This'n'That; August Twenty-Third #2; On A Sad Note....

The "Truckin' Bozo" Not Well
    Word came during the Lonsberry Show on WHAM (1180-AM) aroun noon, yesterday.  A listener from Florida related that Dale Sommers, better known in the trucking industry as "The Truckin' Bozo," is in failing health and currently in hospice care.  "The Boz'," having concluded his last broadcast, will be sorely missed by those in the trucking industry; from the company driver to the owner-operator and everyone in between.

"The Boz'" in his at-home broadcast studio

    This is the guy who--almost singlehandedly--kept America's drivers 'between-the-ditches' with his overnight radio broacasts, catered exclusively to the trucker and trucking industry issues.  In 2004, due to failing health, Mr Sommers 'retired' from his overnight show and--after a move to Florida--resurfaced on the XM-Radio system.
    I know Dale personally and I've never met a nicer individual nor a more accessable popular personality.  Through my association, I met such "Bozo-Insiders" as 'Brooklyn (Paul Sasso)' and other regular callers-in to the program.  This brings to mind a situation involving 'Brooklyn' a lost caller!
There was this guy--a non-trucker--who lived on Long Island, NY, and regularly called into the show.  After a time, this caller--for the life of me, I can't remember his name--hadn't 'reported in.'  Between Dale and 'Brooklyn (I think Paul's sister was a nurse in the NYC area)' the 'Long Island guy' was found, admitted for his on-going kidney problems, in one of the local hospitals.
    Another anecdote involving 'Long Island Guy (and a little bit of "blowing my own horn"):'  For one reason or another, he was having trouble getting "The Truckin' Bozo" show.  I decided that I could help him with the anonymous donation of an XM-Radio system.  After speaking privately with Dale and while at Crete Carrier Corp's Kansas City (Mo) Terminal, I bob-tailed to a retailer, bought the system that would work and had it shipped to Dale's home in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Dale made sure that the system got to 'Long Island Guy.'  As a sidebar:  Another regular--truck driver; I can't remember his handle either--listener to the show donated some compatable wireless speakers to 'Long Island Guy.'
    As 'Yoda' mentioned in one of his posts on the subject that if you believe in prayer, here would be 'the best use' of some for "The Boz'" and "Lumpy!!"  I for one, wouldn't be surprised at yet another Bozo Resurrection!!
God Speed, Dale!!
Til Nex'Time....

This'n'That; May Thirty-First #1; New York Stupidity

New York Legislature, In It's Infinite Wisdom...
    ....and in retaliation for the release of damaging information, is attacking yet another segment of New York taxpayers.  A couple of days ago, The Tax Foundation released some information gleaned from IRS public information as well as the latest census activity.
    Between 2000 and 2010 3.4 million persons left the State of New York.  During the same period, 2.1 million persons foolishly migrated INTO the state making a net population loss of 1.3 million lucky persons.  The departing citizens took $45.5 billion in earnings with them!  With the State of New York being Number Two on the 'states with the highest state and local tax burden' list, the departures mean a hell'uva bite in the expected revenue to the state treasury. 
    Given said loss in tax revenue over the 2000-'10 decade, the New York legislature has found a solution:  find another taxpayer segment and tax THEM out-of-existence!!  They've decided on independent contractors in the state's trucking industry.  With enactment of
"The New York State Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act," the state's legislative miscreants will essentially force the state's segment of the trucking industry companies to bear costs originally the responsibility of the independent contractors (also known as 'owner-operators).  The so-called 'Fair Play Act' is anything but fair!!  It makes said independents trucking company employees, to be organized and ruled by that evil Teamsters Union.  And adding unmanagable expenses to the individual trucking companies.
    I know from whence I speak.  I was an over-the-road truck driver for almost eleven years (7 years of that as an owner-operator) until an insane federal law forced me out of the tractor I owned.
A bit of definition:  Those independent contractors were different than myself, in that they relied on 'load-boards' to find loads.  I leased my tractor to Crete Carrier Corporation who offered me loads, rather than me having to find them on my own through said 'load-boards'.
Various manufacturers--actually, anyone with frieght to have hauled--list on  load-boards from time-to-time for unexpected freight movements.  Independents consult these boards, contact the shipper and negotiate various aspects of 'the deal.'
    The 'arschlocher' in the New York legislature are grasping at straws to continue to fund:
one of the best--worst, if you're a taxpayer--welfare benefit systems in the country;
one of the best state employee union retirement systems in the country;
one of the best state employee union medical benefit systems in the country;
one of the best legislator financial perquisite systems in the country, et al.
The way to continue the lavish career of a state politician must not be partially on the backs of the state's trucking industry.  These guys--and gals--'fight-tooth-and-nail' every day just to make ends meet in the caree they love.
Every arschloch that votes to enact this legislation must be resoundingly kicked out on their collective asses at the next election!!
Blogger sidebar:  I thoroughly enjoyed my eleven years 'on the road.' Even better were the seven of those years as an owner-operator.  Without the federal interference I'd still be out there, discovering something new each-and-every-day!  Anyone who's nomadic by nature would bode well to check out the trucking industry for his--or her--next career endeavor.
    I've met retired doctors, dentists, nurses, accountants, corporate executives, among us 'commoners'' who call ourselves truck drivers.  There are handicapped drivers, one of which was a wheel-chair bound driver I met in a truckstop, somewhere!! Truck driving as a career--while it looks cool--is not for the fainthearted; the stress levels can be hellish!!  With an open mind, the rewards can far outweigh the negatives.
Til Nex'Time....
http://tax.d7.qorvisdev.com/tax-topics/state-tax-and-spending-policy
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76188
http://www.cretecarrier.com/
http://www.nysenate.gov/senators
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search

This'n'That; September Thirteenth #1; YUP, True!

Ref: The Sunday 'Report;' 09/04/2011
    I remember the referenced article clearly (and fondly); it dealt with my chosen career:  an over-the-road truck driver!  The 'google' query--from Charlotte, N.C.,--most probably was concerned over the earnings claimed by the subject: Jeff McGee, 37, who earns ~~$160,000/year.
    I can't speak directly to Mr McGee's annual earnings; he's in a specialized segment of the the trucking industry:  He picks up brand-new road tractors (singularly, or in groups like 2,3,4), and delivers them to trucking companies or truck retail sales companies.  I was an over-the-road driver from July, 1995 to January, 2006.
  The industry:
**The most notable distinction is that practically everything in any American's daily life was on a truck at some point!   Railroad tracks don't go the local Walmart's back door!!
**The O-T-R driving career is quite segmented:  longhaul (coast-to-coast); regional (like Northeast: New England, New York, New Jersey, etc); dedicated (hauling for a particular company like: the auto manufacturers, General Mills or John Deere, and related suppliers) as well as other segments I'm not familiar with.
    Each segment has it's pluses and minuses like:
~Some pluses in longhaul  are:  You wake up each morning in a locale you've probably never been before; you see sights others pay 'tons 'a' money' to visit; you will meet some of the nicest folks on the planet, etc.
~Some of the minuses in longhaul are:  most companies require an 'away-from-home' period of at least two-weeks;  extended periods away from home and family; the stress involved in meeting loading and delivery appointments;  the stress involved in traffic and construction conjestion; you'll meet some of the biggest a'holes and bullshit artists on the planet; the stress of dealing with company dispatchers and their road-service departments.
The other segments have pretty-much the same pluses.  The minuses:  Regional-travelling the same routes time-after-time; Dedicated:  To-the-minute delivery appointments;  constant load scheduling, little time between loads.
    My history:
**In early June 1995, I was laid-off from a boring, dusty, piecework,  manufacturing job; later that month, I went to the C-1 Drivers School in Indianapolis, Indiana.  After a 17-day course--classroom, range and highway time--I graduated on July Third.

**On July 6 or 7th, I reported to my first company, Transport America (TCAM, Eagan, Mn), in North Jackson, Ohio.  I was assigned to a company driver/trainer and spent 8 weeks driving with him, earning a flat salary of $250/wk (I think).  I stayed with TCAM until the Fall of 1998.  My perception was that my dispatcher had slighted me over some detail of my next load; I got pissed-off somewhere in Indiana and bobtailed (no trailer) back to the North Jackson terminal (at my expense-I bought the fuel!); turned in the truck and the keys, unloaded my crap and went home to Cohocton, N.Y.  When I was initially assigned my own truck I started earning 23.5 cents-per-mile (CPM).  I finished with TCAM earning 34.5 CPM.
**After less than a week, I was certifiably 'stir-crazy!'  I had bullshitted with some Crete (Crete Carrier Corp[CCC], Lincoln, Ne) drivers earlier, and decided to call the company for an interview. 

CCC had several benefits others didn't offer, like their--at that time--exclusive 'Load-Select' system.  Upon delivery, the company offered up to three trips-driver's choice!  Those trips were usually in different directions; with different lengths, so whether the driver wanted to 'see the country' or 'get some miles,' the choices were there!!  Another great advantage--businesswise--is, CCC is a privately-owned company-owned by the Dwayne Acklie family.  Everything the company has is wholly owned--they essentially don't owe nobody, nothin'!!

After an interview and road test at CCC's regional terminal, McGungie, Pa., I drove in a rented car to orientation at their Linoln, Ne., headquarters.  I drove with a company driver/trainer for 4 weeks and then was assigned a truck of my own with an initial--as well as final--payrate of 30CPM.  I was a CCC company driver for about a year before I bought my own truck and became an 'owner-operator.'
**In October 1999, I bought a 1998 Freightliner FLD120 (a basic, off-the-rack model).  The truck only had the basics, but with 106,000 miles-in the industry, that's "just barely broke-in!"  I leased the truck to MS Carriers, Inc (MSCC), Memphis, Tn., a the 'empty-and-loaded' rate of 65CPM, which went up over the course of the lease(s).  MSCC was an 'alright' company; I leased onto them to get the 'home time' I wanted, I was dating a Dallas-area actress at the time.  I stayed with MSCC until they were near finalization of a sell-out to Swift Transportation, Phoenix, Az.  I knew from experience that we would NOT be a good fit: a the time, Swift castrated (demanded they be governed) owner-operator trucks to 65MPH!  It's my truck, I'm payin' for it, I'll drive it as fast or slow as I want to!!

**In the Summer of 2001, I returned to CCC, leasing my truck under their sliding-pay-scale, plus 65CPM-empty.  The shorter the trip miles, the more CPM and the converse.  I stayed with CCC as an owner-operator until September 2005 when I sold my truck (at that time, the truck had 843,000, very profitable miles!!).  I then became a CCC company-driver until January, 2006, when "The Young Miss Lovely" made the decision that I should sleep in our bed more than just every-other weekend!!
 
    In conclusion, YES-the basic facts of what I've presented here are the truth as I remember them.  One should not consider--or enter into--the trucking industry, lightly!  It can be a hell'uva stressful job; it can be the most rewarding job you will ever have!  It worked well for me; I had no wife or girlfriend at the time I became a trucker; my kids were all grown with families of their own.  I was--and will always be--a nomad!  I loved the job so much that--during a couple of years of my owner-operator days--I wouldn't see 'the homestead' for three months at a time; if money is your goal, that's one way it's done.  With fuel prices being what they are; with the fluxuation they suffer, I'm not so sure that owner-operatorship is the way to go.  Company-driver pay has gone up in the past few years; one can make a very comfortable living, with every-other weekend at home.  This career is certainly 'worth a look' for practically anyone: man, woman, the retired, the retired-and-bored former professional, the returning veteran-anyone!  I've met all kinds of people out on the road: retired doctors, lawyers, accountants; some of the nicest ladies anywhere; just the average 'joes' trying to make a living!
  For further information, check some of the sites below, among others.  I've included a couple from OOIDA (Owner-Operator, Independent Drivers Ass'n, Grain Valley, Mo.).  OOIDA is the only organization that TRULY has the drivers' best interests at heart.  I've been a life-member for years, back to when I first bought the Freightliner.
  Hey YOU!!  That 'googler' from Charlotte:  if you see this, I hope it helps to answer some of the questions you may have!!
Til Nex'Time....http://c1training.com/
http://www.transportamericadrivers.com/otr/
http://cretecarrier.com/careers/
http://www.swifttruckingjobs.com/
http://www.classadrivers.com/
www.ooida.com
www.landlinemag.com