Independence Day!

Hard to believe, but I have just one day left to go in my training before being assigned my own truck. Sometime tomorrow morning my mentor and I, as a team, will be rolling one last time into Lewiston, Idaho. My 42 days of road instruction will come to a close and in just a day or two I should have my own truck and officially a solo company driver.

While we could have easily pressed on last night and arrived back in Lewiston early today, for the first time since hitting the road on Saturday April 12th, we are actually “killing time” on the road in order to finish this trip on my final day of training. So, after arriving early this morning at a Pilot Truck Stop along Interstate 90, some 175 miles east of Missoula, we’ve parked our trusty Kenworth and are enjoying a good 20+ hours of sleep and relaxation. A little less than 500 miles separates us from our final destination. We’ll leave sometime late tonight, with me behind the wheel, to complete the journey and bring our long travels together to an end.

My mentor has taught me a lot, based on his 34 years and more than 4-million miles of long-haul truck driving. His work as an on-the-job instructor is nearly over but our friendship will continue on. Along with my roommate Thomas from the Academy, who I’ve kept in regular contact with, Dennis no doubt will remain a good friend and advisor. He’s gone well beyond my expectations and has, over these last six-plus weeks, watched over me and my welfare. He’s shown great patience as I’ve ground and tested the gears of his $110,000 truck and missed exits and routing along the way. Right now as he sleeps in the back I’m sitting in the air conditioned front cab writing this post. I’ve been lucky to have been taught by one of the best and to have spent these long days of driving behind the wheel of a new 8-speed Kenworth truck. I will often be reminded of Dennis’ wisdom and his advice as I travel in the days ahead.

It’s been 75 days since I drove the slightly more than 200 miles to Lewiston from my “home” in Yakima and it’s been a whirlwind experience and quite the journey, to say the least! A lot has certainly changed in my life. The Swift Academy and it’s accelerated training, to prepare me to receive my Class “A” Commercial Drivers License, was a big challenge all in itself. It’s something I’ve written about in my earlier entries. Then for the last 6 weeks it’s been a menu of “real world” long-haul trucking. In our 41 days together Dennis and I have driven more than 30,000 miles crisscrossing 16 states and numerous cities and communities along the way. I’ve climbed tall mountain passes and driven along some of the west’s most beautiful canyons along the Snake and Columbia Rivers. I’ve been on a two-lane stretch of road so close to California’s Mt. Shasta, it was if I could have reached out and touched it. A far cry from the view one sees from Interstate 5. We’ve covered the entire northern states from Washington to Wisconsin. We’ve travelled south as far as Illinois and Indiana returning to the west coast via Iowa and Nebraska. We’ve hauled everything from trailer loads of empty tin cans and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice to huge 4500 pound rolls of paper. We’ve visited a Tracy, California pet food manufacturer, that didn’t smell so nice, and a large detergent distributor in Salt Lake with the mixed aroma of a load of freshly washed clothes as well as dishes.

During these past several weeks I’ve often thought as I drive, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this!” I’ve seen some of the most picturesque sights. Among them numerous small mid western American towns. Communities dotted with farms and quiet tree-lined streets with beautiful white steepled churches and little school houses. I’ve also passed their proud high schools with their football stadiums and seen the little cemeteries where they bury their dead. One can only imagine the history and the people that have passed through these towns.

During our last trip through mid Iowa I was driving along westbound state highway 18, not far from our connection with Interstate 35 near Mason City. I couldn’t help but notice the varying shades of green grass and the differing crops and farms that blanket the flat landscape there. I’m reminded of one sign I saw for a nearby community; “Welcome to Rudd. Not bigger, just better!” America is truly a blessed country and a wonderful place to visit. Often in our day to day lives we become cocooned within our own communities and surroundings. We forget that there are a lot of people with diverse lifestyles and a great big world out there.

