Laziness - The Mother of Invention

It was after 9:30 this morning before I finally got on the road. I have been working locally in the STL area for almost two months and had unloaded almost everything from my truck including my motorcycle. So it took a little while to get everything situated as I headed out for Fort Worth, TX with my 3 pieces of 30" by 20' steel pipe.

My motorcycle is a 2003 Harley Davidson Road King. Because it is a 100th Anniversary special edition I intend to keep it forever. Being black and chrome it is beautiful when clean, which I try to maintain as best as I can. But riding sideways on the front of my flatbed trailer, just behind the gooseneck, makes it very difficult sometimes. Especially when it rains. The road spray coming from my truck tends to turn everything a mucky shade of brown which takes hours - literally - to remove. The washing part is only half the battle. It's the polishing and shining that doubles the effort.

It has always bothered me that my pride and joy is exposed to the elements. One of the worst was just this past April when I was headed for Salt Lake City and ran into a Spring blizzard going thru the Rockies. Pictures and details are HERE. (Right click and 'open in a new tab' or you will be re-directed away from this page)

I do have a motorcycle cover and I use it when parking the bike outside. But I was afraid to leave it on while going down the road. I think the wind would cause the cover to flap and the paint would get chafed. The cover might even totally blow off even thou it does have one strap in the middle.

This afternoon as I'm going thru OK the skies begin to darken and sure enough I see lightening straight ahead of me. The remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall this morning in LA and I suspect this is some of the out-flow. CRAP! I really hate cleaning my bike. There has to be a way. I got an idea!

I pull off the exit and put the cover over the bike. Next, I take one of my tarps, which is WAY HUGE (12' x 24') and use a section of it to go over the top. After using bungees to tighten three of the four sides, I roll up the excess tarp and lay it behind the bike, out of the wind, and use a strap to secure it to the deck of the trailer.

VOILA' -- worked like a champ! In 20 minutes my bike is protected and I'm cruising down the road into the rain -- smiling! Next time I get to Belleville, I'm going to see Steve, my tarp guy, and ask him about making a fitted tarp.

Back on the Road Again (almost)

I have spent much of the last 10 months 'based' here in the St. Louis area where I called 'HOME' for much of my life. For those that know me even a little bit know that I prefer to be in Paradise - a sand bar along the Gulf Coast outside St. Petersburg, FL. I have been here establishing a new business that will continue servicing a construction company in St. Louis that my best friend has been delivering equipment for over the last 20 years. He is retiring this year.

Things are now almost 100% in place so that I may get back to doing what I love best - Traveling the USA and then ending up in Paradise for some R&R every so often. My Federal Motor Carrier Authority was granted the beginning of this month and my search for at least one, and potentially several, Owner/Operators has had success. My first Lessee should be on board in a couple of weeks. You will get to meet him - if he allows it - when it becomes official.

And I have had conversation with a friend who drives a BIG truck and he maybe interested in joining my fledgling company. But my focus next is to add some more shippers. It does no good to have trucks and drivers if I'm getting all my loads off the load boards. It seems to me that our economy continues to improve resulting in more freight moving and better rates. Nothing personal Mr. Broker, but I prefer to deal direct with the shipper and get ALL the money.

Let me give you an example of a TRUE STORY. I am going to make this vague because I really don't want to offend anyone.

I subscribe to a website that has a few shippers but is primarily broker-posted loads. I was trying to get to a particular part of the country, so I narrowed my search to loads under 15,000 lb and requiring less than 35' of deck going from St. Louis to this area. It is not uncommon to see the same load posted by multiple brokers, which is what happened in this case.

I called three different brokers listing the same load and was quoted three different rates! The part that REALLY aggravated me was broker #1 wanted to pay me MORE THAN 30% LESS than brokers #2 and #3. I know for a fact that the shipper was PAYING the same thing so who do you think was getting the difference? And for what?

Before I piss off to many of the brokers I do business with -- NOT ALL OF YOU ARE CROOKS! I'll go so far as to say, "MOST of you are honest and perform a legitimate and fair service." But unfortunately there are many that are only interested in making a buck and it's usually at the drivers expense. Like the load I was paid $900 for and found out that the broker was paid $1400. When I picked the load up, there was a note from the broker to the shipper that I wasn't suppose to see but got included in my paperwork.

