Thursday, September 12, 2013

MY THOUGHTS ON 9/11

September 11, 2001 marked the first time that the American Homeland had ever been attacked.  It was a day that brought about great change in America and in its people. Since that day the greatest of American Treasure, our sons and daughters have fought, been wounded, traumatized, and killed in an effort to bring about retribution on those who would do us harm. Do not be fooled, we are no safer today than we were then.

Today, on September 12, 2013 I want to make a couple of simple observations. Notihng too deep or complicated. Nothing political or what I would really consider controversial. I just want to bring forth two ideas and ask for your feedback on these ideas.

First has to do with the display of our National Flag, our stars and stripes. I know that the norm now is to fly the flag at half mast for the day to commemorate the loss of that frightful day.  I would propose a couple of alternatives, each of which would require possible revisions to the flag code.  I think this day deserves more than a remembrance of the loss that day. I think this day deserves a recognition of the greatness of the United States of America and her people.  I would like to see a modification of the flag code to allow the flag to be flown at full mast with a gold streamer.  The gold streamer would represent the loss of the day but the flag remaining at full staff as a symbol of strength and determination that we will not be brought down.  The other possible alternative being to fly the flag at half mast until noon and then raised to the top.  This would allow us in the beginning of the day to mourn and remember what was taken from us, but then would allow us to display our courage in the face of great evil.

Secondly is the "National Day of Service".  This has gotten completely out of control and has become nothing but another government program.  It was originally started as a non-profit and should have stayed that way. It was begun in 2002 by volunteers, however that soon changed. In 2009 Congress got involved and charged the government entity created by Bill Clinton, the CNCS(Corporation for National Community Service), to lead the efforts and provide money to people to serve.  I do not believe service should be about the government providing tax dollars to give to people to make them volunteer.  I am all for a Congressional edict declaring a national day of service, but I do not think it needs its own government department.  Once again, this was a great idea started by well meaning people that has become a monster.  Service should be from the heart and only the results seen. A program designed to recognize the server and not the served is an injustice.

OK so I got a little political with the last paragraph, sue me.  I just hate to see a good thing watered down.  Take care my friends and please email me at knilsen63@gmail.com or send me a tweet @knilsen63

Sunday, August 25, 2013

They Were Doing What?

Yeah, I saw that...I think.

I always get the same question. What is the craziest/wildest thing you have seen while driving? Where to start? Well, I'll give a few examples of what I have seen out here. This is things going on behind the wheel of a car, truck, or on a motorcycle.

For those of you that drive cars on the highway, let me give you an educational tip. I sit much higher than you and can see down in your car. Yes, the view is good most of the time, but, there are the times when what I see causes me to hit the brakes cause I want to be no where near you. I have seen it all, I think. I have seen it in the broad daylight in the middle of rush hour and in the middle of the night when no one else is on the highway but you and me.

It ranges from the mundane to the insane. OK, what we have all seen, big truck or not. She is putting on her makeup using the rearview mirror, or the mirror in the visor. He is using his electric razor headed into work or pick up his girlfriend that the wife does not know about he thinks. Yep, brushing teeth happens now. Talking on the cell phone, not just the bluetooth type. There is the fun ones that hold the phone to their left ear with their right hand because they have been talking so long with their left hand it is too tired to hold the phone and now must hold the steering wheel. Oh, and the dude on the motorcycle texting, are you stupid?  There is eating the big mac and fries, that's ok, but please, do you have to cut up your food on a plate sitting on the seat next to you and drive with your knees?

Hey top of your class at Harvard Business School, do you really need to have the newspaper open and be typing on your laptop at 60 mph on the way to the office? Oh and the other one is so busy he has phone glued to his left shoulder, holding papers in his left hand on the steering wheel and right hand typing on the laptop.

Hey mom!! I know your desire to have that craft completed before the fair is important, but do you really need to be doing plastic canvas at 65 mph in the left lane on a Monday morning with your kid in the car with you?  I know it is windy out and no one should see your hair like that, but roll the window up and you wouldn't have to keep looking in the mirror and brushing your hair.

Big city philanthropist on your way to the big event. I know there is not much time, but do you and your significant other really have to change clothes in Chicago rush hour? I know the car next to you cannot see you but I can. Just because you lay down in the backseat, undress, then put on your on your formal doesn't mean no one saw you. Oh and traffic is stop and go, when you stop use the doors to go between front and back, you look silly climbing over the seat in a tux.

Newlyweds, yes you, young and old. I can see that you really love each other, but, an orgasm can cause wrecks. Wait till you get to the hotel, it's easier to do it there.  The drunk friends in the backseat makin whoopie, I saw you too. It is the middle of the night, but those high tech dash lights are pretty bright, I can see you have no clothes on.

Yep, I've seen it all!!! But wait, there's more!! No this is not an infomercial but you have got to hear this.  I was traveling I-75 south of Knoxville, TN a while back and I saw, it, well I thought I did so I had to speed up and get a second look. It was an SUV, and as they approached I noticed the passenger reaching all the way across to the driver's side. When they got up next to me, the passenger was steering, the driver was playing a guitar.  He was doing what?! Let me pull up there and look again, Yep! he was in fact playing the guitar while his wife steered from the passenger side.

Be careful out there folks. Remember, you do not know what the idiot in front of you is thinking or doing. While you are driving you need to be fully aware of your surroundings and be ready to react.

A Lesson Driving Around Trucks

I have really been thinking about this for a few weeks. There are several things that I would like to address for those of you that just commute everyday in your cars or whatever mode of transportation you find yourself using.  There have been several instances in the past few weeks that have made me really think that a lot of drivers really have no clue what is going on in the truck in front of them.  This is in no way to be critical of anyone's driving skills, but rather some supplemental information that hopefully will allow you to be more patient when driving around large trucks.

The first item I want to cover is a slow truck on city streets. I am sure you have all gotten behind a big truck on city streets and wished he would just hurry up and get where he is going to, after all, you are so important that you must be first in line at starbucks for your morning coffee.  There are a number of reasons this truck could be moving at what you consider a snails pace. First of all, if I make a wrong turn I cannot just swing into a fast food joint and turn around. It is important to also know that unless it is a local delivery truck running the same route everyday that it could be the first time that driver has been there. While GPS is somewhat accurate it is not always perfect. My normal practice is as soon as I am on the correct street I look for address numbers on buildings, mailboxes, etc. This will describe which side of the street the business is on and tell me how many blocks to go before I arrive.  When on a two lane street this also means that I may need to swing into the oncoming lane in order to make a safe right turn. If on a two lane road and it appears that the entrances to businesses are narrow, I'll put on my 4-ways. If the business is on the right, I signal a right turn, if you are behind me beware! In swinging wide I may open up just enough room for you to squeeze in, DO NOT DO THIS, I'm doing it to make a safe right turn.

Secondly there is the issue of a heavy truck entering the interstate or entering the flow of traffic in town.  You cannot always tell just by looking if a truck is heavy or overweight, but, there are times clues are provided. Most tractors have a steer axle and two drive axles. In the case of heavy haul the tractor may have a drop axle, or a third fixed drive axle. Also if the trailer has 3 or more axles then it is likely heavy. Unlike your car, which is built for speed, my truck is built for torque and power. In the past few weeks I have pulled several heavy or overweight loads. I have even had another truck driver get pissed at me because I did not enter a road fast enough. In this case I was at approximately 100,000 pounds. I go from 0 to 60 in just over a mile and a half. I have to make more shifts than normal, and even though my truck is designed to handle it, shifting too quickly and trying to be a speed demon can twist the driveshaft out of the truck.  Please be patient when you see a truck pulling out slowly into a street or onto the interstate. Also if you live in an area where there are grades to be climbed, or in the case of  the south, tall bridges, my truck will likely go from 60-35 rather quickly until I crest the bridge. On the downhill side I may be just as slow for safety sake. Just as hard as it is to get 100,000 pounds rolling, it is even harder to stop.  The final factor can be a load permit. In the case of a permitted load that exceeds the normal weights, the state may require that the load only be driven at 55 mph or 10-15 mph below posted speed limits.

Third is the issue of on and off ramps.  Everyone sees the yellow speed signs when coming to a ramp. Those signs are based on the safe speed for a car to get around the ramp on a dry road. For trucks a safe speed is 10-15 mph below the posted ramp speed. The other factor being that I need to be at that speed before entering the curve. There are several issues for driving ramps. For tankers it is the movement of the liquid in the tank, they must approach at speed that is safe for the load. For me in the case of pulling a generator is the fact that I have a very high center of gravity. For normal loads it is the factor of the load shifting in the turn. If a driver hits the curve too fast and then brakes hard, it can cause the load to shift and now the freight is driving the truck, and it doesn't end well.

I hope this has given you some insight to what you do not always see from the comfort of your car.   In a truck we are subject to different laws, both those of the written kind and of those in the physics realm.  Be patient with us please. We are bringing the diapers for your baby, the food for your family, the parts for your cars, the electricity after the storms, and the entertainment at the coliseum. Take care out there, be safe, and I'll see you on the other side!!

Friday, May 24, 2013

My Memorial Day Prayer

Dear God in Heaven,
   
     As I enter this weekend help me to remember,
Remember that you gave us an example of sacrifice by exchanging your son for our souls.
     You wanted us to know we were worthy of your love.
Since then many more have been raised up for sacrifice,
     They do not have the title of Lord,
But we call them warrior.
     They fought and died on the cold nights in Pennsylvania under General Washington.
We called them rebels and yankees.
     They fought and died next to their brothers.
In WW1 we called them Doughboy.
     They fought and died on the fields of France.
In WWII they were affectionately known as Yanks.
     They fought and died at Normandy on the beach.
In Korea and Vietnam we began to criticize them and call them baby killers.
     They fought and died in farmers fields.
In Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan we again began calling them Warriors.
     They fought and died in the "sandbox".
God you raised up parents who taught their children...
     Sacrifice...
          Bravery...
               Courage.
You instilled in them selflessness.
You gave them love for their country and its citizens.
A love that would give all.
We recognize them this weekend by the flag at their headstone.

As I lay down tonight I have but one request,
I pray tonight that I am worthy of their sacrifice.

Amen


Friday, April 26, 2013

A Few Thoughts to End the Week on

It has been a whirlwind day today. It started in Kingman, AZ and has finally ended in Amarillo, TX, just a mere 743 miles. It has been a day that started with sunshine and had a raincloud of bad news of the passing of Mr. George Jones, The Possum. It has been wonderful to have Sirius/XM radio and get to hear all the interviews with some of the greats in country music tell their stories of the man they loved.

I am not by nature an environmentalist by any stretch. I actually consider myself more of a conservationist and am growing into that mold more and more each day. traveling East of Flagstaff AZ though there is a disturbing scene taking place. Like most guys, I love to be behind a nice pair of jeans, especially if they fit well.  One of the popular styles is the stone washed jeans, as they fit and feel nice. If you are wondering how do they get that look and feel, well, I'll share it with you.  The stone in stone washed is actually pumice stone.  It can be found in abundance in volcanic fields.  I was disturbed a little as I drove by on I-40 and have really been noticing a hill disappearing, literally.  It is strip mined, or in this case it is surface mined and they are removing an entire series of hills to provide the product.

As you can see from this photo an entire hill is being stripped away just for a fashion statement.  There is no reclamation possible here.  In the case of a lot of surface mining for coal, reclamation takes place on a daily basis.  I'm just providing this information for some of my environmental friends as they protest in parks wearing their stonewashed jeans.

On another note, I did say yesterday that I would share a photo of the trailer I am pulling from Burbank, CA to Laval Quebec Canada. So here you go!


Enough for today, see you on the other side!!



Thursday, April 25, 2013

Total Thursday

Today has been a day, a full one for sure.  I started some fifteen and a half hours ago and am winding it down. I started in Barstow, CA early to make it to my delivery before the L.A. rush hour. It is always a challenge in a big city to know just the right time to leave to slide in before traffic but not so early that you arrive at a destination and have no where to park. I was able to get in, get business taken care of there and then move on to the next load.

It was a short jaunt up to Burbank, just 21 miles or so. I was early and got the good news, your trailer is not gonna be ready today but if you want to run illegally we have one for you now. No thanks, I'll wait for a better offer. Sure enough they offer me another trailer that is sitting there ready to go, and once everything is cleared with management I am on my way to Laval Quebec. I have a nice light trailer and it even has a pretty mural or wrap on the sides. I'll post a picture tomorrow.

See ya'll on the flip side!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

A Hard Day and an Easy Day

Well, like most things in trucking, just wait till tomorrow. Yesterday and today were two completely different days and that is one of the things that I like about this lifestyle and also what I dislike about it.

Tuesday actually started Monday evening. It was a typical spring night in Oklahoma City, 70 degrees at 9 pm and a comfortable breeze when I went to bed. At midnight I was wide awake! HAIL!!! Well that all calmed down and I went back to my restful state. At 5 AM I awoke to freezing temperatures, high winds, and blowing sort of freezing precipitation. I dealt with the strong cold northerly winds the entire day. The only good part was that by the time I reached Santa Rosa, NM the clouds were gone, but it was still very windy and cold. I settled in at a truckstop in Gallup, NM, made some soup and went to bed.

Today when I woke up it was a cool 16 degrees, clear skies, and no wind. It was a chilly walk to go in and get my coffee and a shower, that hot water is a miracle worker. I traveled today all the way from Gallup, NM to Barstow, CA. Sunny skies, a light breeze, and good roads. A day when I traveled some 537 miles and ended the day feeling refreshed and not beat up.

Tomorrow is another story again. I deliver in Pico Rivera, CA, then run just up the road to Burbank to pick up a show load going some 3000 miles to Laval, Quebec, Canada. I'll see you on the flip side!!

Monday, April 22, 2013

I am Back Again!

Well, after many technical problems I am back to my blog, I am going to endeavor to make at least a short entry here everyday. First I would like to thank Jessica from Godaddy.com for helping get my domain back and operational. This is probably my most pleasant experience I have ever had with any technical support ever! She was friendly, addressed the issue, and made me a very happy customer. Now if the workers at Taco Bell could just get the sour cream all the way across the taco instead of just one end, well better not push the individual exceptionalism here.

I am back on the road after a couple of weeks off due to illness and a short fishing trip. Well I was for a few days till the old truck broke down and set me back $3000, ugh, so goes life in trucking. I am back at it and here in OKC tonight headed out to L.A.(for my MS friends that is NOT Lower Alabama!). I have a stack of chassis' going to Pico Rivera.

Well enough for today, see ya'll tomorrow!!