Phantom - Seattle – How Do You Hit A 53 Foot Trailer?

Phantom wrapped trailer parked in Seattle

“Phantom’s” next run was scheduled in Seattle.  The trailers in a show are designated as either show-to-show or advanced trailers.  The first part of our dispatch was to take a show-to -show trailer to Seattle.  When we arrived in Seattle two of the other drivers were already parked on the street next to the theatre.  Vince parked in front of the loading area since our trailer was one of the first to be unloaded. 

As we pulled up I saw and could hear some homeless people.  Once we got parked we noticed that the men on the street were yelling back and forth to each other.  I asked if we could move. Now don’t misunderstand, homeless people don’t bother me.  I worked as a volunteer coordinator at a homeless shelter and consider it the most rewarding job I have ever had.  My problem was their yelling back was definitely going to prevent me from going to sleep and as I have shared sleeping was still difficult in the truck.  Vince assured me it would be fine, but then something bounced off the truck and I began complaining loudly. So Vince moved us over with the other guys on the side street, more so he would not have to listen to me, not because of the guys on the street.

About 30 minutes after we got settled and were just drifting off there was a knock at the door.  It was Jeff, the lead driver asking us to move back to our previous spot.  He and Joe had staged other trailers near the dock and reported that the homeless had moved on so he wanted us in place.  Vince, by this time, was probably having his own homicidal thoughts toward everyone involved; me, the homeless, Jeff since all he wanted to do was get some sleep. He is too nice and patient a person to admit he was having those thoughts, but he did do some serious ranting about just wanting to get some sleep as he changed his clothes and put on his shoes.  I had already learned that when these moments occur my saying something usually didn’t help, so I remained silent.

The morning brought a very long day of loading in the show.  It takes as long if not longer to put a show of this size into a theatre, as it does to take it out.  Trailers line both sides of the streets around the theatre and there is always a truck in the dock. That afternoon we were standing around with the guys entertaining me with stories, when all of the sudden we heard a popping sound like glass breaking.  We assumed someone had dropped something while unloading.  Since a laundry basket had already fallen off the curb and traveled several feet across the street, we knew the sound of breaking glass wouldn’t be unusual. But that was not the case, because as we looked toward the street we saw a car pull over and stop.  It was then that we also noticed glass on the ground next to the Phantom wrapped trailer.  The wrapped trailer as seen above has a picture advertising the show.  As a side note it is always fun to have a wrapped trailer because people wave and smile as they pass us on the road.

Well apparently the woman driving the car had pulled between or was thinking she would pull between the two trailers to wait for her friend.  Now remember the street is marked no parking and the space between the trailers which you can’t see in the picture had a hydrant, so there was no way she should have been there.  She either aborted her attempt to go between the trailers or decided to move to the corner to pick up her friend and hit the corner of the wrapped trailer with her passenger side windshield. She not only popped the windshield, but also both passenger side windows and put a serious crease in the frame on the passenger side.  Now I ask you how do you hit the trailer to begin with and be going so fast that you cause that much damage to the car?  The show representatives and Jeff looked at the trailer and there was no damage, but we have no idea how she explained this incident to her husband or insurance company.

We left Seattle at 7:00 pm that evening headed back to Portland to pick up an advance trailer needed in Spokane.  Advanced trailers go to the show’s next scheduled city.  Sometime prior to the shows scheduled run in that city the advance trailers, that carry things like lighting and scenery, are unloaded due to the time it takes to put these items up.

Dirt Devils on the way to Spokane

 Our trip to Spokane through the northern portion of Oregon was beautiful.  After Spokane we were sent back to Seattle to pick up an empty trailer then headed to a Disney park to pick up lighting equipment that needed to be returned to the east coast.  On the trip from Spokane to Seattle we found this wonderful pull off along the Columbia River that was breathtaking.  It was nice because not all scenic view locations allow semis but since we where bobtail we were able to pull in and explore the area.  The thing that struck me the most about the stop was that there were many other people there, but it was so quiet.  In this day of cell phones which seems to lead to constant chatter, it was incredibly quiet since people were whispering and talking in low tones, which was wonderful.  The views were beautiful and I felt a great sense of calm.  A young woman who was there with her family offered to take the picture below.  It was so nice to get a picture of the two of us at this breathtaking spot.  Later as we explored the area, Vince reminded me of little boy exploring the rocks.  As I snapped pictures of him I thought how great it was that he could get out of the truck and enjoy nature.  I also thought about how if I wasn’t with him, he probably wouldn't have stopped at such a wonderful sight.

Vince and Joan at the Columbia River Gorge

Vince looking down into the Columbia River Gorge

Vince roaming the Columbia River Gorge

Our trip to Anaheim was uneventful and after a quick loading of the trailer we headed east.  Unfortunately time was a factor on this trip as Vince needed to get this trailer back to the east coast by the end of the week.  So there was no time for sightseeing.  While the trip was beautiful, we basically rode for hours, slept, got up and did it all over again.  When we reached Ohio it was time for me to get out of the truck to care for my mom.  I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful brother and sister-in-law, John and Elaine who share with me the responsibilities of caring for our mother. So after my first two week whirlwind trip through eleven states it was time to get out of the truck and adjust back to home life.

Phantom of the Opera – My First Rodeo

Vince working on his log book at Jubitz

Jubitz

 

As 2010 comes to a close, I thought I would pay tribute to my all time favorite show that poetically was also my first rodeo, “Phantom of the Opera”.  The curtain came down on “Phantom” for the final time last October. Since I will not be able to share stories about this great show in the future, my next two postings are a tribute to the show’s crews, especially its lead driver Jeff, who made sure that the show, always went on.  