Shortly after the drive through Iowa I found myself meandering along Interstate 90 and through the “Badlands” and “Black Hills” region of South Dakota. Along the way and seen from the freeway are scattered a few authentic old west towns that look just as they did in the 1880s. Among them, and close to Rapid City, is the once lawless and infamous town of “Deadwood.” You may know this as the place where the popular HBO television series of the same title was set. Deadwood is famous for it’s old west reputation and ripe history along with it’s colorful inhabitants. It’s where in 1876 Wild Bill Hickok in Saloon No. 10 met his doom with a bullet to the back of his head. Apparently next to Hickok’s grave in Deadwood can also be seen the final resting place of frontierswoman Calamity Jane.

I also saw a tourist attraction along the same stretch of Interstate 80 at a casino where you could see movie props from the Kevin Costner film, “Dances With Wolves,” as well as some of his other movies. “Dances” is among my favorites and apparently the movie was filmed at a state park in nearby Custer. Kostner owns the casino and found interest in it while shooting the movie. Not far too is the famous Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. While I haven’t had the opportunity to explore these sights as a team driver, I’m hoping that as a solo driver I’ll be able to take at least some advantage.

Late last Tuesday night we spent a couple of hours at Walcott, Iowa and “the world’s largest truck stop.” Just west of Davenport the “Iowa 80 Truck Stop” is a truck driver’s department store of sorts and a modern multi-level grown-up’s toy store. It includes elevators and several floors of shopping space as well as a number of trucks on display in their main “showroom” along with the absolute best showers I’ve experienced to date! Nearly anything you’d want to buy as a long-haul trucker is available at the store or through their catalog. Their parking lot was huge with room for over 800 trucks.

It’s amazing that what I once feared, I now love. I can remember, in my first few days on the road, dreading the thought of driving the two lane highways through the numerous communities, valleys and hills one has to navigate. These are conditions that test a low-mileage trucker versus the relative ease of traveling the Interstate, with no stop signs or traffic lights to encumber your progress. I worried about the constant slowing down I would encounter along the way and the fact that I would have to downshift the truck frequently to control my speed as well as the engine RPMs. It was difficult to say the least, but now, with the miles of experience behind me, I actually look forward to the challenge, and the change in scenery, one experiences on these secondary roadways. I certainly haven’t perfected the process of shifting but am well on my way. The same can be said for backing these trucks and trailers into those spaces separated by just inches between other trailers and 18-wheelers. I’m far from perfection in this process as well but know that, with additional time and practice, I’ll be able to handle the challenge. It’s like I told Dennis last night, “I don’t want to be just a truck driver, I want to be a darn good one!”

To wrap things up, it’s been a great experience. Not an easy one for sure, and in fact far harder than I expected. But I’ve had a good time none-the-less. There were admittedly a few times -- early on -- when I wondered, “Is this really what I want to do?” Now with nearly 15,000 miles of personal long-haul driving experience behind me I’m definitely happy with my decision. I’ve come to the realization that I don’t have to do this job ... I get to!

In the weeks and months ahead I have a lot to look forward to. Among them, renewing old friendships as well as family relationships. My early plans include a trip, with time off, in the Washington D.C. area where I grew up and went to high school. A new-found friend awaits my visit there. I’m hoping to not only visit some of the areas where I lived, but to see Arlington National Cemetery, as well as the White House and other attractions while there. After that it’ll be on to Swift company headquarters in Phoenix for some required simulator training and a few days to visit my son and new daughter in-law as well as other family and good friends. The company store also will get a visit! Then I’m hoping to once again head back east, this time to Akron, Ohio. There I’ll visit my only surviving uncle and his wife of more than 60 years along with their family. He’s among that “greatest generation” and truly an American hero who, along with thousands of other soldiers, fought for their lives on June 6, 1944 to take back France’s Omaha Beach from the occupying forces of Germany. It was the beginning of the end for the Nazis and their occupation of Europe. Finally in early September I’m planning a weekend visit with one of my best friends from the Seattle area. Only this time we’ll be in New Jersey where he’ll be on a job assignment. We’re looking forward to a weekend in the big Apple and whatever else meets our fancy over the two and a half days. Other places, friends and family are in my plans for the remainder of the year.

