Under Construction!

 

Spotted Dog Trucking is Under Construction! 

We are COUNTING DOWN!  School gets out May 22nd, we have to be out of the house June 30th, and we are SO EXCITED to get back into a truck! 

There is so much to do in the meantime. Look for us to have something posted here before July 4th! 

Kathy

A wrench in our plans…..

The day after Thanksgiving, 2022, Nick & I delivered our load in the Cincinnati area, and headed for home. A little Thanksgiving cheer with the Fam, especially giving thanks for the safe delivery of TWO new grandsons, was EXACTLY what the doctor would’ve ordered for us! We weren’t sick, but we definitely were missing being with family on Thanksgiving. And since we didn’t get home for the holiday, we decided to treat ourselves, and take off the entire week after Thanksgiving.

We got to spend extra time with Baby Dale (Tom & Jess’s baby), because almost as soon as we got home, Jess went to the ER with stomach pains. Grammy & Grumpy were back in the saddle, making bottles, changing diapers, and burning the midnight oil with #1 grandson. We also found out how out-of-practice we are! Gem & Stray were very freaked out by all the coos, squeals, and shrieks that came out of that "new puppy!"

That long weekend sitting at home, caring for a tiny infant, with very little else to distract us, made us take stock of the complete disarray at home. We had hoped the boys would be able to take care of the house, and I think the house gobbled them up and spit them out.

For that same week, I had informed my boss at the school that I would be home for a week. If she needed help, I was available. She did indeed have a few days I could cover, and she would put the word out if anyone wanted to take a day off. After driving, I talked to her, she indicated that it would be great if I were able to come back. I told her that Nick and I were talking about just that, and I would let her know.

So today is exactly 2 weeks since we delivered in Cincinnati.

We turned the truck in today.

We were making progress in rediscovering the house, until we unloaded the truck. I think we TRULY lost the living room again. But we have come up with a plan!

1.       CLEAN THE HOUSE! We have so many boxes from when the boys moved out, then moved back home. Those boxes surround a dryer that doesn’t work. Many, many dining room chairs. A dining room that was turned into my sewing area for a while. A spare bedroom, full of junk, that is also Dale’s bedroom. Once I have a list of all the good junk mixed in with the garbage, I have the number of a guy who hauls junk. It may be time to cultivate a friendship with him. Or get a dumpster. I’m not picky.

2.      START THE RENO PROCESS! It’s so far past time to remove the 90’s wallpaper that is on EVERY WALL! And I don’t think I have to explain why the carpet in the bathrooms MUST GO! Painting the cabinets in the kitchen, and replacing the countertops. Replace the deck. Fence in the back yard.

3.      SELL THE HOUSE, EVENTUALLY. If we can afford to stay, and we don’t want to move right away, this step is negotiable.

4.      GET BACK IN A TRUCK AND GET OUT THERE!! While we’re home, we will be getting the endorsements we still need. Hazmat & Tanker Endorsements, as well as our passports will make us more marketable, more loads we can haul, more places we can go.

So, we aren’t sitting around feeling defeated. We will make the most of this time. Robert needs to get his permit and learn to drive. We need to go to the Columbus Zoo and see the Wildlights. I have 2 little grand-boys who need some Grammy attention. Nick is looking into getting a job that will let him use his machining experience, and his wood-working skills. I was fortunate enough to leave a job that I LOVE, and go back to my OTHER job that I love!

Our big concerns now are our Spotted Dogs. Estrella has been favoring her left rear hip for a couple of years now. We keep hip meds for her daily use, and pain meds for when she is having bad days. We were concerned we might have to leave her home, but I think she would HATE being left behind. Gemela is looking worried these days. She doesn’t mind being with Stray, but Onix (Jess’s dog) pesters her and sometimes Gem hides from her. While we were cleaning our stuff out of the truck, Gem went over to the truck. I opened the door, and she jumped right in. Then looked at us like, LET’S GO! Now that the truck is not in the driveway, they both look a little worried. HOW CAN WE BE TRUCK DOGS WITHOUT A TRUCK!! I think they can reconcile this bother, when they think about sleeping in a big giant bed that will comfortably hold both of us, and both of them.

