View From the Road
 Sometimes days can be very long in the trucking business. Each day brings new circumstances. The delivery I am making today was extended from yesterday.
The first stop determines your schedule for the balance of the load, and my first stop Monday set the tone. Six hours to unload ten pallets made me miss the second appointment. I was able to be unloaded, but the third and final drop had to be scheduled for the next day.
I explain this to you so you will understand the life of a truck driver. Not only does this affect the work hours, but also your income. Most drivers are paid by the mile and the drops on the load. An extra day out does not mean extra pay. This puts a lot of pressure on most of us to be as efficient as possible.
Waiting all afternoon and all night in a rest area or a truck stop is not too much fun or financially profitable. Then on top of that, the next day you have to wait in line behind all the other truckers to be fit into that day’s schedule. “Hurry up and wait” is the phrase that is brought to mind.
Patience is the most important thing that I possess on days like this.
Sitting on a side street behind a warehouse complex in Miami does not enhance the material I need to write for articles as the “View” is mundane to say the least.
I prepare for these times with books to read, a small portable TV, and of course, my laptop computer. It takes a special kind of person to face the daily issues that most truckers face. Sometimes I am up for the challenge, and then there are days that I am not.
I understand that all occupations have their frustrations, but this is an attempt to give credit to drivers for the tough job that they face daily. Bringing the goods and products that all of us need to function is a big task, and understanding what each player in this process does and is faced with, might make us, in a small way, appreciate all the efforts.
Thank you for being my place to vent. Your indulgence is truly appreciated. My “View From The Road” is much nicer and less frustrating knowing you are listening.
© Copyright 2008 by The
Observer
News Publications and M&M Printing Company, Inc.
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