Oh, happy days, or so the saying goes. The temps are up as usual (it’s August), and the dog days of summer have arrived. I love the heat and spend as much time as I can outside basking in the sunshine. I hear all you southwestern drivers looking at me and asking, “Are you nuts, or did you fall and bump your head?” Nope. I like it hot. Well, maybe not 116 degrees, but I’m good with 95 and sunny. Let’s me defrost from winter and dry out from spring.
Something that may surprise most of you is I don’t run air conditioning in the truck. The truth is, I don’t have one that works anyway. The easiest way to raise you fuel mileage is to cut your idle time. If you don’t run the A/C there’s no need to leave the truck running. As long as it doesn’t work, I don’t have to spend time or money on repairs and charging to keep it blowing cold air. I run “2-60” air in my old “Just Steppin” Peterbilt. That’s 2 windows down and 60 miles an hour roaring down the open road. Open the wing windows and let ‘er rip!
I may have lost a few of you newer drivers who have never experienced the accommodations of a pre-aerodynamic cab. They came with split side windows and real mirrors, most of which were mounted on polished brackets – and some even had chicken lights or turn signals. Most of the large rides had the arm rest high enough on the door to let you hang your arm out the window. You know, that’s where we got the stigma of the trucker’s tan. Oh, the days of free wheelin’ with the wind in your hair, sliding down the street, wearing cool Oakley shades and a sleeveless t-shirt with some rock band printed on it!
Those old cabs were hot as hell, but real drivers didn’t notice. They just cranked up the tunes and opened the squelch on the CB radio, 10-4. There were no screens covering the window, either. We took direct hits from those marauding mosquitoes, wayward rocks, and a few hard-shelled June bugs the size of a quarter. When we stopped for lunch, many folks couldn’t distinguish us from a group of bikers, with all those bugs on our face. More than once, I clipped a yellow jacket bee and didn’t kill it, which enraged it and got me stung. Try to envision driving your cabover all day and every winged creature that hit your mirrors would wind up in the sleeper. Most of us learned to spread out a beach towel and then roll it up and shake the bugs out before we laid down to rest.
So much for our road trip down Memory Lane. But I really wanted to address something else this month. Hold up, wait a minute, there is a driver who needs some help. I will be back in a minute. Okay, I’m back, and the crisis has been averted. I ran over to help a new driver get unstuck in a driveway (he was suffering from pothole fever). The darn thing jumped out and sucked his tractor duals in. He was calling a wrecker to help him move. A couple of us rounded up a log chain from a flatbed and I towed him backwards until he got traction. We all like to talk old school, but how many of you are living it? Back in the day, we all helped each other. It didn’t matter who you drove for or what kind of equipment, drivers jumped in if someone was in need.
As I write this, I’m setting here at Ernie’s Federal Way Truck Stop in Auburn, Washington, waiting to load in the morning. I’m supposed to be loaded and gone by now but, as usual, someone dropped the ball, so now I’m the one waiting. The shipper tried really hard to spoil my day. Ha – that didn’t happen. I simply moved to “Plan B” and continued to do my deal. I found a parking spot and started writing this month’s article.
I have been thinking about this for all of last week on my ride out here from the east side. I made my first picks in Michigan and Ohio, then set out for Minnesota. I found a couple more picks there, transferred some of them onto other trailers, and then reloaded my trailer with four drops to deliver here in the PNW (Pacific NorthWest). Since I haven’t been this far west in a year, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the scenery. It still excites me to see not only the Rocky Mountains, but the high plains of Minnesota and the Dakotas. Rolling through Chicago and Detroit have their own appeal for urban sights, as well.
Some of you may be wondering why I am making such a big deal about a regular dispatch that I’ve done hundreds of times before. I have to be honest and come clean with you – I never thought I would be able to drive out here again due to my health. Not long ago, I was looking at forced retirement and possibly hanging up my keys. I can tell you, after that ordeal, the trees are greener and the sky was definitely a brighter shade of blue. For all the drivers out there who are disappointed with trucking and can’t help themselves from complaining, just stop it. A bad day of truckin’ beats a good day of almost any other job out there. If you have your health, you have everything. Throw in a few people who love you, and you are living on top of the world – whether you realize it or not.