       

On a Saturday in September 2008, we arrived at the Jubitz truck stop in Portland.  The Jubitz truck stop is one of the nicest in the country.  I was still finishing up my MBA on- line so I needed to get a paper submitted by Sunday. So while Vince slept I decided to multi task by going to the Laundromat to do laundry while working on my paper.  I was surprised how well I was able to concentrate in such a noisy public setting, because my paper was finished by the time the clothes hit the dryer.

 That evening we had to move trailers down to the streets of downtown Portland for the Sunday night load out.  “Phantom” was approximately 17-19 trailers so we joined five other drivers, to hook up to trailers and like a convoy head to downtown Portland.  It was fascinating to see how the drivers understood where to position their trailer along the streets, since I was totally confused.  After the first set was in place everyone returned to Jubitz to pick up a second set of trailers to do it all over again before returning to Jubitz for the night.  What I didn’t understand at that time was that I really needed to appreciate that night’s sleep.

On Sunday, we slept in and then later took a nap. But, I just couldn’t get into sleeping during the day. I figured I didn’t need to worry about sleeping.  The night wasn’t going to be that long, right?  When we arrived at the theatre that night I got to meet some of the other drivers.  I met Dennis aka OD and Joe.  As we stood around getting acquainted and listening to the political banter between the two of them, OD suddenly asked me if this was my first rodeo.  I said “yes” and they started laughing.  I mean that laugh you didn’t think your answer should solicit.  I thought why are they laughing? How long can this load out really be? 

We were positioned next to the theatre and even though there were signs for no parking there was a car parked in front of us.  After the show started in the theatre, our show began when a tow truck pulled up next to the illegally parked car and within two minutes the tow truck driver had the car pulled away from the curb.  He then took the car up the street, attached little axles and wheels underneath it and away he went.  Please know that when you go to a show you need to abide by the parking laws, because when the show is at the end of its run, it needs to go. All the trucks must be in position and ready to load, since the show opens in the next city in only a day or two.

As is the standard for most load outs within a half hour of the curtain coming down the crews begin loading the trucks.  In order to load out in Portland the show blocked off a couple streets and brought in overhead lights to help the crew see as they loaded multiple trucks at the same time.  They started on our trailer around 12:30 am so I thought wow that’s not bad we will be out of here soon, but as I mentioned they were loading three other trailers at the same time.  After getting into position, we got out of the truck and I was introduced to more drivers.  There I got to really see how big a production it was when I saw the crews pushing out boxes and fork lifts moving big pieces of equipment to all four trucks at the same time.

By 2:00 am the cold damp night air caught up with me so we headed back to the truck.  I was hungry so we fixed sandwiches which I hoped would help me fight the tiredness.  But the warmth of the truck led to a sleepy feeling that I couldn’t fight, so I put the bed down.  After I got comfortable on the bed, still in my clothes because after all this was just a nap, Jeff, the lead driver stopped by to say there was food in the theatre.  Vince was ready to go, but there was no way I was getting out of the truck.  He asked me if I was sure.  I could tell he wanted me to go, but falling out of the truck or sitting with my head on the table seemed too embarrassing this early in the game, after all I had just met these guys, so I declined. 

After Vince left, I turned the TV on since I just needed to doze a little and the TV would keep me apprised of the time by the changing of the shows.  Well, it advised me that it was 4:00 am, then 6:00 am when the morning news show started, but it didn’t matter I went right back to sleep each time.  In the meantime, Vince had been back and forth checking to see if I was moving, which I was not.  Soon, the truck started up and we were on our way back to Jubitz.  I thought great we are done, but no we were only to drop this trailer then head back to the theatre to pick up a second trailer.  To even my surprise by the time we headed back for the second trailer I was actually in my seat, but trust me I was not really quite with it.

When we got back to Jubitz with the second trailer, which this time meant only about a half hour wait on the street before the trailer was loaded. However, keep in mind the total time for the load out was 11+ hours.   Now I was awake and inquiring about breakfast.  Keep in mind Vince had been awake the whole time, so this may have been his first homicidal moment, but he would never admit it. Despite being tired, he agreed to breakfast so off we went to the restaurant for breakfast then we returned to the truck so that Vince could sleep.  The funniest part was I slept just as long as he did that morning into the afternoon.  I guess I finally adjusted to sleeping during the day.

As you might imagine it is tough to take pictures of a night load out, However the show’s next stop was Seattle. As you can see from the picture below we made it there and were able to get pictures and a story or two from that load in.  So next up – the Seattle load in.

Homicidal Thought Moment - The Grease Gun Incident

As promised here is my homicidal thought moment from our winter 2009 trip. It is one of my favorite moments and occurred on our trip from Dallas when we stopped at a truck stop in Prescott Arkansas for dinner. As we were getting out of the truck I asked if we could get a walk in before heading down the road.  Since we sit a lot in the truck I like for us to get walks in every chance we can.  Vince said we could get a “quick” one in after dinner.  So I decided to hide my purse behind/under my seat so that we could walk right after dinner. 

During dinner Vince shared with me that he also wanted to grease my seat before we left because it was making a squeaking sound that was driving him crazy.  I have found that sounds in our home drive me crazy and don’t bother Vince at all. While sounds in the truck drive Vince nuts and I don’t even notice them.  I was a little annoyed with him that he didn’t seem to want to get the walk in but he had time to get the grease gun out.

After dinner we got a few laps in and then I sent Vince back to the truck to mess with the seat while I went to the bathroom.  Mess being a word that so fit the events that followed.  As I returned to the truck I found Vince at the passenger side working on the seat.  I asked him if he moved my purse and he stated it wasn’t necessary for where he was working. 

