Trucking Sucks! At least this week.

Ya know, truck driving has slowly grown on me thru the past few years. It is a love/hate relationship. I enjoy it more than I don't now - and will enjoy it alot more, once winter is over. But, these last 10 days or so have sucked big fat rotten eggs. We have had truck problems to the point of having to be towed off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, on a hill with no shoulder, in frigid temps, in the dark. Not fun. Since we were broken down, we had 3 pre-planned trips, that were going to give us really good miles for the following 4 days, but those got taken away, and we got no miles. Oh well, crap happens.
So, we figure we will rebound get a load west and hopefully do better this last week. Ha! Exactly a week after being towed, the same problem hits again in the middle of freakin' Wyoming. Not a good place to be with a truck that doesn't want to stay running. So, we have to go into a shop AGAIN. We are then late on another load, so we get a crap load out of Portland, due to being late. A storm is rolling in and so we decide to try to out drive the storm. We fail in outdriving the storm and so we here we sit 14 miles from the California border. I-5 is closed at the moment due to an accident. It has been alternately closed due to snow, ice and wind - or has been limited travel with full chains over the mountain passes for the past 2 days. Our load is very light and I don't chain if anyway possible. If I have to put chains on, then I shouldn't be on the road. This is my philosophy, I have chained, I have pushed the limits of my truck and my skill, or lack there of and I have finally realized that it is not worth the stress, the agony and the probable accident. No freight is so important that it is worth hurting someone because I was stupid and was on a road I had no business being on. Alot of drivers give me crap for my attitude about chaining, they call me a pussy girl that doesn't want to get her hands dirty. I am usually not very nice to these boys, and I usually give them an earful, which is kinda fun. Don't underestimate the short fat white girl.
If we had known we were going to be stuck, we would have hung out in Portland and visited with the Dad and family. But, alas, this is not the case. Idiot Me. So, here I sit in a dirty old truckstop, with dirty old truck drivers, and I whine to you, because I have nothing else better to do. I have slept till I can't sleep anymore, I have read until I can't read anymore, I have wandered until I can't feel my toes. I have played more games of Hearts and Freecell on the computer than I have in my entire life. I AM FREAKIN' BORED and I want to get driving and get some miles, because I am tired of being poor. Okay, I am done whining. (for the moment).
We will deliver our load of furniture to Modesto, Ca and Santa Fe Springs, Ca. as soon as we can get over the hill. We then have to put our truck in the shop for an oil change and tire rotation, we will then hopefully be able to get a few miles toward the end of the week.
I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. Steve and I were wild and crazy. We said Happy V Day to each other and that was it. WooHoo! Well, I am going to go into the truckstop and see if there is an interseting movie to buy. If I can't make any money today, I guess I will go spend some. Love and miss you all, T
P.S. I will get into a better mood before blogging again, so that you are not subject to my ranting. : )