The 19th Wheel

Back Home, MN

2008-05-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

I got home last night at 8:00 pm. It's been an eventful 3 days, and now I have 3 days off to recurrence.

From Ankeny, IA I went to Cedar Rapids, IA to pick up rolls of paper. Since I was close to Dubuque I decided to stop for the night near there and try to see Kathy et al. We were able to meet in Cascade, IA (20 mi from Dubuque). Jenna, the boys and a friend of theirs also came. Elias played in the truck and we went to Subway so I could get something to eat. It was a good time.

The next morning I drove to Red Wing to refuel. For the first time since driving trucks I went thru Decorah. At Red Wing I needed to have 2 new front tires put on, and put in 222 gallons of diesel fuel. At a truck stop that would have cost over $1,000. After that I drove to White Bear Lake, MN to drop off rolls of paper. I was then sent to Eagan to pick up a load of Coca-Cola products which I drove up to Virginia, MN in northern Minnesota. Once there I picked up an empty trailer which I needed to take to a paper mill in Cloquet, MN.

This is where it got interesting. I was close to being out of hours and needed to find a place to stop. I saw an abandoned truck stop in Canyon, MN and turned off the Hwy onto a frontage road. The turn however was quite sharp and I wasn't able to make it without taking out a sign. So I instead went into a business that had a large grassy area next to it's building. I attempted to turn the truck around, but in the process the front tires went into a soft spot and settled 8-9" into the turf. I was stuck. Embarrassed and a bit upset. I needed to find a way to get out. No one was around, but finally the owner of the business drove by. I was able to get a phone number for a wrecker. An hour later I was pulled free. It was an expensive mistake however. Wreckers are not cheap and I gave the owner some money to repair the area of grass where the truck was stuck. Besides that I was concerned that this incident might effect my employment. I am just a week away from the end of my 90 probationary period. I had visions of being fired or needing to start over with the probationary period. I didn't sleep well that night (Thur). Yesterday morning with trepidation I call Monson and spoke with the Safety person. I explained what happened and how I took care of it and asked if I needed to fill out an Accident Report. He said no. He thought I handled it well after getting stuck. I was extremely relieved as you can imagine.

After the call I drove from Cloquet, MN to a town in WI called Combined Locks. It's close to Appleton. It was a 6 hour drive. After unloading I went to Menasha, WI, 10 miles away and picked up another load of rolls of paper and was told to take that to the terminal in Red Wing. That took 4.5 hours.

For the week I drove 2700 miles. A good week.

Tristan spent the night with me and we watched the new 'National Treasure' movie just out on video.

I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying your weekend. I intend to take it easy and rest up. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Ankeny, IA

2008-05-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

I'm laying down in the sleeper berth of my truck waiting for my trailer to be unloaded. It could take 3 to 4 hours. I'm in Ankeny, IA. I brought a load of Solo cups (light load).

It's been a strange couple of days. Monday afternoon I needed to drive from Chicago to Baraboo, WI which is an hour north of Madison and pick up a trailer at a Slumberland Dist Center. I then took it to Champaign, I'll for a 8:00 am delivering yeaterday. I was then sent upo to University Park, I'll just a bit south of Chicago to pick up the load of paper cups. I arrived there at 2:00 pm, but the load wasn't ready until Midnight. To make my hours work the best I didn't leave there until 4:00 am this morning and arrived in Ankeny at 10:30 am. So, I've been sitting around a lot taking naps, reading. books and watching DVD's.

I was able on Monday night to visit with Erika, Pat, Sydney Kate & Elsa in Madison. We went to a mall where the was a McDonalds. This time the girls each wanted their own milk shake. We also had to visit the Children's section of the neighboring bookstore. It is so much fun to see them looklng at books and stuffed animals, etc.
The weather has been great. Sunny and warm. I hope it lasts. This weekend I get an extra day off because of the Holiday. I think Tristan and I will hang out together. I also bought a WW II German Style motorcycle helmet (black) which I will be wearing when I put the top down on my PT 'Cruiser' Ragtop. I still need to get some goggles. I think I'll look pretty goofy. Tristan has threatenned not to ride with me if I wear it.

I hope you are all doing well. I'll let you know where I'm headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Chicagoland, IL

2008-05-20T10:53:00.001-05:00

Hello from Chicago. I'm currently at a 7 Eleven somewhere near O'Hare airport waiting for my next assignment. I've got my Cubs T-shirt on and my Bears cap, so I feel right at home. I had to make a delivery this morning at 9:00 am of paper products from Boise Cascade.

The last few weeks I've been entirely in the Upper Midwest crisscrossing the states of MN, WI, SD, ND and IA. I'm getting to know the secondary roads pretty well. I've been getting home on the weekends which has been what I've wanted. Monson is a good company. Being smaller it isn't so impersonal. Unlike Schneider where I was driver 49123, here I'm known as James.

I'll have been working for Monson 3 months the beginning of June and at that point will be out of a probationary period. Benefits will kick in, as well as getting a significant raise. I'm driving about 2500+ miles per week which is good.

I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the Spring weather. Having left the Winter season we are now entering the season of Road Construction. Take care - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Park Falls, WI

2008-04-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I last sent out an email. Last Thur I was sent to Sioux Falls, SD to pick up a load. My cousin Jeff lives there and just recently, his parents, Norman and Jan also moved there. I didn't have time to let Jeff know I was coming, but was planning on calling him when I got there. Well, it just so happened that as I was backing into the dock in Sioux Falls I received an email from him. I don't know if he had ever emailed before. I quickly called him and we were able to have lunch at a local truck stop.

By the way, Norman's 81st birthday is this coming Sunday, April 27th. Also on the birthday front, my brother-in-law, Jim, also known as Dr. Hall of Fame will turn 60 tomorrow. He's getting quite old.

Since my last email I have gone from WI to Huron, SD to Sioux Falls to Red Wing to Hoyt Lakes, MN to Cloquet, MN to Eau Claire, WI to Grand Forks, ND to Moorhead, MN to Duluth. Today I go back to Cloquet and then east to Park Falls, WI.

It is beautiful up here. In places there is still snow on the ground and many of the lakes are still parially ice covered. Spring is coming. Slowly.

I've been driving about 2200 miles a week the last 3 weeks. Mostly, I've transported paper products (scrap, pulp, rolls of paper). Last week I picked up a load of sugar at a warehouse in Mpls. A huge warehouse stacked high with bags and bags of sugar. And I thought to myself that this could be the birthplace of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

Tristan has started baseball. He practices Tue, Thur and Sat each week. I hope he continues to enjoy the experience. I'll go with him as much as possible.

I hope you are all doing well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Confrontation, MN

2008-04-15T01:03:00.001-05:00

I had a confrontation today and I lost. Let me explain. The word 'confront' comes from the Latin words 'cum' or with and 'frons' or face. To confront is to do something 'with face'. Well today I literally confronted the side of my trailer and lost. I was trying to loosen a bolt and the wrench slipped and I went face first into the side of the trailer. My nose made contact first, then my mouth. I was bloodied a bit, but I survived. Don't try this at home. My nose is sore and my profile is a bit flatter.

This morning at 4:00 am I started out from Red Wing and took a trailer up to Baxter, MN (180 miles) and had it unloaded there. I then drove 4 miles to Brainerd and picked up a loaded trailer and took that back down to Red Wing. From there I picked up an empty trailer and drove to Minneapolis and picked up a load of scrap paper and will take that to Duluth and arrive tomorrow morning. I was able to get as far as Rush City, MN which is on I-35 about 40 miles north of Mpls-St Paul.

There was over a foot of snow on the ground in Brainerd. Pretty depressing. They had a storm this past weekend. I hope your weather has been better. Well, have a good week. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Detroit Lakes, MN

2008-04-08T00:13:00.001-05:00

I started out from Red Wing last night at 9:00 pm. I had to take an empty trailer to Eau Claire (Menard's Distribution Center) drop it and pick up a loaded trailer by 11:00 pm. From there I was to take it to Detroit Lakes, MN for a 5:00 am delivery (290 miles).

Everything went smoothly until halfway through the drive to Detroit Lakes. First, I got really tired, so I stopped at a truck stop near Alexandria, MN. I heard there that I was driving into a snow storm. And sure enough I did. I also discovered that the interstate I was on (I-94) was closed north of Alexandria due to the snow and 3 semi's that had gone into a ditch. I had to pull off onto a exit ramp and wait 2 hours for the highway to reopen. I slept most of the time. When I got back on the road, it was snow packed and I could only drive 45 mph. I did that for about 100 miles. When I arrived at the Menards in Detroit Lakes their lot was full of snow so I had to wait over an hour for them to clear it out enough for me to back up to their dock.

When they are done unloading I'll need to take a 10 hour break, since I was on the road all night. I'll try to sleep for a few hours. I'll be able to start again at 6:00 pm this evening.

Fortunately, I didn't slip or slide at all while driving. I'm glad spring is starting to emerge up here in the 'Frozen Tundra'. I'm looking forward to driy roads and warmer temps.

I hope you all had a good weekend. Root for the Cubs! It's been 100 years since they've won anything. I think it is about time. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

St Peter, MN

2008-04-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

I thought some of you would be interested in knowing that I drove through St Peter, MN yesterday afternoon. I honked as I drove by Gustavus. I also called grandma and grandpa to let them know and they were pleased.

For most of the week I've been driving around MN and WI, but yesterday I picked up a load of peanuts (44,000 lbs) north of St Peter. I drove it down to Decatur, IL and am now waiting to be unloaded. I imagine I'll get home sometime tomorrow.

I forgot to give you the results of the Trucker Quiz from last week. It was a trick question. There is both a Menomonie, WI and a Menominee, MI. 3 of you got it right. Tristan's dad and step-mom replied first. Kari was the second one to get it right, and my uncle Jim and aunt Carole were the third ones to respond correctly. They all will get Snickers bars.

If Memphis beats UCLA on Sat I think I will win the west coast Barth NCAA pool. So, root for Memphis. If UCLA wins, Neil will win the pool.

I hope you have had a good couple of weeks and that you will have a great weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Duluth, MN

2008-03-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

Since I last emailed these are the cities I've gone to. (Whiting, WI - Waseca,MN - Easgan, MN - Duluth, MN - Cloquet, MN - Brainerd, MN and St Cloud, MN. I'm in St Cloud now picking up some scrap paper which I'll take to Duluth. I'm getting the hang of it. Much shorter trips. I call in at least 2 or 3 times a day. Mostly paper or paper products, although yesterday I hauled Coca-Cola products.

I have not been back to Red Wing this week yet. The other drivers have been very helpful with directions to businesses and advice about procedures.

I figured something out this morning. When I ran back in the '80's I used to run the city streets of South Mpls. That was enjoyable, but what really fascinated me was running up and down the alleys. Observing the back side of the city. Driving a truck feels the same. I see the back side of the city a lot and it is fascinating. It is not as well kept, usually older and a bit out of the way. Maybe it has to do with seeing beyond the facade. It seems a bit more real. Anyway, I find it fascinating.

I'm hoping to be home on Friday, but probably won't know until Friday morning.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! What's it like being 90? - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Appleton, WI

2008-03-18T11:47:00.001-05:00

I had a busy weekend once again before heading out last night from Red Wing. I'm in the process of taking a load of rolls of paper to Appleton, WI. I'll be delivering it this morning at 10:00 am.

Last week I was done driving on Thursday morning which was much sooner than I thought it would be. But, it turned out to be fortunate for me. When I got home I checked my banking accts online and discovered that someone had withdrawn money from savings acct. I quickly called the bank and after an hour of talking to a variety of officials discovered that someone in CO had posed as me and had withdrawn the funds. For the next couple of days I took care of business (ie - closed the checking & savings accts and opened up new ones, notified places where there were automatic payments, changed passwords, etc.). I will recover the funds withdrawn. I'm glad I had the time to deal with this.

I also spent time with Tristan. We signed him up for baseball this spring and summer, and he spent 3 nights with me which was wonderful. We saw the movie 10,000 BC which was better than I thought it would be.

I also watched the MN Girls High School Basketball Tournament on TV. My former niece, Caroline Haik played guard on the team that won the Class AAA tournament. That was fun. She is a good player.

I'm hoping I'll drive more miles this week than last, but we'll see. I'll be figuring out my brackets for the NCAA Basketball Tournament in the next few days. I hope you all had a good weekend and that this week will also be good for you. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

2008-03-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

I spent last night at home once again. Not bad. After delivering the load in Lincoln, NE yesterday morning I called in for my next assignment. The dispatcher said to call back in an hour. So I did that. They then told me to drive to Omaha and call in. So, I did that. They then told me to drive to Des Moines and call in. So, I did that. Once again, they told me to drive to Clear Lake, IA (100 miles) north of Des Moines. So, I did that. Finally, they said to drive back to Red Wing and call at 8:00 am this morning. I arrived in Red Wing at 7:00 pm and had a nice evening.

As I was traveling back, I believe they were looking for possible loads on my return trip (backhauls). I was paid for the miles I drove (over 400 miles) so I didn't lose out on anything.
The weather was nice, the temperature was mild, the roads were dry and it was a pleasant drive. I was surprised to get home once again this week. I expect to drive the next couple of days, but as of yet I haven't received my next assignment.

