AT&T - I Wish I knew THEN what I know NOW

I have been a happy and loyal AT&T customer for more than seven years; as long as I was using them for just wireless telephone service. That changed last January when I added an aircard to my laptop so I could access the Internet via a cell phone - or radio wave - signal. I wish I had done a little more homework before choosing AT&T for that aircard. I assumed that since I got fairly decent reception with my cell phone as I traveled in different places around the country that my aircard using the same service would also be good. WRONG!

There is a significant difference in the bandwidth - size of information 'packets' sent via radio wave from your device to the nearest cell tower - used between voice (telephone) and data (aircard). A 3G network allows more information to transfer faster between the device and tower - kinda like the difference between dial-up Internet and cable.

I didn't even KNOW what 3G was until six months ago. Technology comes a little more slowly to people as they get older. I daresay that most people did not understand 3G technology until Verizon began their "red map vs. blue map" commercials late last year. AT&T apparently agreed as they filed a lawsuit trying to stop Verizon's commercials as misleading people. The court rejected their suit.

AT&T's SIGNIFICANTLY smaller 3G network means that there are fewer places that you can use a data transfer device - like my aircard - effectively. So while I have a good telephone signal, my ability to get on the Internet is nearly impossible sometimes; like last week when I was in southern Alabama. That 'blue map' in the Verizon commercials is AT&Ts OWN admission of their 3G coverage area!

As a response to the Verizon commercials, AT&T has been using actor Luke Wilson to advertise how "... AT&T covers 97 million Americans." You may have heard him tell you how AT&T is better and faster than Verizon. You may not have caught the small print at the bottom or the low-voiced announcer's disclaimer at the end where they concede, "...3G service not available in all areas." But then AT&T has a history of misleading in advertising.

Remember Cingular (now AT&T) advertising in 2006 how they had "the fewest dropped calls" across America? Their source was Telephia, a 'leading independent research company'? (Who Dat?) Those of us that had AT&T found that to be an incredulous statement. Consumers Reports blasted them for dropped-calls and static in a survey of it's 50,000 members. J.D. Powers and Associates consistently ranked Cingular near the bottom in their regional wireless call quality studies.

So it should be no surprise that they blur the line between telephone and data service. Don't misunderstand me, I am VERY MUCH satisfied with their telephone service. I travel 35 states around the country and get phone service in most places. And their roll-over deal is first class. When I am in their 3G network, my Internet connection is very acceptable.

The problem is when I am NOT in a 3G network - which is like 80% of the time when I'm on the road. Their 3G is typically concentrated in a major metropolitan area. Once your 10 miles out of that area it's done. My aircard has two lights - one indicates power-on and the other identifies the type of connection. Blue is for 3G and orange is for SDP (my acronym for 'slower than drying paint'). When I am on their SDP network, many websites aren't even accessible because of the bandwidth required. The page just never loads.

One thing we know about technology is that it changes almost as fast as you can blink. Sprint has already unveiled 4G in very limited areas. Verizon has announce a roll-out in the second half of this year. AT&T has not said anything, which you would expect since they barely have 3G.

One other clarification, AT&T and Verizon use different technology. The term 3G, and 4G for that matter, refers to a measurement or standard for mobile communications defined by the International Telecommunications Union. HOW a company achieves that standard varies, which is why one company can be better than another.

Had I known all this last January, I would have gone with Verizon. But then I would not have fodder for today's blog. Always look for the silver lining.

I am LOVIN' My New Wagon

In case you have NOT been keeping up, I finally - after two years - got a flatbed trailer with ramps. A recurring gripe I had before was there were loads available but they required trailers with ramps. In case you were wondering, ramps are necessary to get a wheeled vehicle onto the trailer from the ground when no other equipment is available (ie forklift or loading dock).

I have found a rather large market of automobiles out there that need to be moved. Just look at all the 'portable parking lots' going down the interstate - that's the trucker slang for 18-wheel car haulers. Earlier this week I got back to the Midwest from south Alabama by bringing a Ford van. Today I had a short trip to the other side of Illinois, only 180 miles or so, but found two cars within 60 miles of my delivery coming back to the St. Louis area. The result was a GREAT day - 630 miles of driving and 556 of them were paid!



Sorry the pix is blurry. As you can tell, it was getting dark. I was too far away for the flash to be effective so this was my best shot. You get the idea.

