Tuesday, March 25, 2008

On the Road with the original florida kid Week 19

"On the Road" with the original florida kid WEEK 19
Hello again fellow truckstars! Week 19 is in the log books...........or not...........
and you're on the road with the original kid..............
Grandma and everyone here at the ranch say - "Hey!"
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN' -
I've been on the road for a few weeks, that's why you haven't heard from me. I just got back at 4:00am yesterday from an almost 20,000 mile trip hauling boats, haul - backhaul - that kind of thing. I was on a roll and I rode it till the end since I'll probably be off for a couple of weeks because of the holiday. That's okay.... Needless to say I'm tired but I have so much "home" stuff to do I can't lay around and stare at the tv. I still can't get over how much I feel like a stranger here at home after a long trip....how 'bout you truckstar?
Barbie and Grandma did a beautiful job decorating the house for Christmas, the tree and lights on the house looked so nice, she left them on all night when she knew I was on my way home the other day. I have to tell you, my eyes got a little misty when I pulled up.......then, of course the whole house burst into an uproar - at 4 in the morning - and Barbie made me her famous spaghetti while Pup and our cat Wolfie went ape all over me. It was kind of cool to know they missed me as much as I missed them. It was good to come home..........
I'm 52 but I still get homesick like a little kid, I can't help it....
This trip, I took along a few audio books. I like the best seller action-adventure kind of stuff. I thought at first they might be boring, but they weren't, just the opposite in fact, the time passed much better while I was driving since my mind had something better to think about than how much I missed everyone at home and trying to find and keep a radio station. I borrowed them from my local library - for free. I'm not going to do the sat radio thing since I'm saving for a mobile internet laptop and I can listen to my own hometown country music station when I want to, I can watch dvd's, tv on it too and check regional weather. I've talked about the laptop thing in recent blogs and I still urge everyone to think about it, that is, getting a mobile internet capable laptop, not a Wi-fi, but a mobile web - pci slot laptop. Check out Laptop magazine, the best source for laptop info. Mine is going to be on the passenger seat - turned on at all times. You can even check for truckstops and gas prices on the road ahead of you....The modern driver should have an onboard media and comm. system - standard issue, in my opinion. We're not talking about a lot of money either, and don't forget you can turn off the cable you've had at home and use the mobile pci card in the computer when you're at home too..... I know a guy who uses a web phone service called Skype.com He called me from France and the call was as clear as if he were across the street, he said it was only costing him pennies to make the call......I have a cell phone but I can see myself consolidating all my media and communications through a good laptop. I bought a headset to plug(usb ports) into the laptop I'm getting. I hope I can get an HD and Blue Ray 17' or 19" model(I like the bigger keyboard) with 2 to 4 gigs of ram and at least 200 gigs. This last trip should pay for one, and my new website set-up too(thetruckstar.com)That's where my column and radio station will be..........soon......
So - I drove through those two weather systems that brought snow to the entire country in the past few weeks. I've seen and driven through enough snow and freezing rain, lately, to last me through the holiday season Thank you very much........I got out of my truck after a sleep the other day in Flagstaff, Arizona into 2 feet of snow in the Pilot parking lot....lovely......of course I had on only a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.......don't forget........I'm from Florida.......nothing like a fresh hot cup of coffee and a Krispy Kreme chocolate covered donut....okay...three donuts dammitt......to get your motor runnin'.........I see more and more Subways at truckstops and that's a good ting mon'. Even Arbys has a good grilled chicken salad.
Keep in mind that all the crap we eat determines how we feel, and when we sit still for a long time our body can't process the bad stuff through so it lines the intestines and arteries. Give yourself a chance to be healthy by eating lots of roughage and vitamin laced foods. You'll see what I mean, right away you'll notice the difference. Stomach and intestinal problems will go away too as will high blood pressure, more on this soon.
I want to comment this week, also, on one of truckings dirty little secrets.....which one you ask?
I was at a rest area for a pit stop and this trucker, a flat bedder, starts talkin' to me, bein' a writer I always talk to people wherever go, and, about 3 minutes into the conversation he starts talkin' about sex, I changed the subject two or three times because it's not something I talk with people about, generally, but he kept going back to sex and said something about going to a truckstop for a shower. Now, I'm a little slow so it took me a few minutes to realize this guy was looking for a "friend" and he wanted to go into the bathroom stall area for....whatever... Now, first, let's be clear on this - I'm not gay, (and this is not a gay bash session either, I don't care if you're gay or not,) but even if I was....the last thing I would do is hook-up with some pathetic, desperate moron who probably has a family of his own at home, at a rest area where soccer Mom's and Dad's on the road were bringing in their kids! Sex in public places in general is a really bad idea because it's not only un-professional AND perverse, it almost always brings in a bad element, like anything else that's wrong......not to mention the fact that trucking dosen't need anymore bad press by this kind of thing getting into the papers or on the news, and someday it will. I'm still pissed about it too, not so much because I was personally offended, I've been approached by gay men before, but because it's a black mark on a trade I love, and, a trade that has a lot of decent hard working pros in it, both male and female, who work hard to keep a good reputation in the eyes of the public.............any advice from anyone out there on what I should do about it? Stay away from the rest area at mile marker 225 on I-95 in Florida.......the one near Macon on I-75 in Georgia too.........
This edition is going to be shorter than usual too I apologize for that.
The next few issues will bring back all the different departments everyone seems to enjoy so much, including the Wanted:Heroes, Health Department, Cowboy Corral, Jukebox, and Truckstar Tech. and a few new dept's., like The History Book. I like history, not just trucking history but American history too. I found out there are a lot of Civil War relic hunters, for example, and I find this kind of thing very interesting. Also a new story feature about a couple of kid detectives on the road with the one kids Dad.....
Nascar and the PBR are off for the season.
Don't forget about abused kids and our neighbors in West Virginia !!
Write down the following web addresses, bookmark em' and make it a regular part of your web surfing! To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky trucks and bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going!
Remember - no paycheck and no load is worth dyin' for......
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day -
contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's Open Road Phone Line,
12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 817-451-6055

Don't forget too, truckstars - if you're lookin' for a critter - I highly recommend you start lookin' at:
www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org (humane society) I see lots of drivers with little buddies on the road, I like the Jack Russells......
Well alright - that's it for this week truckstars!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me........I know......
Watch what you eat and watch the road !!
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........you're on the road with the original florida kid......we gown..........

On the Road with the original florida kid - week 20

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! You're on the road with the original florida kid........
Week 20 is in the log books.........or not.....
Grandma, Barbie, Pup and everyone here at the ranch say
"Happy Holidays" and "Hey!"
"Kitchen Table Talkin" -
Well I got one last run in just before Christmas, I picked up a boat from the Pensacola, Fl area and took it to the port in Brunswick, Ga. just after a Kentucky to Palm Beach run. It was only a 1200 and a 1400 mile run and both went well.
I'm off for a few days and it feels good but I'm already gettin' that urge to get back on the road!
Know what I mean truckstar? Yeah you do...........
I hope everyone had a great holiday season - I did. Barbie and I didn't go crazy with the spending this year we spent, maybe, a hundred bucks on each other. We were, most of the morning, Christmas morning, alone together for the first time in many years. Barbie had a couple of cancer operations in 07', as many of you know from previous blogs of mine, and I just couldn't help feeling that there couldn't have been a greater gift anyone could ever give me than Barbies life. We became closer than we might have, had she not gotten ill this past year - So - this year Christmas was extra special for me.........other kinds of gifts just didn't matter. It's just stuff anyway.......
I have to start saving now because next year I'm buying her a horse............she's so good with animals and she's always wanted her very own horse, a mare of course, so............I know, I know how much they eat..........
Grandma exhausted herself cookin' and bakin' and fussin' over the dinnerware and the decorations, but she really outdid herself, I wish you guys could have seen her in action, she's definitely the Grandma Poster Girl........
it was the best Christmas ever......
Alright - the bulls, the blood, the dust and mud - the PBR is back for another season - minus Tater who retired, and one, Justin McBride, for a few months - he's re-habbin' that shoulder he had ripped out earlier in the 07' season J.B Mauney seeems to be okay on that hurt leg of his , he did real well last weekend in Atlanta and just this past weekend too in New York City finishing last night in second, a close second, behind De Oliveira, the Brazilian kid I told you last year to look out for. He got kicked last night somewhere low and appeared to be in pain at the end of it all but he's a tough cowboy too. Chris Shivers almost ruled the event but a last round buck-off ended a first place finish hope. Adriano says he's retiring. I know for a fact he's playin' hurt - been playin' hurt - and bull ridin' won't be the same with out him..I'm tellin' ya..........
Man...I need my NASCAR fix.................how bout' you truckstar?
Been watchin' what you eat? Hmmmmmm? With me I have to watch the cheese and salad dressing. I overload on that stuff, then of course I pay the price having to suck it in to button my Wranglers......not to mention a serious spike in my cholesterol level..........know what I mean Vern?....
Also - a little tip on bread... that's right - bread. Whole grain bread is good for you - white bread is NOT. The bleaching not only causes or contributes to cancer but it also burns the vitamins and grain properties out of it and the synthetic vitamins they add are - well - crap. You've heard about "empty carbs"? that's what that term means, or rather, what they are referring to. Plus - whole grains have a cleaning effect on the lower intestine and colon, not just a good source of "real" vitamins. Remember - I want you to find a good place, on the road or at home, where you can buy "whole food organic" vitamins. I'll talk more about them in the next few weeks. I'm still setting up my site (www.thetruckstar.com) and the internet talk radio station, you'll be able to access it from the site, after a free program download of a software to reel in the station to your computer and/or cell phone. If I can find a good supplier of them I'll have a link or a store on my site. Don't worry I'll find a good co.
More on that next week......and also I want to talk about synthetic vitamins and so called "enriched foods"(otherwise known as foods that processing or freezing kills all the vitamins in so they have to add low-grade fake vitamins.....why? I don't know - ask them......maybe it's more profit and longer shelf life........Kraft, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker etc.)
I don't know about you but I plan to make this the best year I've ever had. Don't keep lookin' back.....you might run into a parked car.......keep your eyes on the road up ahead.....the best is ALWAYS up ahead.....believe it!
Next weeks edition will come a little more on time I've been on the road so much and I don't have my mobile web laptop yet......(more on tech and industry news, too, next week)......so until then........
The next few issues will bring back all the different departments everyone seems to enjoy so much, including the Wanted:Heroes, Health Department, Cowboy Corral, Jukebox, and Truckstar Tech. and a few new dept's., like The History Book. I like history, not just trucking history but American history too. I found out there are a lot of Civil War relic hunters, for example, and I find this kind of thing very interesting.
Also a new section I'm calling - TRUCKSTAR KIDS - (check out these sites for kids, http://www.howtoons.com/ and http://www.truckerbuddy.org/)
I'll be writing a weekly series on the exciting adventures of Johnny Duke, and his computer wiz kid pal, Tommy "the Hacker" Dawn, as they solve crime mysteries, while on the road with Johnny's trucker Dad.
12 year olds who want to be a trucking detectives when they grow up.....
The adventure begins when Johnny thinks he sees a suspicious vehicle following them from a hazmat pickup in Miami, Dad says it's nothin' but Johnny and Tommy think otherwise.......Tommy's runnin' the plates...don't ask how..........
Don't forget about abused kids and our neighbors in West Virginia !!
Write down the following web addresses, bookmark em' and make it a regular part of your web surfing! To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky trucks and bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep the political pressure up!
Remember - no paycheck and no load is worth dyin' for......
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day -
contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's Open Road Phone Line,
12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 817-451-6055
Don't forget too, truckstars - if you're lookin' for a critter - I highly recommend you start lookin' at:
www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org (humane society) I see lots of drivers with little buddies on the road, I like the Jack Russells......
Well alright - that's it for this week truckstars!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me........I know......
Watch what you eat and watch the road !!
As always - I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........you're on the road with the original florida kid......we gawn..........