Kara and Ben both emailed with info on what the 5th season in Cedar Rapids is. It is a season of the 'mind' where one appreciates the other 4 seasons. They sent specific references in case you are interested.

Grandpa's birthday is coming up next Wednesday, March 19th. He will be 90. His sister, Marge, just turned 89 this past Thursday, March 6th. They are 'Irish' twins. They were born within a year of one another. Happy Birthday to both of them. Greta's husband, Tom had a birthday on the 6th also. I think he is 42. I believe Crish, my nephew, was also born in March, but I don't remember the date. (Crish, be sure to let me know).

I hope your week has been good. I'll let you know where I head next when I find out. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Lincoln, NE

2008-03-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

I started out on my own Sunday night at 8:30 pm from Red Wing. I took a load down to Cedar Rapids to be delivered at 11:00 am Monday morning (216 mi). After that I was sent to another company in CR to pick up a load of paper rolls (7 @ 6,000 lbs each) and they had me take that back up to Red Wing and drop it at the terminal there. I arrived at 5:30 pm.

My next assignment was to pick up a load in Mpls at 7:00 am this morning, so since I was in Red Wing I headed home for the night. That was a pleasant surprise. I'm guessing it won't happen very often.

I've picked up the load and am now heading south on I-35. It's 395 miles to Lincoln, NE. I'll be there sometime later this afternoon.

Where as with Schneider everything was done on computer, here at Monson I need to make phone calls to Dispatch to get my load and other information. They usually only tell you one thing at a time. For example, they say go to this location and when you are loaded call. When you call again they tell you where to take the load and possibly to call back in a couple of hours for the delivery time.

My truck is nice. It has 9 speeds instead of 10. It has 675,000 miles on it. It is not as deep as the Schneider trucks. The bed is right behind the seat. There are places for storage above the bed at either end of it. I've got my XM radio setup, a couple of books and my computer. I don't need much else. Oh, I forgot, and my Blackberry.

I'm guessing they'll send me right back to MN after I deliver in Lincoln. It is strange to think I'll be home as soon as this Friday. So far, it is working out well.

I noticed in CR that they call themselves the City of 5 Seasons. I'm curious what the 5th Season is. Do they have two winters? Does anyone know?

I hope you have a great week. I'll let you know where I'm headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

2008-03-07T13:28:00.001-06:00

Well, I finished my 'Check' ride and my day of orientation. I got back to Red Wing last night and will find out Saturday afternoon when I'll need to make my first pickup/delivery.

I did well on my 'Check' ride. The trainer was used to drivers right out of a training program. My having a year of experience was very helpful.

I was assigned my own truck, #452. It's at the terminal in Red Wing. I'll put some of my stuff in it this weekend. I received my ID card which gets me into the terminal. They don't have T-shirts or sweat shirts with Monson on it, but I did get a cap.

I talked to some other truckers who were interested in why I was switching from Schneider to Monson. They also seemed impressed with my experience. It looks like a good company. Much, much smaller than Schneider, but well run. They primarily pickup up paper, pulp, scrap, etc. It looks like I'll be doing border crossings into Winnipeg and Ontario from northern MN at times.

I'm not used to driving with someone and carrying on a conversation for a period of time, so Tues and Wed were different. I wasn't able to send my allotment of emails or make any phone calls. Nor did I have the alone time I'm used to. I'll be looking forward to that.

Greta drove Tristan to my place last night and he was there when I got home. It was good to see him. He spent the night and I took him to school this morning.

I'll let you know where I'm headed when I get the news tomorrow. Hope you all have a good and satisfying weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Mendota, IL

2008-03-04T22:51:00.000-06:00

I started with a different trucking company this morning. (Monson). As I mentioned before, it has a terminal or operating center in Red Wing. I'm now in the process of a 2 day 'Check Ride'. I'm driving with a Monson driver who is checking out my driving skills and teaching me the procedures that Monson has and the paperwork that needs to be filled out. I met him at 8:00 am in Red Wing. We picked up an empty trailer at the terminal there and headed to Fridley, MN (an inner suburb of Mpls) and picked up a load of rolls of paper. We than left for Mendota, IL which is 40 miles south of Rockford. We arrived in Mendota at 8:00 pm this evening.

I drove the whole time and adjusted to the new truck quite quickly. It is an International. Schneider had Freightliners. Everything in the truck is a bit different. Gauges are in different places as well as switches. The clutch and brake have a different feel to them. I need to shift at different speeds and rpm's. The mirrors are different. The steering wheel is bigger. The seat doesn't have as much 'cush'.

I must say though that the driving is the same and many procedures with the truck are the same. (Hooking up to a trailer, backing up to the dock, moving the trailer tires forward or back. )

The man I'm driving with is 64 and has been driving for 11 years. He is very nice. He has 2 children and 5 grandchildren. He owns an Apple computer and listens to NPR so we have things in common. I'll drive with him again tomorrow.

After delivering in Mendota tomorrow at 6:00 am we then drive down to Normal, IL and picked up a load of scrap paper which we will take up to Duluth by tomorrow afternoon. I'll spend the night there and on thursday have a day of orientation and then return to Red Wing late thursday afternoon.

Tonight, Monson is putting me up at a motel which is nice. I'm on my computer now, but will fall asleep soon.

I hope you all are doing well. I'll let you know how this time of adjustment goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Menomonie, WI

2008-02-26T10:20:00.000-06:00

This will be my last load for Schneider. I should have it delivered to Menomonie by 6:00 am tomorrow morning. Because of the limit of only driving 70 hours over a 7 day period, I only had 3.25 hours to drive today. Tomorrow I'll have plenty of hours to finish the run. Right now I'm about 2 miles from the junction of I-80 and I-39 in IL. I plan on leaving early tomorrow morning at 1:00 am and drive north to Menomonie.

I got up this morning at 4:30 am and drove from Dixon, IL to Joliet. I used I-88, I-355 and I-55. It was snowing and the going was slow in places. I arrived in Joliet a little after 7:00 to pick up the load.

I have the rest of the day to rest up, work on the computer and watch DVD's.

I'm pretty sure that I'll head to Blaine after dropping the load in Menomonie. All I have to do then is clean out the truck and head to Red Wing. So I'm about 24 hours away from concluding 1+ years of driving for Schneider. I'm guessing I drove about 120,000 miles in 44 states and 4 provinces in Canada.

I hope the day is going well for all of you. I'll let you know when I make it to Red Wing. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Dixon, IL

2008-02-25T10:38:00.000-06:00

This morning I'm sitting in the Schneider Indianapolis operating center. I have a load I need to take to Dixon, IL by 5:00 pm this afternoon. I picked it up yesterday morning in Columbus, OH at an operating center there. It's a relay. Another driver had brought it from MD to Columbus. I'm taking it the rest of the way.

Over the last 3 days I've been checking to find an operating center that can replace the starter in my truck. The one in Seville, OH didn't have time until tomorrow. The one in Columbus wasn't open yesterday. This one in Indy couldn't get to it until tonight. Since the time it didn't start a few days ago it has been starting ok. However, you never know when it won't start and need to be replaced. I'm attempting preventive maintenance. The suggestion the mechanics have is to always keep the tractor running.

I rented the movie 'Michael Clayton' yesterday on iTunes and downloaded it to my computer. That's a good movie.

3 or 4 more days and I'll be done at Schneider. Next week on Tues I'll probably drive with a Monson driver for a couple of days and then have a day of orientation in Duluth. I think I'll actually start driving the following Monday. March 10th.

I hope you all had a good weekend. For some of you Spring is coming. For those of us in the Upper Midwest we still have 6-8 weeks left. Someone once said that the MN has 4 seasons. June, July, August and Winter. Another commented about MN's 2 seasons, Winter and Road Construction. I'll let you know how the next few days go. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Columbus, OH

2008-02-25T10:37:00.000-06:00

I'm parked at a Wal Mart in Ogdenburg, NY and will start out soon. Ogdenburg is on the US/Canadian border. I picked up a load last night which I need to take to Columbus, OH by 8:00 am tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, once again, I drove all day. I started in Carlisle, PA, near Harrisburg and headed north on I-81 to Binghamton, NY and then took I-88 to near Albany. It was snowing the whole way. It wasn't heavy, thank goodness and the roads were never snowpacked, so I made good time. I was hearing weather reports of possible freezing rain later in the day in PA, so I was on a mission to get out of there.

After dropping off the load in Rotterdam, I pick up an empty there and heade to Syracuse and then north in I-81 to Ogdenburg. (220 miles).

Today, I'll just drive 8 hours and hopefully get a little south of Cleveland, OH. The weather looks much better this morning, so it should be a relaxing day.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll continue to keep you informed. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Rotterdam, NY

2008-02-20T22:05:00.000-06:00

Another long and interesting day. I left early this morning from Fairmont, WV and headed south. Drive thru light snow for a couple of hours, but then it cleared. I started out with temp around 20. Finished the day with temp at 66. I arrived later than I wanted in Jonesville, SC. And was then sent down to Beech Island, SC which is very close to Augusta, GA. I picked up a load for Kimberley-Clark which I now need to take 1,000 miles north to Rotterdam, NY which is close to Albany.

I was to pick up an empty in Beech Island and drop it at KC and then pickup a loaded trailer there. There were no empty trailers where they sent me and I was only 2 miles from KC so I tried my luck with bobtailing in. There was no problem. I was in and out within 20 minutes. Schneider did send a message and said they wanted me to bobtail 185 miles to pick up an empty trailer and then drive back the 185 miles to drop it at KC. I'm going to talk to them about it tomorrow morning.

This load I have now needs to be in Rotterdam by Friday which will mean 500 miles a day.

On the way down from Jonesville I drove by some large plantation homes. It felt like I was back 150 years. There were cotton fields on either side of the road. I think I drove through the town where Strom Thurmond was either born or went to school. (Johnston, SC).

Along the way I stopped for a short break and when I tried to start the truck nothing happened. I had experienced this in another truck so I had an idea of what to do. I lifted up the hood of the truck, got out my trusty hammer and rapped on the starter a few times. Got back in the truck and it started right up. It felt like magic, though I actually think I knocked some rust off some brushes.

It's nice to have warm weather even if it only will be for a day. I hope your day went well. I'll let you know how the trip goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Jonesville, SC

2008-02-19T21:14:00.000-06:00

Finally, I'm heading south. After spending two days in Canada, I'm taking a load of sponges to a Family Dollar distribution center in Jonesville, SC. The load weighs only 3600 lbs.

And, unlike the previous 5 days where I drove an average of 4 hours per day, today I drive close to 11 hours. Presently, I'm in Fairmont, WV which is about 30 miles south of the PA/WV line.

It was quite a day. At 7:00 am I delivered a load in Brantford, ON. I then bob-tailed to Bamford, ON which is close to Toronto. (60 miles). I picked up an empty and drove that about 10 miles to North York and picked up the load of sponges. It took about 3 1/2 hours to go the 70 miles. The traffic was heavy. I decided after picking up the load that the best way to get to SC was to cross the US/CN border at Buffalo, NY. So I drove an hour and a half south and crossed there. It was the easiest crossing I've ever had. From there I drove south on I-90 along Lake Erie. Unfortunately, they were experiencing lake effect snow which made visibility difficult. I was going to drive down to Cleveland and take I-77 south, but decided to head south on I-79 out of Erie, PA. Within a few miles the snow stopped and I was able to cruise south toward Pittsburgh. Having a light load makes it easier to deal with the hills.

Tomorrow, I'll continue south through WV, VA, NC and then SC. It should only take 6 or 7 hours. Jonesville, SC is in northern SC not too far from Charlotte, NC. I hear it may get to 60 degrees down there. That would be nice.

I drove through Morgantown, WV and discovered that is where West Virginia Univ is located. I understand now why they called the football game between Pitt and WVU the 'Backyard Brawl'. They are only about 50 miles away from one another.

I hope your week is going well. There's another set of primaries to follow tonight (WI, WA, Hawaii). This sure has been a fascinating election year.

I'll let you know where I'm headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Aberfoyle, ON

2008-02-18T21:52:00.000-06:00

I'm at the Schneider operating center in Aberfoyle, ON. I entered Canada yesterday hoping to deliver the load I had for Brantford, ON this morning. The business was closed due to Family Day in Canada. So, I'm here for another day.

This has been a different trip. I've only had to drive 4 or 5 hours a day. I've had plenty of time in between. I've been watching movies I rent from iTunes and download on my computer. It's a great deal.

I've missed all of the bad weather, thankfully. I had no problems crossing the border, but did have to show my daily logs to an officer at a weigh station in Canada. Fortunately, they were mistake free. Truckers can be fined for not having correct or up-to-date logs.

I imagine I'll be heading back to the US tomorrow, but have no idea where I'll actually be headed.

I did give my two week notice to Schneider. I'll be starting at Monson Trucking two weeks from tomorrow. I'll be driving 5 days at a time and then having 2 days off. I'll have my own truck and will park it in Red Wing at an operating center they have there. The routes will be regional (upper Midwest area). I had a good experience with Schneider, but this will allow me to be home more frequently.

