Missouri

The following are some pictures of trip from York, PA to Laredo, TX. The first is coming into Virginia going to Pennslyvania. Then followed by ones going south on I-81 entering the Shenadoah Valley in Northern Virginia. Some cactus plants along I-35 coming north out of Laredo. A big rig set on its nose outside a truck shop in Tonkawa, OK. Don't remember how long that has been there, but has been a long time. Was an advertising tool. A sunrise coming north out of Kansas City on I-35, it had been raining over night. Coming into Ft. Madison, IA this morning where I picked up my load. It sets right on the Mississippi in the far southeastern corner of Iowa. Have a load of McDonald's boxes for their Big Macs and Quarter Pounders. Finally, some shots of the Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, MO. Heavy tourist trap area.

I am in Springfield, MO tonight. Don't have but 4 1/2 hours I can work tomorrow, so probably I will only go down around Muskogee, OK tomorrow. Finish up Sunday with a run on down to Houston where I will deliver Monday morning. If they release me after that I will go on to the house and start on my fencing. Don't look forward to digging post holes. Have partly cloudy skies, low 80s and windy weather.

Iowa

Been off a few days. Got the load to Laredo on Tuesday morning and got unloaded. Got a load that picked up in Laredo that afternoon going to Maquoketa, IA. Was a load of Mexican mops and brooms going to Family Dollar warehouse. Walk into the back of the trailer and smelled like a hay field, started sneezing.

My company picked up 2 loads out of there going to the same place. The first driver in got my load and when I arrived and gave them my pick up number, well I can't tell you what he was telling me, I don't speak Mexican. He loaded me and I got my paperwork and started to walk out and noticed the pick up number didn't match so I had to go back in and find out why. Finally I got the message that they had loaded the other driver with my load, and me with his. I called dispatch and told them what happened and after awhile they told me shouldn't be a problem. Well....yeah it was.

The shipment I had that was supposed to be picked up by the other driver delivered at 10:30pm Wednesday night. You have a confirmation number on your paperwork that allows you in the gate when you arrive. My load delivered anytime from midnight to midnight on Thursday. Problem was when the driver arrived at Family Dollar at 10:30pm Wednesday with my load and my confirmation number for Thursday delivery they let him right in. The load I had that was supposed to be his, I delivered on Thursday. Problem being the confirmation on my load was for a 10:30pm appointment Wed., he used my Thursday confirmation number to deliver, and the confirmation number I had was canceled. I couldn't get in the gate when I arrived. Dispatch did not change our appointment times and I had no idea what the appointment on my load was. Anyway, I got in after about 1 1/2 hour wait.

I dropped the load and will pick up load in Ft. Madison, IA in the morning going to Conroe, TX. That should get me home for my 4 days off starting Tuesday.

Got our mobile home rented this week, so the work I did on the driveway last time home paid off with some good renters. They also have horses and paying to rent pasture too. Now I have to build fences when get home. Oh boy

Texas Bound

I have been sitting all day at the terminal here near Harrisburg, PA. Got a load offer at noon that picks up at 11pm tonight going to Laredo, TX. I will be laying down for a couple of hours here in a few minutes to try and get a nap, which I can't do, but I will try anyway.

Leave here about 1 1/2 hours before pick up time and maybe they will already have the load ready when I get there. I will try to make it down I-81 as far as I can tonight before turning in, then it will depend on rather I can find a parking place somewhere when I need one. If not, then I will have to drive until daylight. I don't deliver until Tuesday morning, so I have enough time to stop early if I need to.

Pat says they are getting a good rain at the house today. Probably last through tomorrow night. Everyone have a good weekend.

No Connecticut

Well, didn't make it to Connecticut. I picked the load up in Lincolnton, NC yesterday afternoon and finally got out of there at 5pm. Got into our New Kingstown, PA terminal last night at 1:30am. Felt about ready to die. My right eye was in pain and throat still bothering me. When I woke up this morning both of my eyes were crusted over. I went in and showered and found out I may have pink eye (thought that was a bovine disease or something) so begged off the load and dispatch got someone else to deliver it for me. I went to the doctor and sure nuff I did. So I got some antibiotics and eye drops, a few groceries and in my truck with no freight until maybe tomorrow.

Quick Load

I delivered my load in Atlanta the night of 4/12, and was about 2am when I finished, I lucked out by going back down the street to the only truck stop this side of town, and only had to circle parking lot 3 times before someone pulled out of a spot. Of course no freight and I had had no sleep so I layed down. I have also been sick with sinus infection. Got a sore throat and just out and out miserable.