Shortly after I arrived at the truck my phone started to ring and as you may recall, I had hid my purse which had my phone clipped to the outside of it, under my seat.  From the ring we could tell it was Elizabeth so Vince asked me if I wanted my phone.  Now he is standing there with latex gloves on that have grease on them and a grease gun in his hand, did he really think I wanted him touching my phone?  I told him no I would call her back.

So Vince went back to work and we talked as he worked.  Everything was going fine all the way up to when Vince checked his work.  At that moment he began swearing, yes as the joke would go like a truck driver. I thought he must have got grease on the floor of the truck, which I knew would upset him because he keeps the truck very clean.  I asked him what was wrong and he told me there was grease on my purse and phone.  To which I replied very loudly “you better be kidding”, to which he replied just as loudly “no I’m not”. 

When he pulled my purse out so I could see it, I went from calm to livid in seconds because there was and I am not exaggerating a ball of grease, between the size of golf ball and a baseball sitting across my phone and purse.  I asked him what I should do and he told me to get in on the driver’s side, grab paper towels and wipe it off.  All the way around the truck I kept thinking why didn’t he move the purse if he knew he was working right by it, all while emitting a string of cuss words, that in the spirit of the season greatly resembled Ralphie’s dad in the Christmas story.  I climbed in the truck and grabbed the towels to start wiping the phone and purse.  The phone cover and purse reeked of grease and again I was thinking how hard would it have been to just move the purse? However, I must say the leather cover over the phone, slide off way easier than any other time I had removed it.

As you might imagine there was a great deal of tension between us at that moment. So Vince finished up actually greasing the seat while I cleaned the phone and purse in silence.  After he finished he just got into the truck and we just belted in to head up the road.  As we were leaving the truck stop I decided to return Elizabeth’s call since there wasn’t going to be any conversation in the truck. 

Although I was really mad at Vince, I didn’t let on to Elizabeth that anything was wrong.  As Elizabeth and I talked I recalled our conversation from the previous night.  Elizabeth was upset about something that had happened at work and I reminded her of advice I had gotten from a co-worker many years ago.  My co-worker had asked me when I got upset about something if anyone had died.  Of course in my case and in Elizabeth’s no one had and like me, Elizabeth calmed down.  I have found that this question always puts things into perspective and reminds me that I need to not get upset about little things. I immediately realized that no one had died because grease got on my phone and purse and that actually no real damage had occurred either.  I needed to not be upset with Vince and to just move on.  However, I must confess that I did laugh, on the inside of course, when as we pulled out of the truck stop Vince had a mini fit of cussing and hitting the steering wheel because, my seat was still squeaking.

Winter on the Road is Always an Adventure!

Peoria 2009

Between the snow coming down today and spending the last six days worrying as Vince traveled from Buffalo to Cleveland to Minneapolis, and now onto Jacksonville I am reminded of my first winter on the road.  Boy was I a rookie on that trip. Rather than a baptism of fire I received a baptism of snow and below zero temperatures.  I recall that despite the prediction of below zero temperatures across the country the week we were heading out, I was very excited about getting back in the truck.  Vince even looked at me after the weather report one evening and asked “are you sure?”  I simply replied “that’s love baby”.  I was going and not even cold was going to stop me.

On our first dispatch that January was “Spamelot” from South Bend to Peoria, when I learned that it is possible for a semi get stuck in heavy snow, just like cars.  Silly me I thought they would be heavy enough that they just plow through.  When we arrived at the parking lot in South Bend, Vince informed me that “yes, we could get stuck”.  Great I thought, I wasn’t going to be able to push the thing nor could I drive a stick so I would be no help.  Fortunately even though the snow had come down for several hours, by the time Vince pulled out for the theatre we had no trouble leaving the lot.

           

Next we experienced 19 below temperatures with a minus 40 mph wind chills and heavy snow in Illinois.  There I discovered that fluffy snow turns to a glossy ice pavement near truck stop fuel islands when temperatures drop this low. I learned that tidbit, one evening on my way to the bathroom.  Vince didn’t have to go but offered to go with me.  I told him I would be fine, layered up and headed toward the truck stop.  As I trudged through the deep snow near the trucks I kept convincing myself that it was not that cold.  When I got to the end of the aisle I began assessing the fuel island area.  As I stood waiting for the trucks entering the truck stop to clear the way, a driver waived me to go in front of him.   As I started to cross I felt my feet come out from under me.  I began flinging my arms in a circular motion to keep from falling and surprisingly it worked. I now refer to it as my helicopter move.  I was able to get my footing, slow my pace down and get across to the building without falling.  But I have no doubt that driver shared the story of the crazy woman who almost fell in front of his truck with anyone and everyone he could that night.  I know I sure entertained Vince with the story when I returned to the truck.

In Northern New York on our way to Boston I got brave enough to help Vince back into a space when the snow was coming down so hard it was difficult to see the trailer behind us. As you know most trailers are white then add the snow and you get the picture. So Vince asked me if I would help by telling him when he was close enough and I jumped at the opportunity.  There I stood in knee high snow with a radio in my hand at the back of the trailer.  However, I decided to use a hand signal method that I had seen Vince use with other drivers since I wasn’t comfortable with the hand held.  I placed my arms wide apart, but rather than horizontal I put them in a vertical position.  Vince watched in his mirror and knew as my hands got closer together he had reached his target.  Once Vince got back to where he needed to be, I got on the radio and told him to “lock her down”.  When I returned to the truck Vince said “you said lock her down” and I immediately thought oh no I said the wrong thing.  I asked if that was that not right. He told me no that was right and how much he loved that I was learning the lingo and how to do things to help him like the hand movement.