I hope you all had a good weekend. Only 2 more months of winter in MN if we are lucky. More and more I'm questioning my sanity for living in MN. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Brantford, ON

2008-02-15T10:54:00.000-06:00

I started out once again this afternoon from Blaine, MN. This will probably be my last two week run with Schneider. I'm pretty sure I'll be driving for a company called Monson beginning in early March.

I picked up an empty trailer in Menomonie, WI and drove it down to Madison, WI. Tomorrow the trailer will be loaded and I'll be heading to Brantford, ON. (Another border crossing).

Tonight I had dinner with Erika and the girls once again. Elsa was wearing pants with hearts on them and a big heart on her shirt. Sydney had a special dress on. We had to eat at McDonalds and for sure had to get a shake. After that I bought them each a heart shaped balloon with a teddy bear tied to it. Erika and the girls also had their picture taken in one of those photo booths. Very cute. It was a wonderful way for me to spend Valentine's day.
I had a great week with Tristan and Greta. It was filled with Basketball. Tristan had a great time and also did really well.

Jenna had her baby, a boy, last Saturday. Zachary is home and doing well. He was in NICU for a couple of days. Kathy said he is growing. His brother Elias doesn't seem adversely effected by it all. Congrats Jenna and Ben!

I drove on some snow packed roads on the way down to Madison. Not my favorite. I have yet to slide or swerve, and have no need to experience it. I'm aware of how big the truck is and how much damage it could cause if I lost control. I'm hoping the weather is good during this two week period. I'll let you know how it goes.

I hope your week went well and that this coming weekend will be a good one for you. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

2008-02-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

My apologies for the late post. I got home to Red Wing on Wednesday afternoon. I made it to Green Bay, WI Tuesday morning and got a new assignment to go up to Escanaba, MI and pickup a load of paper. I got that late Tues and then drove back to Blaine Wednesday morning. It seemed like a longer two weeks than usual. I think it had to do with driving out west.

Since Wed I've been taking Tristan to basketball events. Practice on Thur. A game on Friday. A tournament today. Tomorrow they get to play at the Target Center in downtown Mpls. That's where the Timberwolves play. They play at 9:30 in the morning. Tristan is excited about that.

I'm looking at two other trucking companies to work for. Both are much smaller than Schneider. Schneider has 13,000 drivers. These companies each have 250 drivers. The benefit to working for them is I could be home more frequently. For one company I'd be out 2 days and then home. Then got out the next day for 3 days and then home for 2 days. This company is based out of Rochester, though they have a terminal in Red Wing. For the other, I'd be based out of Red Wing. I'd drive for 5 days and be home for 2 days. I might make a decision in the next few days. I probably wouldn't start until the beginning of March if I did switch companies.

Jenna, Kathy's daughter just had a baby boy yesterday. She now has 2 boys. Elias and little Zachary. I was hoping they'd name him Alfonso Soriano Mathew after the Chicago Cubs player, but for some reason they decided not to. Can't figure it out.

Whether I switch jobs or not I'll be out again Thur. driving a Schneider truck for 2 weeks. I'll keep you informed. I hope you all have a good weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Green Bay, WI

2008-02-05T10:05:00.001-06:00

It's been a busy few days. The last time I wrote I was just about to have breakfast with Gene and Neil in CA near Stockton. They and Crish arrived early and got a chance to see the truck and a Schneider operating center. We did have breakfast and had a wonderful conversation. Gene gave me tips as to how to navigate LA which really came in handy.

I made it to my stop in LA 45 minutes early, dropped the trailer and quickly drove down to Fullerton to pick up a load that needed to be taken to Green Bay. I spent that night, Thur at an operating center in LA.

I decided to head back east on I-40 and as a result met Grandma and Grandpa in Holbrook, AZ Friday afternoon. They drove up to Holbrook from Sun City. It was a nice time. I had plenty to eat and was able to give them a ride in the truck, which I think they enjoyed. I left Holbrook and continued east on Sat and got as far as Amarillo, TX.

Sunday, I drove as far as Springfield, MO and yesterday drove to Madison, WI. Fortunately, I was able to have dinner with Erika and the girls and buy them some gifts. Elsa will be 2 this Sunday, Feb. 10th.

The weather was great from CA all the way to IL. The temps were in the 50's - 70's and the skies were clear. It was a nice reprieve from driving in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday however was less ideal. From St Louis to Madison I drove through fog. Sometimes very dense. The traffic flowed nicely but I needed to be on my toes.

I arrived in Green Bay this morning at 8:30 am. I'm hoping after unloading to get a load that heads back to Mpls/St Paul, but we'll see.

I haven't driven anymore miles in the last 2 weeks than I usually do, but it seemed like it. This time I drove through MN, ND, MT, WA, OR, CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, MO, IL and WI. Quite a circuit. I now have driven through all of the lower 48 states except NV, UT, CO and VT.

I hope your weekend went well. I was pleased the Giants won the Super Bowl. They are Jason's team. It will be interesting to follow the primaries today, Super Tuesday. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

French Camp, CA

2008-01-30T22:10:00.000-06:00

The last three days have been quite a challenge, but I'm just off of I-5 just a bit south of Stockton, CA - home of University of the Pacific, Crish's alma mater - at a Schneider operating center in French Camp, CA. Tomorrow I drive the rest of the way to El Monte, CA. I'm hopting to be there by 4:00 pm pst.

Monday, before picking up my current load I was asked to pickup and deliver another in Seattle. That went well, but took up more time than I wanted. I did pickup the current load and got down to Portland in the early evening on Monday. I went to a Schneider operating center there and they needed to do a yearly inspection of the trailer I was hauling. What they found is that it wasn't safe to haul a load. They were afraid that the bottom might drop out of it. So, on ...

Tuesday, I needed to take the loaded trailer to another company and then bring an empty trailer there and they transloaded it (moved the load from one trailer to another). It took until 3 before I could get going again. In the meantime I had my notebook which was full of permits for traveling in different states looked at. Some of the permits had expired, in particular, the one for Oregon. They said if I was checked by the dept of trans I would have had to pay a fine of over $400. Well on my way south on I-5 I was checked and the new permit I was given was inaccurate. Forunately, I was able to call someone at the State of Oregon and get it straightened out. I drove until I was 150 miles from the CA state line.

Today, I started out later than I wanted to, but that was fortunate. If I would have started out earlier I would have needed to put chains on the tires at two separate locations in order to get over two high elevation mountain passes. As it turned out I didn't need the chains. It snowed from where I started out all the way to about 100 miles south of the state line. It was sloppy, slow and mountainous. I was relieved when I got to Redding, CA. The snow stopped, the road flattened out and I could see blue sky.

Tomorrow morning I'm planning on meeting Gene and Neil for breakfast. They live about an hour away and then leaving about 9:00 am.

After delivering in El Monte I may meet Grandma and Grandpa somewhere on I-10. It all depends on where I'll be sent next. If I'm sent back north they will drive to LA. If I'm sent east, I'll more than likely drive close by Phoenix and I can see them there. I'll figure all of that out tomorrow.

I hope you are all doing well. Jenna, Kathy's daughter, my favorite niece in Dubuque will be giving birth on Feb 12th, most likely. I was thinking if it is a boy they should name him Abraham Lincoln Mathew. Jenna wasn't to thrilled with that suggestion.

I'll keep in touch. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

El Monte, CA

2008-01-28T11:56:00.000-06:00

It's been quite a trip so far. I made it to Arlington, WA on time, but had to drive through 200 miles of snow and snow-packed roads. Fortunately, I didn't have to use the chains. I wasn't traveling very fast in stretches (35 mph). One car spun out in front of me and almost got his car back under control, but finally landed in a ditch. Another car in Spokane pulled over in front of me after passing and his car stalled. I had to switch lanes quite quickly.

Now I head down to Kent, OR to pick up a load. Kent isn't too far from Seattle. I'll take that load to El Monte, CA, near LA. So, I'm heading south and I'll pick up yet another state. (CA). I need to be there on Wed 01/30 in the afternoon. They say it is about 1200 miles.

Tristan was in a BB tournament on Saturday. His 4th grade team played other schools. They won all their games and each member of the team received a medal. He was excited.

I'll let you know how the trip south goes. Hope you had a good weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Livingston, MT

2008-01-26T12:09:00.000-06:00

I spent the night in Livingston, MT just east of Bozeman. So far the driving has been good. However, today could be more challenging. I want to get as far as Spokane, WA. I'll be dealing with strong winds and wind gusts. And elevation. I'll be down shifting a lot because of how heavy I'm this time (78,000 lbs). There isn't supposed to be snow until tonight, so I might miss that.

The mountains remain impressive, looming on either side of me. The temps are quite mild compared to MN (in the 30's).

I hope you all will have a good weekend. I'll keep you informed about how it goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Arlington, WA

2008-01-24T12:10:00.000-06:00

I'm just driving out of Blaine, MN and heading toward Arlington, WA (just north of Seattle). It is cold this morning (well below zero, possibly 15 below). The driver ahead of me plugged in the truck last night so it started right up. I guess the diesel fuel become like gel when the temp is below 15 degrees. Also if you aren't careful the tractor doesn't connect fully with the traiiler when it is cold. Some drivers have dropped the trailer as a result. I had to do some pounding with a hammer to fully connect the trailer I hooked up to.

If you hear of any bad weather in the northern plains or the Pacific Northwest in the next few days, be sure to let me know. I've got the chains for the tires in case I run into snow.

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. I hope this past week was good for you. Mine was good and busy. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Indianapolis, IN

2008-01-14T13:04:00.000-06:00

I'm currently in Indianapolis. I delivered a load of paper rolls here early this morning. I brought them down from Quinnesec, MI (Upper Peninsula) yesterday. I had to drive about 600 miles. Part of the way it was snowing. It is pretty up there. I drove through Norway, MI.

Now I'm doing a short run from Indy to Lebanon, IN and back to Indy. I only have 7 hours I can work today so I'll bei stopping soon. Hopefully, they'll send me back toward MN tomorrow.

I was 2 for 4 with my picks this past weekend. How did the rest of you do? My son-in-law, Pat is a Chargers fan and he was elated. He'll be wearing his Chargers jersey all day today. Jason, my nephew from NYC is a Giants fan and I imagine he is pleased with yesterdays games. My picks for next week are the underdogs again, the Chargers and the Giants. I'll be able to watch those in the comfort of my living room while eating pizza and having a couple of beers.

I hope your weekend went well. Did you know 1/7 of your life is spent on Monday? I used to dread Mondays when I was young. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Menomonee Falls, WI

2008-01-12T12:04:00.000-06:00

Before I talk about driving, I need to mention one birthday that I forgot. Little Elias Mathew turned 1 on December 30, 2007. He is a cute little boy. I've been looking for steel-toed boots for him, 'cause all guys have a pair of steel-toed boots. But I haven't found any his size. A belated Happy Birthday, Elias.

I dropped off the load in La Vergne, TN at 6:00 pm last night and picked up a load at the same place which I need to deliver to a Kohls Distribution Center in Menomonee Falls, WI which is near Milwaukee. (about 600 miles)

I've been a bit under the weather the last couple of days. I have a sore throat and have lost my voice. I hope it comes back in the next couple of days.

Today I'm listenning to the Seahawks victory and the Jaguar victory on radio. I had been listenning to presidential politics, but I get weary listenning to the pundits put their spin on what's happenning. The media can really shape and sometimes distort what is happening in the world. Both by what they emphasize and by what they leave out. Anyway, it's football today.

I hope you have a wonderful winter weekend. I'll let you know where I'm heading next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

La Vergne, TN

2008-01-10T18:19:00.000-06:00

I'm currently waiting for a load in Romeoville, IL. This trip is different from the others. I have to pick up loads at 3 different locations near the Chicago area. They'll all fit in one trailer. I'll take them to La Vergne, TN. The first load I picked up was in Aurora. The second one is here and the third load I'll pick up in Monee, IL. That is just south of Chicago on I-57. I should be able to get to La Vergne by tomorrow afternoon sometime. It is close to Nashville.

I delivered my previous load this morning at 11:00 am. Crossing the border yesterday was pain free.

Driving from De Kalb into Chicago I noticed a sign for Blackberry Farm. I immediately thought of my Blackberry and wondered if that was where old Blackberry's went to die.

There are a lot of birthdays in Kathy's family this month. Below is a list of name date, and how they are related. I think it is interesting how many of them are gathered together. I believe Ben and Rachel were born in the same year as well as on the same date. Happy Birthday to all of you.

Wayne Denny 1/6 - Hilary's husband
Ben Mathew 1/14 - Jenna's husband
Rachel Van Dine 1/14 - Marc's wife
Kathy Van Dine 1/15 - The Matriarch
Marc Van Dine 1/18 - The only Son
Jenna Mathew 1/26 - the middle Daughter

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My picks for the NFL games this weekend are the Chargers over the Colts, the Jaguars over the Patriots, the Giants over the Cowboys and the Seahawks over the Packers. I've picked the underdogs.

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

DeKalb, IL

2008-01-09T23:04:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting at a dock in Concord, ON waiting to be loaded. I'll be taking this load back to DeKalb, IL. It is due tomorrow sometime.

I made it through customs very easily this time. There weren't long lines and my shipment wasn't inspected. I didn't expect to deliver the load until this morning, but they asked if I could deliver it last night. I arrived in Etobicoke, ON about 8:00 pm.