They gave me a load at around 9am that picked up on 13th in Cartersville, GA from 8am to 8pm, and going to Mooresville, NC. This is what they call a JIT (just in time)load. Basically the consignee orders the product to be delivered at a specific time, they take it off the truck and take it straight into production. This way they don't have to warehouse the product. Penalties for missing an appointment on of these loads is nasty. Beheading or something like that...

Because of illness I was in a stupor I reckon when putting down info, and thought it was still the 12th. I drove up to Cartersville and cleaned up and went back to bed. I got a message from dispatch at 1am wanting to know if I had made it to shipper yet. Kind of wished they had noticed that a few hours earlier. I ran over next door to shipper and sweet talked him into loading me, and at 2am pulled out headed to Mooresville, a 310 mile trip with a 61 mph truck. Five and one half hours later I pulled into the customer with half hour to spare, not stopping but once for 5 min pit stop.

No freight again. At 4pm they gave me a load that picks up 30 miles from here going to Connecticut. Has to be there the next day before midnight. Wonderful thing about this load is that the earliest I can get there is 7pm Thursday evening, and in Eastern Conn. there are no truck stops. So once drop load will be in a big mess. Only rest area with in 50 miles has room for about 8 trucks. Will make for a fun trip because I know there will be no freight to pick up at that time of night in the northeast.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter.

The PROMISE and SACRIFICE for you and I

Scripture: John 3:16-21

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

Scripture: John 15:12-17

12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 This I command you, to love one another."

Scripture: Matthew 27:35-44

35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots; 36 then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, `I am the Son of God.'" 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Scripture: Mark 16:1-13

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salo'me, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; -- it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. HE HAS RISEN, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

THE PROMISE OF EASTER - THE TOMB IS EMPTY, JESUS CHRIST HAS RISEN

Saturday in Atlanta

Just got to read Eric's blog this afternoon, and found out Jamie flew out of here this morning going back to China. I'm sitting about 5 miles from the airport. Still haven't met that gal.

I only had to wait about 3 hours Friday for something to do. They sent me down the road from where I was sitting in Jackson, MS and I dropped my empty trailer at a customer. They didn't have enough of them there to load. I then ran down 60 miles south on I-55 to a Walmart DC to pick up another empty. They then gave me a load to pickup over in Meridian, MS. So back up 55 through Jackson and on I-20 over to Meridian. It had an 11pm loading appointment, and here it was 1pm when I got there. Dispatch sent me a message to go ahead into customer because they also needed an empty trailer to load. When I got there they loaded my load on the trailer I had so I lucked out. Instead of waiting until 11pm to pick up the load I was gone from customer at 3pm. I made it up to Birmingham, AL for the night.

Woke up at 4am this morning and drove over to Georgia state line, where I saw a beautiful sunrise. One of the pleasures of my job are beautiful sunrises. The best ones are usually out west, but anywhere you have some clouds and mountains in background works. I don't always get a photo of them because too dangerous. When I can and no one around me I try to snap a quick shot.

I stopped long enough at Love's Truck Stop in Waco, GA to shower, and then drove on over to Atlanta. Where I am going has a Pilot Truck Stop about 1/2 mile from there. I don't deliver until 11pm Sunday night so I have a day and a half to wait. Being the only truck stop on the SE side of Atlanta to speak of, and having only about room for 60 or so trucks, getting a parking place on Saturday morning was going to be real gamble. If I didn't find one I would have to go 10 to 20 miles to find another place to hopefully find a spot.

I timed myself in to the truck stop around 10am and figured that would be about the time trucks would be leaving out. Sure enough the lot was crammed full. I made one pass through and nothing, I circled out on the street and back into lot behind another truck that got in there ahead of me. Truck pulled out and he got the spot. I circled again, guy pulled out and a pickup came barreling up and blocked the spot. He had some empty pallets he wanted to load into a trailer back there, I was about to tap him on the head with my finger when a truck pulled out behind me, so I backed up and got that spot instead. Twenty paces closer to the bathroom.

Now I set here until about 1030pm Sunday night, then drive down to customer and get my toilet paper unloaded. Another lumper to pay off.

Hope you all make it to a sunrise service somewhere in the morning. I will probably be in the parking lot. Everyone have a Glorious and Happy Easter.

CHRIST OUR LORD HAS RISEN.