the truckstar

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 32 and.....
.........you're on the road with the original florida kid......
Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch
say a big cowboy howdy "HEY"

KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Well don't just stand there - grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, a chair and an ashtray and have a seat around the table.....we have a lot to talk about this week!
Okay soooo - this shut down or protest or whatever you want to call it, is still scattered across the country with different areas and drivers doing protest drives near or at state capitols or grouping together on the road and at specific locations. The media still has yet to really grab ahold of this thing and I believe it's because the organization of it is really not what it needs to be.....I think it's safe to say that the public is very much on our side, after all fuel prices affect every aspect of their lives too, and let's also keep in mind that it's not only about fuel prices, it's about cheap freight, it's about the ability of bigger trucking co's who don't have the same insurance structure that everyday drivers and O/O's have to pay thereby giving them an edge in operating costs and undercutting freight prices, it's about corrupt brokers and fuel surcharge scams.....it's about a lot of stuff that affects us as drivers every single day, hell, every single mile!
And listen to me.....THE CO'S AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RAPING AND PILLAGING THE DRIVERS FOR MANY YEARS KNOW - THEY KNOW - 99% OF TRUCKERS WON'T FIGHT BACK , AND THEY ALSO KNOW THERE IS LITTLE, IF ANY, ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVERS THAT WOULD GIVE THEM A VOICE AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY HEAVY HANDED OVER THE YEARS IN TRYING TO SUPPRESS IT..........YOU OLD ROAD WARRIORS KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT DON'T YA..........
And let's not fool ourselves, seriously, [most of] the big trucking co's are raping the drivers worse than anyone........What? you might ask....just talk to any of the newer drivers when you see him or her getting out of a company rig at a truck stop. On an entry level, for a new driver that is, the job doesn't pay a whole lot more than delivering pizzas or working at McDonald's. The trucking co's love the new driver labor pool, that's why they know they don't have to pay more per mile to keep more experienced drivers on the payroll, and, sadly, these new kids coming up look at this as just another job, not a career or a profession......ask one you'll see........(when I was a company driver the miles I logged and the miles I got paid for were always different, less, a lot less and if you say something suddenly your miles go way down, AND AFTER SITTING ON YOUR ASS FOR A FEW DAYS YOU LEARN TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT......and the co. I worked for was "in business" with all the co's that were deducting from my paycheck....health ins. and other stuff.......sound familiar truckstar??
Dan Little from the U.S. Cattle Haulers Assoc. is a human dynamo when you're talking about stepping up to the plate here in this battle.....(www.uscattlehaulers.com) also a spin off of this site is - (http://www.uscattlehaulers.com/strike.htm) - check this out to stay on top of the latest news!
I've spoken with Dan Little from the U.S. Cattlehaulers Assoc., and truckstars let me tell you if you want to get involved this is the guy we need to look to, he tells me he's even suing some of the big trucking co's, on our behalf, so they have to pay insurance like the rest of us... trust me...........check out the website and GET INVOLVED! TODAY!
I just finished a haul and back-haul to Virginia then I picked up a back-haul in South Carolina headed south to Florida, Thank God I got lucky getting a back-haul because the fuel prices are affecting my bottom line so much at $4.00+ a gallon that I'm really feelin' it.......BAD!
In the boat hauling business it's tough getting a backhaul, it's not impossible but it is hard to line up the timing......
I know you are too truckstars, believe me, I talk to a lot of guys on the road and it really breaks my heart and kicks my ass at the same time to see decent working people getting beat down so bad by a profit margin greed thing.......the "Good Book" says not to worry and I'm tryin' not to.......but I'm workin' harder and harder and still comin' up short! Man..................what the hell...........
I'm micro-managing my driving, I'm going slower, I'm shopping fuel prices, I'm on the phone all the time trying to line up more work....
and I still struggle to pay my bills............and all the while the government is LETTING big business rob the people into poverty.......where's it going to end truckstars? Where? When? I hope we can all get together on this thing, there's a lot of drivers out there trying to make a go of this thing and we ALL need to get involved. I feel bad for the company drivers whose co's aren't into this because of their corporate clients or for whatever reason and they've threatened drivers with losing their jobs, co's like Swift.
I know these guys and girls want to help out but a lot of them will lose their jobs if they sit out a day or a delivery - it's a tough call but these trucking co's should also know that they will benefit from lower fuel costs and happier drivers - Hey, here's a novel idea! - How about a driver who can pay his bills at home?? I'd be happy...................................so what's it going to be truckstar? Are you in, or what?

HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I want to talk about the "endochrine system" in your body, that is, your glandular system, to put it simply Your testasterone(for us guys) and other really important chemicals your body needs to be able to produce to keep your hair your, uh, giddyup, let's just say, brain function and a whole lot of other functions that begin with glandular chemistry. Now, here's the thing, when we get older and start losing a few hairs or whatever else, let's call it losing a step or two, and maybe some health issues come into play also, well, these can be traced back to years of poor diet and exercise, not to mention drinking and smoking or even drug use and the endochrine system suffers and becomes almost inactive. just like your colon and arteries get layered or clogged your endochrine system basically can shut down or at least be marginally functional. This is why older guys not younger guys get ED and go bald or lose their sex drive and muscle tone. I'll go more into this in detail as the weeks go by but for now I'm just telling you that eating a low fat diet, lots more fresh and steamed vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, a good "whole food organic" vitamin, Muscle Milk Protein drinks. Watch the lunch meats and other products with additives like nitrites and nitrates, which have been linked to cancer, drink low fat or non-fat milk. You can bring your body back, I've seen it, I've done it....you don't have to be old while you get older!
Think it over truckstar.....get this book and read it - "You-The Owners Manual" Dr. Oz also has more books out on how to take care of yourself and eat...any good bookstore has them, even Wal-Mart and Target (Target has a much better book section and they discount too).

Once again this week I have to cut it short, I'm leaving in a few minutes to take a couple of boats up to the northeast and maybe do a backhaul from Conneticut if I get lucky........


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......when? right now !

Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?"
Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you?
I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention.........

Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock in Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!!

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 some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?)
so until next week
Remember - NO load and 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...........
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........

Category: General

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's week 31........
....and you're on the road with the original florida kid.....
Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say "HEY".......
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"-
Alright let's grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, an ashtray and pull up a chair, we have a lot to talk about this week!
I want to apologize first off to you regular readers because I wasn't able to write for several days, for 2 reasons. 1), I was on the road and 2), my computer got messed up when the power went off and surged back on while my computer was booting up. It took 4 days to get it fixed, and yes I could have gone to the public library to write but my online list of trucking websites and blog sites was not available to me, so, any way you slice it, I was dead in the water for several days.
I'd like to welcome a new guy to the blog, goes by Mudslinger, and he seems like my kind of guy just a straight up man who isn't afraid to work - so - a big "cowboy howdy shout out" to Mudslinger! You can find him on chickentrucker.com - and also a big "cowboy howdy shout out" to one of the seemingly busiest lady drivers I've ever heard of - Cybergal - you can find her all over the forums on thetruckersreport.com that is, when she's not runnin' loads!
Listen, some of the best drivers I've ever met are women drivers........

http://www.uscattlehaulers.com/strike.htm - here's the best place to get info and also get involved in the trucking effort to lower fuel costs and raise awareness of the other issues we need to look at. Mr. Little is really working hard to make a difference for all of us and I hope you can see your way clear to getting involved. Last week was a really good start and now we know the general public is definitely on our side,
what'cha' think truckstar? Some are saying they want to make another shut down happen at the end of this month.......
I have to tell ya, truckstars, I'm already tired of feeling stressed and a little bummed out all the time. It's hard enough to make a living and look after my family, and forget about hopes and dreams, this whole thing in life has turned into a paycheck to paycheck stress session, for me anyway......I wish I were smarter.....or luckier........now am I saying that I've given up? No, Hell No, it's just that once in a while I feel like I'm bleeding too much, too often.......

HEALTH DEPARTMENT- I want you to check out this link to the NY Times newsletter I get : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/fashion/03Fitness.html?nl=8hlth&emc=hltha4
Just check it out.........and also this is a site you should have bookmarked - http://www.webmd.com/
I go there when I am looking for a starting point to research, sometimes. I'm still looking into the "endochrine system" as it pertains to men, mostly, and it is getting more involved than I first thought so bear with me, next week I'll write about it. It's one of the most important systems in the body, yet so little is ever written about it.....I subscribe to this ezine/newsletter, I think you should too - http://www.healthresources.net - look for the newsletter sign-u in the upper right.