The weather changed last night. It was warm and raining last night. Storms came thru with lots of rain, high winds and much lower temps. The truck was swaying as I was sleeping. The winds are still strong today.

I'll being going through customs again tonight. I'm going to try to make it 2 for 2.

I hope you are all having a good week. I'll keep you informed about where I'll be headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Etobicoke, ON

2008-01-07T13:26:00.000-06:00

I'll be heading into Canada next. I'll be delivering furs right in the Toronto area. I'll need to be there sometime Wednesday. It is 620 miles away. There are forms to fill out. Different than before. And, I'll have to go to 3 different offices before I'm given the ok to cross. I may not be able to cross at Detroit/Windsor. I may have to go up to Port Huron.

Currently, I'm in Janesville getting the trailer unloaded. I pick up the furs in Stoughton, WI which isn't too far away.

Erika and the girls drove down yesterday from Madison and met me in Janesville. We had a milk shake, and went to Target to pick up finger paints and water colors. They have a new easel. I can just imagine watching them do their thing. On their way back to Madison they were stopped for quite awhile on I-90. There was a series of accidents involving 100 cars and trucks. 2 people were killed. There was a dense bank of fog. Cars braked suddenly and it started a chain reaction. I'm glad Erika wasn't involved in it.

It remains warm and foggy here. I'm sure that'll change soon. I hope you are all doing well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Janesville, WI

2008-01-06T00:34:00.000-06:00

I think I'm experiencing a slight slowdown in the trucking industry. It may be due to the economy or just a holiday phenomenon. I delivered the load to Yoder, IN at 11:30 am, but waited in the truck until 4:30 pm for my next load. I picked up a trailer in Fort Wayne, IN and will be taking it to Janesville, WI. (260 miles). It doesn't need to be there however until Monday around noon. So, I'll have plenty of time between now and then.

I forgot to mention that I'm driving a different truck. It only has 400,000 miles on it instead of 600,000 miles. It practically brand new. I must say it looks the same as the other one. It does shift better than the previous one.

It was a dreary day in IN. Near 40, overcast and drizzling. But it is better than freezing rain, heavy snow, etc. It sounds difficult out west with all the rain, high winds and heavy snow in the mountains. Gene and Neil still have power at their home in Orinda, CA, but it sounds like a million customers nearby don't.

I hope your weekend is going well. I'll let you know where I'm heading next when I hear on Monday. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Yoder, IN

2008-01-03T23:04:00.000-06:00

Finally, I'm back at it. I started again this morning and was sent from Blaine down to Eagan to pick up a load bound for Morris, IL. However, when I got there they had no record of a shipment going to Morris. After 2 hours of calling Schneider and talking to the Shipping people it was indeed determined that there was no load to ship.

So, I went to the nearest truck stop and waited for another assignment. I received one an hour later. I was to pickup a load in Glencoe, MN (west of the Cities) and take it to Yoder, IN. The pickup time is tomorrow morning and the delivery time is Sat morning. Having received this I settled in for the night.

At 8:00 pm I received a request to deliver a load to Bayport, MN (east of the Cities) by 11:30 pm tonight. I had to go to Blaine and pickup the load and take it to Bayport. I'm currently in Bayport with the new load waiting for it to be unloaded. I'll still head to Glencoe in the morning, but won't be able to get there as early.

I need to find a place to park for the night.

I had a long and busy Holiday break. From Sunday 12/23 thru 01/02. I spent time with Greta and her family, Erika and her family and I flew to NYC to spend time with brother Frank and his family. New Years Eve was spent with Tristan, as well as New Years Day. We went to a movie on the Eve and in the afternoon on New Years Day.

I hope your Holdays went well and that you haven't found it too difficult to get back to your normal routine. I should be driving until the 16th and will be sending updates on my travels. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

2007-12-23T15:34:00.000-06:00

Well, I am home! I arrived at 9:00 am today. Late in the afternoon yesterday I received a message from Schneider that I could go home after dropping off the load in Blaine this morning. I decided to get up early and try to beat the snow that was forecast. I awoke at 3:00 am and saw that the snow was falling and the wind blowing hard. I ventured out anyway. The road had 4 to 5 inches of snow and I could barely see tracks in the snow. I drove 20 mph for the first 2 hours. Fortunately there weren't many cars or trucks on the road. After a couple of hours there was evidence of a snow plow. Gradually my speed increased. By the time I got to the WI/MN border the roads were clear and I was zooming along.

I'll be off until the day after New Years Day, so I'll have plenty of time to celebrate with Erika and Greta., visit Frank and continue to work on my condo.

I hope the coming week will bring many unexpected gifts to you and those close to you. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Blaine, MN

2007-12-23T01:28:00.000-06:00

I arrived in Fond du Lac yesterday morning a half hour before my schdeuled appt and with 30 minutes left to drive before I was over 70 hours. That was cutting it close. I spent the day at a truck stop in Fond du Lac. This morning I was sent up to Escanaba, MI to pick up a load of paper which I'm to take to Blaine, MN. I'm to drop off the trailer at the Schneider Drop Lot where I park my car. There is a chance that I'll be done tomorrow, but I probably won't know for sure until tomorrow morning. That would be quite a Xmas gift.

It has been foggy since Thur afternoon. I drove through for all day today. 1/4 to 1/2 mile visibility all day. A bit stressful. But I'm also excited by the possibility of being done tomorrow. I could only drive 8 hours today. I was able to make the pickup in Escanaba and get as far as 30 miles west of Wausau before I needed to stop. I have a little over 200 miles left to drive tomorrow. I may be driving in snow, but there shouldn't be much traffic.

I imagine you are all getting ready for your holiday celebrations. I hope it is not too stressful. I'll let you know if I get home early. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa
)

Fond du Lac, WI

2007-12-19T11:06:00.000-06:00

I've stopped for the day. I'm 5 miles into Montana. It is snowing. I got stuck climbing up to Lookout Pass (on the ID-MT border). I had to get out and put on chains and then crawl at 5 mph to the top and then come down on the other side at 15 mph.

I started out this morning in Everett at 2:00 am PST and drove down to Portland (200 miles) and picked up chains there. Then I took I-84 east along the Columbia River. That was spectacular. After another 180 miles I headed back north into WA and picked up I-90.

Tomorrow I'll drive through MT and thursday I'll try to make it to WI. Quite an adventure.

My supervisor is trying to get me home on Xmas day. That would be nice, but I'm just hoping to be back by the day after.

Erika and Pat have decided they will be moving to near Portland, OR. Pat will be teaching at Linfield College in McMinnville, OR starting in Sept. '08. They are excited. It sounds like a wonderful place. I'm very pleased for them.

Well, I hope your week is going well. I'll let you knpw how the rest of my trip goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Easton, WA

2007-12-17T11:05:00.000-06:00

I'm in the mountains and stopped near Snoqualmie Pass. It is snowing. The advisory says to use chains. I don't have any, so I need to wait for the snow to stop. I'm 60 miles from Seattle. I didn't expect any snow this close to Seattle, but what do I know.

After dropping off this load, I pick up another load at the same place and take it right back to the midwest. (Fond du Lac). I need to be there by Friday morning 12/21 at 8:00 am. I'll be driving down to Portland to pick up some chains before I head back east.

I hope your weekend was good and that today is going well. I'll let you know if I get out of the mountains. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

P.S. - Kara, could you mark down MT, I'd and WA? Thanks!

Bozeman/Butte, MT

2007-12-16T00:41:00.000-06:00

I just stopped for the night midway between Bozeman and Butte ob I-90. Montana sure is big. I'll drive 700 miles from the eastern to western MT.

I started out from the Twin Cities at 9:00 am yesterday and got as far as Bismarck, ND. I started again at 7:30 am this morning and drove close to 600 miles.

I still have over 600 miles left to drive before I reach Everett, WA. The weather has been good. In the Twin Cities it was below zero, but clear. It only got down to 15 in Bismarck. Where I'm at now it is in the 30's. No snow which I'm grateful about. I hope that continues until I get to WA. The mountains are impressive. I haven't been able to see the tops of them. They are cloud covered. What I can see of them is snow covered. I was in MT once before, but that was during the summer. The terrain was quite different then. It seemed more hospitable.

I'll probably drive another 600 miles tomorrow and get as close as I can to Everett. I hope your weekend is going well so far. I'll let you know where they send me once I get to WA. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Everett, WA

2007-12-13T23:35:00.000-06:00

Well, soon I'll be back at it. The driver before me won't be back to Blaine until tonight. So' I won't be starting again until tomorrow morning. He's bringing a load that I will be taking all the way to Everett, WA. (1700 miles). I don't need to have it there until Monday evening' so I'll have 4 full days to make the drive.

I think I'll go west on I-94 through ND, MT, UT and then WA. The other option would be to take I-90.

Once out there I'm not sure how or when I'll make it back. Heading south to CA or AZ would be ideal.

I'll have had parts of 10 days off. I've used the time getting settled in my new place and spending time with Greta and Tristan. It's been fun. I hope you all have had a good week. I'll keep you informed about my progress and next stop. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Birthdays, NY

2007-12-08T13:01:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note about birthdays in NYC. Uncle Frank's birthday is today, Dec 8th and he is 61. Cousin Jason's birthday is tomorrow, Dec 9th and he will be 38, I believe. Happy Birthday to the both of them. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

2007-12-05T22:43:00.000-06:00

I'm home. I arrived yesterday around noon. That was fortunate because it snowed all day here. (5") it would have been tough getting in any later.

I was in Chicago most of Monday. The traffic wasn't bad, so the day went well. I did stop for the night in Madison, but got there too late to visit Erika and the girls. On sunday night, Sydney was so excited about setting up the Xmas tree and making cookies that ahe had a hard time getting to sleep. Erika heard something in the living room at midnight and went out to look. There was Syd standing by the tree, just looking up at it. The magic of the season.

I just setup my new Blackberry. It took awhile, but now I'm all set. This one has a full keyboard so my emails might make more sense. However, in changing from Nextel to Sprint my address changed. Instead of nextel in the address you need to put sprint there. So the new address is jbarth9@sprint.blackberry.net

Please make this correction. I don't want to lose touch with you.

Have a great week. I'll be moving all the stuff from my garage to my condo (books' etc), and playing with my new toy. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Streamwood, IL

2007-12-02T22:49:00.000-06:00

I had quite a day yesterday. I started out from Madison driving south to St Louis. I missed all of the snow which I was thankful for, but I did hit freezing rain about 60 miles north of St Louis. It lasted for about 30 miles, but that was enough for me. I drove about 35 to 45 mph. I saw cars in the ditch on both sides of the road. Fortunately, I didn't slip or slide at all.

After I dropped off the trailer in St Louis I was to pick up an empty trailer and take it to Jefferson City, drop it there and pick up a loaded trailer and being it up to Streamwood, IL by Monday morning. The place I was to pick up the empty was closed however. So they sent me another 100 miles to pick up an empty in Fulton, MO. When I got there they didn't have any empty trailers, so I was sent another 85 miles to Sedalia to pick up a trailer. By that time I had to stop for the night.

This morning I finally picked up an empty and then drove back to Jefferson City, dropped off the empty and picked up my load. I drove pretty much nonstop and made it to just north of Joliet. I'll drive the rest of the way early tomorrow.

When I woke up this morning near Sedalia it was 66 degrees. It got as high as 70 when I drove through St Louis. About 40 miles north of St Louis during a 10 mile stretch the temp dropped from 62 degrees to 39 degrees. Quite amazing.

On Friday night, I went with Erika and the girls to a mall in Madison and bought the girls Xmas outfits. They also got some slippers, sunglasses and Sydney got some ear muffs. They had to wear the sun glasses right away. So we went walking through the mall with them wearing the glasses. They looked pretty cute. When we went outside, Syd had her stocking cap on with her sun glasses and her ear muffs on. Quite a sight. Erika said they wore the glasses to bed the last 2 nights.

Hopefully, after dropping off the load tomorrow I'll start heading back toward the Twin Cities. It would be nice to get back on Tuesday. But, you never know. I'll keep you informed. I hope you've had a nice weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

St. Louis, MO

2007-11-30T10:59:00.000-06:00

I'm in LaCrosse, WI picking up a load of beer, and boy, is it cold (14 degrees). It also snowed here last night. Not much, but enough for it to feel like Xmas. I'll be taking this to the operating center in St Louis and need to be there tomorrow morning.

There is supposed to be a snowstorm in MN and WI tomorrow. Maybe as much as 8" of snow. Good thing I'll be down in MO.

I'll be able to stop tonight in Madison and see Erika and the girls. That will be fun.

To backtrack a bit, I dropped off the load in Tomah this morning at 8:00 am. Right on schedule. After a year, I think I'm getting pretty good at this.

It was one year ago today that I drove from Red Wing to Green Bay to begin my training at Schneider. I remember that day well. I was more excited than anxious and not quite sure what it would be like. I must say the training for the most part was challenging and fun.

I hope your coming weekend is good. I'll let you know where I'm headed when I hear tomorrow. Also a Happy Birthday to my nephew, Josh, who turns 40 today. I remember his birth well. I'm proud to say that I'm his godfather. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Tomah, WI

2007-11-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

This has been an interesting day. I left Houston at a little before 6:00 am and drove non-stop to Jenks (south of Tulsa). I arrived at 2:30 pm and dropped off the load.