On the Road with the original florida kid-week21

"On the Road" with the original florida kid.
Hello again fellow truckstars! Week 21 is in the log books.....or not.....
and you're on the road with the original florida kid.....
Grandma and everyone here at the ranch say "Hey!"
Kitchen Table Talkin' -
We all know freight is still a bit slow still here going into the second half of January 08'. It's hard to believe it's the year 2008.....I was on the west coast a couple of weeks ago, we all know California doesn't miss too many opportunities to pat itself on the back, but I gotta tell you - the roads were just terrible(except for way north into the Cascades). I'm not sure I understand the politics and why some states have such bad roads but, seriously, they seems to be really enterprising and aggressive when it comes to taking in revenue, I having a hard time wondering why the roads are so bad and it takes them so long........
First up - I'd like to mention a few names that, according to Overdrive mag, from their list of monthly "best" driver picks - are what many folks think - among the best drivers out there. Terry Ringler, Carl Stephens, Bruce Bryant, and Curtis Anderson look to be Overdrives' top finalists for trucker of the year. The results, according to mag publisher Brad Holthaus, will be in the Feb. 08' issue. I like Overdrive magazine, you need to check out the Jan. 08' issue, I'm looking at it as I write this to you and it looks like Petro has been voted best overall truckstop - by drivers - again for food, repairs and safest parking. Personally - I wish there were more of em'.....
www.piblive.com - who's that? Partners in Business - you've seen them at truck shows doing workshops for owner op's looking to run more efficiently - I'm ordering the manual they offer....
Also in the Jan. 08 issue of Overdrive - check out the article on pg. 29 about being debt free. What? - you don't have a copy of Trucker Pages phone book?(www.truckerpages.com) pick on up at Petro, Pilot or Loves.
I want you to check out, also, a consumer mag/newsletter I read regularly - called Bottom Line(www.BottomLineSecrets.com).It's a pay to play subscription but well worth it. Also it's not some paranoid crackpot rag, it's advice collected from world class experts in every field you can think of....did you know amino acids, available from any health food store, work like Viagra? Without the potential side affects... I've been talking about this stuff for awhile......and stay away from those energy drinks!!! Get Muscle Milk protein drinks and try the MetRX Big 100 Colossal Protein bar.After much trial and error these are the best ones.....I buy em' at the grocery store, they cost around 2 bucks apiece but they are - what's called - a meal replacement bar, meaning they give you all, if not more,(especially if we're talking about eating on the road), of the nutrition you would get from a meal, and they taste pretty good. Keep your nutrition quality high and you won't need coffee and these other death drinks, yes they cost money but it's still cheaper than the crap with only benefits, no side effects.
While I'm on the subject here I also want to pound out another tirade about roughage....the lower intestine and the colon is where the body absorbs nutrition into the blood stream and then out into the various organs and body parts - NOT the stomach, the stomach is where it's broken down by the body's chemistry dept., now.....have you ever seen a clogged pipe? You know a pipe clogged with sludge? Well that's what most peoples lower intestine and colons look like, some worse, even people who think they are healthy. Beans, cucumbers, cabbage(not canned,frozen useless junk, instant mashed potatoes..... try to get steamed or raw is even better(yo - salad bar....) and I don't want to hear that old rebel yell that it's too expensive or you just don't have time - listen - I'm out here on the road day in and day out just like you and I'm no genius(ask Barbie.....) but I'm doing it.....what it's really about is - HABIT - you have to break old, bad habits. Isn't your health worth it? Please you guys - hear me on this one. When I finish my letters to you every week at the bottom I write "I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya" I really mean it and that's why I put this stuff out there so you will at least think about it........Me?? I have no health problems in any area including sex and I'm 52. Blood prssure is low, cholesterol low, I'm not losing much hair, it's half grey, I still have good muscle tone(No, I don't work out....) and I don't need to take naps....this stuff I'm telling you works, try it, stay with it. This isn't some bull crap diet I'm talking about, it's how we were intended to live.......
I'm joining the OOIDA this month. If nothing else, I know they are on the front line when it comes to fighting for truckers against the gov. and big business. I've read criticism from other writers on the web, mostly, about the OOIDA, but truckstars, we have to trust someone to be out there working for our best interests. Do you have time and money to go to your state capital or courtrooms across the country, file lawsuits against abusive business practices, and lobby state and federal officials? Do you? I don't, and I'm not fooling myself either about this - I'm not smart enough nor do I have the money,time or skills it takes to bang heads with business and political pros - they eat guys like me for lunch....with a smile......while you're at it - hug a tree hugger! What the hell am I talking about? The Sierra Club is a major player in the fight for truckers.....that's right, and these people are experts in this arena.....trust me......Check out Landline, the OOIDA mag.
I'm reading the paperback version of "The Alexandria Link" by Steve Berry - great book!!!
I got a new Cobra handheld cb, the 38WXST model..........I'll let you know.
Also Laptop magazine does it again, both the Dec. 07' and the latest issue - Jan. 08' -there's too much good stuff in them to mention it all but let me urge you to check out the magazine. The subscription is cheap and it's a top flight mag when it comes to mobile communications and laptop technology. I really believe, and I've said this before, the modern trucker, hell, even the modern soccer Mom, should have the latest in mobile computing and communications and if you're thinking it's out of you're price range you would be dead wrong on that one truckstars, that's why I'm pointing you to Laptop magazine......they are always and I mean always comparing products, reporting on the tech trendsand doing articles on Google and other online giants that and sometimes up and comers like facebook(okay...you got me.......Microsoft owns Facebook)......I hope to be interviewing some of the experts from the magazine including the Editor in Cheif - Mark Spoonauer, His Editor's Letter in the front of the magazine every issue always addresses what appears, his, and the magazines' expert team effort to stay on the front line and cutting edge of the tech wave. www.laptopmag.com - check out an issue you'll see what I mean...........
..............man, I wish I could afford one of the Alienware laptops(www.alienware.com). they were one of, if not the first ones, to have different colors with super sound and graphics cards, high ram gigs, and super screen quality.... awesome stuff......Those guys rule........no listen I mean they REALLY rule.......
The PBR is back in action - did you see Travis Briscoe's 95 point ride at the Worcester Classic this past sunday night?? Here's the link - http://www.youtube.com/pbrnow - or just check out www.pbrnow.com for all the latest in bull riding news - Man what a ride, I think when you look at kids like him, Brian Canter, Mighty Mike White and a couple of others your looking at the future of bull riding. Ross Coleman, Justin McBride and Mike Lee still rule the corral for now.......
Don't forget to make a good pit stop at etrucker.com - truckertotrucker.com and truck.net - these are good sites for drivers and everyone involved in the diesel culture we are proud members of..... with good people like Jim McCormack at truckertotrucker.com who will actually respond personally to you as will Brian Christman from Truck.net........also don't forget - Truckstar radio will soon be "on the arrr - everywharrr".......
I want to give a shout out to my younger brother David who is Mr. Hendrick's yacht captain(Nascar's Hendrick Motorsports), last I heard from him he was in the Bahamas getting ready to head up to Daytona......Yo Dave!!!
Remember - no paycheck and no load is worth dyin' for......
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day -
contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's Open Road Phone Line,
12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 817-451-6055
Well - that's it for this week truckstars! Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know......
As always - I want you to remember - I LOVE YA AND I'M PRAYIN' FOR YA!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gawn..........