TRUCKSTAR TECH- Check out this site, it's a map and directions kind of thing. Also I'm looking into a new system by Garmin, it's called the Synthetic Vision System, I know, I know it's for boats but I'm thinking of what it could mean to drivers to be completely adaptable in a more visual sense, and yes, it's mostly for boat navigation but I'm talking with them to see if it's adaptable for trucking or road surface navigation. Some of these boat nav systems are so advanced it makes the stuff we use look like fred flinstone, check this one out - www.FurunoUSA.com - check out the NavNet3D System. Maybe you'll see what I see. Also check out - http://www.gasbuddy.com/ - you can even get involved as a gas spotter.
www. cyberpower.com - a great place to check out the latest in pc and laptop gear. this co. is one the tech's I talk to you are starting to buy from.

PBR and NASCAR next week!

I've got a boat waiting for me to go to South Carolina, I had to turn down a run from Pensacola to Idaho because it was a low ball deal and with the price of fuel I couldn't risk ending up driving all that way and back with no back-haul.....this is what it's come down to. Six months or a year ago I would have taken the haul...........

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......when? right now !

Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?"
Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you?
I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention.........

Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock in Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!!

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 some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?)
so until next week
Remember - NO load and 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...........
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........

Category: General

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 30 and.....
.....you're on the road with the original florida kid....

Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big howdy "Hey"!

"KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Alright grab a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee, an ashtray, pull up a chair and let's get to it!
Again this week I can't not go into this subject....the nationwide shut-down. I got off the road from 2 back-to-back runs on friday night, all the while monitoring my cb and listening for any chatter about a shut-down. I heard very little about it, except that someone told me that there was a news report on tv about it being planned for sometime next month. Today I heard it's tomorrow April 1st. I still, sittin' here, can't help but wonder why there's no real organization to one of the largest labor forces in U.S. history....I'm not talkin' about a general truckers "union" because I don't think that's realistic, from financial and time standpoints, not that I'm against it, I'm not, but what we're really talking about here is a voice, one voice representing the 3.5 to 5 million drivers in this country....not to mention the other 15-18 million people employed in "diesel culture" support industries.....amazingly, there isn't one. I, personally, find that more than a little incredible. The OOIDA and the ATA? Okay let's talk about that.....the OOIDA has fewer than 200,000 members as does the ATA....a fraction of the total number of drivers and yet both these groups are the only ones, or at least only trucking organizations fighting like hell, for ALL truckers, men and women, in the local, state and federal arenas and courtrooms of this country.....and making progress !! Who else is? the Sierra Club(that's right, the tree huggers...), the Teamsters(I wish I was one....) besides them I can't answer that because I don't know.....do you truckstar??
There's 10 different trucking papers and magazines, all seperate in ownership. None of the trucking websites are connected that I know of....sooooo what do we do and how do we do it? Maybe we need one of those heavy hitter business and organizational consultants.....
And, it's not as big a deal for an independent to turn down a load or park his truck for a day as it is for the millions of company drivers who will lose their jobs if they refuse to drive on the day of the shut-down....me for example, the brokers I get hauls from won't care if I say "no" I can't drive on that day, they'll, I'm sure find someone else in 5 minutes to take the haul....it's the co. drivers who will pay the price....there are so many kids coming out of these trucking schools who don't know any better that it's scary to think the trucking industry as a whole is so cost conscious that it would rather pay low mileage to a greenhorn than it would an experienced pro.....(you know...the kind that helped build this country).......and sure, it'll be a "no money" day for many of us but I'm confident we'll make it up, if nothing else, in fuel savings, in no time and a long overdue message will have been sent to the "powers that be".
Those of us who have been around long enough also know that the trucking co's love to pass themselves off as "driver friendly" - and - "on the drivers side" and all that BS but when it gets down to it, most, if not all, care much more about their bottom line even if that ends up being at the drivers expense, and more often than not ....it is.
No....I wasn't born yesterday, I know how business works and how it HAS to work....but you can't tell me that screwing your employees and O/O partners IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS......