I pick up my next load at the same place, but not until 2:00pm tomorrow afternoon. So I had 24 hours to blow. I decided to get a motel room nearby and take it easy.

The load I pick up I will take to Tomah, WI which is about 1 1/2 hours north of Madison. I need to have it there by Friday. So if I play my cards right I'll be able to see Erika Thursday evening.

The reason for the delay is that I was running short of hours to drive. This will all work out great. Now I'll shower, get something to eat, work on the computer and sleep.

I hope your week is going well. I'll get back to you sometime Thur. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Jenks, OK

2007-11-26T23:14:00.000-06:00

I just stopped for the day at a truck stop outside of Houston. I had a long one. I got up at 3:30 am and started driving at 4:30 am from Anna, TX which is about 40 miles north of Dallas. I made it down to Sealy at 10:00 am and then was sent to Port Arthur, TX to pick up a load of pulp. Port Arthur is about 150 miles from Sealy on the other side of Houston. I arrived there about 1:30 pm and was loaded up by 4:00 pm. Port Arthur is on the gulf coast and is filled with oil refineries. I had to drive into the port of Port Arthur, where ships dock and unload. There were also railroad tracks running every which way. Quite a convergence of shipping, rail and truck traffic. The load I picked up I'll need to drive up to Jenks, OK by early afternoon tomorrow (500 miles). Jenks is just south of Tulsa.

Last night I was fortunate enough to have dinner with Kara (my niece). She met me at one of the truck stops in Anna. It was great to see her. My good fortune continues with regard to seeing relatives.

I hope you all watched the Bears game yesterday afternoon. I wasn't able to watch, but followed along on my Blackberry. I prefer that. I get too anxious otherwise.

The Holiday season is upon us. I suppose I could decorate the inside of my truck, but I think I'll fore go that pleasure. I let you know where I'm headed when I find out tomorrow. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Sealy, TX

2007-11-25T13:45:00.001-06:00

I'm heading south and it's time to break out the shorts. I made it to Effingham
this morning at 11:00 am and had the trailer unloaded. I was then sent back up north
to Spring Valley, IL, which is close to the intersection of I-80 and I-39. There
I picked up a load at a WalMart Dist. Ctr. I'm to take that to Sealy, Tx which
is down by Houston (1100 miles). I need to get there by mid-morning Monday. I drove
until 9:00 pm this evening and made it to an Schneider Operating Center near St
Louis. Tomorrow I hope to drive 11 hours or 700 miles and get pretty close to my
destination.

Again today the driving was easy. The weather cooperated and the traffic was light.

I listened to ESPN radio all day following college football. Tomorrow I'll listen
to ESPN following the NFL games. The Bears are really terrible this year, which
has taken some of the fun out of the season. I'm hoping Kansas wins tonight
over Missouri, but it really doesn't look good.

I hope your weekend is going well. One more day left in this long Holiday. I'll
let you know how it goes and where I'll be going next when I find out. - James
(Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Effingham, IL

2007-11-24T12:27:00.000-06:00

Next stop, Effingham, IL. I dropped off the load in Wisconsin Rapids this morning and picked up another one there. This one has 24 rolls of paper (44,000 lbs). I have an appt to del it at 11:00 am tomorrow. I drove as far as Gilmore, IL this evening (exit 183 on I-57).

Again, it was a nice day. (20's and 30's) Driving has been easy. Not too many cars or trucks on the road. I drove through Chicago and only once needed to slow down.

Tonight, I'm going to watch movies. The first one will be `Live Free or Die Hard` with Bruce Willis, and if I'm not too tired I'll watch `Amazing Grace`, which is about the man who brought about the abolition of slavery in England in the early 1800's.

Living in a truck is pretty comfortable for me. I find I'm in more contact with people than when I'm home. I'm surprised by that, but also pleased. I celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday with many phone calls to family, and with a turkey sandwich which I bought at a truck stop. For once, I didn't overeat.

I hope yesterday was good and that the weekend is continuing as you hoped it would. I'll keep in touch. Maybe I'll head down south where it is warm. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

2007-11-22T16:06:00.000-06:00

I started out again this morning at 9:00 am. I had a great week and it was hard getting back to the truck, but once here, it is ok. They have sent me north to Duluth, MN to pick up a load of paper which eventually will be taken to Oklahoma City, OK. I only have to take it to Wisconsin Rapids. Someone else will take it from there.

Duluth sure has a nice view of Lake Superior. Quite awe inspiring. It is clear and in the 20's.

It will take them an hour to load the trailer.

I was able to move everything from my apt to the condo I purchased. Much of it however is in the garage. The next time I'm home I'll tackle that job. Tristan has been over almost everyday. We've setup a train in one of the bedrooms and as usual, we've been watching war movies. It's wonderful to have him around. Greta has been a big help with moving, as well as Tom and his boys. I only had to move less than a block. I put my books in plastic target bags (8-10 books per bag). I bet there are about 100 or more bags. It took 2 or 3 pickup loads to get them all over to the condo. A trucker with books.

I hope you are all having a nice Thanksgiving - eating a lot and watching football on TV, or whatever. I'll keep you informed of my travels. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

2007-11-15T10:30:00.001-06:00

I'm finally almost home. I should arrive in Red Wing about 2:00 am. I left from Gary yesterday in the afternoon around 4:00 pm. The load I was to pick up didn't arrive until then. I drove straight to Shakopee with only one brief stop and made it in 7 1/2 hours. I then drove to Blaine 40 miles north, unloaded the truck and headed south to Red Wing.

Last night I spent from midnight to 3:00 getting unloaded in Oconomowoc and then drove 2 1/2 hours to Gary, arriving at 6:00 am. I slept on and off throughout the morning, and waited for my next load.

I've had strange hours the last couple of days.

Now I begin moving from my apt to my new condo. I have 7 days, so there is no big hurry. I hope the remainder of your week goes well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Shakopee, MN

2007-11-13T23:47:00.001-06:00

I'm just about ready to drive 40 miles to Oconomowoc. I stopped this afternoon in Madison to take my 10 hour break. I needed to do that so that after dropping off this load I can drive for 10 more hours. I will next drive to the Gary operating center and pick up another load which I will then take to Shakopee, MN and after that head home. If all goes well I will be done by 2:00 pm. If not it may be closer to midnight tomorrow.

I again was able to have dinner with Erika and the girls. We went to a mall and walked through a book store. Each of the girls got a stuffed Minnie Mouse, a book and a small toy. Elsa got a rubber Ducky, Sydney got 3 little Thomas the Tank engines. Erika got two books. It was fine watching them walk around. They are very, very cute.

Wish me luck tonight! Driving through the night is not my favorite. I hope you are all doing well - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Fenton, MO / Oconomowoc, WI

2007-11-13T23:46:00.000-06:00

A two-parter - After making a delivery in Sterling Heights I was sent into Detroit to pick up some automotive parts to be taken to Fenton, MO some 550 miles away. This is a JIT load (Just in Time). I'm delivering it to a Chrysler Motors Plant. I guess they need the parts. I'll get there tomorrow at 6:00 am. I stopped for the night in Edwardsville, IL at a Schneider Operating Center near St. Louis.

Then after dropping that off I travel to Granite City to pick up a load at a Proctor and Gamble plant which I need to take up to Oconomowoc, WI and deliver at midnight. That trip will be about 400 miles. If I play my cards right I should get close by about 1:00 pm. I'll take my 10 hour break and get to Oconomowoc by 12:00 am.

Hopefully, they'll send me home after that and I can arrive sometime Wednesday. I'll have to check it out with them tomorrow during the day.

My delivery this morning was to the Detroit newspaper plant. I was delivering pallets with newspaper inserts. It was fascinating to watch the unloading. They used forklifts to get the pallets out of the truck and then they placed them on a conveyor belt which took them to robotic carts which picked them up and took them into the plant. Empty robotic carts would come out and line up for the next pallet. There was no track they followed that I could see. It was strange seeing them move around on the floor, taking right and left turns, backing up and moving forward. It was a pretty efficient operation.

I hope your week is starting out well. I'll keep you informed as to my progress tomorrow. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Sterling Heights, MI

2007-11-11T10:32:00.001-06:00

My good fortune continues. I was able to have lunch with Erika and the girls once again in Madison. Erika met me at the usual truck stop and we went to a mall in search of a battery for my Blackberry. (No luck). We did however find a McDonalds and had our traditional meal with Milk Shake. The girls each were given a balloon which were tied around their wrists. They were thrilled. I was able to spend 2 hours with them.

I arrived in Beaver Dam around 3:30 pm and then went further north and east to Lomira, WI to pick up another load. This one I'll be taking to a suburb of Detroit, Sterling Heights. I need to be there by 6:30 am Monday morning (500 miles). Hopefully, after that they will send me back toward MN.

I'm getting excited about my upcoming move into my new condo. I've got Greta, Tom and the boys lined up to help me. With their help it shouldn't be too bad.

I hope your weekend is going well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Beaver Dam, WI

2007-11-11T10:31:00.000-06:00

Well, I got back to work this morning. I had a wonderful day and a half in NYC. I was sent this morning to Jersey City to pick up a load which I need to take to a Walmart Dist Ctr in Beaver Dam, WI (1,000 miles). I need to get it there by tomorrow early afternoon.

Currently, I'm in eastern PA. I'll try to get well into OH and even possibly into IN befor I stop for the day.

I was able to spend 4 hours yesterday talking with Frank, Gene, Neil and Crish. I also worked with Frank on the Facemask website a little. It was a day of great conversations. I took a cab later in the evening back to my truck in Kearny, NJ. It took 2 hours to get to the truck and I needed to guide the driver to the area where the truck was.

So now, it's back to driving. I wonder who'll I'll meet next on the road. I hope your week is going well and that you have a wonderful weekend! I'll let you know tomorrow sometime where I'm headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

34 hr Break, NY

2007-11-06T21:08:00.000-06:00

Tonight I'm right outside of NYC in NJ. Early tomorrow morning I'll drive
into Brooklyn and drop off this load. At that point I'll only have a few hours
left to drive. I talked to my supervisor today and arranged to take a 34 hour break
in NYC. So I won't have to start driving again until Thur night or Fri morning.

Frank will be driving out to where I park my truck to pick me up and take me to
his place on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I'll also be able to see Gene,
Neil and Crish on Thur morning. Quite amazing.

Today I drove all the way on I-95 right through Washington, DC and Baltimore, by
Philadelphia and straight up to Newark. I never experienced a slow down in traffic.
I didn't expect that.

If you need anything from NYC, let me know. I'll have some time and a big truck
to being it back in. I hope your day went well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Jacksonville, FL

2007-11-06T21:06:00.002-06:00

Get out your shorts and suntan lotion, I'm heading south to Jacksonville.

I arrived this morning in Clarksville, TN and was then sent back up north to Owensboro,
KY to pick up a load of paper. (they aren't rolls this time, but rather 40,000
lbs of packaged reams of paper / 840 cartons). I need to get that to Jacksonville
by 11:00 am on Monday. (750 miles). I got as far as Christiana, TN before I stopped
for the night. Christiana is about 40 miles south of Nashville on I-24.

Tomorrow I should be able to get all the way to Jacksonville if I choose. I might
not push it however. Somewhere in GA would be ok.

Tonight I'm going to watch Spiderman 3. I didn't get to see it in the theaters
this summer. I also splurged and bought a meal at McDonalds. Usually I eat something
I brought from home. They had a special deal. Two chicken sandwiches, a large fries,
a large pop and two apple ours for $5.50. It was called a 'Trucker's Special'.

I don't have to worry about the Bears losing tomorrow. They don't play.
What a relief.

I hope your weekend is going well so far. Enjoy your day tomorrow. I'll let
you know where I'm heading after Jacksonville when I find out. - James (Jibs
- Dad/Papa )

Clarksville, TN

2007-11-06T21:06:00.001-06:00

I'm heading south to Clarksville, TN, which isn't too far from Nashville.
I'll be dropping off a load which another driver will be taking to Birmingham,
AL. I drove today from Madison, WI through Chicago to Fort Wayne, IN. As usual,
it was slow going around Chicago, so it took me longer than I had hoped. I dropped
off a load in Fort Wayne and then drove down to Decatur, IN and picked up my current
load.

I was able to have dinner with Erika, Sydney & Elsa last night at our favorite
McDonalds in Madison. Erika picked me up at a truck stop and both girls were sleeping
when she arrived. The night before they had gone trick or treating in their neighborhood.
Sydney was a firefighter and Elsa was a baby chick.

I was tired driving today. I imagine I'm recovering from my week off. It takes
me a few days to get back in the swing of things. I hope I'll be sent to NY
tomorrow after dropping off the load in Clarksville. Gene and Neil will be having
dinner with Frank and Melinda on Sunday and I thought it would be fun to drop in.
The chances of that happening though are slim to none.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll let you know if I'm sent to NY.
- James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Yoder, IN

2007-11-01T12:25:00.000-05:00

I'm back on the road. I was sent down to Faribault to pick up a load of food
which I will take to General Mills in Yoder, IN, which is close to Fort Wayne. It's
only about 600 miles, so I'll get there tomorrow sometime.

