Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Stopping by the Truck Stop while at the truck stop!


Recommended Posts

Well, things have changed here!! As some of you may or may not know, or if you had even noticed I don't post here anymore, I'm back to driving trucks instead of building them here. I had a very rough time in December 2011, I lost my home I was renting with my now ex fiancee, and more or less went from everything (except for a job) to nothing in the matter of a few days. Since I was without work, soon to be homeless, and alone because my ex decided moving back in with her mom and dad was more important to her than staying with me, I made a phone call and got everything (except for relationship LOL) back in one phone call. This is my home on the road, which is currently calling Virginia Beach home for the night. This pic was taken in Lafayette, IN as I was picking up a brand new trailer from the Wabash National factory. My truck was the first to pull it for Werner.

522681_329665520430118_1838691342_n.jpg

Of course, I still have building in the back of my mind every day and keep finding ideas while I cruise the country bringing everyone their goods, and there might just be something in your house right now that got there thanks to being in my truck first! A couple of ideas are building a wind turbine blade transporter my fiancee (yes, I have a new one since Dec LOL) spotted at a truckstop in OH over the Memorial Day weekend. This is my truck beside the blade.

HPIM3517.jpg

Another not so glamorious haul, but a cool build idea, was the tipper my trailer took a ride on while unloading a load of CT trash to a landfill in OH, not very far from my hometown.

HPIM3356.jpg

If anybody is interested in the blade trailer, I did take some detail pics, but I will warn you now, I DON'T HAVE MUCH INTERNET ACCESS!!! I'm hoping near the end of this year I'll be back to a normal home with 24 hour internet access, so I'll post them later this year if anyone is interested.

Well, that's all for now, I have to get some sleep to be ready to leave in the morning for parts unknown and find out where home will be tomorrow night. Who knows, it might be your hometown LOL!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Choose one as appropriate not sure myself

:(:wub:B):D

Sorry to hear you life took a turn for the worse, but glad it sounds like it is getting back on track. Nice looking truck you get to drive. Ever think about a mini bench in the sleeper? I've run across a few truckers online that have been able to get a little building done while on the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, Matt! It has been a long time, but sounds like things are turning around. Good luck for the future.

I know Werner does a lot of deliveries for Owl Wire & Cable in Canastota, NY, (well, Werner goes just about everywhere) which is just down the street from me. Maybe I'll see you one of these days!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Johnny

Man! I'd give my right arm, (well no then I wouldn't be able to drive :unsure: ), to be able to drive again! I miss it so dang bad!

Hey maybe not glamarous, but a load is a load! :lol:

Saw one of those blades that some idiot dispatcher routed through down town Kankakee! Told the guy no way he was going trough to the south side with that but he tried any way and had the main drag tied up for an hour and a half until the police made him straighten it back out on the main road and drive it out to the edge of town and get new directions. Which when he got was the same route I told him to take!

Go figure??? :wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Matt, How do you like driving for Werner?

I was wondering the same thing ?

It really isn't too bad. I have a great dispatcher and she does her best to keep me moving. The only small problem as of late is the hot weather, as Werner stopped putting APU's on their trucks and they watch the idle time through the Qualcomm. If I'm not moving and not taking my 10 hr break, the truck is supposed to be shut off. If they had something better than the Espar bunk heater my truck is equiiped with and something to cool the truck without idling the engine, everything would be great. I'm actually waiting for the cool weather to come just so I don't have to have the weekly call from the dispatcher about my high idle time LOL! I'm even thinking of buying a truck from them just to not hear the high idle speach LOL!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Choose one as appropriate not sure myself

:(:wub:B):D

Sorry to hear you life took a turn for the worse, but glad it sounds like it is getting back on track. Nice looking truck you get to drive. Ever think about a mini bench in the sleeper? I've run across a few truckers online that have been able to get a little building done while on the road.