Oh, btw, THANK YOU SUE!!! She turned me on to this load board that specializes in cars. We made application last week and just got activated two days ago. They research each application to verify their credentials. Pretty impressive but then they charge for it too.

So this has been a pretty excellent week in spite of my mechanical issues Tuesday (see below). This new trailer is MOST EXCELLENT!

AT&T - Your Lucky today 'cuz I have something good to say (but not about YOU)

I have been thinking about AT&T wireless and planned quite a diatribe about their service. But instead - today - I have something nice to say instead about a bad situation that could have been a WHOLE lot worse (obviously a testament to my clean living).

Last week was relatively slow for me, business wise, so I decided to find something off the load board and go on a road trip. I booked a Chinook helicopter blade going to Ft. Rucker, AL - 30' long and only 1000 lbs made it a nice deal. I loaded Friday and then grudgingly left Sunday morning to make a Monday delivery. I say grudgingly because I REALLY wanted to watch the New Orleans - Minnesota football game. I settled for listening on the radio.

Ft. Rucker is in the southeastern corner of Alabama and pretty much out in the sticks. It is a very large Army post with a whole lot of helicopters (obviously). I like to try and set-up my NEXT trip while still completing the one I'm on. In this case, I was trying to access the load board on Monday morning from Ft. Rucker. AT&T (my wireless Internet provider) was not cooperative. Since my topic for today is "good news", I'll leave details of this for another time.

Normally, when I'm 'out' like this, I look for something close to where I am (I do a 'radius search' based on zip code) and then pick the best paying load. But because I'm trying to stay close to the STL area, I did a destination search looking for something within 150 miles going back to STL. I ended up booking a Ford cargo van going from an auction place on the AL/GA line into west-central Missouri. It was a few more deadhead miles - on both ends - than I prefer but it accomplished my objective - get back to STL.

I picked that up Monday afternoon and then pointed my "tall" load into a vicious wind from the northwest and headed out. I also began looking for something to add-on along the way.

This morning, while coming into IL, I got a call from a broker (I love it when THEY call ME) looking to move a skid steer (Bobcat) from the STL area to southwest MO. Ironically, my trip with the cargo van took me THRU St. Louis. So I grabbed that on my way thru and continued west with my now full trailer.

The wind today was still quite gusty and mostly 'in-my-face' as I went out I-44. About halfway across MO it becomes quite hilly as you get into the Ozarks. So now my old Dodge diesel is fighting it's way up these big hills, into the wind with 19,000 lbs of trailer hanging off it's ass. Oh, and if I want to deliver today I need to go 300 miles in less than 6 hours; not impossible but certainly will require the pedal screwed to the floor.

About 100 miles from my destination - and I'm on-time so far, btw - without any warning or unusual sounds, my truck begins to vibrate violently when accelerating - which I'm doing ALOT of. Long story short, I broke one of the fuel lines that feeds the injector. The vibration was from one of my six cylinders being 'dead' because of no fuel. (This is the good news part)

First of all I was able to continue driving although at significantly reduced power. I'm also pouring fuel out of this busted line as I try to get somewhere and have this looked at. I lost probably 15 gallons of fuel (at $3/gl) driving the 40 miles necessary to get to a town of significance and seek repairs. I'm embarrassed to say the trail of diesel I leaked thru the parking lot of the truck stop as I pulled in reminded me of one of those water trucks that sprays down the dusty roads in a construction site.

Not only was I able to find a repair shop that would look at my problem 'right now' but they even were able to get the part from the Cummin's dealer 1/2 mile up the street. $218 and 2 hours later I'm back on the road again! Other than the terrible stench of diesel that still coats my truck, I'm good as new. I could have been broke-down on the side of the road waiting for a wrecker to tow me to Joe's Garage in Down-Under Missouri where they would order the part and have it 'maybe next week.'

So, if you happen to breakdown anywhere near Springfield, MO; please call Tim at Inland Truck Parts and Service. They gave me the ULTIMATE HOOK-UP, as far as I'm concerned. I can tell you, my experience with repairs on the road rarely have a happy ending. When you drive 100K miles/year, s@%^t gonna happen. Typically it's 'open season' on your wallet. Not this time.

THANK YOU TIM!

So tonight I sit outside Branson, MO waiting to deliver my skid steer loader first thing in the morning. Then it's 130 miles north to drop off the cargo van. Just a few minutes ago, I saw a post for a pick-up truck going back to St. Louis. I'll try to hook that up on my way to deliver the van.