I had to get a DOT (Dept of Transportation) physical this morning. The doctor was
a chatty sort. I got there at 8:00 but didn't get out until 9:30 am. We were
talking about therapeutic techniques. I mentioned to him that I was once a counselor.
It was interesting.

I closed on my condo yesterday. That went very smoothly and then I took Tristan
trick or treating. He was a Civil War Union Soldier. We had a good time. I had brought
him a hat and tshirt from Gettysburg which he wore. We stopped at a house where
the couple there participates in Civil War re-enactments. Tristan was talking to
them about the battle at Gettysburg.

The trip to Gettysburg with grandma and grandpa this past weekend went very smoothly.
We saw a lot of relatives and visited the battlefield at Gettysburg. Brother, Frank,
went to the seminary there, so he was able to show us around.

I hope you all had a good week. I'll let you know how this trip goes and where
they send me next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Fort Wayne, IN / Duluth, MN

2007-10-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

Two deliveries to report. I'm now in Fort Wayne picking up a load which I'll take to Gary, IN and drop off. Someone else will be it down to Waco, TX. After that I drive to Manteno, IL pick up a load at a Sears Dist Ctr. I am to take that load to Duluth, MN by Wed morning. I should be back to Red Wing Wednesday afternoon sometime. Possibly, I'll be able to drop off the trailer tomorrow afternoon, but we'll see

Now to talk about the important stuff. Did you hear about the Bears? What a game! They were losing 16-12 with under 2 minutes left. They had 97 yards to go for a touchdown with no timeouts. They methodically passed their way down the field and scored a touchdown with 9 seconds left. Their quarterback, Brian Griese said that his headset wasn't working so he had to call his own plays. Quite a game. So now I think the Bears will win the Super Bowl. Next week if they lose, I'll think they're worthless. What a fickle fan.

Hope your week is starting out well. I'll let you know how the next two days go. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Elizabethtown, KY

2007-10-22T01:27:00.000-05:00

-- also a Cameron Crowe film --

I-65 has become a parking lot. I'm sitting amidst a bunch of cars and trucks. There is an accident north of here. It might be a truck rollover, but don't know for sure. So, I'm listening to ESPN on my XM radio. People are walking around, doors open. It could be awhile before we get going again. The skies are blue, it's 80 degrees and the leave are turning. Not a bad place to wait. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Elkhart, IN

2007-10-21T01:43:00.000-05:00

I'm headed North once again. This time to Elkhart, IN. I need to be there by Monday Morning. (1100 miles).

I did get my previous load dropped in Fort Worth yesterday. I had to get up at 2:30 am in order to make it on time. I then needed Tristan do to Dallas for some training (Winter Training) where they basically scare you about the dangers of driving during the winter. I did however, get a new pair of boots and a free meal. I then had to go to Arlington to pick up the load going to Elkhart, IN. I was delayed a couple of hours there, but finally headed east toward AR on I-30. It was a long and tiring day. I'm now close to Texarkana, hoping to get close to Memphis. Tomorrow I'll drive the rest of the way. Hopefully, I can catch up on sleep tonight.

I'm guessing I'll be back in MN sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

The weather is great down here today. Skies are clear and the temp is 80. I hope you will have a nice weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Fort Worth, TX

2007-10-17T17:40:00.001-05:00

I'm waiting to be unloaded in Milan, IL. I'll then head south and a bit west to Fort Madison, IA to pick up a load. Then I'm heading back to TX. Fort Worth to be exact. I need to be there by Friday morning at 7:00 am.

Fort Madison is on the Mississippi River almost as far south as you can go in IA. I've never been to that part of Iowa before. From there I'll be heading south on 61 into MO and eventually getting on I-70 to Kansas City. It's 850 miles to Fort Worth from Fort Madison.

I was thinking of starting another website that would would encompass all the others I've created. I was going to call it Jibber.com. I thought for sure the name would be available. It wasn't! Who, besides me would name a website Jibber.com. Jibber.net and Jibber.org were also taken. I think they are either into making sails (jib) or they're into not making any sense (jibberish). What's this world coming to.

I also want to mention a very important day that is coming up a week from Sunday. I'm doing this so you can get ready. It's October 28th and it's little Julia Van Dines birthday (4 years old) and it is my birthday (58 years old). Start planning. I'll be in Gettysburg, PA that day. Julia will be at Disney World.

I hope you are all doing well. Enjoy your day. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Milan, IL

2007-10-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

I'm down in Laredo, TX. I arrived at about 1:00 pm. I went to the delivery location and they were closed. They won't be open until 8:30 am tomorrow. I tried to arrange to have someone else deliver it tomorrow, but they weren't open to that. So I'm here for the night.

In the meantime I received notification of another load that I'll pick up in Laredo and take to Milan, IL, which is near the Quad Cities. (1400 miles). Unlike the last two weeks where I had many short loads, this looks like a 2 week period with long ones.

I also must admit that I was following the Bears game on the computer. When the score got to 31-17 Vikings with 4:00 left in the game and the Bears quarterback had just thrown an interception, I switched to watching a movie. It turns out the Bears scored 2 touchdowns, but lost in the final seconds 34-31. I'm glad I'm in Laredo, TX and not in MN. Vikings fans are so hard to get along with sometimes. I owe Tristan's dad a 6-pack of beer, and bottles of pop to another 3 people. Oh, the pain!

I hope your weekend is going well. Greetings from Laredo! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Rerouted: Laredo, TX

2007-10-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

-- THE 151st POST --

My run to Green Bay was cancelled. I'm now in Menomonie, WI waiting to pick up a load to take to Laredo, TX (1500 miles). I need to get it there by early Monday morning. That won't be a problem.

Once I pick up the load, I'll head back to the Twin Cities and then head south on I-35. I believe I-35 ends in Laredo. I'll drive another 150 miles today. 600 miles both Fri and Sat and the remainder on Sunday. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Green Bay, WI

2007-10-11T11:34:00.002-05:00

I just heard. I'm Bobtailing (tractor, but no trailer) to Eau Claire, WI and picking up a load at Menards. I then take it to Green Bay, WI. I'll drop it off early tomorrow morning.

I'm on my way....

Waiting, MN

2007-10-11T11:34:00.001-05:00

I'm in my truck in Blaine waiting for an assignment. I didn't have to start driving until today, Thur so I had an extra day off which I used to pack.

The transition from days off to driving is not too bad, once I get to the truck. As usual, I have no idea where I'm going, but I should hear soon.

I had a good week off. I spent a lot of time with Greta & Tristan. I'm getting ready to move to my condo. I packed some things and have an idea how the actual move will go.

It's cool up here this morning (high 30's). I'm back to wearing jeans and have a coat on.

Now that the Cubs have lost, my focus is on the Bears. I hope you all have had a good week so far. I'll let you know where I'm headed as soon as I hear. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

The Long Ride Home, MN

2007-10-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

My apologies for not keeping you up to date with my travels. I am home now in Red Wing. I arrived yesterday late afternoon. Getting from Kansas City to Red Wing was anything but a straight line or the shortest route between two points. Let me elaborate.

Monday, October 1 - I arrived in Kansas City around 10:00 am and had my load of beer taken off the truck. I was then sent to. ,MO where is was to pick up a loaded trailer and take it to a WalMart Dist Ctr in Beaver Dam, WI just a little northwest of Milwaukee. When I arrived the load was not ready so I had to wait 3 hours to be loaded. I had only 3 hours of driving left and was able to maked it to just north of the IA-MO border.

Tuesday, October 2 - Departing at 4:00 I drove through IA and into IL and diagonally up into WI and arrived in Beaver Dam at 12:00 pm and was quickly able to drop the trailer and pick up an empty. My hopes were that I would be sent northwest to Mpls-St Paul, but to my disappointment I was sent up to Escanaba, MI, 200 miles straight north, to pick up a trailer of paper rolls. After picking it up I would then need to drive 400 miles to the Twin Cities. I had only 4 hours left before I had to stop for the day. To add insult to injury I wouldn't be able to drop it off until midnight Wednesday night-Thursday morning. Which meant I wouldn't get home until Thur aft sometime. That would be almost 2 days later that I anticipated. I talked to the dispatcher seeing if they had any alternatives that would get me back sooner, but this was the only option. So, I headed north. I was able to get to Escanaba by 5:00 pm Tues night.

Wednesday, October 3 - at 6:00 am I picked up the trailer of rolls of paper in Escanaba and headed west into WI and the northwoods. It was beautiful. The air was cool and clear, the leaves were turning and there were wonderful small towns placed every 15 to 20 miles. I was encouraged, mostly because my team leader arranged to have the driver replacing me make the delivery at midnight. I just needed to get to Blaine and drop the truck off. I drove for 7 hours and finally got into the Twin Cities in the middle of the afternoon.

So, to make a long story very short, what I thought would be a day and a half journey from Kansas City to the Twin Cities (450 miles) turned into a 2 1/2 day ordeal from Kansas City to Beaver Dam to Escanaba to the Twin Cities (1200 miles). For the two week period I drove 6850 miles which was about 700 miles over my average. Oh, the travails of a trucker.

So, I am home now resting and eventually preparing for my move to a condo in November.

I hope your week is going well. I'll be back with my Travel Blog in a week. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Kansas City, KS

2007-10-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Next stop Kansas City, KS with a load of Miller Lite Beer, but it weighs 44,000 lbs. This morning I left from Shrevesport, LA at 4:30 pm and arrived in Palestine, TX at 7:00 am. From there I took an empty trailer up to Fort Worth, TX. I was supposed to drop it there and pick up the loaded trailer of beer. The people in Fort Worth decided they weren't going to take any empty trailers, so I had to drive back to the Dallas OC and drop the trailer there and then drive back to Fort Worth. (60 miles). Eventually I picked up the load of beer and currently about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City.

Tomorrow morning I'll drive to Kansas City and then hopefully head north possibly getting to Des Moines by tomorrow night. I'm hoping to get home on Tuesday, sometime.

Two birthdays this week. Today, Tristan's step brother, Damian is turning 10. Tuesday, Tristan is turning 10. They celebrate their birthdays together. They have a lot of 'boy' energy. They are on the same flag football team, but unfortunately, Damian is a Vikings fan.

Now that the Cubs have made the playoffs we'll have to see how far they get. I'm not even going to mention the possibility of them going to the World Series.

I hope you all had a nice weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Palestine, TX

2007-09-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

Go Cubs! They almost blew it, but they're in the playoffs, thanks to the Padres. (Thanks Pat!) Now I have a breather before I get anxious again. What would I do without anxiety.

I'm currently in LaGrange, GA. I'll taking a load of store merchandise to a WalMart Dist Ctr in Palestine, TX (700 miles). I'll get there tomorrow morning and then hopefully, they'll send me north. I'll be driving most of the time on I-20, and I'll be listening to ESPN on the radio. Not a bad way to spend a day.

Kathy and Jim are on their way to Cincy to watch the Cubs play this afternoon. Jim got some tickets on the internet. I'll be emailing them throughout the day. It's my way of keeping them awake while driving.

I hope your weekend will be a good one. I'll let you know tomorrow where I'll be headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Dublin, GA

2007-09-27T13:25:00.000-05:00

Currently I'm in Georgetown, KY. I slept in this morning because I can only drive 6 hours today. I'm heading down to Dublin, GA with a load of electronics for a Best Buy Dist Ctr. (666 miles). I need to be there by 7:00 am tomorrow morning. This load is light, only 9,000 lbs. So, I can fly like the wind. I'm heading straight south on I-75 through Lexington, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Being a Cubs fan sure isn't the most pleasant experience in the world. I found myself with a sympathetic response to them yesterday. I was choking throughout the day. But as Kara said, the Brewers only need to lose 3 more games. You have to be masochistic to like the Cubs.

Grandma and Grandpa's Wedding Anniversary is tomorrow (9/28). They'll have been married 67 years.

Well, I'm going to drive my 6 hours and then listen to the Cubs lose. Hope your day goes well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Reynoldsburg, OH

2007-09-25T13:21:00.001-05:00

I'm waiting to pick up a load in Hodgkin, IL, a south suburb of Chicago. I'll be taking it to Reynoldsburg, OH which is just east of Columbus, OH. If I get the load soon I should be able to make it there tonight.

I spent the night at the Gary Operating Center. It is probably the busiest OC Schneider has. Lots of trucks come and go during a day.

I'm getting close to my 70 hours in 7 days. I'll probably need to take a 34 hour break soon. I'll have driven 3,000 miles this first week which is my goal.

I hope your week is going well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Sturgis, MI

2007-09-24T12:30:00.001-05:00

I'm at a dock in Sturgis, MI just north of the border between IN and MI. I'm waiting to be partially unloaded. I'll take the remainder of the load to Alsip, IL tomorrow morning.

It's already been a long day for me. 7 1/2 hours of driving. I started out from Nitro, WV (nice name) this morning at 4:00 am.

Yesterday I arrived at Buena Vista at 12:00, but my load wasn't ready until 1:30 pm. I then had to drive thru the mountains of WV hauling 43,000 lbs of Paper rolls. Three were inclines where I was only going 25 mph. As I mentioned to Tristan however, I drove right by Marshall U in Charleston, WV. I had watched the DVD 'We Are Marshall' with him last week. It is about Marshall's football team back in the early '70's.