Later on the trip, at the Appleton PAC, Vince once again bravely called upon my help to back in.  The Appleton dock area resembles a hair pin turn on the road. Now while a driver of a car or van could drive down into the dock then turn around and back into the dock, a tractor trailer driver must back all the way down the driveway, make the turn, then line up with the dock.  Obviously Vince could back down the drive himself, but as he started to make the turn I attempted to direct him over the hand held radio.  I thought I had him in a good place, but then he aborted the attempt and pulled forward indicating to me that he was not where he needed to be.  I stood there thinking this could take a really long time since I apparently didn’t I know what I was doing.

Just then some of the crew unloading and setting up the stage came outside for a smoke break.  They started joking with me about Vince having a pro to get him down the driveway.  I told them “trust me this is the blind leading the professional”, at which the whole group burst into laughter and then gave me words of encouragement after they stopped laughing.  After Vince got the trailer swung around the corner, it was time to get him in the dock.  I am happy to report that I got him into the dock in one move.  However, when another driver arrived I left it to the professional to get that driver into the dock, it is one thing for me to misdirect my husband, but I would didn’t want to do that with a driver I had just met.

After load in it was time to head south to warmer weather in Dallas. But the next day was not without excitement when we had to out run a heavy snow storm while leaving Wisconsin. From Dallas on our way to Philadelphia I would end my trip by jumping out at home, proud that I had survived my first winter in the truck.

Buffalo 2009

Me wearing 4 layers of clothing as we toured Washington DC - January 2009

Share Away!

I have received some inquiries about whether this Blog is only meant for family and friends.  The answer is a big no; if you know of someone who may be interested in or entertained by our stories please feel free to share away.  In the spirit of the season we say the more the merrier!

Homicidal Thought Moment # 1 – The Closed Rest Area

JACKSONVILLE -VIEW FROM THE WALKWAY BY THE TIMES-UNION CENTER

             As promised I will now share the meaning behind my reference to our “moments”.  These “Homicidal Thought Moments" are dedicated to and inspired by couples who have been married over fifty years.  Many times while watching TV I have heard a couple celebrating an anniversary of fifty or more years, when asked if they ever considered divorce reply “divorce never, but murder often”.  I love that line because when you love your spouse like I love Vince you never consider leaving, but there are times when taking him out seems like a pretty good idea.  So these moments are dedicated to those couples and hopefully are humorous stories that the rest of you relate to and enjoy.

The first of these thankfully only a few moments over the last two years occurred on our trip to Jacksonville during my first stint in the truck. The plan was to get to the Times-Union Center in Jacksonville  late in the evening and sleep outside the center since our call time was right in the middle of rush hour.  The last thing Vince wanted to deal with was rush hour traffic.  Having been a commuter for several years, I too knew that the last thing commuters in Jacksonville needed was a semi driver holding them up while he was backing into a dock.

            Before heading into Florida we had reviewed the map and determined that we would stop at the last rest area before Jacksonville. Since we wouldn’t have a bathroom available until call time in the morning, it was important especially for me that we stop one last time.  As we came upon what we thought to be the last rest area we learned that it was closed.  I looked at Vince and asked if that meant no potty break.  He simply replied “yeah”.  Well let me tell you, I went into full panic mode because I was a 47 year old woman and there was no way I was going to make it 10+ hours without a potty break.  I asked him what were we going to do and he stated he didn’t know. WHAT?  He didn’t know!  What did that mean?  I was having all kinds of homicidal thoughts right then, because the man I love and adore was telling me he didn’t have a plan.  He had been doing this for years, I was an amateur and most importantly the nonchalant way he just said he didn’t have a plan told me he did not understand the urgency of the situation.  

            Also, I couldn’t believe he had no ideas, after all it was his idea for me to join him on the road, didn’t he realize he would need options for me.  He had shared with me over the years how difficult it is for drivers especially when they have trailers to find parking.  So I knew just getting off at the next exit wasn’t an option.  It isn’t like when you are in a car and you go to the next exit to find a fast food restaurant that you can run into and quickly make a bathroom stop.  So he didn’t have any ideas, he better be kidding.

            As we arrived in Jacksonville, I was scoping every street for a fast food restaurant or a coffee shop. Surely there had to be one somewhere that was open at almost 11:00 pm on a Monday night.  Meanwhile, Vince and I exchanged casual conversation about the directions; after all I didn’t want to give away my plans for him if we don’t find a bathroom.  As we turned the corner that lead to the center, I saw a large chain upscale hotel right across the street from the dock area.  Life was good for my husband and he would get to live, because as I learned in my travels as a paralegal, hotels always have bathrooms readily available in the lobby.

            As soon as Vince got backed into the dock area, I took off my seat belt and grabbed my door latch.  Vince asked where we were going.  I said “to the bathroom”.  He looked at me like okay I don’t know where we are going, but God love him he does trust me, so he just followed my lead.  We headed into the hotel lobby and I didn’t even break stride as I found the ladies and mens rooms.  When we met back up, Vince commented he thought I had never been there before, because I walked straight to the bathrooms.  I told him I hadn’t, but shared with him that past experiences had served me well in evaluating the lobby and quickly recognizing the set up.  We headed back to the truck and fortunately for my husband, he didn’t have to sleep with one eye open that night.

            While for some of you this may seem trivial, let me assure you that your survival instincts really do come out when you don’t have the basics readily available to you.  Our other moments, one of which includes what I am pretty sure was Vince’s first moment are meant to show you that while most the time we honestly do get along, we do have our moments.  I think you will especially enjoy my favorite “the grease gun incident” which could have been a scene right out of comedy movie. I promise to get you caught up on these moments and other stories by the time I head back out with Vince in January so that hopefully our future tales will make perfect sense.