On the Road with the original florida kid-week22

"On the Road" with the original florida kid - Week 22
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 22.........
and you're on the road with the original florida kid....
Grandma, Barbie and everyone here at the ranch say "hey"...........
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN' -
Well, this past week we had a family loss. Grandma June, Barbies grandma passed away in a nursing home in Hobe Sound, Florida. She had been there for about three years. Barbie and her Mom, Grandma Debbie(here at the ranch....) were very close to Grandma June. She was quite a gal, a skydiver, skateboarder, she loved motorcycles too(got pics of her on mine) a big high school basketball fan in her hometown in Michigan. Everyone who knew her, loved her.
Barbie and her Mom(Grandma Debbie) worked so hard to keep her comfortable, visiting several times a week making the 60 mile drive without ever complaining. It hurts to see someone you love have their heart broken by the loss of a loved one almost as much as the actual loss of the loved one.....doesn't it truckstar? Barbies Mom held her hand and whispered in her ear that we loved her, we would all be okay and she could go..... a few minutes later she did. 4:05pm this past wed., heaven received it's latest citizen........... Barbie and her Mom, I felt should be the ones with her since it was an "all girl" family for many years, raising the kids and stuff, so.........
she'll never, ever be forgotten.
Well truckstars, we all have to go sometime don't we? I guess.........I ain't in no hurry though......... I want to make the most of it while I'm here, don't you?
A few days ago I bit the bullet and went out and bought a 2008 F-450 4x4....this truck is nothing short of being a BEAST ! It's black and it's a crew cab with a 4.88 gear, meaning it will haul up to 33,000lbs.......I'll let you know.....yes I've heard the bad reports about the 6.4l diesel engines and I would much rather have gotten one with a Cummins diesel in it, but the Cummins come in the Dodges and I couldn't find a Dodge strong enough to do what I need it to do, or rather, what I want it to do. The high end pick-up truck market isn't what you think it should be out there in a market place where the costs of freight hauling is creating sub-markets for camper, car, boat and trailer haulers.........not to mention the fact that NOT ONE of the numerous salesman I spoke with on my trek to find the "beast" at a half dozen or so dealerships had a clue.....about anything(except his sales commission...)...............
Do your homework, truckstars, do your homework on what you need when you make a buy like this. You know what to do........
So far so good, like I said I'll let you know........
I like Dave Sweetman, he writes a column, "driver's view", in roadStar magazine, usually towards the back of the mag.I like his perspectives and outlook, being a driver himself he's out here in the mix with the rest of us. Check out roadStar mag and grab a copy of Landline, the OOIDA mag while you're at it.
I'm proud to announce that I became an OOIDA member this month, a link to them and Landline will be on thetruckstar.com, my new website which will be up soon. The Teamsters(I wish I was one...) and the OOIDA as well as the ATA, are major players in the courts across the U.S, including federal court. Think about joining the OOIDA truckstars, our strength lies in our numbers......right?
If any of you guys or gals are trucking history buffs, like me, and have any old trucking photos I can use on thetruckstar.com, Please forward them to Jim McCormack at truckertotrucker.com for me, he'll make sure I get them and I will put them up.
I see in the latest edition of The Trucker(I love this paper....all the truck stops carry em') the mexican border crossing fiasco is still raging. I saw a couple of mexican trucks on I-10, my last cross country trip in mid-december, somewhere in Arizona I think it was. Both trucks were junkers, I mean, in the worst condition I've ever seen. Fenders flapping, half the glass missing, just tape, and almost all the tires were bald, canned sparay paint over the rust spots..... I was truly stunned....how is it these guys are allowed to run with trucks in that condition??? Now....which U.S companies are using mexican truckers?.........I'll stop buying their products....I mean it, I will.....
The ATA is pumping lot of money, more than any other firm or organization in trucking, into lobbying.....cool......I think.......
Man! I love the new Western Star and K-dubba trucks.....sweet.....Freightliner claims to have the most fuel efficient aero-dynamic design, I drove one for Averitt, I liked it alright......I like the KW's better.....
Okay, are ya still with me truckstar?
I want to talk about eating for a second here. We all know road food, for the most part, is crap, and we all know until the truckstops get their heads out of their keesters it's not going to change, either, but you can still look for the salads, grilled chicken or what ever, on most fast food menus. I look for truckstops near good restaurants, like Sonny's or even Steak-n-Shake(good salads). The walk of a couple a hundred yards won't hurt you either, and since you're already saving money by NOT buying so much coffee and junk food, a couple of extra dollars for food that won't kill ya, is worth it, like the corporate androids say - "it's a win-win". Also, hit the Wal-Mart or Publix and grab a bag of apples or oranges, or both, some cut pineapple(it cuts grease in the digestive tract), or bananas(replaces potassium killed by coffee). Also, remember, whole food organic vitamins!! Meal replacement protein bars, low fat butter, dressings, chips,etc. )gram transfat foods..........The problem is, usually, the way we eat on the road is the way we eat at home, or vice versa...stop, think about what you are doing. Okay truckstar?....Please??? I don't want to lose you too............
Daytona in a couple of weeks, I hope to be there interviewing(hopefully, if my little bro' can hook it up) Jeff G. and JJ !!
PBR - This kid! Travis Briscoe, I told you earlier last year to watch for this kid, didn't I? 3 event wins(Worcester, Fresno and Albany) this year already including the winner take all event in Fresno where he walked away with $105,000 . Check him and the rest of the boys out this week-end in Winston-Salem, N.C. sat. night on Versus and Sun. afternoon on NBC. (I really wish NBC would make up their minds whether they want to show the PBR.....or not......) I like Ty, Justin and the G-man who call the action on Versus, I don't know who this guy on NBC is, he sounds like a car salesman or something........
The Feb. 08' issue of LAPTOP magazine, check out page 110 for the Annual Notebook buyers guide, and their Reviews section is outstanding, everything from laptops, to phones, software, services, all the good stuff! Good article on page 86. Knowledge is power..........uh, chances are, the saleshelp or web site you buy one from won't have a damn clue........sooooo..... and screw wi-fi, wi-fi still has too many security issues.....I love the all in one Sony VAIO VGC-LT15E, it's got a 20" high res. screen with a built in tv tuner and a pci cardslot for mobile web access, and the ram is upgradeable to 4 gigs..........(my birthday's comin' up.........)
Help an abused kid in your neighborhood, you'll be a hero, trust me.........
See you on Facebook !!
Okay I gotta go....I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week..........
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day -
contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's Open Road Phone Line,
12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 817-451-6055
Remember - NO load or paycheck is worth dyin' for..........
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know...........
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
Crank em' up - check your gauges - watch out for four-wheelers.....Are you ready? Let's roll..........
you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gawn..........

