck I want. Probably gonna be a 2010 Kenworth T2000 with a Cummins Engine and 10 speed. As for the color, I will have to see what they have available.

Anyway, I have so much running through my head right now I feel like a babbling idiot, so I will close for now but will keep crankin out the updates.

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