Down Time Last week we took some time off to attend our annual family camping trip. We have gone to the same campground for over 20 years. Over the years we have gone over different weeks during the summer; however, in each case we seem to struggle with mother nature. This year was no different. Fortunately, the weather was more cooperative than expected making for a most enjoyable time. As I wrote in last week’s blog our truck was in the shop while we were taking time off....

Short Week? Last week was supposed to be a planned short week of work. We left home on Sunday to stage for a load that picked up on Monday. Our first load was a short pick and deliver in the same day. As often happens, the pick up was delayed. We did make our delivery on time. Fortunately, our second load picked up at the same location as our delivery. We were able to delivery on Tuesday. The plan was then to head back home for a couple of week’s vacation. Again, plans chan...

Multitasking Merriam-Webster online defines multitasking as: “the performance of multiple tasks at one time.” There have been several studies that have suggested that multitasking actually slows us down more than it allows us to get more things done simultaneously. Last week found us trying to work, then rush home for a friend’s milestone birthday party and prepare for an upcoming vacation. While home we try to get appointments done, groceries bought, laundry completed,...

When starting at a new job, many people simply want to learn their role and focus on only what they were hired for. You know, the not my job, not my problem mentality. If they’re hired to pick up a phone to answer and make calls, then they’d make sure to just learn that job. Anything else is considered above or below their paygrade. So that’s it. If they’re brought into a company to process paperwork, or maybe they’re a sales or tech specialist, then that’s what t...

Unexpected Plans The plan was to stay out on the road until our next scheduled home time. Rarely do we ever get a load that takes us anywhere near home. Last week was an unexpected surprise. We had a delivery that got us very close to home. We delivered on Monday and went straight home. We had another load lined up to pick up on Thursday. So what could we do to use our time at home in a practical and efficient way? What do you do with a short timeline at home? Here is what we...

Since electronic logging devices have become the norm and personal conveyance has been a part of the ELD, I have always found it to be the most undefined duty line in my log book. There has always seemed to be a lot of guidance, but not any well defined rules for its use....

Mentoring We have been doing some planning for what our retirement might look like. As we get older we are finding that we are not enjoying the cold weather that home has during the Winter. We had visited some friends in Florida earlier this year and found the area to be very nice; however, we do not want to buy another house. After talking with other drivers about our dilemma we were shown a much less expensive option while keeping us near the neighborhood that we like. Over...

Most of you should be aware by now that California is currently requiring trucks who run in their state to be registered with CARB (California Air Resources Board) for CTC (Clean Truck Check) emissions testing. In 2024, trucks were required to create a profile and pay the annual fee on the CTC-VIS website, but emission testing was not required. Here in 2025, emissions tests are required by registered trucks twice per year....

For those who followed my generator installation, I left off with the need for an AGS module or Automatic Generator Start module. That was about a month ago, May has been a busy month. I have since researched, sourced, purchased and installed an AGS in the past few weeks....

Long Weekend Holiday weekends are always a double edged sword. It would have been nice to be home; however, working is a blessing too. The week before a holiday can also be unpredictable. In some cases, the customer might try to move as many pieces as possible. While other’s mindset is already in vacation mode rather than work. Each holiday, each customer and each year is a guess for us as to how much work we may or may not have. This year, this holiday and our customers we...