Next time I will vent on AT&T and their lousy network.

I ALMOST spent $65,000 this weekend

Obviously the key word there is 'almost' since there is no new RV parked in my driveway. But man was it a beauty. A 39' Montana (one of the top lines) with FIVE slide-outs, fireplace, front living room (usually they put the bedroom up front), remote control EVERYTHING (leveling jacks, awning, front legs), hickory cabinets thru-out, yada, yada, yada. It was beautiful. But the idea of incurring that kind of debt ($605/mo for 15 years with $7K down) brought me back to reality.

The RV show was pretty neat. I was amazed at the mass of people paying $10 or so to park their car and then another $8 per person to get in an look at a bunch of campers. What recession?

This afternoon I went looking at some used 5th wheels that are more in my budget. I'm hoping that this recession has forced someone to get rid of their lightly used 'toy' and I can find a deal. Nothing yet but I hope to find something in the next 30-60 days

And speaking of recession, I have felt that the trucking industry would be a pretty good barometer of our economy in general. Before this recent down-turn, businesses' inventories were fat. For the past 18 months or so, retailers stopped buying from manufacturers and sold down their inventories. The trucking industry suffered as freight volumes dropped. Since there were still a bunch of trucks available, freight rates tumbled along with the volume of goods moving.

Apparently the holidays were fairly decent for many business owners and now it seems as if freight volumes are increasing. I judge this based on the number of options I have when I look at the load boards as well as what is being paid.

My first trip with our new authority was a short ride to Kansas City. I got really lucky when the same broker called me and had something coming back to the St. Louis area. And the pay was as good as I have seen in more than a year. So I am very optimistic about the near-term.

One other item of note is my new video game player - Wii. It's really not mine, per se. My oldest son has loaned it to me indefinitely. You may remember, several weekends ago, I was at some friends house and we played their new Christmas present - a Wii - for several hours. I knew Nathan had one and didn't think he was using it so I borrowed it. Now, before you start thinking I have lost my mind (perhaps some of you have been thinking that for some time), there is a very GOOD reason behind this.

One of the video games is called Wii Fit and is an exercise fitness based program. Like most everyone else in America, I would be happier if I had 10 less pounds to stuff into my clothes. THAT's my story and I'm sticking to it! Besides, shouldn't a Beach Bum have a Beach Body?

FINALLY - A Certificate of Authority from the FMCSA

It's about two months later than I was hoping but, as the saying goes, 'better late than never.' The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issue a Certificate of Authority so that I may now conduct interstate transportation of common goods. YIPPEE!

We have also begun the search for another driver with his own truck to pull my old trailer. The idea is to have a P/T person available here locally when I am out of town. I placed an ad on Craigslist and had probably 70 calls in just a few days. I think we will be able to find one person to fit our needs.

I gripe about how long this has all taken but in reality this maybe working out quite well, other than the drain to my bank account not working very much for the past five months. I am a very big believer in Karma - if you DO good things then good things will happen to you; and vice versa. I try very hard - at least in my own head - to do the right thing most of the time. So the timing of all of this - getting our authority, finding another driver, etc. - seems to be lining up with the improving weather (I hope) and the rebounding economy. Let's cross our fingers.

So what else has happened in the last week? Oh, I had this really cute chica cook dinner for me last weekend. If I were more technology inclined, I'd figure out a way to get the pix off my camera and onto this post. (Nathan -- HELP!) Anyway, to make a long story longer, last Saturday I took my oldest son Nathan and my niece Paula to see Avatar 3D. What an amazing movie! 3D movies have come a long way since I last saw one. If you haven't seen it yet - GO! Don't wait for the DVD. You need the big screen and their sound system for the full effect.

As a 'thank you' I was treated to dinner the next day - Sunday - at Paula's. She is quite an amazing cook at 16 years old. She did have a recipe for the Chicken Tettrazine (sp?) but it was only a guide as she ad-libbed her way thru. It was GREAT, except for one small thing. (remember this is the long story)

Sunday was also a football wild-card play-off day. Paula has the insensitivity to serve dinner with 4 minutes left to play in the highest scoring play-off game EVER and the score is TIED! (That would be the Cardinals vs Packers game for you football enthusiasts) Now how am I suppose to walk away from that? But in keeping with my 'do-the-right-thing' attitude I did.

