$3.00 a Gallon for Diesel in California

Here in the upper Midwest diesel cost is a bit less but still having a costly effect on the trucking industry. Yes, some of the cost can be passed on to shippers as surcharges but most trucks do some "deadheading" or running empty to pick up the next load. This deadheading is costing about fifty dollars more this year than last year per 300 empty miles. If trucks deadhead an average of 600 miles per week then deadheading is now costing each truck about $100 more in fuel costs per week over a year ago. Survival of the trucking industry is becoming difficult.

Show Me Your ID Please!

I was driving around this morning on my errands and decided to do the grocery and the miscellaneous shopping at the multinational corporation branch over on the east side of town.
As I was checking out I needed to show the lady my driver's license so she could sell me a can of air! Yes you read it right.......I needed a can of air to clean the computer! I had to show the lady my driver's license so she could sell me a can of air! What's next! Will we soon need a calcium consumption permit to buy a jug of milk?

How To Get Two for The Price of Two

I chuckled to myself as I observed "Grampa", a trucker, and his rider grandchild at a warehouse in Appleton today. The youngster as I must call the child since I was unable to determine it's gender was feasting on items from the vending machines outside on a park bench and soon returned to the break room to pillage Grampa's change supply to buy another item which after the purchase the kid announced to Grampa to be the "wrong kind". Being a good Grampa the youngster got another set of coins for the "right one" . I wonder what happened to the "wrong one" as the youngster left the break room heading for Grampa's truck with a candy bar in each fist!

What Are We Going To Do With Dad?

The program "Fresh Air" on NPR this week featured the author of this article.
It brought back memories of what my Dad's last years were like and caused me to consider what my and other dads last years might be like. Its a bit long but a must read for everyone with a dad!

Does the horse and buggy really belong there? Upon waking one wonders if this is reality or just a dream. Yup, it was real. This scene near Bonduel, Wisconsin, at 6 in the morning.

VOLVO

Giving Directions

A few weeks ago I was "driving around" south from Rockford, Illinois on I39 when I heard a fellow driver asking for directions into the RR Donnelly printing plant in the town of Mendota a few miles down the road. He was given very specific directions. "Take the Mendota exit and go west through town to the four way stop and turn left and the plant will be down the road a few miles. You can't miss it" It was too late for me to catch the driver looking for RR Donnelly when I realized that these directions would not get him to the Mendota location. He had gotten good directions to the RR Donnelly plant in Mattoon, Illiniois, some 150 miles away. I guess the moral of the story is that if you are giving directions don't confuse the locations!

The sign the truck brought is now firmly planted along Route 141 in Niagara

VOLVO