On the Road with the original florida kid - week23

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars!
It's week 23 and you're on the road with the original florida kid......
Grandma, Barbie, and the whole gang here at the ranch say - "Hey!"......
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN" -
Soooooo.... let me get this straight....but first....grab a cup of coffee, an ashtray, pull up a chair and let's sit down and hash this thing a little bit (more......) Barbie sure makes a great cup of coffee, and she looks kind of cute in her little pink tank top and her baggy pj bottoms this morning..........
Oh - before I forget - Cummings just came out with a power gen. that meets California's emission standards. Someday, and it looks like someday soon, this will be the minimum standard for power when not running. More and more, almost every day I read of another state or region banning idling. Now, I've driven in sunny Cal and it seems to me there is an underlying tension in that state between the drivers and the state. I wonder if they realize that beating up on the trucking co's is only pushing their freight and consequently their product costs even higher.... I know, I know this is an obvious point, but I also know that Cal. is one of the most expensive states to live in too and it's just their nature to cut off their nose to spite their face.(Also truckstars, frankly I think we should drill oil wherever and whenever we can, we have enough of our own oil to meet our needs and by the time we run out there will be alternative means, that is if the oil co's quit suppressing the new technologies)........... I have family, an ex-wife and a rock star kid there in California, I lived there in the days when I was a stuntman in Hollywood. I often wonder where the road tax money is going.....it's not going to the roads, at least in the greater LA area......
Been doin' a lot of reading lately.....and this mexican thing isn't going away. A few of the mex co's are backing out of the deal,( and I have yet to see a mexican truck that I would let, even, someone I don't like drive......... and the OOIDDA is still bangin' away at the legislature over this. I highly recommend becoming an OOIDA member.....at least check out their website you'll see what I mean when I say they are going after this thing with both barrells blazing. One guy or gal standing there screaming isn't going to crumble the wall...........but many of us will........I honestly feel like I'm a part of something with the OOIDA, and, if you want to get involved, and you should, they show you how, right from their website. And let us not forget truckstars, and everyone seems to be dancin' around this one.....we can always STOP buying products from the co's using mexican trucking.....who are they?? Probably the same cheap asses who ditched your neighbors job last year........I wonder if the exec's of these same co's got a pay raise and a bonus for fiscal 07'.........plus - and get this - foreign grown fruits and vegatables are often grown using pesticides and herbicides, (not to mention poor grade fertilizers made from God knows what) - that we outlawed in the US 40+ years ago....
GM is still tryin' to kick the UAW's ass. Their offering a buyout(whatever that really means) to some 23,000 workers. Why? So they can hire cheap labor like Asplundh(the orange truck tree trimmers), Waste Management, and a few other big, greedy co's?
I love the way(uhhhh...not really....) big business thinks......they pull the rug on their customer base by outsourcing US jobs, then they have the ba....uh, nerve, to raise prices(Levis,Ralph Lauren) even though their production costs have decreased by 30+ percent, then they get on the tv and cry about fiscal losses and how business is down and that we're in a recession. Corporate executives, however, don't seem to be suffering much I have to say, I'm in the high end boat hauling business and, trust me, biz is rockin'.............hmmmmmmmm..........oh yeah while I'm on a roll here let me mention these so called "trucking community" websites, which are really nothing more than little ad money machines for some yahoo who thinks that if he puts up a "closed" community, where you can't mention anyone or anything that takes you off the site, and manages it with an iron fist, and, this kills me, they all claim to be the fastest growing site on the web(with all 2,000 members......out of a poss. 3 to 4 million......) while doing absolutely NOTHING for drivers........ God! Well - it is a free country.............so how come nothin's free??? Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good trucking websites on the web, okay well not a lot, but the free exchange of info and discussion on top notch sites like - truckertotrucker.com and truck.net and thetruckersreport.com, I'm also a member of a site called mytruckingspaces.com too, (drivers and drivers family members) and I've met some great and interesting people there, these guys, especially truckertotrucker.com / truck.net know what's going on in the world because they let people talk, exchange ideas and information.........Listen - I wasn't born yesterday - everyone has an "agenda", I do too, we're all tryin' to make a livin' the best way we know how......but the guy at truckerspaces.com(a copy cat site) needs to understand that people will come back to you if you're site is a good place to meet people and come away with new ideas and information and not feel like a ping pong ball bouncing around in a shoebox.........
Still with me truckstar??
Single? Check out www.countrymatch.com(this is the best site I have found for "country" lovers, cowboys and cowgirls, to find like minded "real" people.) Check it out!!
Also - the best credit monitoring site is www.myfico.com these guys are the ones the credit reporting agencies go to for info. The credit scores are accurate, unlike the big 3 who also have their own services too.(yeah, that's like the fire dept. hiring arsonists.....) Get on their monitoring program, a monthly fee and they let you know if any un-authorized activity happens, immediately so you can do something about it. Plus you can look at your credit report whenever you want. Tip of the day - make sure you check to see if the limits on your cards is posted with the account info. Why? Because it will read/show you are maxxed on the account no matter what amount you have charged on the card and that will drive your credit score down. This is a tactic some of the card co's use so they can manipulate your % rate at will. You can also call the card co's and negotiate a lower % rate too! AND if you see something not right on there, and check each agency report carefully, call them directly and dispute it, and I mean you're telling them, not asking them......got it?
Did you see the Bud Shootout last weekend, now that's racing!! Awwww come on now, let the boys settle their problems amongst themselves.....Tony? Kyle? Go to you're rooms - you're grounded! (I would've paid to see that one, how 'bout you truckstar?).......
I don't know why, to me, the NASCAR hierarchy is seeming more and more like a bunch of nazis, true, racing has come a long way, and any thing like this needs supervision, but racing has not become what it is because of "them" but because of the tech people, the owners, the drivers, and the fans....... and while I'm ranting here's another two cents worth.......Road course racing??? are you kidding me?? for cars that can race 180-200mph all day long? Let's just say that I know for a fact that the drivers HATE the road course tracks..........as a fan - so do I.......anyway I think you can look for Junior, JJ, and Jeff G. and the rest of the boys to drive the tires off the cars this year. Daytona - this coming Sunday.........wohooooo!
The last few weekends have seen some great PBR action - Paulo Crimber, he's a braz rider but he talks like a redneck.....he won the Anaheim Classic last weekend, my man travis Briscoe, Brian Canter and JB Mauney did great, I think they're nursing injuries.... Mr. White did alright, as did the aussie Brandon Clark. Justin and Ross and Chris.....where are you????????.........
Next weekend Oklahoma City!!!! Feb. 15.16 and 17th...
The next few issues will bring back all the different departments everyone seems to enjoy so much, including the Wanted:Heroes, Health Department, Cowboy Corral, Jukebox, and Truckstar Tech. and a few new dept's., like The History Book. (I like history, not just trucking history but American history too. I found out there are a lot of Civil War relic hunters, for example, and I find this kind of thing very interesting.)
Also a new section I'm calling - TRUCKSTAR KIDS - (check out these sites for kids, http://www.howtoons.com/ and http://www.truckerbuddy.org/)
I'll be writing a weekly series on the exciting adventures of Johnny Duke, and his computer wiz kid pal, Tommy "the Hacker" Jenkins, as they solve crime mysteries, while on the road with Johnny's trucker Dad.
JD and TJ are 12 year olds who want to be a trucking industry detectives when they grow up.....
The adventure begins when Johnny thinks he sees a suspicious vehicle, an older model Ford van, white, dirty, following them from a hazmat pickup in Miami, Dad says it's nothin' but Johnny and Tommy think otherwise.......Tommy's runnin' the plates...don't ask how..........

Don't forget about abused kids, and our impoverished neighbors in West Virginia !!
Write down the following web addresses, bookmark em' and make it a regular part of your web surfing!
To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky trucks and bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going!
Remember - NO paycheck and NO load is worth dyin' for......
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day -
contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's Open Road Phone Line,
12noon - 4:00pm, mon thru fri - call him at 817-451-6055
Don't forget too, truckstars - if you're lookin' for a critter - I highly recommend you start lookin' at:
www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org (humane society) I see lots of drivers with little buddies on the road, I like the Jack Russells......
DON"T FORGET! Check out www.laptop.com You really need to start thinkin' about gettin mobile web access you guys, seriously. Just Google "refurbished notebooks" and you'll find, usually factory sites, with really good deals. You want mobile web access capability, upgradeable ram, a big screen, a built in web cam amd mic, if not,then just buy a headset with a mic.The Skype.com download is free and it's dirt cheap to make calls on, I used it all day yest. I think I called everyone I've ever met, I even called myself(alright you in the back...I heard that) I called myself to check the voice quality, which was great.................. QVC and HSN also have a good selection of notebooks with great features AND you can break up payments on for 4 to 5 months too! More on this next week! I'm hearing Sprint has the best mobile web network......I'll let you know....T-Mobile too, AT&T?? Don't know yet.....
Well alright - that's it for this week truckstars!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me........I know......
Watch what you eat and watch the road !!
As always I want you to remember - I LOVE YA AND I'M PRAYIN' FOR YA!!!!
So - play nice, drive safe, and pull it on home...........until next week -
you're on the road with the original florida kid......................we gown..........