So the moral of the story is, cut-out the middle-man.

Tomorrow - Sunday - I head to Fort Worth, TX with a load of steel pipe which I will deliver Monday morning. Then I pick-up three ATVs an hour away in Dallas which will eventually get me to within 50 miles of my parents house near Savannah, GA. Along the way, I will grab my youngest son and we will visit G'ma and G'pa for a few days before going down to Paradise for a week.

I'm really looking forward to going back to FL. I haven't been there since the end of May. I'm hopeful Tropical Depression Bonnie did not destroy my beach to much when it past a couple of hundred miles to the west yesterday. I'll let you know.

Therapy that PAYS

I have always known that riding my motorcycle was the best therapy for me when I get in a funk. I have discovered that going down the road in my truck - making money - works also.

I feel guilty admitting that sometimes I get - for lack of a better word - depressed. I have such a blessed and wonderful life that it seems very inappropriate to not be thankful 24/7. It aggravates me when people are not appreciative of the good in their lives and choose to gripe about the negatives. And yet I am guilty of that very attitude sometimes. Fortunately it isn't often and usually short-lived. Nonetheless, it happens in spite of my being aware of it and trying to 'get-over-it'.

My funk lately stems from being stuck in a situation (place) that just doesn't make me happy. I am fully aware that many times in life we have to do things that we don't particularly want to but it is necessary in the "Big Picture" to suck-it-up.

I have been trying to get out of Belleville for much of the last 6 or 7 years. I thought I had succeeded three years ago when I moved my bed (literally) to FL - my Paradise. But I have spent way more of the last 12 months back in Belleville doing one of those things we don't particularly like but must. That mission is almost done now and hopefully I can get on with what I like best - Traveling the USA and hanging out in Paradise when I'm not!

The last month or so has been extra stressful with the expense of getting my own Motor Carrier Authority and not working as much as I like. I was spending alot of money with-out alot of income and then 'stuck' in Belleville to boot when I'd rather be 1000 miles south. But if life was ALWAYS great, how could you possibly know? You need some rain in your life to appreciate the sun.

This past week, actually most of this month (YIKES! It's the 16th already?) has been pretty decent. And it's primarily because I have been driving alot (making money). Monday I did a little bit of local work but was done before noon. Tuesday started slowly but then I ran 500+ miles to northwest Iowa and loaded some small utility trailers coming back here to a dealer that I delivered late Wednesday.

Yesterday I took 10,000 lbs of concrete forms and bridge over-hang brackets to a job site in the western edge of MO. On my way back, I picked up a 26' stakebed truck going to Scott AFB - about 7 miles from my house. SWEET! This morning I will run some more construction equipment about 100 miles out and then bring back stuff they have on the job but are done with. After lunch I'll deliver this truck and then ... IT'S THE WEEKEND.

The sun is about to make it's appearance; it's time to go. MAKE your day a great one!

Motor Carrier Certificate Is Now In-Hand

I now have everything I need to get on with business. The omnipotent Certificate of Authority came in the mail this weekend. So everything is now in order, at least for me, to book any load I want.

My next step is to find another owner or operator or two; someone who owns their own truck and holds a Commercial Drivers License with an "A" endorsement. This could be a pick-up truck IF it has a diesel motor and has a tow package installed, including either a 5th wheel or goose neck hitch. The perfect truck would be a flatbed - either 12 or 14' long - and setup with a pocket goose neck.

Is there anybody out there?

I am waiting to hear back from my insurance agent exactly how I add drivers on to my company. Hopefully this gets done early next week so I can get on with what I need to do and grow my business.

I don't usually believe in coincidence, but I have no other explanation. Just before the 4th of July weekend, I had the best single day financially I have ever had as a driver. I came within $30 of matching that last Friday! And try as I might, neither one was related to my getting my own Authority. I'd like to think our economy is indeed improving.

Friday started with delivering some construction equipment here locally and my week looked to be done by noon. About mid-afternoon I got a phone call asking if we could take 1 pallet weighing 360 lbs from a truck line terminal downtown STL up to a job site near Hannible, MO 180 miles away. They wanted it delivered Monday morning. I already have another job set for Monday morning so I did it that afternoon. Delivered by 7:00 pm.

The rest of my weekend has been uneventful. I did get up to the Maryville Fireman's Picnic Saturday night, always a fun time. But I was home in bed before 11. Such a good boy!