Finally, thanks again to all those who regularly visit this blog and send me messages of support. I’m surprised to see that there are folks who visit regularly from not only many unexpected places around the country, but from various locations around the world. It would be nice to know who you are and what brings you to my little spot on the World Wide Web. Please take a moment to say hello and to ask questions or leave comments should you be so inclined. I’m not sure where the next few days will lead, but you can be sure that I’ll document much of what I see, do and think within these pages all along the way. We’ll “talk” again soon!

22,750 Miles Later and 10 Days to Go!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve last posted here, due mainly to our hectic schedule since I started training with my “mentor” trainer. As I wrote before, we’re constantly on the move. I seemed to have lost control of my life these last several weeks as my instructor decides where we go, when we go, when and where we sleep, eat and shower. While this isn’t entirely true, as he does often include me in the decision-making process, the bottom line is he doesn’t earn any money unless the truck is moving, and believe me this Kenworth has been on the move! I’m reminded some of what it was like when I was in Air Force basic training, only this time it’s Swift Transportation’s version of “basic” and my Technical Instructor (or “T.I.”) is an old-school truck driver with 34 years experience. But now, with a little time off for my son’s wedding yesterday, I finally have an opportunity to rest, recharge my batteries and post some of my thoughts.

First, I’d like to thank all those family and friends that have written or told me personally how much they enjoy reading my posts and that they hope I will continue. There’s great satisfaction in knowing that there is an audience out there that takes an interest in reading of my experiences and thoughts. It’s greatly appreciated and thank you to each and all.

As I mentioned, my son Matt was married yesterday in Seattle with a reception last night in Tacoma. His bride, who I met for the first time yesterday, is a wonderful, sweet and spunky young woman who he met while serving a Church mission in Brazil in 2001 - 2003. As I repeatedly said last night, with those who came to celebrate the occasion, I can’t believe that so many years have passed before us and my kids are now themselves marrying, and no doubt will soon have families of their own. Getting old(er) has never been something I’ve looked forward to, but to see my kids grow into happy, successful and responsible adults is truly a blessing as those years continue to mount up. The reception was a great occasion and an opportunity to see and visit with family and friends, many of whom I hadn’t seen for several years. Matt’s mother did an exceptional job arranging for a memorable event, in a beautiful location, with an awesome roof-top view of Puget Sound’s nearby Commencement Bay, but soon, at least for me, it’ll be “back to reality.”

To date with 32 days of training behind me, and just 10 days left to go, my mentor and I have accumulated an amazing 22,754 miles together. I never expected, in my wildest dreams, to have covered so many miles, in so short a time, but the log books don’t lie. We recently made our fifth trip to the St. Paul, Minnesota area. To say the least I’ve seen enough of Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. We’ve been through the area enough now that I’m beginning to recognize the bathrooms and aisles of several truck stops that we’ve visited before. Meanwhile we’ve visited Salt Lake City once again and have made several stops at our home-base in Lewiston.

I’ve seen Swift company terminals in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota., Fontana & Lathrop California as well as Salt Lake. We’ve twice been to Las Vegas and neither time did I even set foot in one of it’s casinos, as we “dropped,” “hooked” and passed right on through. Twice too we’ve been in California, first in the southern part of the state, and more recently visiting it’s northern region passing through Sacramento and then Stockton. We were in “Salty” (Salt Lake) a week ago yesterday and it was amazing to see how large the Swift terminal is there. There were hundreds of Swift trucks and trailers parked at every available space. The yard was fast filling up as truckers were parked for a rest of a day or two, possibly the entire weekend, as they prepared to venture to places far and wide and in every possible direction from Salt Lake. Terminals are especially nice as they have free showers and the opportunity to relax and commiserate with other truckers. On our arrival we waited in line in fourth position for about 45 minutes at a fueling stand at the terminal -- one of three -- with each line at least four or five trucks deep. One of our recent trips originated from a Pet Foods plant in Tracy, California with delivery at the $30-million Regional Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Hermiston, Oregon. The distribution facility had nearly 200 dock doors serving hundreds of trucks each day. It’s amazing what goes on behind the scenes to bring the millions of products and services to the nation’s public. It’s something far too few of us give any consideration to, as well as the trucking industry’s huge impact on our lives as well as the nation’s health and economy. More on this subject someday in a later post.