QUESTION: Is there ONE trucking co. in this country that is shutting down the day of the "shut-down" ? If not....why not? Is there even ONE trucking co. that is going to stand with the drivers? Probably not.....Why? Because they're more afraid of their "big business" customers - THAN THEY ARE OF YOU !! That's why....oh yeah and it's all about the money too.....
.............and say what you want about the "flake -o - rama" actor community....but at least they refused to cross the picket lines when the writers were on strike......

Before I go any further I want to urge you, PLEASE, to get involved and join the OOIDA and the ATA !!
http://www.ooida.com/
http://www.truckline.com/ (this is the link for the ATA, click on membership up top on their page)

and while I'm at it I want to put up these links too so you personally can contact your political rep's ;
(you'll probably have to catch them in between $2000 a night hookers and looking for sex in airport bathrooms, or flying around in some corporate Lear Jet somewhere.....)
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......when? right now !

I'm working on a few things on my end I'll let you know more about as the next few weeks go by.....

I guess ultimately we have to look to the government for relief from the fuel prices......but if this nation is still "by the people and for the people" then we should be able to hope for action on our behalf, and not just truckers but everyday people too.......wha'cha' think truckstar? Maybe I was absent that day but when did big business start telling everyone what to do....and getting away with it?
Old school journeymen truckers are some of my favorite people, and it truly breaks my heart when I talk with them and hear them seeming to talk about trucking in the "past tense". I can't tell you how many I've heard about being forced out of business and some even parking their rigs and going to work as co. drivers. I get lots of e-mails from guys like 'bigjackknife' on chicken trucker.com who tells me a lot of his neighbors and friends near where he lives, which is a trucking hub, are done, and have their trucks up for sale, and JW who runs the site, he's an independent and he's breakin' his ass just to make it week to week.....and listen to me...we're not talkin' about losers who don't know what their doing, we're talkin' about top notch pros who have more miles than I'll ever rack up. 'bigjackknife has more than 2 million miles....JW's been around forever too....THIS SHOULD NOT BE !! Come on, someone has to haul freight....why are the best people getting bumped out yet the damn trucking schools are always full and popping out kids as fast as they can?? WHY?

Before anything else happens I hope we can all get together on a National Truckers Prayer Day.....the bible says - "if God is for us - then who can be against us?"
Do you think for one second that God would be on the side of some mindlessly greedy, earth raping corporation? Do you?
I bet He's wondering why 2 or more have not gathered in HIS name and asked for HIS intervention.........

TRUCKSTAR TECH- On a lighter note I want to mention a couple of new things I came across: the first being the new power source by Cummings Comfort Guard. It's diesel powered and even meets the strict California standards. This is the one I was waiting for, the one I want. Truckstars, fight it out if you want to but more and more areas are stopping overnight idling.....
Are you one of the lucky drivers with a mobile web laptop? http://www.dtv4pc.net
Want unlimited tv on your mobile laptop? Try this co., for a one time fee around 50 bucks you'll have great tv on your laptop or pc...I'm signing up as soon as I get my new laptop.Check them out! ( I know it sounds to good to be true but it's not, no tuner, no hardware just a fee for a one time software install and access. We're talkin ESPN, NBC, and a bunch or other top stations. I didn't find them, they found me.....)
Also if you're looking for a really durable laptop try this co. out - https://www.onthegopc.com/index.asp
Here's the Sony Vaio refurbished laptop site - http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644534352 ( I know it's a long one but so what, just click on it.....)
Also - if you can check out the new International Lonestar Truck - high style meets high tech, they look awesome and are fuel efficient!
Don't worry I'm always looking for cool new stuff that's affordable and portable for those of us who are on the road but want to have media access.....

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- If you're like me the biggest health issue you may have, lately, is stress. Make sure you're taking a good "whole food" organic vitamin, eating your meal replacement MetRx protein bars, and drinking Muscle Milk Protein drinks. Back off on the coffee and try to stay away from sodas too, and high fat, high salt snacks. Keep the coffee(I know, I know it's hard, I love my coffee too....) to a minimum! Whole grain cereals and lots of fresh vegetables......you can do this! Every day try a little harder to clean up your diet and you'll see your health, stamina and endurance will improve and "runs" won't burn you out so bad.......
.......next week the "endochrine system"...you don't want to miss it !!