On the Road with the original florida kid week24

"On the Road" with the original florida kid...
Hello again fellow truckstars !
It's Week 24 and you're on the road with the original florida kid...........
Grandma, barbie and the whole gang here at the ranch say - "Hey!"
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN' -
First up, I want to give a hearty "shout out" to our German trucker brothers and sisters, as I understand it, this blog is being translated into German, and being widely read, so I want them too to know that I love em' and appreciate them takin' the time to jump on the road with us all here at "On the Road" with the original florida kid..... Don't think, truckstars, that truckers all over the world don't go through the same trials and tribulations as us, here in the U.S., I'm here to tell you that they do.... I travelled a lot when I was younger as an aspiring pro surfer, mostly to third world countries, and you might be more than a little surprised to know that people all around the world are basically the same, and we all have common hopes, dreams, and.....problems.
True, they may live under different circumstances, but, as we're all humans(okay...uhhh..most of us.....) I've found that no matter where I go people are, well, just people.....
Let's take the Mexican trucking debacle, I don't blame the Mexicans and for that matter, all the central americans, for trying to make it over here to work - WHAT?? - you might be screaming.... No, I don't, in fact I more than understand....Think about it truckstars - if you found yourself a citizen of a third world country, what would you do? I'd swim, run, jump fences, crawl on my belly in the middle of the night to get to the U.S. at whatever cost.....Now does that mean I am in favor of the illegals coming, and being, here? No, it dosen't, because I'm not..... American business wants them here, and the government has been turning their heads for a long, long time....we ALL know that.....THAT'S why they are here...Being from south florida , it's an everyday thing for people to wash up on the beach. All the outdoor service trades, lawn co's, tree trimming services, plant nursery, farms, construction, roofing, the restaurants - they all use spanish and haitian labor.....they have for 50 years, that's right 50 years that I have personally witnessed, probably longer. What's really going on here is the kind of business and politics that made slavery a successful enterprise, globally, for thousands of years.
Listen to this - you're not going to believe this - I'm looking at the cover of a magazine called "Landscaping Management, the Jan. 08' issue...the cover story, with photos, is, and I quote, " What Now? - Smart strategies to survive and perhaps even prosper in spite of the DELAY and LOSS of H-2B WORKERS" - (H-2B workers being the kind of worker that we are talking about, many with weak forgeries of documents that no one really bothers to check and many with NO papers at all) South Florida isn't even close to being the exception to the rule, these workers are all over the U.S., and have been.
Who cuts the grass and trims the bushes at the mall or the apt. complexes and condos near your house? Hmmm?
That the trucking industry has been targeted for cheap labor to increase business profits should be no surprise to anyone, and trust me, big biz and their gov. puppets are counting on the fact that truckers will do little or nothing about it....You've read and heard about this for at least a couple of years now - I think we're all, to an extent, sick of the headlines and endless discussion, but I want you to check out the latest issues of Landline(theOOIDA mag, and while you're at it SIGN UP) and others like "The Trucker" or Overdrive, Fleet Owner, and roadStar. Every one has their perspective, which they are entitled to, but all seem to agree that the political pressure from the trucking side is DEFINITELY having a big effect on the situation. The ATA too, they are lobbying heavily for the trucking industry !!
Here they are, bookmark these sites ;
To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky un-safe trucks with bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going! Politicians care about 2 things most of all - Votes, and Money, in that order.......we elect em' that means they work for us.....doesn't it???..........
Freight is down..(we know)....even for us boat haulers.....so the experts are saying, and we could be staring into the face of a recession....(uhhh, I thought we already were in a recession...oh, sorry, am I bad...... I guess the dark cloud I see hanging over the country is just smoke from the forest fires.........riiiiiiiight........)
Truckstars - the gloves have to come off !! - roll up your shirtsleeves and get involved.......PLEASE........
Sprint seems to be the best mobile web access....so far.....
If you wonderin' where you're going to get the extra money for a decent laptop with mobile web capability - try this - for the next month save every single receipt you spend a "dime" on, and at the end of the month sit down and look them over. What you'll find may surprise you....it does me.(I even had the cable "movie" channels turned off) You'll see what your spending habits are and most people are shocked at the stuff they spend money on, too much money on. I guarantee over the course of a few months you'll be able to corral enough money to pay for a good laptop AND a monthly web access fee. Remember? In a recent blog I told you that you only really need one monthly web access provider and the tech mags all talk about how the trends are pointing to mobile web access being the new frontier....whether you're on the road or at home you can be online 24/7.....what'cha think truckstar? Weather, new release movie downloads, even tv, audio/visual communication with your loved ones at home, Skype for online phone service - there's pretty much everything you need to do you can do on the road now.... www.laptop.com - check it out!
I thought Fox did a great job with the Daytona 500 yesterday, kinda seemed like the Superbowl, only with race cars, didn't it? The #12 alltel car driven by Ryan Newman after an un-selfish push from teammate and number 2 finisher Kurt Busch. Mr. Penske is a great man, and though I'm partial to the Hendrick team because of family ties, I'm still ecstatic for the "Dodge boys".......Junior, Jeff, and JJ - don't worry Hendrick fans they'll be in it all season long...Junior ran a tight race, Jeff G. has suspension problems, JJ had a wreck.....get em' next time.........I'm still tryin' to get used to seein' the Toyota name on race cars.......and hearing race drivers talk who can't speak english..........whaaaaat-EVER.......
PBR action in Oklahoma over the weekend was great too at the Copenhagen Challenger Tour event in Oklahoma City for the one of the richest purses in PBR history - $500,000 for the first place win! It was a night for the Texans as Clayton Williams, out of Carthage, Texas for the second time, bad elbow and all rode all 3(the only rider of the event to ride all 3) of his bulls to take the CCT event. Oklahoma knows bull riding and the fans saw a dramatic finish that took the competition down to the wire.Young Brain Richardson out of Dallas, texas took second followed by Brazilian sensation Robson Palermo. Rising superstar Kody Lostroh came in 4th overall. A great show PBR fans, and next week follow the action when the Built Ford Tough Series makes a stop in St. Loius for the Enterprise Rent a Car Invitational!
Don't forget truckstars to be careful with what you eat! I know it's tough on the road to get to the salads and low fat salad dressings, whole grain foods with 0 trans fats but if you start looking for this kind of stuff more and more you'll train yourself to lean that way. IT DOES MATTER ! Fat is the killer in most peoples diets......Please take care of yourself...I want to see you back here next week! Okay? Great!
More on diet and germ warfare - NEXT WEEK !!
Help an abused kid in your neighborhood, you'll be a hero, trust me.........
See you on Facebook !!
I don't know what it is but I keep getting these "friend" requests from really cute young women on MySpace.....OOoookay...uhh...it ain't because of my animal magnetism or the fact that I'm rich and handsome(I wish.....)...soooooo...I don't know, maybe I'm dumber than I thought......aahhhh yes - to be young again.....
Okay truckstars - I gotta go....I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week..........(truck payments....know what I mean vern??)
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day!
Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's "Open Road Phone Line"
on-the-air - 12noon - 4:00pm - mon thru fri - you can call into the show at 817-451-6055
Remember - NO load or NO paycheck is worth dyin' for..........
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know...........
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
Crank em' up - check your gauges - watch out for four-wheelers.....
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gawn..........

On the road with the original florida kid-week 25

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 25.........
.......and you're on the road with the original florida kid...
Grandma, Barbie and the gang here at the ranch say "hey"........
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN' -
Well, first up - it looks like roadStar magazine will no longer be published...I was sure sorry to read that since I'm a big fan of Dave Sweetman's, for those of you not familiar with Mr. Sweetman, he's a longtime veteran driver and has been writing a great column which has appeared on the pages of roadStar. I'd sure like to ask him if he'd be interested in doing a show on Truckstar Radio........
..............and that brings me, truckstars and internet fans, to a subject I've been talking a lot about for a long time, and that is web access on the road. It would appear that the laptop makers have seen the writing on the wall and are almost in "standard issue" mode when it comes to including mobile web capability in the newer laptops. No - it's not a new idea, but until recently it was less of a demand and feature expectation, much less, than it is now. I will be going with AT&T myself, since I have a cell phone, internet at the ranch, and the landline at home with them and I can't complain about the service. Also, when I travel(which hasn't been much lately.....freight and boat hauls are still down....) I have very few "dead zones", and most of you know this, usually when going through hilly or mountainous country. I reckon it'll be the same with the web access. There is a company(http://www.groundcontrol.com) that I've found can hook you up with broadband(much faster) sat web access, but BE SURE to check out the "in motion" systems, the antenna is a roof mounted, flat disc looking thing, which to me is much better than the "dish" anyway...also, for those of us still wary of "wifi" it allows you to turn the wifi reception off so no one can jump your sat hook-up.....(you know how those 8 year old hackers can be......) and you can get a cheap item that will enable tv, along with skype phone service - it should be good. I'll find out more about the tv offerings sometime this week. Also check www.skycasters.com -and- http://www.ussatellite.com -and- http://www.highspeedsat.com/inetvu.htm
This technology will cost a little bit to hook up( you can shop it for "freebie" install and equipment deals....) and there's a flat fee monthly for the usage, but, I myself see things headed this way technologically. For now, it's good, since tv and even web radio is "there" with mobile web laptop hook-ups.....check out - www.Last.fm - on the web. It's CBS with the fastest growing music site on the web......
......anyone out there, besides me, who likes "rock-a-billy" ?
In this weeks HEALTH DEPT. - I want to talk about "germs". That's right - germs - or more specifically - "germ transfer".
We've all heard about them since we were kids and nowadays, more than ever, it's a common reality, that truckers especially, have to deal with ALL day - everyday. Have you ever found yourself at the truckstop sitting behind the wheel with a burger in your hand taking those first few glorious bites as you pull away from the fuel pumps? Well, think about this with me for a minute.... first, you grab the fuel pump handle, on each side of your rig and put it into the tank, then you walk to the store, grab the door handle and walk in....then, I usually hit the "john" , then I come out and either go into whatever food joint they have there or grab a sandwich off the shelf and a bag of 0 trans-fat chips and maybe a sweet snack. Now you get some moola out of your wallet then hand it to the clerk,(keep in mind they've already handled hundreds of dirty bills and cards and coins) grab your stuff and head for the door, like hundreds of other people have before you that day. Still with me truckstars? You go back to the pumps, put the pump handles back, screw your fuel tank caps back on, grab your reciept(after 20 minutes of button pushing....) and jump back into the cab, and like the hungry wolf that you are tear into that burger or sandwich.....right? Think for a moment about the germs that are probably on those hands of yours - right this minute - from fecal bacteria - otherwise known as poop smears - (which has even been found on movie theatre seats....) to e-coli to flu and even tb germs. The germ spectrums, especially at places where lots of people use restrooms and shop in stores and restaurants are at horrific levels - everyday..... What do you do?(for starters..)......You know those plastic bottles of those dis-infectant wipes they sell everywhere? I have a bottle of the Clorox kind, the large size,(it'll cost ya 5 bucks or so....and GET the good ones, not the disount cheapo kind)) and I keep them with me in the truck, right where I can reach them, before I grab the wheel, scratch my eye, grab my food or touch anything. Maybe we can't or will never really win the "germ" battle but you can be really smart about how bad you infect yourself and contaminate you trucks interior, AND , your cell phone!!!!
Make this a regular part of your daily life truckstars......Please.......
*****Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so, and, let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?*****
NASCAR- Tony took the checkered at Fontana on Monday.....
PBR- Brazilian, Renato Nunes took the $31,000 money bag home with a first place win in St. Louis followed in second by Robson Palermo and third was Guilherme Marchi. The Brazilians swept the PBR event.
Next weekend - Baltimore.
Justin......how's the shoulder doin' buddy? We need ya over here....
Okay, so, anti-virus and spyware protection on my pc home computer ran out recently and I don't have the money to renew, I had Norton Security Suite. Thanks to laptop magazine I found both spyware and anti-virus, very high end stuff - free...it took some researching but I found it. Some of these freebie deals only last a few months but when they run out just go back in and find another co., if you have too. If you're rich and can afford $80 get the new Norton All-In-One, if you can swing $40 then do what I'm going to do, and that's get http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor/ - all the tech mags rave about this software. In my opinion, it's far and away the best deal, now, be careful to notice that when you click on the download for Spyware Doctor($29.99) make sure you ADD the anti-virus feature($10.00), it's a click box right there in the download box that comes up as you go to check-out. In the meantime I'm using one of the free anti-virus programs on www.avast.com(just scroll down the list(pick one in english and the type you want - I picked the one down the list a bit that prevents AND scans, it good for 60 days) and for anti-spyware I'm using www.safer-networking.org/en (just look for the Spybot download, it's easy....)
Man...I wish I could get one of the Alienware.com laptops.....un-believeable.........the one I want is, well, a lot......
I'm looking into gov. educational grants...I'll let you know how I make out....
TRUCKSTAR TECH - UPDATE -
The new website and the radio station are still in development and comin' along....it's a money thing as usual...
Barbie just rolls her eyes whenever I talk to her about it...it's not that she doesn't believe in me, it's just that, like a lot of women,(Thank God), she's a realist....when she gets home from work her eyes go right to the pile of bills sittin' here on the table, and this just tears my heart out (and I hate arguing over money......) she gets that scared look in her eyes.........I hope work picks up soon....this country's in trouble and it ain't just me........
I need to put this truck to work...(uhh,would ya like some fries and a coke with that sir? or "that was half pepperoni and half mushroom, extra cheese, large, right lady?").....awww, GOD help me.
I've been checkin' out helicopter pilot training schools....all I need is $65,000....yeah...that's all.....and you may not know this but student loans are one of the hardest loans to get....nowadays.....(because their UN-secured, meaning, if it was a car they could come get it, but it's an education, there's no way to repo it)........so.....I don't know, maybe I've got a scared look in my eyes too....
I don't want to find out, but this might be a little easier if I had nothing to lose......what'cha think truckstar?
Here they are, bookmark these sites ;
To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky un-safe trucks with bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going! Politicians care about 2 things most of all - Votes, and Money, in that order.......we elect em' that means they work for us.....doesn't it???..........
DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE OOIDA(.com)..............
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week..........
(truck payments....know what I mean vern??)
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day!
Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's "Open Road Phone Line"
on-the-air - 12noon - 4:00pm - mon thru fri - you can call into the show at 817-451-6055
Remember - NO load or NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know...........
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
Crank em' up! - Check your gauges! - Watch out for four-wheelers!
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gown..........