Our routing often takes us along the shortest distances possible. This means traveling along the back roads and through the smaller communities that we regularly overlook when we drive the Interstate system. In late May, and again just this past week, after leaving Las Vegas, rather than heading up Interstate 15, we were directed off “the beaten track.” The route took us along Nevada state highway 93 that travels a distance of more than 550 miles from the City of Lights to Twin Falls, Idaho where we finally picked up westbound Interstate 84 for the short trek to Payette. From there it’s still another nearly 200 miles north, along yet another two-lane roadway (Highway 95), to our destination in Lewiston. Northern Nevada has got to be some of the most desolate desert traveling anywhere in the country, with no cell phone service for literally hundreds of miles as we pass through, or by, small towns like Ash Springs, McGill and “Mule Foot” as we make our way to the better-known, and somewhat larger, communities of Ely and Wells. Some of our travels gives me the distinct impression that I’ve suddenly found myself on the set of an old western movie.

Our last trip from St. Paul, Minnesota took us westbound on highway 19 from the community of Cannon Falls to Northfield until we picked up Interstate 35 and headed south to Iowa and Des Moines. Along 19 we traveled through several small towns where I couldn’t help but notice the numerous beautifully maintained farms there. Many of the homes included large, sprawling, green and meticulously trimmed lawns with their houses, barns and other buildings freshly painted. A far cry from many of the farms I’ve seen elsewhere. It appeared that the folks in these Minnesota communities took special pride in the appearance of their properties. Then it was westward through historic Council Bluffs and then on to Omaha. In western Iowa and into Nebraska I counted nearly a dozen large wind turbines spread among the miles, as their huge blades, driven by the wind, slowly turned -- most of them miles in the distance. No multiple turbine farms, like I’ve seen in Washington state, but these impressive power generators seemed to be even larger.

I’ve seen for the first time the beautiful Snake River Canyon along Idaho state highway 95. The northbound drive approaching Riggins along the Snake River offered some picturesque scenes and impressive opportunities for white-river rafting. And then there was the long, nearly 45 minute, climb up White Bird Pass. Unquestionably the steepest and longest grade I’ve negotiated a big rig over in my short career. Another recent trip took us along the beautiful Columbia River Gorge which marks the border between Washington and Oregon.

Shortly after leaving Minnesota a week or so ago (I’d have to check my log book), while traveling south on I-35 and some 25 miles into Iowa, we once again passed by the town of Clear Lake. Mentioned in my previous post as the place where singer Buddy Holly last performed in concert in the late 1950s. After the performance he, along with Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, boarded a plane at the local airfield and then crashed just five miles north of town. The scene is accurately portrayed in a Lou Diamond Phillips movie chronicling the short life of 17 year old Valens. The incident is memorialized in Don McLean’s hit song “American Pie” as “The Day the Music Died.” Apparently the club, “The Surf Ballroom,” where the three performed, is still in operation and hosting concerts. When I’m “solo” I’ll make an effort to see the memorial that marks the crash scene. One thing I’ve come to appreciate is the wisdom that some folks have in their travels of venturing off the Interstate in an effort to see parts of the country otherwise missed. From here on out, whenever time and opportunity allows, I would choose to do the same thing in my personal travel.

So, with my return to Lewiston tomorrow, I’ll begin the downhill grade as I wrap up my final 10 days of training. Sometime during the final week of this month I should finally be assigned my own truck and officially a “solo” company driver for Swift Transportation. To say the least, I’ve paid my dues and I’m excited about finally having my own truck organized and outfitted per my personal tastes and preferences. The venture from my first post to this has been a long one, and more difficult and challenging than I had expected, but the reward, as it’s been said, is -- in the journey. That journey will continue ...