I'm tired. Getting up at 3:30 am is getting harder each day. I went to sleep at 8:00 pm last night and missed most of the Bear's game, which turned out to be a good thing. They got killed by the Cowboys.

I'm not going to mention anything about the Cubs being in first by 3 1/2 games with 6 games remaining.

I hope you all had a good weekend! I'll let you know tomorrow where I'm headed. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

South Boston, VA

2007-09-23T23:24:00.001-05:00

Short Note - I've been having strange hours lately. Getting up at 3:30 am. Driving until 6:00 pm and asleep by 8:00 am. I'm on my way to South Boston, VA which is close to the border between NC and VA. After unloading there I'll head to Buena Vista, VA and pick up a load and take part of it to Sturgis, MI and the other part to Alsip, IL.

I've had more runs this time and shorter ones. It's different, but ok.

I've been following the Cubs. My hopes are starting to rise, but I imagine the baseball gods are just toying with me.

I'll let you know how the day goes. I hope your weekend is going well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Knoxville, TN

2007-09-21T23:37:00.001-05:00

I just finished for the night. I'm just outside of Knoxville. This morning I delivered my load to the post office in downtown Indianapolis. I was close to a new football stadium being constructed and Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. Indianapolis is a nice city. After dropping part of the load there I went to Plainfield, IN southeast of Indy. I dropped the rest of the load there. I was then sent to Dick's Sporting Goods and picked up a trailer filled with hangers. (30,000 lbs of hangers). I was to take the hangers to Knoxville, TN and someone else would take them to Atlanta, GA on Monday. I finished that at 6:00 pm this evening.

Along the way I followed the Cubs game. I can't listen to it. I get too anxious. They won 13-8, thankfully.

Yesterday, I was emailed an Excel document that had my pay information for the past year and raises I'll be getting in October. What was most interesting is that the document also contained a list of about 600 drivers in this region. It had a bunch of info about each driver. (I don't think they meant to send that along). What I discovered is that about 85% of the drivers started since I began (Dec 2006). That was pretty amazing to me.

I just got my next assignment. I need to go to Diffield, VA (115 miles away) and then bring it back to Knoxville and drop it off at the same place I dropped this evening's load. Interesting!

I hope you all have a good weekend! I'll keep you informed about where I go. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Now It's Indy, Not Cincy

2007-09-20T00:17:00.000-05:00

Correction - I went to pickup the load in Rogers and found out Schneider had made a mistake. After waiting on hold for over 30 minutes I am being sent to Indianapolis, IN instead of Cincinnati, OH. The delivery will still be Friday morning.

I'm currently waiting for Erika and the girls to pick me up. It's time for a Big Mac and a shake. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Cincy/Grove City, OH

2007-09-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! I'm back on the road. I'm picking up a load in Rogers at noon and then delivering it to 3 different locations. Two of them are in Cincinnati and the third is in Grove City, OH which is a suburb of Columbus. The first is at 8:00 am on Friday. The second is at 10:00 and the third is at 1:00 pm. I will have a load of catalogues.

I'm hoping to get to Madison by tonight so I can have dinner with Erika and the girls. We will have to go to McDonald's for milk shakes.

During my week off I made an offer on a condo in Red Wing. It was quite a but lower than the asking price, but they accepted it. So I'm going to be a trucker with a condo. The closing is Oct 31 st. I'll move in between Nov 14th and 21st. I have to be out of my apt by Dec 1st. The Condo is across the street from my apt, so it won't be a big move. It has a similar floor plan to my apt, but is just a bit bigger. The sellers are also throwing in a nice sectional couch which has two recliners as part of it. It will be great for watching Dvd's.

I also went down to Madison with Tristan and visiting Erika and family. It was wonderful seeing my three grandchildren playing together. There's nothing better.

I hope you all had a good week. I'll let you know how this trip goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Blaine, MN

2007-09-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

I'm on my way home and should be in Blaine at 7:30 and Red Wing at 9:00 pm. This morning I drove from just east of Gary, IN to Brookfield, WI. I arrived in Brookfield at 10:15 am just 15 minute later than planned. I'm pleased with that considering I had to have two tires replaced at 6:00 this morning. That took 45 minutes. Also driving thru Chicago took longer than I had hoped.

After Brookfield I went to Neenah, WI and just picked up a trailer that I'll drop off in Blaine. It's final destination is Wa.

My final mileage will be around 6250 miles.

The task for my week off is to decide on whether to buy a condo or a house. I have 3 that I'm considering. It should be an interesting time. I also plan on visiting Erika and the girls for part of the weekend.

I hope you all have a good week and weekend. I'll get back to you next week. James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Brookfield, WI

2007-09-11T00:22:00.000-05:00

I'm in OH heading toward WI. I started out this morning from Scranton, PA and hope to get as far as Gary, IN tonight. I've been driving in hills and mountains since ME. It is leveling out now. With such a heavy load my speed varies greatly. (between 35 - 70 mph).

I should be done with this load by noon tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be sent to Mpls after that.

Another birthday. Tomorrow, Melinda celebrates her birthday. If you want to extend a birthday greeting her email is mhaas9@gmail.com.

I will surpass 6,000 miles again during these 2 weeks. I've been pretty consistent with that the last few times out. On the 15th I will have been driving on my own for 8 months. My training started back in the beginning of Dec 2006. It has been a fascinating experience so far.

I hope your week is starting out well. I'll let you know where I'm heading tomorrow. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Rumford, ME

2007-09-10T12:16:00.000-05:00

Short Email - I just picked up a load in Rumford, ME. Rolls of paper weighing 45,000 lbs. It's beautiful up here. Even nicer than MN. Nice and cool. Hilly, Trees and green. Houses nicely taken care of. Now I'm heading back to Brookfield, WI. (1200 miles). Del at 10:00 9/11. More later! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Perryville, MD

2007-09-08T15:28:00.000-05:00

I'm in Perryville with no load, waiting for an assignment. I arrived here last night to pick up a preloaded trailer and take it to Westfield, MA. The trailer had not been loaded because they didn't have a trailer. So I backed up my empty trailer to the dock and they said it would be ready in the morning. When I arrived this morning it still had not been loaded and the only person at the business was the guard at the guard shack. So, I'm sitting here waiting for a message on my truck computer.

Yesterday, I arrived in Charles Town, WV at noon and was unloaded quickly, but had to wait until 2:30 to be assigned another load. It took me 4 hours to drive 100 miles to Perryville because Baltimore was in between the two and it was rush hour.

Neil sent some info about Charles Town which is below:

Charles Town was laid out in 1786 by Charles Washington, who donated the four corner lots at the intersection of George and Washington Streets for public buildings of the town and county. Charles died sometime between July and September, 1799, only a short while before the death of his brother, George.
Charles Washington, was born in Huntington Creek, now Fairfax County, Virginia, on May 2, 1738. He was the youngest full brother of General George Washington. He came to present Jefferson County between April and October, 1780.

What is particularly fascinating about this is that I drove through the intersection of George and Washington Streets on my way to the company. It's quite a nice downtown.

I was looking on my calendar this morning and noticed it is Grandparents Day tomorrow. So, those of you with grandparents, you may want to take note. It is also Neil's birthday tomorrow. I won't mention her age. Happy Birthday, Neil!

I'll let you know where I'm going if and when I find out. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

PS - I just found the paperwork for the guard. It was misfiled there. So I've got my load and I'm heading to Westfield, MA.

Charles Town, WV

2007-09-07T01:34:00.001-05:00

Above is my destination. See if you can find it. I'll be delivering a load there tomorrow morning.

Waiting, IN

2007-09-07T01:33:00.000-05:00

I'm waiting at the Indy operating center for my next load. I've just finished a 34 hour break at a hotel. I spent 2 nights there. One was paid for by Schneider and I paid for the other. It was really quite nice. I had room service, watched TV, slept and worked on the computer. What a 'slug' I was.

My truck needed a new starter and received its periodic maintenance. So, I should be good to go for the final 6 days of this 2 week period. I just hope I don't have to cross the US/Canadian border.

I watched a fair amount of the tennis on TV. I'm hoping Federer wins it all again. He's in the semi-finals.

The NFL season begins tonight. This is the year Da Bears win the Super Bowl. I probably cursed them by writing this.

I hope your week is going well. When I get my next driving orders I'll send a quick email. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

On The Road Again, IL

2007-09-03T23:56:00.001-05:00

The Road Service started the truck at 7:45 pm and I'm on the road and will drive until 10:00 pm. Enjoy your evening! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Breakdown, IL

2007-09-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

I'm on I-57 about 30 miles from the southern border of IL. I stop at a rest area for a short break. When I tried to start the truck nothing happened. When I turn the key, nothing. The battery is fine. I believe it has to do with the starter. The same thing happened Friday night. After about 45 minutes it did start. This time however no such luck. The advice I've been given is to hit the starter with a hammer. I called Schneider maintenance and they are sending out a service vehicle from a nearby town. I hope it doesn't take long to get it started.

I have about 400 more miles to drive by 2:00 pm tomorrow. I should be able to make it.

I'll let you know how this turns out. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Fremont, OH

2007-09-02T23:17:00.001-05:00

Busy day and it's not quite over. I'm in Morrilton, AR once again, waiting to be loaded. I'm at the Green Bay Packaging Co picking up rolls of paper. I did the same thing two weeks ago. This time however I'm taking them to Fremont, OH. Fremont is in Northern Ohio a little east of Toledo.

This morning I dropped a load off at West Memphis, AR, took a shower and then picked up another load there and drove it west on I-40 to Clarksville, AR. I dropped it off at a WalMart Dist Ctr around 3:00 pm.

I have to stop at 7:00 pm tonight. The load to Fremont needs to be there by 2:00 pm on Tues. 9/04. It's about 800 miles from here.

I got up at 4:00 am this morning, so I'm tired now. I'm getting old, you know!

I hope your weekend is going well. One more day. Tristan and his step-brothers start school on Tuesday. He's entering 4th grade. He'll be 10 in October. I'm getting old, you know!

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

West Memphis, AR

2007-09-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

I've just stopped for the night about 20 miles west of Nashville on I-40. I'm on my way with a load of clothing to West Memphis, AR. It is not to far from Memphis, TN Schneider has an operating center there. I'll be dropping this load off tomorrow morning and someone else will take it from there.

This morning I picked up this load in Eden, NC not to far from Browns Summit. It's a High Value load, which means someone would like to steal it. The trailer that the clothing is in isn't very good. It took me 45 minutes to raise the landing gear. The crank wasn't working properly. A bolt was sheared and I needed to find a replacement.

I was listening to ESPN on XM radio and heard them talking about Appalachian State's victory over Michigan. They're saying it might be one of the biggest upsets ever in College Football. App. State is in a lower division than the major colleges and Michigan was ranked no. 5 in the nation. I'm not going to mention how the Cubs did. I don't want to jinx them.

I will have driven 2,200 miles by the time I reach West Memphis tomorrow, so I'm on target for my 6,000 miles in 2 weeks.

I'm going to watch more episodes of 'Ice Road Truckers' tonight. I bought a T-shirt at this truck stop that is dark blue with the Chicago Bears logo on it, and above that it says in bold white letters 'DaBears'. What a find.

I'll let you know where I'm going next. I'm pretty sure it won't be out west. Probably back east. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Browns Summit, NC

2007-08-31T11:42:00.001-05:00

I spent the night in Crawfordsville, IN. I'm in the process of delivering a load to a Proctor & Gamble Distribution Ctr in Browns Summit, NC. I'll probably drop it off at about 7:00 pm tonight. I have about 600 miles to drive today.

Yesterday, I spent part of the morning getting additional training on 'Backing'. It was very helpful. I learned a lot of tricks and did quite well. Positioning the truck is critical. The trainer said most drivers make the mistake of thinking they are 'truck' drivers. Really, they are 'trailer' drivers. My tendency is to over steer. (turn the wheel too much).

I then was sent to Iowa City, IA to pick up a load. It is fairly light. 28,000 lbs. I left there at 2:30 pm and drove until 9:00 pm.

In case you weren't aware of it, the Cubs are in first place by 2 1/2 games. I probably jinxed them by mentioning this.

I've been watching episodes of 'Ice Road Truckers' on my computer. It's a TV series on the Discovery Channel about trucks that haul loads up into northern Canada over frozen lakes. The ice is only thick enough to drive on for 60 days. Some trucks have fallen thru the ice. Rarely, does the driver survive something like that. You can make in 2 months what other truckers make in a year. Temps can get as low as 50 below zero. It gives you a good idea of what it is like to drive.

It is, my daughter, Erika's birthday today. She is doing really well in life. She's raising two wonderful little girls, Sydney & Elsa, and working on a doctorate in Sociology. Just doing one of those is a full-time job. She is quite a remarkable woman. Happy Birthday, Erika!

I'll know tonight where I'm going next. I'll keep you informed. Have a great Labor Day Weekend! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Des Moines, IA

2007-08-30T23:55:00.000-05:00

I started again this afternoon at 1:00 pm in Blaine, MN. I picked up the tractor and empty trailer and headed to Rosemount, MN right where Hwy 52 and Hwy 55 split. I'm picking up a load of ingots. I'll be taking them to Des Moines this evening and dropping them at the operating center there. I don't know what I'll do after that.