I think I would be ungrateful, if I didn’t put out there how very THANKFUL we are for Hyfield Trucking, our fleet owners. When we mentioned what was going on at home, and how we felt required to straighten this out before going back out on the road, they completely understood, were supportive, and encouraged us to let them know when we were ready to get back out there. That attitude is absolutely how they do business. Hyfield Family.

Along with Hyfield Trucking, we are so THANKFUL for Panther Premium Logistics. They kept an eye on us, we might have faltered a time or two, but they never let us fall, and they never let us feel forgotten.

Now, here we sit, in Marysville, Ohio, feeling kind of left behind, kind of NOT in the driver’s seat, kind of sitting on the sideline. That big air ride seat is an awesome feeling, especially when you know you can see another state about 500 miles away! I can’t wait to get back up there! And I think Nick has gotten hooked too.

 

Leaving Esme.

 

We're all cleaned out of her. 

Thankfulness

 

Since we aren't home on Thanksgiving, I figured Nick & I would discuss what we're thankful for. Not surprisingly, with all the changes in our lives this past year, we had a long list.

 

Us

Our children (and Thomas, too!)

The Dogs 

 

Our granddaughter 

Our first grandson

Our second grandson

Home

Our friends

Our friends 

Her family

  

His family

Our Fleet Owners

Our truck

    

OUR MENTORS! 

Debb & Dana Lord 

Seeing the country! 

TRUCK STOPS

REST STOPS WITH RV DUMPS!!

Goodness we have been BUSY!

 

It's a very BLAH day in Laredo...

Hello again! 

I just looked at my last blog, and realized I haven't posted AT ALL in November! 

Whoops! Again! That's why my sister has hundreds of friends from all different periods of her life that she stays pretty current, and I have maybe 3 friends from my past who forgive me for being a lazy friend. (Love you Dawn and Lisa!) Thank God for Facebook! Other people may be able to also say that about Twitter & the Gram, but I never got started Twitting, and I only use Instagram for my quilts. 

We are currently parked outside Laredo, waiting for a load. It's beginning to look like it'll be a Southwest Thanksgiving. No big deal. We learned 37 years ago how to celebrate holidays out of sync with the calendar. We will have a celebratory meal when we get home. 

(BTW while I was typing this we got a call from Panther with a load that will have us within 200 miles of home! It delivers Friday morning, and we'll be home before dinner!)

It has been a TREMENDOUSLY BUSY MONTH for us! 

California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and many times in, around and out of Texas! All parts in between. Daytime, nighttime, warm, cold, rain, sun, fog. Fortunately, we didn't find a lot of inclement weather, none worse than rain so far. It's been a pretty good month. 

Best of all, WE GOT OUR SECOND GRANDSON! "Noodle" was born on Veteran's Day, and is officially "Baby Jake" but we will probably always call him Noodle. We had picked up a load in New York, and were on our way to Laredo when we found out Luci was in advanced labor. And if you map out a route between New York and Laredo, Texas, you'll go right through Columbus, Ohio. So the happiest grandparents in a Panther truck, got to meet the newest member of the Stapp family before he was even a whole day old! 

Well, my break is almost up and I want to get this posted before I lose another day!

We'll see you down the road! 

Kathy

It was just a matter of time.

A truth universally known to commercial drivers, is that you go where the stuff IS, and take it where it GOES. 

With that in mind, we have gone to factories, warehouses, shipping companies, any place that has stuff to move, and delivered that stuff to wherever they need it to be. 

We have been to most of the states east of the Mississippi River, except Florida and New England. We've been to the American Southwest and California. We have crisscrossed Texas so many times!

In all those miles, we've seen the landscape and people, but it's mostly been zipping by at 65 miles an hour. We've been able to focus on the truck, the girls, and us without too much difficulty. If the truck is running rough, if the girls need another layer because the weather turned colder than we expected, or if Nick or I aren't feeling 100% and need an over-the-counter medicine, we stop somewhere and take the time to do what we need to do. We have the financial and occupational luxury to do this.

Every time we come up from the Mexican border, we drive through a Border Patrol Checkpoint. Lots of cars and trucks driving up to the guard to tell him, "Yes, I'm an American citizen," or show him the appropriate documentation. It was almost a joke between us.....until the other night.