OUR TRUCK IN THE DOCK IN JACKSONVILLE

TIMES-UNION CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

 

The Small Repair Shop – Thankfully Not Gone but Sometimes Forgotten

 This trip was like many over the last two years because once again we had a broken generator.  Unfortunately my husband’s luck with generators has not been good.  I would hazard a guess that of the three he has had over the last seven years cumulatively they have been broken down 40% of the time.  This is despite many hours of research and that is why I chalk it up to just plain bad luck.

Before I go on, I will explain to those just learning about trucking what a generator does on a truck in the most basic of terms.  A generator (which in the picture to the right is located in the silver side box under the sleeper) is mainly installed on a truck to offset fuel costs.  In order to have heat, ac or use a microwave or TV in a truck along with charging the batteries, the truck must run unless a generator is installed.  A tractor with or without a trailer burns approximately a gallon of fuel an hour when idling.  When a generator is installed it will operate all of the above but only burn approximately ¼ a gallon of fuel an hour.  So as you might imagine it is great to have a running generator and very frustrating when it isn’t working.

But, I must admit that the breakdowns over the past two years have given me the opportunity to see a part of America that I thought was long gone, the non-chain affiliated repair shops.  While the first generator which was the worst of them was repaired mostly by Vince, a trained mechanic, the last two have been more required repairs even Vince was not able to deal with.  I tell you I am thankful I wasn’t in the truck with that first one because I would have taken a wrench to it for all the problems it gave Vince.

Sorry I digress, so over the last few years these generators have needed repairs and which have led us to three small but I have every confidence very productive repair shops.  The Monday before Thanksgiving found us at Martin Diesel in Defiance, Ohio.  The generator had died in September and Vince had ordered a circuit board to install in it out in Portland only to find out that was not the problem.  He later learned it was the genhead. A genhead is as Vince would call it way above his pay range so we needed to take it to Martin, the original maker of the generator. 

The week before Thanksgiving Vince called to make the appointment for that Monday.  Jim of Martin told him that if we called him on Sunday and let him know our arrival time he would be happy to meet us at the shop and let us plug into Shore power overnight.  Shore power is a separate system that allows Vince to plug the truck into an electrical outlet and gives us the heat, ac, etc.  This was such a nice offer as Jim was taking time away from home on a Sunday to help us out.  Vince called Jim on Sunday afternoon and left a message with the time we would be arriving and at the very time Jim arrived to help Vince get hooked up.  It was so nice to have the temperature controls and microwave that evening but most importantly any time you can save fuel is golden.

At 7:15 am that next morning Paul, the mechanic who would replace the genhead and work on our exhaust system came out introduced himself and got us into position.  Over the next ten hours Paul worked on our generator.  He explained how the damage occurred and explained what and why he was doing everything.  He never made Vince feel like he was bothering him and when it was all done we were confident that the repairs were done in a professional manner.  Also both Jim and Paul offered us the shop pick up to use if we wanted to go in and get something to eat.

In addition to this positive experience, we have had similar experiences in July of 2009 Leesburg, Florida and in April 2009 in Ashland, Virginia. I told you we have had a lot of problems, this doesn’t count the times Vince worked on them or we had work done at home.  At Powertech in Leesburg they kept us on time by taking us at our appointed time and provided Vince with extra parts for the generator that he could install if need be in the future.  The Ashland Virginia at the Kaeser’s shop is experience I will never forget because after working on the generator for about a half hour the gentleman took down our information and said he would submit it to Powertech for reimbursement under the warranty.  We asked if he wanted a credit card number for his file in case they didn’t honor the repair and he stated “no I know where you live and how to get a hold of you I’m not worried”. 

How nice it is to know that these places still exist in small towns and cities across this country?  These experiences remind me of my childhood and are experiences that I thought were long gone.  I am thankful for these opportunities in the truck to learn that these types of shops are not gone. If anyone reading this has had similar experience(s) I do hope you will share them no matter what type of shop it so we know where to find them and can help to keep them in business.

The Truck Stop Shower

Last week one of the first things I appreciated about being home was the shower.  While I am now able to shower in the truck, it is still not like home.  At home I can stand in the shower and let the water flow, in the truck we only have 40 gallons (10 gallons of hot water and 30 gallons of cold) so conservation is key.  This appreciation of the shower reminded me of my first trip on the road when the main thing on my mind as we started out, was how the truck stop shower situation was going to work.

Now that first trip meant I was about to spend every waking and sleeping hour with Vince at his work, in a space which was not much bigger than our bathroom for a week. So was I worried that we wouldn’t get along or even worse possibly kill one another, maybe a little, but honestly my real focus was on the shower.  Vince had assured me that we would be able to go in together, but what exactly did that mean and what would it look like?  I pictured a stall like Elizabeth had in her dorm freshman year.  I envisioned a little space to undress and then step into the shower, but what if I had to go the bathroom one last time before getting in the shower?  Did that mean I would have to get dressed and go out into the main area of the truck stop to the women's room? As you read this, what do you picture a truck stop shower to look like? 

You would think that what I really should have been focused on was the fact that I would have to go outside every time I needed to go the bathroom.  Or how spending 24 hours a day with my husband was really going to work for us?  There was also the fact that I was about to sleep in a twin bed with my husband in the middle of a truck stop and on streets by theatres, shouldn’t I have worried about that? Nope, I was focused on the shower.    