On the Road with the original florida kid - week 26

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 26 and....
....you're on the road with the original florida kid....
Grandma, Barbie and all the gang here at the ranch (and even Pup the wonder dog....) say "Hey!"
Alright, alright grab a chair and an ashtray...Grandmas got a pot of coffee goin'...this is the second edition of this weeks blog, I had most of it done a few minutes ago when we had one of those world famous "little" south florida power glitches...again...and I lost everything before I could save it...(rriiiiight.......builds character.......sooooooo.....anyway)...I just paid $3.79 per gallon for diesel a couple of hours ago....uhh...I'm speechless..(which is extremely rare - ask Grandma and Barbie). The other day I was watching CNBC( I highly recommend it if you're not depressed enough....) and an oil investor was on there being grilled by the female announcer about oil prices...(you better sit down for this one truckstar...) He said, well, for starters, there's been a myth that when the prices of fuel go up that the demand goes down...right?....wrong! In fact, over the last 3 years no matter what the price has gone to - the usage or demand has gone up at an annual rate of 16-18%, AND, they fully expect the price per barrel to go up to and possibly even over $300 per barrel ! Going further,(and I was already hyperventilating by now), he said that in a couple of years, or less, we'll all be crying for the "good ol' days of $3.79 a gal.....and I believe him......do you remember when fuel was 39cents a gallon and diesel was even cheaper? You do?? uhhh, I don't......you must be older than hell.......
If, like me, you know or at least suspect that most of, if not all of, the un-rest around the world is over natural resources, and the control of them, then you'd be right. It's not over life, liberty and the pursuit of(okay yeah well, the pursuit of control maybe)happiness...anymore...if it ever was.....and the scary thing for me is that, it seems, life is cheaper than ever.......what do I mean? I mean that my base costs are NOT negotiable, but my time IS, in fact it's the only thing that is and I'm gettin' ground to dust out here.....and then you look at the labor situation around the world, china, mexico, indonesia and you see people being worked to death, literally, and still not able to feed their families.......I don't like the idea of being expendable......
or only bein' able to do 600 miles a day.......
Now, what does it all mean for me when I get up from my desk, jump into my truck and try to make a living? (I kinda stopped lookin' forward to it somewhere along the line too) It means that I need to understand, whether I like it or not, that first of all, my fuel costs have become an investment level cost - a much larger negative aspect and part of my overall operating expense, and one that requires me to be more than just aggrivated, but, to re-work my business structure around it, if I can, and that's what I'm getting at, can we? You independents out there, I don't know how you do it....if there's a secret to it, somebody Please...share it with me....I'll pay ya......if I can get a haul this week, that is......
I've said this before...I wish I were smarter( I mean it, I do, sometimes I feel dumber than a box of rocks, in fact, I read in the sports section of the paper the other day that a box of rocks got an athletic scholarship to a major college....so maybe there's hope for me.....)and I also wish I could retire to the ranch and grow cattle and organic stuff, while sittin' on my ass writing country tunes and books......
I know, I know....dream on.................I will...dammitt...
Grandma is standin' at the kitchen sink lookin' out the window, kinda sad, I wonder what she's thinkin'.....whatever it is the expression on her's and Barbie's face just breaks my heart......
I know what I'm thinkin'...I wish Grandpa were here, he'd know what to do......and he'd damn sure git 'r' done too and look good doin' it.......yeah he would....
Well truckstars, if nothin' else..........we can always blame it on MTV..............
Check out this link: www.costpermile.com - it's a great booklet by a guy named Scott Elgin, cheap, on how to run more efficiently......I thought I knew it all too....but, when I read this booklet I realized I didn't......not even close.
Before I go any further I'd like to give a big country "SHOUT OUT" to a new truckstar friend , goes by the name "bigjackknife", he says he's home these days holdin' down the fort and like thousands of other truckstars, he enjoys reading "On the Road" with the original florida kid, every week too,
so THANKS for that great e-mail bigjackknife and from all of us here at the ranch a big howdy "Hey!"
I think Chicken Trucker kicked me off their site the other day....
.....let's see......that makes 2 in one month....that's me, yesssirree.....Mr. Controversial......(right Jim?....)
Also a round of applause and a tip of the hat to Overdrive magazines' "Trucker of the Year" Bruce Bryant. This man, truckstars, is the kind of guy I want to be....check it all out in the Feb. 08 issue of Overdrive, one of truckings top mags.
In this week's HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I want to talk about - arterial plaque - the health experts are saying that nowadays even the young people have it bad, and, if you're over 40 with an average diet and exercise habits(meaning bad, little or none....) than you're probably headed for "blockage". Incidentally, or not, high blood pressure, heart diesease, Alzheimers and a bunch of other health issues all stem from this, and these issues cause other issues like diabetes. That's why I'm always tellin' ya to watch what you eat....listen, just like an engine, fuel leaves deposits that cause engine problems the older the engine gets, and without the right kinds of maintenance and filters, well, you know what happens.....the human body wasn't made to indefinitely withstand constant and DAILY contamination(some of us take better care of our rigs than we do ourselves.....)and the simple fact of the matter is that so-called modern foods have more chemicals and processes that destroy the nutritional value of them that it renders them worse than useless, but even toxic, and the deposits or plaque, lines the arteries. Fresh leafy greens - with 0 fat dressings - and fresh lean meats...eat more fruit, get a bag of apples, oranges, some cut pineapple and make these things a regular part of what you eat!!! Diet isn't what you eat or how much of it, it's what you DON'T eat.....as in - crap. And yes, it is that easy....once you change you're eating habits to prolong your life - not shorten it - you'll feel so much better, more often, that you'll begin to protect youself and your loved ones "automatically"....get a vegetable juicer and a book on juicing. Wal-Mart has em' cheap. Look online and order a book on veg juicing, you'll see what the experts say on how to detox your body from the 20 or more pounds of sludge your carrying around....truckstars you don't have to die young over something you can do something about....Okay? And for you skeptics out there - how's your blood pressure? Hmmmmm?
NASCAR- Tony and Jeff had a really tough day at the office via a couple of bad wrecks. Tony met up with the outside wall and Jeff had a bad spinner with a protection barrier on the inside, it looked bad, hope he's okay but he's got to be fellin' that one. I'll find out from my younger bro' on the Hendricks team how he's doing, I'll let you know...
Kyle had the pole for this seasons UAW/Dodge 400 in Las Vegas and the action heated up quick on lap 8 with the 1st caution, the first of many...
Biffle, Tony, Jeff, Junior - the headliners were all on the track for what made an exciting day of good old fashioned superspeedway racing!
Carl Edwards in the 99 Ford Fusion threaded the needle early on and took the checkered going away. Junior almost had him. Great racing!
PBR- One of the last rides of the night at the PBR Baltimore Invitational this past weekend was Robson Palermo's 91.5 point winning trip out on Booger Butt. G. Marchi, who became No. 1 in the overall point standings moving American cowboy, Travis Briscoe, down the leader board, came in second as the Brazilian's claimed another Built Ford Tough Series event. Catch all the action this coming weekend in Kansas City for the Cabela's Classic. Will the Americans re-assert control over the season point standings? Stay tuned PBR fans, this season is going to be a great one!
Next week I'll have more info about mobile internet and laptops so stay tuned........
Also, an update on my, so far fruitless and ongoing saga on trying to find educational financial help to go to helicopter pilot school......
Don't forget about the Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas - June 26-28 here's the link: www.greatwesttruckshow.com
I want to Thank all you truckstars for stayin' with me here "On the Road" with the original florida kid......
*****Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?*****
Here they are, bookmark these sites ;
To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky un-safe trucks with bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going! Politicians care about 2 things most of all - Votes, and Money, in that order.......we elect em' that means they work for us.....doesn't it???..........
DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE OOIDA(.com)..............
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week..........
(truck payments....know what I mean vern??)
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day!
Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's "Open Road Phone Line"
on-the-air - 12noon - 4:00pm - mon thru fri - you can call into the show at 817-451-6055
Remember - NO load or NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know...........
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
Play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
Crank em' up! - Check your gauges! - Watch out for four-wheelers!
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gown..........