Yep Aaron, and there really isn't much spare room for a mini bench the way Pete has the closests set up in the sleeper. And as much as that thing bounces in some of the unpaved dropyards Werner has, I'd do more rebuilding than I would building LOL!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone, I just spent the past couple days in Walcott at the Iowa 80 Trucker's Jamboree, and took pics of (almost) every truck there. The internet here at the motel me and my bride to be are staying isn't very fast or reliable, but when I get the chance to have faster and a more stable connection, I'll upload the pics to Photobucket and put a link to the album once it is made. For the fans of old iron, there are many old trucks, and one of my favorites was an old Dodge rig. Another very unusual piece of old iron was a strange looking 1974 Ryder Paymaster, with a face only a mother trucker could love LOL!! According to the paper in the window, there were only 15 built and of those, only 6 are known to still exist.

Also, for everyone with the invites, if I will be around, I'll send you a PM and we'll meet up!

Back to the internetless road in the morning!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hi everyone from Columbia, SC! I'm hanging around the NC, SC, GA, and FL areas right now running a temporary dedicated account from here in Columbia. I figured I'd share an awesome pic I took Friday night while on the outskirts of a thunderstorm.

HPIM4082.jpg

I already have a plan to use this pic for a mural on my custom Ford too! After the rig is completely finished after I come off the road and can build again, I'm going to take a pic of it at the same angle as the 1:1 is, then photoedit the model in place of the 1:1, plus maybe get rid of the rest area building in the background!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Hello i drove OTR for 4 years,my dispatcher was allways sendding me Qaulcom messages about YOUR IDILE IS TOO HIGH.My replies were you try to get a good deacent sleep during Summer ... B e safe out there and watch out for the other "CARELESS DRIVERS" even some of the truck drivers....My modoe was no load worth my life .......

Terry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello i drove OTR for 4 years,my dispatcher was allways sendding me Qaulcom messages about YOUR IDILE IS TOO HIGH.My replies were you try to get a good deacent sleep during Summer ... B e safe out there and watch out for the other "CARELESS DRIVERS" even some of the truck drivers....My modoe was no load worth my life .......

Terry

Haha, that sounded a lot like my replies, Terry. As of now, my idle time has been 0 because I don't have a truck right now, I'm off on workers comp due to an injured wrist. At least I have a break from dispatch, now I'm stuck dealing with the crackerheads in the workers comp department. :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hey man I don't know you at all but I know the trucking life is hard and if you are ever in southeast Missouri let me know and I'll give you a real bed to crash in for a few !!!! Your buddy Chris l

Thanks Chris, but I don't think I will be in that area for a LONG time!!

I still am off on workers comp thanks to my wrist that still remains a mystery, but an MRI in December showed no muscle or tissue damage, so it is off to a neurosurgeon February 18 to see if it is nerve damage causing the pain. Adding to the wrist, in the middle of December, I fell down the steps here at home and after I finally decided to go to the hospital just last week, I found that when I fell, I had caused a compression fracture to my L1 vertebrae, so I had been walking around for a month not knowing I had broken my back! Well, since I'm having my back screaming because I have been sitting up for a while, I'm back off to bed and pain pills!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Wow....Can't catch a break, can you?? I hope you feel better, soon...Back issues are tough...My wife has been hurting for quite a while, and she can't do a lot of walking these days...I hope yours gets better....And your wrist, as well....I'll pray for you, Matt....

Thank you JT, and I did catch one break, the break in my back LOL!! I'm just waiting until I find out how long my wrist will be until it's better so I can at least get back to building again, because as it is right now, I can't even work on a diecast kit I got for Christmas!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Matt, hope your wrist gets better soon. If you could maybe send me a pm with any details or tidbits regarding what I have in store for me with my new job. I finish driving school this week and my orientation with Werner is slated for the 18th. Never drove a truck before up until two weeks ago and I'm not sure if I should be excited (which I am) or nervous about what I've gotten myself into. Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...