I believe it is important to share that Vince did have the interior of the truck remodeled in May 2007, as part of his plan to get me in the truck and to make life on the road easier for me.  He had the double bunk removed and put shelves for clothes and food where the upper bunk had been located.  The bed had a table attached so when the bed was folded up it provided a table and bench seating for us.  He also had a small closet, microwave, mini refrigerator and sink installed.  All of this was done so that my life on the road, which he intended to make a reality, would be as comfortable as possible.  I can tell you without any doubt all of those changes made life much easier for us over those first two years, especially the sink but showering still meant going into the truck stop.  The pictures above and below give you an idea of how tight our quarters were those first two years.  I thought it only fair that the Kenworth get some exposure since many of our stories about my rookie and second year involve that great truck.

            So after our first trailer of that trip was loaded on that Sunday night we headed toward Jacksonville for a Tuesday morning load in.  As we left I started worrying again about how the shower thing was going to work.  However, by the time we stopped for the night at a Mount Eagle truck stop I was too tired to care how or what a shower looked like. 

            The next morning meant shower time, so as we headed to a Georgia TA truck stop, as we approached the truck stop I told Vince I would need to go to the bathroom before we went to the showers.  He looked over at me like I have three heads.  He then told me the shower had a toilet in it.  So now I had the image in my head of a RV shower which is actually what we now have in our new truck.  You know the ones I’m talking about where the shower and toilet is all part of the shower stall.  With this new information I really started worrying about how much space were we going to have? I pictured our clothes, bag, Vince and I all in this little space.  Was he kidding me?  What was I thinking when I agreed to go on this excursion?  Don’t get me wrong I am not a germaphobe or have anything against being outdoors but truthfully camping to me is staying at a hotel and I just wasn’t sure about being thrown into a closed area and I was internally wigging.

When we arrived at the truck stop we got our bag ready for the shower by filling it with shampoo, conditioner, and a change of clothes, a hair dryer and my make up bag.   Keep in mind this bag was now way heavier than when Vince is by himself. I wondered if when he picked it up he was seriously questioning the decision to have me join him.           

Once in the truck stop we headed to the kiosk so Vince could scan his card.  His card provides a free shower when he buys fuel. He got the receipt with a shower number and code.  We found a TV monitor to learn our shower room number; then headed down the hall to code into the shower.  Vince put the code in and opened the door but then suddenly realized we didn’t have enough towels and headed off to get extra towels.  After he left I stood in the doorway in total disbelief because the shower I had been stressing about and terrified of was actually a full fledged bathroom.  It was a beautiful white porcelain bathroom, way bigger than our bathroom at home. The shower, sink and toilet were all spotless; there was also a shelf for the bag and plenty of room for us to move around.

When Vince returned I told him that “this isn’t a shower it is a bathroom”.  He looked around and said “I never thought about it that way but yeah I guess it is”.  It is funny how little information men will share about some things while others they will go on and on about.  When I asked how something on the truck works, I got a detailed description.  I asked about the shower and all I got was we will be together and they have towels.  You can bet I made a “note to self” that day to ask more questions.  As you can see we were all clean for our photos in Jacksonville. Finally I must tell you that the trip to Jacksonville was not without incident and actually  resulted in the first of my homicidal thought moment stories but I will save that story for another day.

If you want to see the inside of our new truck.  Check out my post:
Could you live with your spouse in this truck that has a shower? 
Posted in January 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to Those Home and Away!

I would like to wish to those fortunate enough to be home or with family this Thanksgiving Day the best the day can offer.  To those away from home namely the truck drivers on the road and service men and women overseas, I hope you find a warm meal and companions to enjoy a conversation with, be it at the counter, in a booth or in the mess hall.  But most importantly I wish for you dry, clear roads and a safe passage home.

Home Safe and Sound

 

We made it home last night just in time to prepare our Thanksgiving feast.  Luckily I thought ahead and bought most everything before I left on this trip. Elizabeth was also kind enough to take the turkey out of the freezer for us last week.

This has been a whirl wind trip the last three weeks.  I caught up with Vince on October 30^th in Costa Mesa, California for the end of his Storytime tour on the 31^st.  He was on this tour from February to October, which means he was home off and on for approximately 4-5 weeks over the course of those 9 months.   

We then traveled to LA to work on the closing of Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages.  After running trailers back and forth from the Pantages to the drop yard for a couple days it was time to take a Phantom trailer across country to Wappingers Falls, NY.  After arriving in NY we ran a trailer to Harrisburg before returning to Wappingers Falls to pick up the Victoria’s Secret trailer.  So our total miles over this busy three weeks added up to 5000+ miles.   

We are hosting Thanksgiving at our place this year and hope Mom will join us, Elizabeth and Roman and possibly Elaine and John for a nice dinner.   But unfortunately she has taken to canceling more than attending things these days. After that it is time to decorate for Christmas and enjoy home time, especially for Vince who will head out again next week for three more weeks before arriving home for Christmas and a well deserved longer break.  Over the next weeks I plan to share some additional stories from this and past trips, however today I must get busy grocery shopping and cooking. Hope you all have a wonderful and tasty Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. 

I Volunteer to Help Move Equipment - Harrisburg

 

We headed from Cleveland to Harrisburg, PA on Wednesday with a Billy Elliot trailer that was damaged while on the lot in Durham. As you may recall the home office is Harrisburg. The above pictures are of the home office building and trailer lot.