We got waved through the checkpoint, and suddenly all lanes were stopped. They held us back so they could move 40-50 people, hands on their heads, across the traffic lanes from the semi that had all doors open, while two guards were looking through EVERY part of that truck.

We were right there, front row, watching desperate people being herded away from their dreams. Someone in the next truck was taking pictures. I felt bad enough just watching, there was no way I was going to record this.

And just that quick, the illegal aliens were gone, moved inside the BPS office, and the trucks started moving, except the one being torn apart.

I'm not making a  political statement about this, that's not my thing. It was just so sad watching people who had risked so much to follow their dreams, to the point they were truly risking their lives, being forced to make the walk of shame in front of the drivers setting there. 

What is the take-away, when the best thing you can say is, "At least they didn't die in that trailer"?

Set off the serious tone with cute baby!

Am I REALLY cut out for this?

 Oh my gosh! I think I had the WORST LOAD so far. 

Nothing wrong with the load itself, a bunch of containers, box floor was full, going to an auto manufacturer, but when we got there WE COULDN'T FIND THE DOCK TO UNLOAD!

 We went the location we were told, it wasn't the right one, so a yard jockey took pity on us and sent us to the correct place. It turns out, you go to this location, the Linker Dock, and they tell you which dock around the plant you need to go, and the Dock is the building. You go in the man door and they tell you which dock door, or bay, in that Dock you need to back into. 

So the nice woman at the Linker Dock sent us to Dock 1. 

When we passed Docks 1A, 1B & 1C, we could be forgiven for stopping there. The nice smoker told us Dock 1 was right down there, in the direction we were going, following the directions from the nice lady at the Linker Dock. 

We followed our instructions to Dock 1. We went to the first empty bay we came to and the guys out smoking there, said "You're at the wrong dock. That isn't what we get. We only get seats, so that doesn't go to this Dock." 

So we go back out, looking for another Dock 1, another man door, anything so we can unload. 

In the meantime, these little cars that have been recently put together are zipping around to be parked. 

So this one guy at Dock 1 tells us we might want to go to this Dock at the end of the building, there are bays over there. So we go looking for the Dock at the end of the building, dodging these little cars, and discover we can't get to the end of the building this guy told us about. We realize this about the time Security stops us. 

I tell the Security Guy we were told to take our load to Dock 1 by the nice lady at the Linker Dock, but the guys at Dock 1 won't take it because it isn't seats. He says we need to talk to security at the gate, follow him and he'll lead us there. So we head back to the gate and the security guy stops outside Dock 1. 

He goes in the man door at the other end of the bays, where we found nothing but a thru-way where the forklift drivers zoom back and forth. He comes back, tells us Robert will take care of us, and to be safe and have a good evening. Robert comes out, tells us to go to the next empty bay, probably bay 4. 

Well we go to the next empty bay which is 6. Robert comes out and says you're supposed to be in bay 4. I pointed out he said the next empty one and he said 6 is a designated spot, we need to move to bay 4. Ok, we move. Robert comes out at 1:27am and says they'll unload your at 2:00. They take their dinner break from 1:30-2:00. 

So we sit, relax, check our phones, get a drink, and about 2:05, we start getting shaken around as they unload the truck. About 10 minutes later, they are done and no one brings out our paperwork. 

We won't get paid without this paperwork, so I'm not leaving without it. I go in the door, see my paperwork on a shelf next to the door, unsigned, so I look for Robert. This time a few people walk by and ask if I need help. I tell them I'm unloaded, just need my paperwork signed, so they start looking for Robert. 

Finally, the paperwork is signed, we get out of the Dock, around the plant, and back to the road that goes to the security gate. The security guys wave us out and we're done, out of there, EXHAUSTED. We get to the nearest truck stop, find a spot (THANK GOD!) and park.

 Nick shuts the truck down and settles the log for the night, I get the girls and take them out real quick, then we hit the bed. 

O. M. G.

At least Esme is clean, is up-to-date on all her maintenance, and has nice, cold AC. 

My biggest pet peeve out here!

Nick, the girls, and the HUGE rocks we have to walk on when the dogs need to go out.
If you look close, you can see trash in the rocks, and boxes & such in the background.

Growing up in the 70's, I saw all the ad campaigns against littering: Woodsey the Owl, "Give a hoot, don't polute", the crying native, Iron Eyes Cody. The Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, I was 2 years old, I've heard about it my whole life. So it runs through my bones like marrow, to be appalled by trash on the ground.

We make most of our stops at Love's Truck Stops. Our fleet owners encourage it because Love's gives them the best discount, and we willingly comply, because our company started us off with our Love's cards instantly raised to Platinum Level, which gets us at least 1 free shower per day, per driver. We have gone to some of the other truck stops, because in some areas, there aren't any convenient Love's, or we are stopping later than other trucks, and all the free parking spots are taken. This leaves the truck stops who have reserved parking (about $15 - $25 per night). All of these places have varying degrees of my pet peeve:  GARBAGE ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!

I will say that Love's usually has trashcans all around the truck parking, and most of the Love's where we have stayed at least overnight, they go around and pick up the trash in the cans. The Pilot/Flying J & TA/Petro truck stops tend to have more parking, and they have reserved parking that we can reserve online, but they don't clean up quite as much as Love's. 

The worst truck stop I've seen so far? It's probably a toss-up between a no-name place in LA (just basically run-down, no fence, poor lighting, few facilities for the drivers), and a Stripes truck stop. The Stripes location was truly a surprise to me. The building, fuel lanes & parking areas looked almost brand new! But there was SO MUCH GARBAGE!! 

The worst trash act I've seen was when we stayed the weekend outside St. Louis. A hot-shot truck parked next to us, unloaded a huge pile of junk behind his parking spot, and took off. It was clothes, food, and some kitchen appliances, in a plastic tub and a few trash bags, just dumped on the ground. Disgusting. 

I'd like to say we are a shining example of how to exist out here without leaving any trail of garbage behind us, but I really don't want to lie to you...

We try. We gather our trash and make sure it gets put into a trashcan. We try to clean up after the dogs. We pick up garbage to make it safer for the dogs. But when you drive for 11 hours, it isn't that important to clean up something that isn't your mess. When it is dark, and you can't tell if there is an unwelcome desert resident where you are walking your dog, cleaning up her poop isn't my top priority. So, we do the best we can in the moment, and always try to do better. 

The One I really do this for.....

Some of my favorite pictures of my mom, Helen Watson.

Once upon a time, I was a young girl who loved spending her time riding horses, playing with my cousins, running around the countryside where my parents purchased 5 acres from my grandparents, built a nice home and raised 2 girls (My oldest sister had graduated high school before the nice house, which was an extended family project, was finished). We had horses, a pony, dogs, rabbits, tractors, mowers, trucks and cars. That probably isn't a complete list, but that would take AGES! I was a country girl, and my mother recognized that before I even knew it made any difference. I'll never forget the time Nick & I purchased our Big Red Truck, and Mom said, "You finally got your truck!" I realized then, at the age of 44, that she was right, I had always wanted a truck. 

My mother always seemed to understand her daughters, although she didn't always use that understanding to get along with us any better. Even when I was sure I was disappointing her again, she would always do whatever she could to help me out. Again. 

When I told her about my new passion to drive a big truck with an apartment attached to it, her big concern was whether Nick would agree to it. My mother was a product of her generation, a wife is part of a couple, and should do his bidding as long as he did his part and took care of her and the family. Nick was always very diligent in the taking care of the family, so Mom encouraged me to do my part. We used to laugh, leaving their house, because if Nick left the house before me, and I would be talking to Mom & Dad for awhile longer, she grew concerned that he would get mad at having to wait for me. Nick always assured me he didn't mind waiting.

Nick's joining me on the road was always a sticking point for me. If he wouldn't go with me, I would go to truck driving school, get my Class-A CDL, and drive big trucks until I couldn't do it anymore, just so I could say I had been SOMEWHERE. Fortunately, Nick decided he had given enough of his soul to the production industry, was willing to get his Class-B CDL, and join me. My mother was SO relieved.

The last time we discussed my trucker life before her mind started tormenting her, she asked me for one thing. "You're going to run off and leave me. Will you call me everyday to let me know you're ok and where you are?" I told her we weren't even close to getting started yet, but YES, I would ABSOLUTELY call her everyday to let her know what was going on with us.