Today was the first time in all my years of trucking I had to pay $6.50 a gallon for fuel. There once was a time when I too would have squealed like a pig over that price. Shoot, I’m old enough to remember 50 cent fuel. Not today, however, I will simply have to charge more for my services, watch my costs, and reject cheap or under-rated freight. Inflation is here, and it’s not likely to go away anytime soon, so get used to it, and adjust your attitude. Just top off the tanks and keep trucking.
There are many catch phrases I could use here, but I think that “it’s always darkest just before the dawn” might be most appropriate. These are dark days for trucking. Twelve to six months ago the freight rates were out of this world, and everybody wanted in. The brokers were hailed as heroes because they were paying rates no one had ever seen. Then, equipment became scarce, and the price skyrocketed out of sight. The price of trucks and trailers is now coming down to a more normal range, but they are still too high for my liking. Freight rates, however, have dropped faster than expected, and the amount of steady freight is dwindling. The long and short of all this – there is too much equipment in the system and that has made the spot market (load boards) very competitive.
I listen to the market reports, and the people I trust are saying it will be at least a year, maybe longer, before we see much positive change. That means some of the folks who came to the party late will probably not stay long, therefore easing the pressure on the availability of future freight. If you’re anything like me, tighten your seatbelt and hold on, because it’s going to be a rough ride.
Earlier I mentioned how your attitude can make all the difference in your outlook on life and business. I was quite nervous about making this trip to the PNW and had thoughts of retirement to avoid the reality of possible failures. I’m not one for taking the easy route or for avoiding confrontation, but I had to get my mind right, then make my body do its part, open the door, start the truck, then put it in gear. If every journey starts with a single step, then none of us can go trucking unless we first open the door. I made a lot of excuses for why I couldn’t go, but not for how I should go. But once I set myself up for success, things started to fall into place.
With the proper preparation and execution, all things are possible. If grandma and grandpa blue hair can pilot their oversized motor coach all across America, why can’t I? Trust me here, I couldn’t have done it without the help of many people along the way. Recovering your confidence is one of the hardest endeavors you will ever undertake.
Some of you are wondering what my health has to do with trucking. In reality, nothing, I’m simply using it as a metaphor. If you want to succeed in this crazy business, then you’re going to need to get your mind right, tighten your belts, then make preparations for lean times. We all joke “chrome won’t take you home” because it won’t, so don’t go there – stay rolling when freight is available with good rates. There will be plenty of time to go home after the bank repos your stuff. That is if you are lucky and they don’t take your house, too.
I shouldn’t need to tell you how to save money, but in case you forgot, speed is expensive, and I’m not talking about high-speed chicken feed. I’m already seeing trucks slowing down, driving more conservatively, and fewer lane changes, things like that. These are all money saving techniques for fuel saving and reduced tire wear. I’m not sure about you, but for me, those are my most expensive costs, besides insurance and driver wages. Driving slower may help there, as well. I hear you saying the ELD forces you to run harder. Well, I’m calling BS on that. If you slow down 5 or 10 mph and run at a reasonable speed of 65, the fuel saving at $6.50 per gallon will add up. In addition to that, just think how much longer some of your other components might last, as well.
Inflation isn’t going away, so be prepared to pay more for everything. There may be shortages of common supplies, too. Try to pre-purchase things like motor oil, belts, and tires if you can (and the opportunity presents itself), to save money and ensure you have what you need when you need it.
I plan to forgo a vacation this year and we are not buying any new vehicles, so if fuel continues to set records, I plan to be right here behind the windshield freewheeling in my large car, rolling down the interstate. I’ve always said the time spent preparing for success is stolen from failure. So, never mind the sticker shock, fuel up, fire it up, and hit the road, because America still needs us. If the good Lord is willing and my steel horse stays together, that’s where you can find me, because I’m in this for the long haul, 10-4!