Grandma and grandpa spent much of the weekend and the last two days in Red Wing. We went looking at Condos and one house. We saw a nice condo in the same area as my apt. I might make an offer on it.

Tristan and his step brother, Damian, spent the night last night at my apt. They have a lot of 'boy' energy. It was fun. We watched 'The Shooter'. They loved it.

I asked to go out west these 2 weeks, but I don't know. I'll find out soon.

I hope you all had a good week. I'll let you know where I'm headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Escanaba, MI

2007-08-21T12:19:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Wausau, WI yesterday at 9:00 am got unloaded and then was sent to Escanaba, MI to pick up another load of rolls of paper. Escanaba is in the U.P. Of Michigan right on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is quite a hall. I had to stop in Green Bay for fuel. That made it a but longer. The drive along Lake Michigan reminded me a lot of the North Shore of Lake Superior. Very nice. I picked up a loaded trailer around 3:30 pm and realized I didn't have any more hours to drive, so I got a motel room in Escanaba. There weren't any truck stops nearby. I watched the Bears-Colts game emailed Kathy on her new Blackberry.

This morning I'm heading back to the Twin Cities to drop off this load. I should be done with that about 2:00 pm. And then hopefully, I get to go home. I will have driven 6200 miles these past two weeks, which is about what I've been averaging.

On Sunday afternoon I met grandma and grandpa, Kathy and Jim in Mendota, IL and have them a ride around the truck stop. G/G were laying down for awhile in the back bunk. They also brought me treats (gatorade, protein shakes, cookies and last, but not least, 5 or 6 bags of Snickers bars. Life is good. We also went out to eat. It was the first time they were able to see the truck.

I hope you all had a good weekend and that this week is starting out well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Wausau, WI

2007-08-18T19:05:00.000-05:00

I'm in Morrilton, AR picking up large rolls of paper to take to Wausau, WI by Monday morning at 9:00 am. I've backed up to the dock, bought 2 Snickers from the Shipping clerk and now I'm waiting for them to start loading. After they load I'll have another hour and 15 minutes to drive before I have to stop for the night. Tomorrow I have 9 hours to drive and I'm trying to make it to Rockford, IL. Grandma and Grandpa, Kathy and Jim will meet me there.

I had quite a day. I drove from just east of Little Rock to Ochelatta, OK (300 miles). I dropped off a loaded trailer, picked up an empty and then drove almost all the way back to Little Rock (265 miles).

Tomorrow I figure I can drive 585 miles at the most. (9 x 65 mph). I may have to drive 40 or 50 miles past Little Rock before I stop tonight. That might give me a shot at Rockford. Most likely it'll be Rochelle, IL.

I stopped at a place last night where I could pump in cool air into the truck and hook up my computer to the internet. If I had a TV I also could have downloaded movies or got cable TV. It's quite a nice deal.

After I get to Wausau on Monday I'm not sure if they'll send me to the Cities or have me make more deliveries in WI.

I'll let you know if I meet up with Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow. They said they would being me some Snickers bars so I have some incentive.

I hope your weekend is going well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Ochelata, OK

2007-08-17T01:08:00.000-05:00

I had a short day today. I could only drive 5 hours before going over my 70 hours in 7 days. I started the morning a couple of hours east of Mobile, AL. I drove there and picked up a load at a Kimberley-Clark plant. I need to take it to Ochelata, OK and get it there Sat sometime. I drove another couple of hours out of Mobile and ended up in Biloxi, MS. Tomorrow I'll head up toward Memphis and then over on I-40 to OK. Ochelata is about 20 miles north of Tulsa.

It continues to be hot. Today it was in the upper 90's. I heard it was 77 in the Twin Cities today. That sounds wonderful.

The place in Mobile (K-C) that I made the pickup at is the same place that I made my very first run to, back in January. It brought back memories.

I'm hoping after OK that I'll be sent back up north somewhere close to Dubuque. Grandma and Grandpa just arrived there this afternoon and we're hoping they get a chance to see my truck.

Yesterday when I stopped I decided to stay at a motel. I took a shower and got all cleaned up, bought some beer and sandwiches and watched movies on TV. And of course, I also spent time on my computer. I got up late and left at 11:00 am. Not bad.

I hope you all had a good week and that you weekend will be enjoyable. I'll let you know where I'm heading after Ochelata. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Panama City, FL

2007-08-15T10:50:00.000-05:00

Currently I'm at a truck stop in Birmingham, AL. I arrived here at 8:00 pm after driving 11 hours (650 miles) today. How did I get here?

Well, yesterday morning I dropped off a truck load of exercise equipment in Canton, OH. I was then sent to Shelby, OH north of Columbus to pick up a load of snow blowers to take to Memphis, TN. I thought that was a bit strange since it was 107 in Memphis today. It took 5 hours to get loaded in Shelby. I had to wait 3 hours to get to a dock. From Shelby I got as far as Louisville, KY last night. This morning I drove south on I-65 to I-40 to Memphis and arrived at 2:30 pm. I dropped off the trailer and immediately got another one which I need to take to Panama City, FL. It's called a 'JIT' load. 'Just in Time'. It has to be delivered by thur morning at 7:00 am or else. I'll have plenty of time. In fact, I'll be there around 1:00 pm tomorrow.

It was really nice this morning in Louisville. I would guess in the low 70's. But, as I mentioned, it was 107 in Memphis and around 90 when I arrived in Birmingham. The AC is working great so the heat hasn't bothered me.

I bought a small printer to use with my computer in the truck. I tried it out for the first time tonight. It works great. I have my own little travelling office. It's amazing what we can do now-a-days.

I hope you are all keeping cool. I'll keep you informed of my whereabouts. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Bucksnort, TN

2007-08-14T12:10:00.001-05:00

Just passed Bucksnort, TN. Thought you'd like to know. I wonder how it got it's name. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Memphis, TN

2007-08-13T12:23:00.001-05:00

Short note - I'm heading back down to Memphis, TN into the 100 degree heat. The AC is on. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Canton, OH

2007-08-13T12:22:00.001-05:00

I spent the night in Canton, OH (Home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame). I have a delivery to make this morning at 8:00 am. A trailer load of exercise equipment. I don't know as of yet where I'll be going next.

Yesterday I drove from just south of Louisville to Lima, OH and dropped off a load of pallets (504 of them) and then drove north on I-75 to Findlay and picked up the exercise equipment. The pallets were dropped off at a large Proctor & Gamble Dist Ctr.

I've driven 1900 miles the first 4 days, so I'm on pace for 6,000 miles for these 2 weeks. I'm curious about where they will send me from here.

I've also been working on my computer. I installed something called 'Fusion' which allows me to run Microsoft Windows on my Mac. It is really quite good. I need to access Windows to be able to backup my Blackberry and to access Outlook.

Some of you know this already, but for the rest of you, Frank has started a Blog on www.facemask.biz entitled Monday Morning Quarterback. Each week he will offer some analysis of the football in general and the NY Jets in particular. You can find the Blog by clicking on 'Chalkboard' after entering the website. Take a look if you have time.

I'll let you know where I'm heading once I'm informed. Have a nice day! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Lima, OH

2007-08-12T01:24:00.001-05:00

I'm in Memphis, TN. I dropped off the trailer in Olive Branch, MS late this afternoon. It was 100 when I arrived. Tomorrow morning I pick up an empty trailer in Gallager, TN and drive down to Southhaven, MS and pick up a load of pallets. I'll then take that load to Lima, OH and hopefully drop it off sometime Sunday. I drove just under 600 miles today.

Yesterday, I was able to drive over to Eyota, MN near Rochester on my way down to MS and pick up Tristan at his Dad's and take him out to lunch at a convenience store. It was fun. It was the first time he had taken a ride in the truck. He also helped me check it over (checked the tires with a hammer). We also ate our lunch in the truck.

Then I drove across on I-90 which merges with I-94 and goes through Madison, WI. I stopped there and had dinner with Erika, Pat, Sydney & Elsa. That was also fun. Those two girls sure are cute. I feel pretty lucky that it all worked out.

I don't need to get the trailer loaded tomorrow until 11:00 am so I'll be able to sleep in. I made a discovery that I sleep better in the truck than I do at home. Pretty weird.

I hope you all had a good day and I hope your weekend is a good one. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Olive Branch, MS

2007-08-09T13:14:00.000-05:00

Good Morning - I'm in Blaine, MN waiting to hear where I'll be headed. The guy before me got back yesterday late afternoon, so I didn't need to start yesterday. I was ok with that. These weeks off are pretty taxing and I appreciated another day to rest up.

I had a great time in SF visiting Gene, Neil, Josh and Crish. I flew out with Kathy and Jim. I spent 3+ days at their house on Stinson Beach. We had good conversations, good food. It's a very comfortable place to stay. We watched some Dvd's, ordered shoes from NikeID and saw the new Bourne movie 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.

On Monday, I took Tristan and his step brothers out for lunch and a movie and then took Tristan down to his Dad's.

I've got the truck loaded with my stuff, which takes about 30 minutes, but now I'm all set. It'll be interesting to see where I'll be headed.

Just found out I'll be heading to Olive Branch, MS which is just south of Memphis. I need to be there by noon tomorrow. It's about 900 miles from here. I'm delivering store merchandise. (20,000 lbs) I'll let you know how it goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Bridge Collapse

2007-08-02T00:12:00.000-05:00

A bridge on I-35w near the Metrodome and the U of M collapsed this evening. Whole sections of the bridge fell into the river. Phone lines are jammed so it is hard to call in or out. Greta and family are fine and I was in Red Wing when it happened. I did drive over the bridge yesterday on the way to Blaine. The bridge carried 100,000 cars a day and was built in 1967. It is reported 6 people have died. Fyi. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Lakeville, MN

2007-07-30T23:42:00.001-05:00

I'm in Lakeville, MN. I dropped off a load in Green Bay this morning, picked up a load at the Schneider operating center in Green Bay and headed to MN. I'm to del this load tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. There is a good chance I'll be done after that.

In Green Bay at the operating center I met someone I went through training with. His daughter was traveling with him for 2 weeks. He's really smart. He was frustrated though that he was only getting 2,000 - 2,200 miles a week. He was somewhat envious of my 3,000 miles a week. I told him about being in the Home Run program and he seemed interested.

I then met a man who is just starting his training at Schneider. He asked how I liked driving. I mentioned I did. Also that I was part of the Home Run program. He wasn't aware there was such a program. He was my age and talking to him brought back memories of my training. I'm glad I'm 7 months into driving and not starting the process now.

Also saw some of my trainers helping others. I don't think I could or would want to train. So, it was an interesting day. I'm shifting my focus from driving to my upcoming week off. I'll be heading to SF with Kathy and Jim to visit Gene for a few days. We are looking forward to it.

I hope your week started out well and will continue that way. I'll let you know when I'm done tomorrow. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Memphis, IN

2007-07-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

I stopped in Memphis, IN for the night. Memphis is just 16 miles north of Louisville, KY on I-65. This morning I drove from Charlotte to Patterson, NC to pick up a full trailer of tissue paper. It only weighs 8,000 lbs. I'm taking it to Green Bay, WI and need to have it there by Monday morning at 7:00 am. I'm about half way there. I need to drive anothe 500 miles tomorrow. So, I'm heading toward home. Hopefully, I'll be back sometime on Tues.

I made it to Charlotte last night around 6:00 pm. Marc, Rachel and Julia picked me up at the Schneider operating center and took me to their new home. It is really nice. Little Julia gave me a tour of the whole house. She is very cute. She had made some peanut butter bars with chocolate chips with the help of Rachel. She let me eat 2 of them and had to put two more in a Baggie for me to take back to the truck. I was fortunate to be the first one in the family to see their new home. I spent time trying to talk Marc into getting a Blackberry and Rachel into getting a computer at home, but with no success. Rachel does scrap-booking and I was telling her how much fun it would be to do it on the computer and develop a web page. My words fell on deaf ears.

The accident I talked about in my last email was a auto-transport truck that had gone into the median of an interstate and I think tipped over. 2 or 3 of the cars had fallen off and were burned. The truck itself was charred with 2 or 3 cars still on it. No one was hurt, but I was stuck in traffic for 3 hours.

I hope you are all having a good weekend. I'll let you know where I go after Green Bay. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Charlotte, NC

2007-07-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in traffic on I-59 in Alabama north of Birmingham. About a mile ahead of me there was black smoke billowing into the sky and I could are flames. I haven't heard anything for sure about what happened, but um guessing it was an accident. Cars are stopped ahead of me and well behind me. People are out of their cars trying to see. Kids are running up and down the highway. I'm guessing I'll be here for awhile. Some cars have crossed a wide grassy median.

I have to drive up to Scottsboro, AL and picked up a load and drop it off in Charlotte, NC in the afternoon tomorrow. It's what they call a relay. Someone will pick it up in Charlotte and take it to CT. I hope they start sending me back to the Midwest tomorrow.

There is a birthday party for Marge Hove on Sunday in Decorah (her 80th). It would be something if I were sent through Decorah.

Oh, it's now 7:10 pm CDT. It is in the low 80's and humid. I'm listening on the CB but there isn't much of value about what has happened. In the next email I'll let you know what happened. Hope you all had a good day! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )