I’m running out of time…

Another beautiful sunrse. Sorry the picture taken at 65mph doesn’t give it justice. The bright rays breaking out of the clouds is refreshing and gives me hope.

the colors aren’t very bright yet but they are changing…

I’ve now been leased to Landstar 4 weeks. While looking back it hasn’t been near as bad as I thought it was at the time. I’ve been a lot busier then I think I was! I’m finding it’s really time consuming finding a well paying, long distance load. A lot of them are less then 500miles, which many

times isn’t worth taking it. And it will probably simply put me into [another] poor location looking for a load. It’s a learning experience, and it’s been steep at the bottom getting started. But the last few weeks have been better and right now I’m feeling much better.

Let’s recap the last few weeks. I pickedup copper core out of the Port of Houston going to north of Dallas. Next morning, made three stops with electrical wire, ending up in Pensacola, FL. That same day took a load of clothes to Central FL. Then had some work done on the truck, 2 days. Then the weekend, with no load, waited 2 more days. Then ended up dead heading to Orlando to wait [3 days] on a VERY CHEAP load that took me out of Fl going to Ft. Worth. BUT before I even emptied out in Ft. Worth had a load to pickup in Dallas. It was kitchen /bath cabinets, with 4 stops, finaling out in

Columbia, SC. And before I emptied out the last cabinet had booked a load picking up in Charlotte, NC going to Fontana, CA. With drop/hooks on each end. Now, this is how I thought it should be!!

While I don’t have a load out of CA yet, I do have 4-5 agents who do have loads out of there looking for me. I’d be surprised if I have to wait more then a day or two.

Part of the ‘trick’ is to have enough days between pickup and drop so agent can find a load for you. And being in better locations is certainly a bonus.

I’m still having problems with my APU. It gives off a fault code [after 2 minutes, it just shuts down]. But so far no shop [I’ve been to 7 dealers] has found the reason why. Last week after it faulted, I reset it, and let it restarted itself a few mntes later. Over 20 times in 3 hours it would start then shut down on it’s own [I was watching a movie]. And every time I would reset the controls, hoping it wuld keep running. But it didn’t. However, I was happy, because now maybe we can find out what the problem is. After I parked in the ThermoKing parking lot the next afternoon [they make and service this APU] I thought I’d start the unit, just to be sure it didn’t work. But it did work! Five times I started it, ran it for 5-6 minutes, stopped it, restarted it. Repeating the cycle again, again, etc. and it didn’t shut down. O, well. That was 5 days ago and it’s been running like brand new. Until some time this morning. It fault coded and stopped on it’s own. I restarted it several times this morning and each time it coded and shut down. Afer I stopped this evening, I started it again and it coded, twice. Then on the third try, it kept running….O, well. I’ll take what I can get out of this unit…

Will spend the morning calling for a load out of CA and looking on the Landstar loadboard. Have to put in 600miles tomorrow. Then into CA the next day.

As you put together your Thanksgiving plans, might I suggest you think about serving others this year. It’s a great time to volunteer at a food bank and or a street mission / shelter. Trust me, they are always looking for more willing hands. All help is appreciated and no training or special skills are required. Just a willing heart and the right attitude. I promise you will never look at life again the same way. We are all so blessed and should give back a little. And in person is the best way. You don’t need to dress up, just show up!!