Unfortunately my trip back to CA is not going to happen this month as hoped. I just have to much unfinished business here to address. And, as I mentioned before, my main reason to go was to visit a sister I haven't seen in a very long time. But seeing her in Boston, where she lives, would be 500 miles closer than going to LA where she will be staying. There are just a lot of little things that point to this not being the time to go back to CA.

Instead I will be going to FL with my youngest son. I will swing down to AR and pick him up and then go visit my parents near Savannah, GA before going down to Paradise for 10 days or so. But first I need to find another truck or two to add to my fleet.

"Your Motor Carrier Authority Has Been GRANTED!"

That was the automated phone call I received last Friday morning; a day later than I expected but what the heck, better late than never! So I am now officially a business owner that is properly credentialed and insured -- and broke!

I did end up taking a trip late Thursday to Kentucky. I was able to put two different items together which is like getting paid twice for the almost the same drive. In fact, I had a local delivery early that morning and then loaded a walk-behind skid-steer (think 'lawn mower on steroids' with a small bucket in front instead of a cutting blade) and a 2011 Dodge Ram cab and chassis.

The best part was I was able to deliver ALL THREE the same day resulting in the biggest single payday I have ever had. Then again, it was the ONLY payday I have had in almost two weeks so I guess it balances out. Ah, the ebb and flo of entrepreneurship. (Great word - thx Pilar)

I spent Thu nite out and then headed toward Lake Egypt, about 40 miles north of Paducah. My best friend had invited me to the lake with them again for the Fourth of July. (I went last year) Fri afternoon was swimming and boating, a most relaxing change to the stress I have had for the past couple of weeks spending $$$ on my start-up with little income.

Saturday we went into Goreville, population 972, for the parade. It was bigger - longer - than last year. The BBQ sandwiches at the church were awesome. I think of Norman Rockwell and his portrayals of Americana when I'm here. I highly recommend this for YOUR 'Bucket List.' It will reaffirm your roots in the GREATEST COUNTRY ON THIS EARTH, which is what the Fourth of July stands for!



Saturday afternoon is back to the boat and fun in the sun. Unfortunately about a gazillion other folks had the same idea. But we found a little cove, dropped anchor and floated the afternoon away. I am so blessed and fortunate to live the life I have. It is easy to forget that sometimes. Thanks BIG GUY!



We watched fireworks that nite from the boat. Apparently our economy is doing better because there were significantly more people shooting off some BIG STUFF all around the lake this year. A great nite with wonderful friends -- it doesn't get much better.

Sunday morning I cooked my world famous French Toast and bacon for everyone and then we packed up and headed back toward STL. The Veiled Prophet Parade, and ensuing Fair St. Louis, is another item for your 'Bucket List.' I have seen fireworks all across the USA and these are Top 5! USA Today agrees with me, not that that makes any difference.

The Air Show returned to the fair this year after a five year absence. It was FANTASTIC! Pilots - and wing-walkers - doing impossible things with airplanes from the modern day F-15 built here in STL (can you say LOUD!) to WW-I biplanes in mock battle over the Mississippi River. Next up was the B-52s. No, not the bomber but the 80s band (Love Shack). And then the fireworks synchronized to music. What a great day, again!

Monday was a different story. I'm sure Sunday nite was a factor, as well as the rest of the 'sun-n-fun' weekend, but I think I ate something for lunch that just didn't sit well in my belly. By late afternoon, I was either laying in bed in the fetal position or running to the bathroom. Not a good evening. (And NO, it was NOT my French Toast! That was more than 24 hrs earlier.)

Fortunately it ran it's course and I was much improved yesterday morning. Although not 100%, I was well enough to take a trip down to Cape Girardeau, MO - about 120 miles south - and back.

I was hoping to go back to Southern California in mid-July but that is looking less likely as it approaches. My sister - a Justice of the Peace in Boston - is going to LA to preside over a wedding involving her husbands family. I really want to go, mostly because my youngest son was going with me. But there seems to be a complication in his agenda not to mention, my weakened wallet, and I really need to concentrate on getting another driver or two involved with my company. The stars are just not lining up for this one.

Well, I have piddled away enough of this morning. My priority needs to be finding an owner/operator to join my biz. So back to my Craigslist ad. Gotta get that up.