Dairy of a Truck Driver 05/08/08

Well since last I wrote I’ve been to Montana and Wyoming and tonight I’m in Utah.

Yesterday I started my day at 0300 in Helena, MT. Delivered 11 pallets of nursery trees, 165 trees total around 6ft. tall. then I left for Billings, MT. For a 0900 appt. to deliver the remaining 12 pallets of trees a total of 180 trees.

The inside of the dry van was a shower as there moisture on the roof dripping down on the forklift driver.

The nursery sprayed with water each pallet before it was loaded.

The truck did ok but was very slow on the mountain passes. Fourth of July Pass in Idaho on I-90; no snow but wet. Then you drop down into Kellogg, Idaho it had a pile of snow from street cleaning over 20 ft. high. The Coeur d'Alene River was flooding. {Please call Al and tell him the global warming is still needed} About 30 miles east is Outlook Pass it is right on the Idaho / Montana line. It still has plenty of snow and was cold brrrrr. The down grade is long and at 6% majority of the way down. Then just when you think you made it to the bottom it starts all over and you have to move over to the left lane for the scales. One scale house in the center of Eastbound and Westbound lanes, this is very dangerous when we try to get back into traffic as we are entering the fast lane with a short merge lane.

According to several people I spoke with, spring crops in Washington, Idaho and Montana are late because of the very cold spring. You know the

consumer will pay more for products.

I was able to meet with my Montana friends for dinner Tuesday night. They made sure I had Christmas in 2005. They bought battery operated lights and decorations for my truck and of course a SANTA HAT!!! They really mean a lot to me and made what could have been very depressing and lonely time. But they adopted me for Christmas 2005.

After unloading in Billings, I was dispatched to Graybull, WY. Which is about 60 miles east of Cody, WY? A lot of two lane road and very slow.

Today I was 120 miles south in a city called Riverton, WY.


I left at 0730 at 0930 I had traveled 60 miles, I thought I was driving to HEAVEN, I could not believe how steep of grade I was going up the Rockies Mountains. I finished driving after 7.5 hours and only 338 miles in Salt Lake City.

The company decided to put the load under a 48 state truck that runs at 65 mph and now I have a new load heading for Stockton, CA. so I am heading towards Reno tomorrow. It will take me 9 hours to get the 525 miles if I really push the truck hard.

The Utah Mountains are still beautiful with all the snow.



Tomorrow I will go by the Bonneville Salt Flats.

I will stay out of the casinos because I have a gambling problem so I just avoid the temptations. 1994 was the last time I gambled just quit cold turkey.

Hope you MOMS all had a wonderful MOTHERS DAY

LATER DAYS