That was before Daddy died, Memorial Day Weekend, 2021. We didn't get into our truck until June 22, 2022. Mom was gone by then, she had died in January. So I decided to put the record of my adventures here, in my little blog. I like to think mom is on her computer in heaven, able to keep tabs on all of us through her Facebook page, and she would absolutely read my blog. Then tell me I didn't need to share this or that publicly, or that I could've picked a picture that flattered a little more. She was usually encouraging about my writing. Once upon a time I wrote about my dad's accident on his Cushman scooter that almost killed him. She kept that paper, I got an A on it in my college English class.

When Nick is in the sleeper, and I am going through a part of the countryside that strikes me as gorgeous in its green lushness, or barren browns, or when the sun makes fabulous shadows with the landscape or clouds, I send a little prayer heavenward, letting my mom know where we are and what we are seeing.

I love you, Mom.

Mom and her girls, I'm the baby.

There's no place like home....

 

Home sweet home?  (Love's, Hampshire, IL) 

We've been driving around in our dorm room on wheels for 3 months now. We've been to 26 states (we added Kansas yesterday), we've gradually added some Petro and Pilot truck stops to our list of hangouts, and we now consider finding an RV dump that is on our route as a total coup! 

Yesterday was the first time either of the dogs got hurt while we were out walking. We were wandering the sandy scrub around the truck stop in El Paso, when Gem slowed up and started limping. We went back to the curb (I wasn't sitting in the dirt with the bugs, snakes and scorpions!) and I checked the paw she was favoring, and found a huge grass burr and it was HARD. It poked my fingers a few times while I was getting it out! So I apologized profusely, and we limited our potty walks to the rocky verge after that. 

We learn a little bit more with every load we take. Sometimes we learn basic stuff, like when you have a heavy load and it's centered over the wheels, the truck rides really smooth. Sometimes we learn that we really like an area or maybe not so much. Sometimes it's just a realization that we've been in an area enough that we are actually familiar with it. We are figuring out the lifestyle, but trying to figure out the processes that create our paycheck is seriously complicated New Math! (My math skills are strictly basic math, and Nick did ok with geometry on the x and y axes.)

So we are settling back into truck life. Nick over-packed on t-shirts. I grabbed brand new bags of the dogs' hip & joint meds, and lost them in a space that has only 7 cabinet doors. After years of complaining that he never talks to me in the car, Nick made multiple conscious attempts to start conversations. We haven't changed a lot, still making the same type of mistakes, but he's willing to try to fix something that I have told him bothers me.

He loves me! He REALLY loves me! 

 

On the road again....

 

Wow, it has been so long since I've been on here! When I started this, I planned to be steady and consistent. Whoops. Best laid plans and all that...  Since June 22nd, we have driven through 25 of the 50 states! HALF THE COUNTRY!!! We're learning how to actually RUN in a truck instead of just driving a vehicle. To do that, you get really worn out, so playing on a computer, trying to make sense of the random thoughts and ramblings in my head can be difficult. 

One thing I bank on, every day, is this guy in the picture. Back when we were younger than any of our children are now, he wanted to take me to lunch. And today, we got lunch in Sikeston, Missouri, and in the picture, we're taking it back to the privacy of our sleeper, so we can relax with our pups. It amazes me that after 37 years together, he is willing to live in such close quarters with me, and put up with my moods. (Especially after I call him on his!) I think we both have discovered that somewhere in the last 25-30 years, we have spouted new parts to our personalities, some good and some not so good. For some reason, this guy, who has always been the best person I know, and the only person I trust, hasn't made me stop the truck so he can get out. At the end of every day, THAT is something for which I'm TRULY thankful.

We are working on our communication skills. It used to drive me nuts, in the car, he didn't have anything he wanted to talk about until I had something else to do. Now, we have so many things that require both of us, it is imperative that we can speak to each other professionally and personally without misunderstanding. 

The main reason we have been mia (missing in action) for so long, is perfectly personal: WE GOT A NEW GRANDSON!! Dale Stapp is simply wonderful! He is the spitting image of his father, our youngest son, Tom. I'm sure his mother's influence will be more obvious as he becomes more peopley, but for now he's just adorable as he is. 

Dale and his Grammy.