NASCAR- Denny Hamlin took the checkered at the Goody's Orange 500 in Martinsville. Junior led then Jeff Gordon led for awhile and gave it a good try but just couldn't seem to catch Hamlin and took second in the end. I'm not the biggest fan of short track racing, these cars are capable of such high speed excitement that it's kind of a waste to me, but whatever....

PBR- The Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico over the weekend was another great show! Young L.J. Jenkins, a New Mexico resident took the event title over second place finisher Guilherme Marchi, who is ranked number 1 overall in the point standings. Travis Briscoe, another of the new rising superstars, former world champ Chris Shivers, and favorite Ross Coleman all had good outings. Bull ridin' at it's best!

Tis' the season for Chuck Wagon Cook-offs!! (http://www.chuckwagon.org/),check their site for the 08' schedule, and truckstars if you only go to one event or take one vacation this year, and you're a fan of the old west, then you have to go to the big National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock in Sept. 4-7th(http://www.cowboy.org/ ) the Chuckwagon Cook-off Championship is held there!!

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 some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure not my own, I'm just not capable.....how 'bout you truckstar?
Okay truckstars - I gotta go - I'm trying to find a haul and a back-haul....(truck payments....know what I mean vern?)
so until next week
Remember - NO load and 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...........
Are you ready? Let's roll..........
......you're on the road with the original florida kid...............we gown..........

Category: General

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 29 and........
....you're on the road with the original florida kid....
Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and all the gang here at the ranch
say a big howdy "hey"!

KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN"- Well let's grab an ashtray, a cup of Grandma's famous coffee and get to it.........
I guess it's no big secret that a lot of drivers want to "shut down" for a day, in fact I see in the trucking headlines, some already have in western Pennsylvania. If it were only a nationwide thing and better organized......I really believe it WOULD have an effect....what effect I'm not sure....there's a rally on March 31st at the PA state capital, probably the same bunch......where you going to be at the end of this month?
I still feel, and I've said this before, that if we're going to have a "major" shutdown, we need to inform the general public and I know WE "are" also the general public using fuel in our personal vehicles, ATV's, boats, campers(and all the other things we can no longer afford to use....), not to mention the 15 million or so "diesel culture" support industries folks we depend on and also depend on us, that are in and around the trucking industry, from the road service guys to the tire people to the truckstop help and so on.......Now when I say "inform", I mean, to get them "on board" with this thing....and from what I'm seeing on the news and everywhere else I don't think that's going to be a problem, in fact, in a lot of the online trucking forums everyday people are already giving and showing their support in growing numbers. EVERYONE is feeling this, and I know this is an obvious statement, but, many of us live paycheck to paycheck as do Jane and John Doe and their 2.2 kids....older folks and single parents with kids, students, business commuters.....the list is endless, so like I say I don't think it's going to be hard, to not get only get the public's attention....but their support....and it's just me sayin' it but I have a feelin' the shut down is going to involve a lot of 4 wheelers too.....and I also think, and this is what I'm saying, I think their support is absolutely critical and vital......we need each other right now......wha'cha' think truckstar?
Listen to me......the investor community all admit or concede that the price of oil and fuel DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WHAT IT IS !!
In other words, the price of oil is being manipulated by the oil producing companies, nations and cartels....and make no mistake, they are powerful groups with little or no regard for what they are doing to people......and what burns my ass is that the tree huggers don't want us or any other nation to drill off the coast of California, Florida, or Alaska or anywhere else that might free us from the hand around our throats by nations that make no bones about the fact that they already hate us anyway......the oceans and wildernesses of North America have a lot worse things to worry about than the after affects of drilling, and for your information, the oil co's are better at keeping the environment clean than any other industry(if the tree huggers want to crawl up someone's butt they need to go after the sugar industry that is destroying the Everglades and the water table of South Florida....or the mineral mining co's that are raping large tracts of land nationwide and in other countries....) Ohhhhh........right, the tree huggers get their money from grants and public financing, they don't pay out of their own pockets, they pay out of OURS........uhhh, me no like........
In the last year I've seen the pay scale go down and the costs of running going up. (And I've also cut my running speed down to 59-63 mph, as per Dave Sweetman's advice, it helps but, well, you finish the sentence.....) It, like you I'm sure, costs me between 30 and 50 dollars more per fill up....meaning hundreds of dollars more per run.....to run. I'm back to where I was when I first started, making very little per run and it's starting to catch up with me when we're talking about monthly bills....man, what the hell ?
We're not talking about some little niche market here, we're talking about the most important industry there is when it comes to our nations economic beating heart...the trucking industry.......and the kicker....is that the goods we haul we're getting less to haul and we're paying more for when we walk in the front door of the grocery store and Wal-Mart or Target, or even Walgreen's....the very freight we haul is biting us in the ass....all day,every day.....sooooooo....you want to "shut it down"? Let's do it....but don't let's run off half cocked like a bunch of crazies - Why? Because big business is going to lose a lot of money....A LOT OF FREAKIN' MONEY.....(that's why).....even if the "shut down" is only for a day and scattered across the country, and they are not going to be happy about it. I'm sure they're frantically pulling their puppet strings connected to the politicians they own trying to figure out how to not let the truckers do this, let alone cause change by doing it, and I'll bet they are scared to death the public will be on our side too.....and, truckstars, I believe they will be.....sooooo..what now?.......
I don't want to be poor....I'm not afraid to work, I never have been.......but it's just not right that I have to work even harder....for less....Barbie's not well, she needs new glasses and a trip to the dentist, but we can't afford it.....this shouldn't be.......we don't drink, we don't go to bars, I haven't taken her out to a sit-down dinner since early last year.....we watch our money......we live meager lives, and we're still not makin' it because it costs to much to live and work......what?........I SAID - WHAT ??? and it's not just us either, everyone we know, even our relatives with good jobs are feeling it......Barbie's brother Scotty just lost his job at a factory in Michigan, a place he's worked at for 15 years because they moved off shore, he has 2 small girls and his wife is dying of cancer....and we can't help him !!