On the Road with the original florida kid - week 27

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 27 and......
you're on the road with the original florida kid..............
Grandma, Barbie and everyone here at the ranch, including Pup the wonder dog... say a big howdy "hey!"
Well let's get to it..wha'dya' say?
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'-
Truckstars - let me ask you something....here today, do you really want to talk about the price of fuel, Qualcom's latest improvements, how bad freight is down, the mexican thing..the price of Goodyears' latest model drive tire.......do ya? Good - I don't either.........
So grab a cup of coffee and an ashtray, pull up a chair and let's see what happens.......
Man, I wish I had a good digital camera to put up some photos on my blog, I see some wild stuff down here in the land of "sun and fun", although it could hardly be called that for some of us, lately.........it's......it's only a dream........it's only a dream.........
I guess I'm just a little nervous(...okay, I'm a lot nervous...) about how slow it's been in the boat haul biz.......this stack of bills just keeps gettin' higher....kinda like the price of fuel........and, well, at least right now, I can't go back on the road OTR or even regional. I went to CF the other day to put in an appl. for a day player LTL gig and the guy said they weren't taking anymore, they had enough to last a year or more, all good candidates too.....and I had called the day before to find out if they were still taking app's, which they were....and I have exp., a Class A - PTX lic. , no tickets, no accidents......ever......it's been since last June 07' I drove a big rig so I'll probably have to do a shortie training period......whaaaaat-ever............
I don't know how the local economy is where you're at truckstars but I can tell you the economy here in south florida is bad, really bad. In fact in 07' the state even admitted that for the first time in florida history, most of the state including my county, broward county, more people were moving out of the state than moving in...............it's a complicated thing having a lot to do with the hurricanes aftermath in a lot of different areas like real estate, property taxes, industry moving in and moving out, labor standards, it's a mess, and let's not forget the insurance co's screwing people on the payouts for storm damage claims and cancelling thousands of homeowner policies, if you can even get one...........people are fed up.....half the time the beaches are shut down because the sewage outfall washes back into the beaches from the 8' or 9' diameter pipes(4 of em' statewide) just offshore spewing barely treated raw sewage 24/7.... oh, you didn't know that? yeah, you can come down to florida(but you better brush up on your spanish first)eat out at an overpriced tourist trap restaurant, then go back to your over-priced hotel room, take a dump in your over-priced bathroom, then go down to the beach and swim in "it" when "it" washes back in the next day....sound like fun?...the local seafood has a flavor all it's own too..........yeaaaaaaahhh buddy!
This isn't the florida my family moved to in the 40's, I don't recognize it , not anymore.......
Go to Branson or Nashville, the people are a hec of a lot nicer and you'll have more fun with your family.......we want to move up to the Nashville area full time we just can't afford it right now.......Please God, Please..............
....I'm the kind of guy that isn't afraid to work, and when I can't, and I see my sick wife still goin' to work when she shouldn't be because if she didn't we'd end up in the street(we live in the foreclosure capital of the world....) it's a lot to deal with, and I'll tell you right now........
I know Gods in control, I can't tell you what he's up to...or why...but I know He IS, and the only refuge I'm finding is in His peace and mercy.....that's it.......Barbie has always, for over thirty years, been able to put her head on my shoulder.....but lately.....she can't.....because it's shakin' too hard......and I KNOW I'm not the only guy in this position, this is a nationwide deal and my thoughts and prayers are with you all, truckstars, and I mean it ! I can only imagine how the single parents out there are struggling.........
Do I have any answers ? No.....I don't....just keep prayin' and believin'......
Yes, I'm a writer, a good one so people tell me, but I'm still a couple of years away from making a living at it full time and the other two industries I spent my life in are in trouble.....is there educational or vocational help for 52 yr. old, able bodied people willing to work? Haven't found it yet......still looking.....
I'm sorry truckstars, I'm just frustrated at the moment........
Alright, alright enough positive re-inforcement.......I guess.........
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- Do you ever look at the "contents" on a box or package or bag of food before you buy it? You know, usually on the side or back of the package where it shows the amount of a serving, the fat, salt, vitamin ratio, if any, and the ingredients....? Check out how much "a serving" is and try to gauge how many "servings" you are about to, or have, eaten then multiply the ratios times how many "servings" you've eaten, especially the fat, more specifically the "saturated fat" - this truckstars is the killer....the fat. Trans-fats are just cooking or prep oils that are in a "toxic" chemical state because of additive chemistry in them or to make them cheaper, chemistry added or exposed to them, and it's that "state" that makes them lethal....BELIEVE ME, they would NOT be spending the money to change to 0 trans fat foods if this wasn't serious, it's not just a fad it's a health crisis.......Fast food restaurants are required to post, or make available food info. to customers....
Now a typical diet, and according to the diet expert you listen to, the typical adult "fat" intake, daily should be no more than 75 grams. Now me personally I think that's still way to high, you want to target 35 to 50 grams of fat, daily. Steak, bacon, yes even chicken and fish ALL have fat so you want to get only lean meats, fresh, not frozen, whenever possible, and I've said this before, the fat in regular salad dressings is VERY high and you can push your cholesterol levels off the charts with just salad dressings alone!! Roughage, roughage, roughage - whole grains(both in cereal and breads), celery, cabbage, cucumbers, nuts, raisins, figs, plums, prunes....find the mixture of "whole" foods, natural and/or organic that you like and stick with it....it really is a matter of life and death......YOURS !
Look into my eyes and repeat after me......fruit tastes good and fat tastes bad - fruit tastes good and fat tastes bad - fruit tastes good and fat tastes bad - fruit tastes good and..............
TRUCKSTAR TECH- Laptop mag's Editors Choice in the newest Smart Phones is the Samsung Blackjack II. It's put out by AT&T, and at $99, the rave reviews it's getting ought to push it up front in sales. It will even handle TeleNavs GPS service, for another $10 bucks a month.... I really like these smart phones, or rather, the technology they are capable of....I'm waiting for the two-way video call feature to be affordable, e-mail too....but - short of a laptop that will do all the things we need, these smart phones are the way to go!
Notebooks....everytime I think I have a favorite, the technology advances, so....by the time I put the mony together I'm sure they'll be even better.....for me, it's the ram, the sound and video cards that matter, and also the screen size and whether we're talkin' Blue Ray/HD capable.....and mobile broadband capable too.....
Don't forget to sign up for a good credit monitoring service! I like - www.myfico.com - but all 3 credit reporting agencies have them too. And stay away from the "tri-merge" scoring systems, get your individual credit scores per credit agency....
I'm hearing outstanding things about Lifelock, I may switch to it.......there's a monthly charge usually 5 to 10$ or more a month, do your homework and find a plan you can live with, but - do it !! ....I have a plan where I can pull my own credit report and print it out as often as I want. Did you know that whenever someone checks your credit it pulls your credit score down? It does....
NASCAR- Kyle Busch - say what you want, the kid can drive....I don't think he's to damned impressed with the toyotas' either....I knew I liked this kid.....anyway in the #18 Snickers car he kicked ass...the Kobalt Tools 500 had almost as much politics as it did racing...but if you're a race fan like me then you had a great time too! Carl Edwards, Junior, Jeff G., Jimmie, the whole cast and crew was there but it was Kyle's and Tonys' day......how can those toyotas be so much faster??
PBR-
PBR stop number 11 on the Built Ford Tough Series was the Cabela's Classic in Kansas City over the weekend. Brazilian Guilherme Marchi took home the money bag again this week, the number 2 spot going to young gun J.B. Mauney, followed by Travis Briscoe. Briscoe, in my opinion, and J.B. Mauney are the American cowboys best shot at the world title this year in Las Vegas, come November. Lots of mud flyin', kickin' buck-offs and Thank God - no bad wrecks......
Next week - The Portland Invitational - see ya there!
Before I forget, I didn't get kicked off Chicken Trucker( www.chickentrucker.com) either, last week like I thought, I had written down my log on info wrong and when it wouldn't let me log on I thought they had kicked me off, it's happened before on another site, sooooo......
anyway the guy was real nice who owns the site and the other drivers on there are all just regular drivers, like Mudslinger and bigjackknife, who like to shoot the breeze, this one lady driver LuckyLady7 is the hottest female driver I have ever seen.....she can't be real, can she?......
I don't know how they came up with that name I didn't think to ask the guy........
Also, next week - an update on my, so far fruitless and ongoing saga on trying to find educational financial help to go to helicopter pilot school......
Don't forget about the Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas - June 26-28 here's the link: www.greatwesttruckshow.com
I want to Thank all you truckstars for stayin' with me here "On the Road" with the original florida kid......
*****Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?*****
Here they are, bookmark these sites ;
To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky un-safe trucks with bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going! Politicians care about 2 things most of all - Votes, and Money, in that order.......we elect em' that means they work for us.....doesn't it???..........
DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE OOIDA(.com)..............
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week..........
(truck payments....know what I mean vern??)
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day!
Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's "Open Road Phone Line"
on-the-air - 12noon - 4:00pm - mon thru fri - you can call into the show at 817-451-6055
Remember - NO load or NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know...........
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
So play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gown..........

