Good morning from the top of the country.... Buffalo, N.Y.. What can I say, other than "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore." We pulled into General Mills late and spent the night in the drop yard. That was just fine except, um well there were no bathrooms. You guessed it.... Mark says I'm a real trucker now.
We went from one General Mills location to another General Mills location, 2 miles down the road. We were picking up a load going to Social Circle, Georgia. With Buffalo being a port of entry, security was strict. Standing at the counter, with 1 inch glass between us and the staff, we listened to the many dos and don'ts we were to follow while on the premises, as well as show so much identification that I was worried they were going to ask me for my first born grandchild. We all know THAT would not happen. If i had to chose between being on the truck with Mark, or giving up Gus... well... sorry Mark.
After dropping the trailer we had and picking up the trailer waiting for us, we were ready to go back thru security and head out. In the moments that followed, I learned that it IS possible to squeeze an 18 wheeler between a building wall and a moving train, with VERY LITTLE room for error.
I also learned that if you are a great driver, which did I mention my trucker is one of the best, it is also possible to make a 270 degree left hand turn in an 18 wheeler, with nobody or no property getting hurt. WHOOT!! I love my trucker.
The leaves are starting to turn their beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges. We will be heading down along the Allegheny Mountain range. Hopefully we will have a front row seat to the beauty of God's handywork.
Who knows we might even stop in North Carolina and see Mark's mama.
This is my trucker. My hero. He is one of the 3.5 million truckers in the United States who braves the cold, frigid winters and the sweltering, hot summers to bring you practically everything you will buy for your family. He is a gentle man, who loves God, his wife and kids, and his job. He stays relatively calm when you cut him off at a stop light, or move back into his lane too soon, causing him to hit the brakes, slowing down 75,000 pounds in an instant, to keep from hitting you. He waits patiently at fuel stops to get gas, sometimes three and four deep, as his clock ticks steadily toward the delivery deadline. He can sit for hours, waiting to be loaded or unloaded, even if he did get there on time. At the end of "his" day, he has to find a parking spot to spend at least 10 hours out of the driver's seat. Seems like something easy to do, right? Just pull into a motel.... Wait, no he can't do that because he can't park a tractor and 53 ft trailer just anywhere. This means he has to find a truck stop down the road, hoping there will be parking spots when he arrives. Upon arrival, he is met with several other truckers (depending on the time of day) who are, also looking for a parking spot. This can be quite the task, especially if there is only a few spots open. It becomes a big game of musical chairs, only with trucks. Tempers can flare, gestures can fly, all depending on the time of day and the current weather conditions. Did I mention parking one of those rigs?? Once parked, it is time he finds something to eat, and get some sleep, only to get up and do it all over again. Being on the truck with him, I can honestly say that truck stop food is terrible. The comforts of home are lacking in those giant boxes on wheels. These things they do for us, without a second thought, to bring the goods to the people. Folks, if we didn't have these guys/gals, we would not have even toilet paper so readily available. The next time you see a trucker in a truck stop, thank him. They need to know how much we appreciate everything they do for us. Oh, I almost forgot, remember to give them the space they need to maneuver that giant machine safely down the highway.