......I have my map and my flashlight....and I still can't find My America........take the flags down off the flag poles and drape them around your shoulders....you're going to need them because there's a cold wind blowin' across this land....and it's getting colder by the minute......


Truckstars, I'm going to cut it off here this week....honestly, right now I don't give a crap about NASCAR, the PBR, mobile internet, vitamins or anything else I usually write about....I'm sorry.
I just got a call for a 1200 mile run and I need to figure out how and if I'm going to make any money.......Please God Please...........

So - until next week - Please pray for us all, our Nation(it used to be under God but I think it moved....) the lost, and the ever growing numbers of abused kids and older folks that need food and medicine......

You're always in my thoughts and prayers.......
.......you're on the road with the original florida kid......over and out..........

Category: General

"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars!! It's Week 28 and.......
...you're on the road with the original florida kid......
Grandma, Barbie and all the gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "hey!"

KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'-
Grandma has a fresh pot of her famous coffee ready - so pull up a chair, grab a cup, an ashtray and let's get to it!

Do you remember the movie starring Marlon Brando, called "On the Waterfront"? Some of you younger truckstars out there might not, if you don't, it's a great old black and white film about crime, corruption and the toll it took on one guy, an aging prize fighter turned longshoreman, who took a wrong turn in life.
I've always remembered Brando's line in the film when he says to Charlie, "I could'a been a contenda!"
Sometimes, looking back on my life, I feel like I could'a been a contender, too....maybe.......
Don't think for a second I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself, because I'm not.....it's just that my life has been a wild ride, a really wild ride and I can't help but think back and wonder how things might have turned out.....if things had played out differently when I was younger...and how it all would've ended up affecting my life now........I don't know if everything has to have someone or something to "blame", I mean, I don't think like that. Sometimes, and I truly believe this, I think the things we want maybe wouldn't be the right things....I mean is anyone capable of understanding ALL the ramifications of hopes and dreams? I'm damn sure not.... We all have hopes and dreams and most of the time they don't work out like we had hoped or planned, at least for me they didn't.....my deepest regret is not making it to the pros as a baseball player. I was a pitcher, one of the first of the new crop of speedburners throwing in the 90mph range in the early seventies, I was on a pony league, a high school and triple A team at the same time in one season, I think it was 71' or 72'. I was by far the youngest member on the triple A team, a second stringer. I remember once in awhile one of the guys would just suddenly be gone and then everyone would be woopin' and hollerin' once we heard the guy got called "up", we were all just waitin' our turn, only, mine never came because I got hurt.
I injured my foot pretty bad foolin' around up at the beach one day, and as I was limping home, I knew....I knew it was over, and it was. You have to be so on your game, even at that level. I went to a tryout for a major college, hoping to sign into the pros out of this school, a lot of guys did, but I couldn't throw a strike to save my life that day. The foot I had broken, or cracked an instep bone in, was my push off foot. Speed without control isn't any good so I just walked off the mound that day, I never said anything to the coaches, by the time I threw 10 or so pitches they were all lookin' down at the ground anyway. I just walked off........
Every year when October rolls around and the World Series starts, right when the first pitch is thrown, I get a little misty....wonderin'............I do every year, since then.............I could'a been a contend'a......
I guess maybe I'm feeling the same kinds of feelings lately...that sense of dread and fear about the future, and that something I love very much is slipping away.....Yeah, I'm going to face it all head-on, that's my style, and it's not a "scared of the dark" kind of fear I'm talking about here, but I guess I'll never get used to that "cold slap" of reality that life has it's own unique way of delivering....it always seems to catch me off-guard......like the couple of hundred dollars - LESS - I made off this last run because of fuel costs.....and that was even after setting the cruise at 59mph(I did get better mileage, much better than trying to bump 70 all the way down the road....)but, shock and awe....I'm sportin' a brand new shiner on my eye.......some drivers will survive and some won't.......