The first step for getting the trailer repaired was to unload all of the equipment.  I told Vince I would help him unload the equipment.  Before unloading the trailer Vince told me we needed to go in and see the dispatchers to talk about where to take this trailer and discuss which trailer we would be picking up.  As we were talking with them I heard one of them read off the numbers for the equipment on the current trailer. The standard package is 6 load bars, 12 straps, 12 pads.  So imagine my surprise when I heard what I thought was numbers much higher than that being read off.  I immediately asked “how many load bars”, to which the reply was 36 load bars, 48 pads, 38 straps.  For me the pads and straps weren’t as big a deal as the load bars.  The bars weigh approximately 20 pounds each and are roughly 100 inches long.  These bars are awkward for me to carry and the hooks on each end that allow the bars to be attached to the walls of the trailer slide out when the bars aren’t level thus changing the balance of the bars.  After hearing the number of bars I stood there thinking about how I needed to remember to ask more questions before I volunteered to help in the future. But there was no backing out, I had volunteered, plus I really do love helping Vince.

Once outside Vince backed up the trailer to the equipment trailers and we got started.  After getting rid of the blankets and straps, it was time for the load bars.  Vince slid them to the end of the trailer while I took them off the trailer and stacked them on the equipment trailer. The photos are of me placing the last load bar into the trailer.

You may be wondering why I didn’t move them in the trailer, well that would be because I have a fear of getting out of the trailer. Note I said out of the trailer.  You see while getting up there isn’t the easiest thing for me; I can do it, but the getting down part, not so easy.  There has been more than one occasion when I have gotten up there, freaked out and said I couldn’t get down.  When it has happened Vince very patiently stood down on the ground and told me to just put your foot on the bar underneath then step down.  I would start to do as he said but I think it is the fact I can’t see the bar underneath that freaks me out. So instead of getting down I would turn around and say “I can’t”.  Vince would continue to say “yes you can” until I would finally climb down. Trust me I know there have been at least two occasions when this went on for over five minutes before I finally got down.

So today I took moving the load bars over crawling up into the trailer.  Of course that was until Vince had to remove three bars from near the ceiling.  He couldn’t get leverage on one of them so he yelled “Honey you are going to have to help me with this one” in that I know you don’t want to but I really need you tone.  I stood there thinking are you kidding me, but then I realized if he were hurt in the trailer I wouldn’t think twice about jumping up there.  So up I went into the trailer to help.  Surprisingly I did get down on the first shot and without much coaching but I will continue to avoid it whenever possible because the thought of falling from the height scares me.

Our next step was to take the trailer to the repair shop 45 miles away.  That ride gave us the opportunity show how smoothly a tractor can ride with a trailer.  The attached photo is of some items Vince had placed on our tool box in Harrisburg.  He forgot to put them in the tool box before we left and when we got to the trailer repair place there they were, exactly where he had left them.

After dropping the trailer off, we returned to Harrisburg to pick up our next trailer which we are taking to Hobart, IN, just outside Chicago.  This trailer will be used for the closing of the first Billy Elliot touring show that is ending in Chicago.  By the way, this trailer had 16 bars, 12 pads and 12 straps in it.  When we went inside to verify the equipment needed for the trailer take a guess what they told us?  Yep that’s right no load bars, just 4 pads and 12 straps.  So back we went to take 16 bars and 8 pads off the truck.  Needless to say we got plenty of exercise on Thursday.

Billy Elliot Load In – Cleveland

 

Greetings from Cleveland!  We made it to Cleveland this morning after a long night of rain and fog.  I did my best cheerleader as I tried to think of things to talk about as to not make the trip any longer for Vince than we already knew it would be.  Below is a picture of Pilot Mountain in NC that I snapped as we headed through last evening.  Above are pictures of the front and back of State Theatre.  Our truck is the one in the middle.  Still am amazed how Vince can make backing in between the trucks look so easy.  So far it appears we will be here tomorrow as well shuttling trailers, because a show this big can take two or even three days to load in.

Billy Elliot Load Out – Durham

We are into hour 11 of the Billy Elliot load out in Durham.  Trust me I am using the term “we” very loosely as I crashed about 10:30 and had my pajamas on by 12:30 am.  Vince and many of the other drivers have been up all night.  This is the first load out for this tour which means the crew for the first time has to make everything go into 15 trailers.  It is actually not easy and as you can tell does not go quickly.  The photo above was taken at 8:30 am this morning.  Don’t you love how the white pick up stayed in the lane even though he had plenty of time to get over.  This is the kind of thing that happens all the time when the trucks are backing in and out of docks.  Reminds me of the jerks you encounter on the freeway who have notice for 5 miles that the lane is ending but they continue up the closing lane anyways and snarl up traffic.

The Victoria's Secret Load Out - NYC to Baltimore

Have you ever driven a car in NYC? If so you know how crazy traffic can be. Now imagine driving a semi tractor with a 53’ trailer attached to it through those streets with cars cutting you off while you are trying to maneuver down those narrow streets.  Well that is what Vince did Friday morning.  Now this wasn’t the first time we had traveled to the city but since we usually go into the city in the middle of the night I had no idea what it would be like in the middle of the day.

Friday, we drove into the city mid morning and it was crazy.  As we headed up Broadway I could not believe how many cars and cabs cut us off as we attempted to change lanes and make turns.  Don’t even get me started on how many pedestrians took their lives in their hands crossing against the light in front of us. But the real challenge came after we got to the Lexington Armory to pick up decking from the Victoria’s Secret’s show and learned they were running behind so there was no parking space for us.  That meant we needed to find parking, somewhere on a street in NYC.  Well let me assure you finding parking was a big challenge if not impossible.  As we went up and down the streets dodging cars, pedestrians and trees, I thought this is going to get ugly.  But then thankfully as we were traveling up and down streets around 26^th and Park Ave, we got a call from Roy, one of the other drivers telling us a spot had opened up.