On the Road with the original florida kid - week 27

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 27 and......
you're on the road with the original florida kid..............
Grandma, Barbie and everyone here at the ranch, including Pup the wonder dog... say a big howdy "hey!"
Well let's get to it..wha'dya' say?
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'-
Truckstars - let me ask you something....here today, do you really want to talk about the price of fuel, Qualcom's latest improvements, how bad freight is down, the mexican thing..the price of Goodyears' latest model drive tire.......do ya? Good - I don't either.........
So grab a cup of coffee and an ashtray, pull up a chair and let's see what happens.......
Man, I wish I had a good digital camera to put up some photos on my blog, I see some wild stuff down here in the land of "sun and fun", although it could hardly be called that for some of us, lately.........it's......it's only a dream........it's only a dream.........
I guess I'm just a little nervous(...okay, I'm a lot nervous...) about how slow it's been in the boat haul biz.......this stack of bills just keeps gettin' higher....kinda like the price of fuel........and, well, at least right now, I can't go back on the road OTR or even regional. I went to CF the other day to put in an appl. for a day player LTL gig and the guy said they weren't taking anymore, they had enough to last a year or more, all good candidates too.....and I had called the day before to find out if they were still taking app's, which they were....and I have exp., a Class A - PTX lic. , no tickets, no accidents......ever......it's been since last June 07' I drove a big rig so I'll probably have to do a shortie training period......whaaaaat-ever............
I don't know how the local economy is where you're at truckstars but I can tell you the economy here in south florida is bad, really bad. In fact in 07' the state even admitted that for the first time in florida history, most of the state including my county, broward county, more people were moving out of the state than moving in...............it's a complicated thing having a lot to do with the hurricanes aftermath in a lot of different areas like real estate, property taxes, industry moving in and moving out, labor standards, it's a mess, and let's not forget the insurance co's screwing people on the payouts for storm damage claims and cancelling thousands of homeowner policies, if you can even get one...........people are fed up.....half the time the beaches are shut down because the sewage outfall washes back into the beaches from the 8' or 9' diameter pipes(4 of em' statewide) just offshore spewing barely treated raw sewage 24/7.... oh, you didn't know that? yeah, you can come down to florida(but you better brush up on your spanish first)eat out at an overpriced tourist trap restaurant, then go back to your over-priced hotel room, take a dump in your over-priced bathroom, then go down to the beach and swim in "it" when "it" washes back in the next day....sound like fun?...the local seafood has a flavor all it's own too..........yeaaaaaaahhh buddy!
This isn't the florida my family moved to in the 40's, I don't recognize it , not anymore.......
Go to Branson or Nashville, the people are a hec of a lot nicer and you'll have more fun with your family.......we want to move up to the Nashville area full time we just can't afford it right now.......Please God, Please..............
....I'm the kind of guy that isn't afraid to work, and when I can't, and I see my sick wife still goin' to work when she shouldn't be because if she didn't we'd end up in the street(we live in the foreclosure capital of the world....) it's a lot to deal with, and I'll tell you right now........
I know Gods in control, I can't tell you what he's up to...or why...but I know He IS, and the only refuge I'm finding is in His peace and mercy.....that's it.......Barbie has always, for over thirty years, been able to put her head on my shoulder.....but lately.....she can't.....because it's shakin' too hard......and I KNOW I'm not the only guy in this position, this is a nationwide deal and my thoughts and prayers are with you all, truckstars, and I mean it ! I can only imagine how the single parents out there are struggling.........
Do I have any answers ? No.....I don't....just keep prayin' and believin'......
Yes, I'm a writer, a good one so people tell me, but I'm still a couple of years away from making a living at it full time and the other two industries I spent my life in are in trouble.....is there educational or vocational help for 52 yr. old, able bodied people willing to work? Haven't found it yet......still looking.....
I'm sorry truckstars, I'm just frustrated at the moment........
Alright, alright enough positive re-inforcement.......I guess.........
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- Do you ever look at the "contents" on a box or package or bag of food before you buy it? You know, usually on the side or back of the package where it shows the amount of a serving, the fat, salt, vitamin ratio, if any, and the ingredients....? Check out how much "a serving" is and try to gauge how many "servings" you are about to, or have, eaten then multiply the ratios times how many "servings" you've eaten, especially the fat, more specifically the "saturated fat" - this truckstars is the killer....the fat. Trans-fats are just cooking or prep oils that are in a "toxic" chemical state because of additive chemistry in them or to make them cheaper, chemistry added or exposed to them, and it's that "state" that makes them lethal....BELIEVE ME, they would NOT be spending the money to change to 0 trans fat foods if this wasn't serious, it's not just a fad it's a health crisis.......Fast food restaurants are required to post, or make available food info. to customers....
Now a typical diet, and according to the diet expert you listen to, the typical adult "fat" intake, daily should be no more than 75 grams. Now me personally I think that's still way to high, you want to target 35 to 50 grams of fat, daily. Steak, bacon, yes even chicken and fish ALL have fat so you want to get only lean meats, fresh, not frozen, whenever possible, and I've said this before, the fat in regular salad dressings is VERY high and you can push your cholesterol levels off the charts with just salad dressings alone!! Roughage, roughage, roughage - whole grains(both in cereal and breads), celery, cabbage, cucumbers, nuts, raisins, figs, plums, prunes....find the mixture of "whole" foods, natural and/or organic that you like and stick with it....it really is a matter of life and death......YOURS !
Look into my eyes and repeat after me......fruit tastes good and fat tastes bad - fruit tastes good and fat tastes bad - fruit tastes good and fat tastes bad - fruit tastes good and..............
TRUCKSTAR TECH- Laptop mag's Editors Choice in the newest Smart Phones is the Samsung Blackjack II. It's put out by AT&T, and at $99, the rave reviews it's getting ought to push it up front in sales. It will even handle TeleNavs GPS service, for another $10 bucks a month.... I really like these smart phones, or rather, the technology they are capable of....I'm waiting for the two-way video call feature to be affordable, e-mail too....but - short of a laptop that will do all the things we need, these smart phones are the way to go!
Notebooks....everytime I think I have a favorite, the technology advances, so....by the time I put the mony together I'm sure they'll be even better.....for me, it's the ram, the sound and video cards that matter, and also the screen size and whether we're talkin' Blue Ray/HD capable.....and mobile broadband capable too.....
Don't forget to sign up for a good credit monitoring service! I like - www.myfico.com - but all 3 credit reporting agencies have them too. And stay away from the "tri-merge" scoring systems, get your individual credit scores per credit agency....
I'm hearing outstanding things about Lifelock, I may switch to it.......there's a monthly charge usually 5 to 10$ or more a month, do your homework and find a plan you can live with, but - do it !! ....I have a plan where I can pull my own credit report and print it out as often as I want. Did you know that whenever someone checks your credit it pulls your credit score down? It does....
NASCAR- Kyle Busch - say what you want, the kid can drive....I don't think he's to damned impressed with the toyotas' either....I knew I liked this kid.....anyway in the #18 Snickers car he kicked ass...the Kobalt Tools 500 had almost as much politics as it did racing...but if you're a race fan like me then you had a great time too! Carl Edwards, Junior, Jeff G., Jimmie, the whole cast and crew was there but it was Kyle's and Tonys' day......how can those toyotas be so much faster??
PBR-
PBR stop number 11 on the Built Ford Tough Series was the Cabela's Classic in Kansas City over the weekend. Brazilian Guilherme Marchi took home the money bag again this week, the number 2 spot going to young gun J.B. Mauney, followed by Travis Briscoe. Briscoe, in my opinion, and J.B. Mauney are the American cowboys best shot at the world title this year in Las Vegas, come November. Lots of mud flyin', kickin' buck-offs and Thank God - no bad wrecks......
Next week - The Portland Invitational - see ya there!
Before I forget, I didn't get kicked off Chicken Trucker( www.chickentrucker.com) either, last week like I thought, I had written down my log on info wrong and when it wouldn't let me log on I thought they had kicked me off, it's happened before on another site, sooooo......
anyway the guy was real nice who owns the site and the other drivers on there are all just regular drivers, like Mudslinger and bigjackknife, who like to shoot the breeze, this one lady driver LuckyLady7 is the hottest female driver I have ever seen.....she can't be real, can she?......
I don't know how they came up with that name I didn't think to ask the guy........
Also, next week - an update on my, so far fruitless and ongoing saga on trying to find educational financial help to go to helicopter pilot school......
Don't forget about the Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas - June 26-28 here's the link: www.greatwesttruckshow.com
I want to Thank all you truckstars for stayin' with me here "On the Road" with the original florida kid......
*****Take a minute and PRAY for our troops around the world - with me - truckstars....whether you agree with the war or not - I think we can ALL agree that these are OUR men and women over there, our KIDS, and, the politics involved is way over my head, not to mention the idea that there's probably a lot going on we DON'T know about, so......and let's not forget about GOD in this equation....it's HIS will I want done, not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?*****
Here they are, bookmark these sites ;
To find your Representative - www.house.gov ( just enter your zip)
To find your Senators - www.senate.gov - scroll to your home state.
Write them often, tell your friends to write them often....and tell them too that prices are not going to go down on Mexican shipped goods either......just more dope, crime, junky un-safe trucks with bad drivers, accidents and public costs.....Keep it going! Politicians care about 2 things most of all - Votes, and Money, in that order.......we elect em' that means they work for us.....doesn't it???..........
DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE OOIDA(.com)..............
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul, so until next week..........
(truck payments....know what I mean vern??)
Don't forget about National Truckers Prayer Day!
Contact Billy Mack on Bozo Radio, or the other radio trucking shows! Let's do this!!
Billy Mack on(XMchannel171) Bozo radio's "Open Road Phone Line"
on-the-air - 12noon - 4:00pm - mon thru fri - you can call into the show at 817-451-6055
Remember - NO load or NO paycheck is worth dyin' for !!!!!
Pray for us all, our nation, the world and the lost..... and try not to worry!!
God hears prayers, trust me - I know...........
As always I want you to remember - I love ya and I'm prayin' for ya!
So play nice, drive safe and pull it on home...........
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...................we gown..........