Barbie's at work right now and I'm sittin' here wondering when my next run will be.....the un-certainty kicks my rear end........something is going on in the trucking industry, (I know you already know this.....) but this time, it feels like more than just a little speed bump.....the economic indicators are off the charts, this isn't just another lull or a mild recession. Listen to the business programs and read the business trade papers, and not just the agenda based trucking ones either....watch CNBC too, you'll see what I mean.
It's hard to tell when you look at the truckstops all over the country, at night they're all full, the rest stops are full too, but when you talk to drivers, right away you hear what's really going on and no one seems to know, for sure, what's up ahead, but everyone agrees that the "big picture" is the worst it's ever been. Fuel, freight, freight pay, maintenance, and licensing costs, Mexican trucking, more and more legislation against everything from idling sanctions to new drivers certification standards, road construction, American off-shore production is at it's highest level in history.....it's a long list and no one expects costs to ever go down.....but when you read the trucking business news, a lot of companies in the industry are making big profits....still. Everyone seems to be making money - except the drivers.....Why ?
Sure, freight will always need to be hauled, but the question is what's it going to take to do it and who's going to be able to do it?
Thank God the OOIDA goes to bat for our industry's drivers every single day.... I hope you'll decide to join up...even if you're a company driver.....hell, even if you're not a driver at all......www.landlinemag.com Dave Sweetman is at Landline magazine now....(Dave will be the last trucker on earth and God will use him to haul wine and food for the "end of the world after-party")
WANTED: HEROES- Truckstars - I want to put a call out for a little future trucker named Chance Rodgers, grandson of longtime truckdriver and OOIDA member Jim Rodgers out of Oregon. Young 12 yr. old Chance has osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, and he's undergoing extensive treatments for it. His folks Jennifer and Jim Jr. along with his 3 sisters are in the fight for this kids life. A hero named Miles Verhoef has taken up the cause for Chance and he'll be at the Mid America Trucking Show later this month for an auction in the boys name : MARCH 27-29: MID-AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW, (Kentucky Exposition Center - Louisville, Kentucky) More info at the official web site - http://truckingshow.com (for more info on the auction contact Colleen Sims at Gulf Coast Filters: 1-800-398-8114) If you can spare anything at all I'm sure the family , and Chance, would greatly appreciate it. He wants to be a trucker when he grows up - "like my Papa Rodgers!" Chance says. You can see how he's doing and leave him a note on this great site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chancerodgers Truckstars, this is one of our own and we need to step up to the plate - so Please, Please stop by to say Hello to the little fella and help out if you can...maybe you know someone who can.....okay? Wha'd'ya say truckstars? Keep Chance and other kids like him, as well as their families, in your prayers......and heartfelt Thanks to LandLine writer Suzanne Stempinski for the article about Chance on pg. 60 in the March/April issue! I've found, in my life, that, even when I'm in a tough situation, making the choice to help someone else who may be in a tough situation too, well, it makes something of value out of my situation, even if it's bad.....you'll have to ask God how that works....but it does......
PBR- Well alright, former world champion Chris Shivers took the win at the Tacoma Invitational this weekend in Tacoma, Washington with a monster 91.25 point ride aboard Cooper. When Chris is ridin' well there's nobody better..... Young Brazilian superstar Valderon De Olivera took second followed by North Carolina cowboy, young gun and fan favorite J.B. Mauney. Earlier in the weekend at an event in Portland, Guilherme Marchi, overall points leader and the PBR's number 1 rider took the Portland Invitational. It was a double event weekend of bull riding at it's finest. But, noticable, were the absence's of American superstars Justin McBride, Ross Coleman and Mike White. Somebody check the barn, I'll go down and check by the lake.......
NASCAR- Bristol Motor Speedway in Tenn. was the site for the Food City 500 and Childress racing took the 1-2-3 spots, Burton, Harvick, Bowyer in a team finish of Chevrolet's. Awesome work! Bristol seems, to me, to be too short of a track for this type of car..........
TRUCKSTAR TECH- try this site: www.cyberlinklive.com - and this one: www.hulu.com - Let me know what you think. Also next week more on where to find an affordable laptop you can upgrade the ram in, with a pci mobile broadband slot.....At&T is makin' a run at bein' top dog in the mobile internet arena.....you go boy!.......
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- This week I want to talk about STRESS.....now, listen to me....stress can be both internal and external at the same time, meaning, internal can be how you think about what you need to think about, AND, from what you eat and drink. External stress for the most part you can't do much about, however the way you deal with it is the key....Me? I try to pray and think my way through every situation, all the while watching what I'm putting in my body, and when. If you tend to think like a forgiving parent with situations in your everyday life and while you're out on the road, and you're capable of unconditional patience, the effects of stress will go down ....a lot. But, if you're like me(strung tighter than new barbed wire), then, coffee, sports drinks, soda's with caffeine in them, foods with lots of salt and sugar - Please be careful about how much and when you drink and eat this stuff...limit yourself as much as you can....and pace your caffeine intake. Hell yeah I drink coffee and once in awhile I like a cherry Pepsi but you have to remember this stuff stays in your system for several hours whether you "feel" it or not, salt too. It affects your body chemistry and most importantly - your brain chemistry. Caffeine has drug-like properties, in that, it has an "acidic" affect on the nutritional quality of your blood while it keeps you alert, but, the overall effects include mental fatigue and physical depletion, both of which amplify stress. How? Why? Isn't it harder to deal with stress when you're tired, especially the mental kind, like driving strategies and home life? It's the same thing as driving the piss out of your rig while running "bad" high octane fuel through it. Over time, years even, the end result will be irreversible poor health. Vitamins, protein drinks and protein bars will give you a much higher grade fuel source for your body and mind and there are NO side affects...you'll sleep better and feel better when you wake up. Please truckstars, find a way to break the cycle you're in of lousy foods and too much caffeine, okay? ( Muscle Milk is sold almost everywhere, including Wal-Mart and most grocery stores, as are MetRx protein bars. Vitamins are too but I want you to find a source for "whole food" organic vitamins, get a bottle that says the daily dose is ONE pill, bring em' on the road with you......more on this next week!
Also next week - an update on my, so far, fruitless, 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 some profit crazed business man's, not the government's, and damn sure 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.....
DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE OOIDA(.com)..............
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
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?)
Remember - NO load and 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..........

Category: General

"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..........

Category: General

"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 fell 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..........

Category: General

"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 an 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, 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?......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 my pc at 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???..........

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..........


[summary][/summary]

Category: General

"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..........

Category: General

"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 truckingspaces.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..........

Category: General