I inhaled dinner in about 2 1/2 'football' minutes (approximately 7 minutes in real time) and only got up twice to go peek at the score. The game ended up going into overtime where, incredibly, the final score was on a DEFENSIVE play. The Cards forced a fumble and returned for a touchdown.

I don't feel too guilty about my divided attention because Ms. Paula was out the door with her friends before the sauce had dried on our plates leaving her poor sister - Lindsay - to clean-up. Actually 'poor' is an exaggeration since everyone knows the cook doesn't have to clean-up. Regardless, dinner was outstanding in all areas - quality, ambiance and entertainment. It was an excellent night. Hey, the Cards won!

This was also a pretty decent week work-wise considering it's the middle of winter. I had a few local trips and then took a load to Kansas City, KS yesterday. The temperatures have been above freezing since Tuesday so our snow has begun to melt. I washed the salt and schmutz off my truck Wednesday. That lasted for almost three hours. All the plowed snow (and salt and schmutz) on the shoulders is melting and drains back across the roadway.

Kansas City got twice as much snow as we did here judging from the 'mountains' formed in the plowed parking lots. Accordingly, the melting run-off was significantly worse so today my truck looks as bad as it did before I washed it. That's okay. I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy and help the Car Wash industry.

This weekend is the RV Show in St. Louis. I am in the market for a 34' fifth-wheel. I do not intend to buy a new one; there are too many like-new, used ones around at a deep discount. Like most vehicles, RVs depreciate 15-20% the minute you drive it off the sales lot. But the RV show is a good place to see alot of different things all in one place.

I find it interesting (ironic?) that I spent a lot of my younger days living in a house on wheels and here in my pre-retirement I plan to do the same thing. The big difference is this home I can pull around the country with my truck. And it will have a fireplace (I hope).

p.s. - why is the time stamp below different than my clock (9:30)?

What Global Warming -- HaHaHa

I have to admit, it is pretty outside. At least from my window! We got about 3" of snow last nite. The clouds have now given way to clear blue skies and bright sunshine this morning. I have not been outside yet. It's in the low teens. This weekend is going to be even colder. I guess if it HAS to be frigid it is easier to deal with if there is snow on the ground. I know, it's all in my head.

It's still better here - near St. Louis - than just a bit north. Their snow is measured in feet and the temps are negative numbers! So how does this bitter cold and snow support the global warming theory? Even 'My Paradise' (Treasure Island, FL) is looking at freezing temps this weekend.

One story I read - kinda funny in a morbid way - was the iguanas in FL falling out of the trees. Being cold-blooded reptiles, they stop moving when temps get in the 40s and at some point their feet lose their grip. One animals bad luck is another's good fortune.

WOO-HOO -- GREAT NEWS!

Apparently all I had to do was talk bad about the Federal Motor Carriers because the phone call I have been waiting for just came in. Our Federal operating Authority has been GRANTED! We should get the magic letter in a week or so. This is a GREAT day, in spite of the weather.

Happy New Year!

A lot has happened in the more than two weeks since I last posted. The BIG news (for me) is that I have a new trailer behind my truck now. Woo-Hoo! It is 37' long (versus 25' before); has a dove-tail with ramps (for EZ loading of vehicles); and has dual tandem axels (bigger payload). Here it is:



And I got my first load just today with it. I REALLY like this. ALOT. I went to Emory, TX (half-way between Dallas and Texarkana) and picked it up at the factory two days ago.

The bad news is we still do not have everything in place for our federal authority (permission) to conduct interstate commerce. We DID get the state authority so we are 'legal' intrastate. There are SOOOOOOO many i's to dot and t's to cross that it just takes longer than I wish. But I am hopeful that we will get that letter from the feds in a few days. In the meantime, we make do with the local work.

So those are the current events. Now for some 'catching up' on old news.

When I left IL on Dec 18th I did NOT go to AR to pick-up my youngest. For reasons NOT to be aired in public, he decided not to go. His loss.

I spent two weeks in paradise doing the usual - motorcycle, library, beach, more motorcycle and ringing in the new year (more than once). But before I knew it reality set in and I was on the road again. I left FL and went 1100 miles to pick-up the trailer and then 700 miles back to IL - in just over two days! Hey, that's what I do; drive.

So now I am back in Belleville (just outside St. Louis) where it was 10 degree's this morning when I left the house. It has begun to snow ouside now. They are saying 2-4" by noon tomorrow. I probably won't leave the house. Then the REALLY cold weather moves in. Oh well, it IS winter.