Within a few hours we were loaded and ready to go.  I could not believe it took us over an hour to wind our way from 26^th to 179^th and onto the GW Bridge. However, our day was far from over when it took us another five and a half hours to go 200 miles through heavy traffic in New Jersey and Maryland to deliver the trailer in Baltimore.

But after we dropped the trailer and Vince stated we were heading to Ruther Glen, we encountered our first moment of this trip.  As I realized that we were going to be traveling another 2 hours I lost it and said “I am protesting, I’m sorry but I am protesting.  I don’t want to do this.”  I have no idea what I thought this was going to accomplish because it wasn't like I could get out or go to another room.  But I just didn't want to ride any longer after all those hours of dodging traffic. Vince looked at me like oh boy here we go.  Then I’m sure he remembered you pushed for her to come out here. So God love him, he said “There is a truck stop in Jessup a couple miles down the road and I have a headache and am tired so I am ready to stop now too”.  We ended up having a nice dinner, got a chance to watch some TV and today had a relaxing uneventful trip to Durham for the load out of Billy Elliot on Sunday night.   

You do realize you're in America?

Wednesday was a busy day for us. We awoke in Harrisburg, PA at the home office after bringing a trailer down from one of the company’s lots in Wappingers Falls, NY the previous night.  After showering, which happily we are able to do in our new bigger sleeper truck, we went in to find out where Kevin, the dispatcher wanted the trailer unloaded.  After getting unloaded, Vince dropped off paper work and pick up needed supplies before we were off to the Petro truck stop in Carlisle, PA.

Vince dropped me off at the Petro so I could do laundry while he went off to get a Pennsylvania inspection for the truck.  Since the home office is in PA part of having the truck registered in PA means Vince must get an inspection every six months. Rather than me sitting around a shop waiting, I asked for him to drop me at the truck stop so I could do the laundry.  By the time Vince returned the laundry was done and we were both ready to eat since we missed lunch, so we grabbed an early dinner at the Iron Skillet inside the Petro.

Around 9:00 that evening I was a little hungry since we had technically ate lunch/dinner at 4:00 pm.  So I hinted to Vince that I might be a little hungry. He picked up on the hint and asked if I would like to go into the Iron Skillet for dessert.  Since they have a great cherry cobbler that is the perfect size for us to share, I jumped right on his suggestion.

When we arrived at the restaurant we grabbed a booth in the trucker’s area.  As we were talking the waiter came up from behind me and stated “Hello sir, do you need a menu?”  We in unison stated we were just having dessert. He then asked “what would you like to drink sir?  Let me also add, the waiter is standing with his back to me addressing Vince the whole time, never acknowledging me.  So Vince ordered a Sierra Mist and I said I wanted water into the air because I didn’t believe anyone was listening.

Now the waiter we knew was a foreigner but I have never had any problem at any restaurant with a foreign waiter not welcoming and acknowledging me.  Also I am almost 5’6’ and 150 pounds so I am neither short nor petite so trust me he couldn’t miss me sitting in the booth.  As we sat there we began talking about the situation and agreed it had to be a mistake, that the service would get better and when he returned with both drinks we were encouraged.

But we were so wrong because when he returned he continued to keep his back to me even when I ordered the Cherry Cobbler which Vince informed him we would be sharing.  When he returned to the table he proceeded to put it down directly in front of Vince then quickly hurry away.  Well rest assured I knew when he came back I was going to confront him.

As he returned and again began to address Vince, I jumped in and asked very loudly as I finally caught his eye “You do realize you are in America?”  Well he was stunned and looked at me bewildered.   I went on to tell him he was in America and in America he needed to address woman and wait on woman.  He then told me “I am not an American” with which I quickly replied “right but you are IN America and you need to acknowledge woman.  He then looked at Vince like he didn’t understand or maybe it was a, you need to shut her look but since I couldn’t see his face I don’t know.  Vince then told him “Do you not see my wife sitting here?” “You have ignored her like she isn’t here, she is here and you needed to acknowledge her”.  He then just walked away like he didn’t care.  I don’t believe he didn’t understand what we were saying I believe he was choosing to ignore it.

So then when we got up to the counter the cashier/possibly the manager asked if everything was okay Vince told her no the service was not good, since the waiter ignored me the whole time.  She then had the nerve to say “well I guess that is how they may do things in his country".  I jumped in and stated “but he is in America and he needs to acknowledge and wait on woman or he is going to have a lot of problems.  It was like a light went on in her head (duh) and she got this look like wow yeah and she stated “you’re right”.  To say I was ticked off the rest of the night is an understatement but trust that guy will never wait or should I say not wait on me again.

I have absolutely no problem with people coming to this country to start a better life. I have some very special people in my life who have done exactly that, but for others I say please know you need to adjust to our culture especially if you are going to be in the service industry.  You shouldn't think you are going to take our money but not serve us.

Why I am here!

In 2008, my husband Vince, an owner-operator, truck driver leased with a company that moves Broadway shows convinced me to leave the business world behind and join him in his truck.  Over the last two years, I have learned how tough the life of a truck driver can be, the hours and hard work that goes into moving a Broadway show.  I knew plenty about the business world but the world of trucking from a business  and life style standpoint is totally different than anything I have ever experienced. Thankfully, I learned that my worries about, what if any toll our constant togetherness would have on our relationship were unfounded, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our moments. 

Therefore, on our travels I have received a first hand education in the world of trucking. So, in this blog I hope to provide a humorous look at life on the road.  While also furnishing readers with a view into the challenges of living with a spouse on the road 24/7 and providing a glimpse into my struggles with being part of the sandwich generation. My struggles mainly center around the guilt I feel as I attempt to find a balance between life on the road with Vince and life at home caring for an elderly parent and finding enough time for my grown daughter.