Notes from the Road

Hello Everyone!

Just thought I would give you an update... I am now in Omaha,  Nebraska, and tomorrow I will be heading to Ankeny, Iowa (I think I spelled that right!).  I am enjoying the many different landscapes and vistas.  So far I have seen mountains, desert, and LOTS of farmland!  Here is the route of my journey so far.  Please note that you can see larger images by clicking on the pictures:

One of my favorite places to visit is the desert.  While driving through Arizona (almost to New Mexico), I stopped at a rest stop that was constructed in a beautiful location.  Here are a couple of photos:

I have taken some video from the truck and I am editing some of the clips to share with all of you.  Stay tuned! I will upload the video(s) to YouTube soon.

It's really amazing how many different places one can see in the span of seven days! I look forward to seeing more and more of this beautiful country - but more than that, I look forward to trucking home and seeing my beautiful wife...

Until then I'll keep rolling, and I will continue to update everyone on my current events...  See ya.

-Trucker Tim

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Hello Everyone, and Happy Cinco de Mayo from El Centro, California!  I've been sitting here in my truck all day waiting for a load assignment, only to realize that this part of CA is closed on the 5th of May!

I thought I would take the opportunity to celebrate this holiday by enjoying some authentic Mexican food, which I found just down the street from the truck stop.  Excited to eat some really good food, my bubble quickly burst when I saw the big red "CLOSED" sign on the door!  What to do???

Then, I had an idea!... All was not lost, as I quickly "ran for the border" and did my best to enjoy a fiesta of food on Cinco de Mayo.  I started with a Chalupa Supreme!

As usual, I had fun reading the hot sauce packets.  Their little sayings become more clever as time goes on:

After eating my celebratory "Mexican" meal, I walked back to my truck to relax and enjoy the remaining few hours of Cinco de Mayo.  I FaceTimed Lillian and had a great face to face conversation with her.  I really cannot wait for her to join me in my travels.  Tomorrow I will be back on the road and heading toward my next destination, but it was nice to spend Mexico's national holiday so close to the border.

It is now time to take my siesta, but I wanted to say that I hope everyone had a great Cinco de Mayo.  Good Night from Trucker Timoteo...

Trucker Tim In Training

Hello, everyone!

It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I would give everyone an update on my "trucking life" thus far.  First of all, I graduated from trucking school and earned my CDL (commercial driver license).  This was a very big deal for me, and I am glad that "test day" is over and done!  The day of my motor vehicles test was one of the most stressful I can remember in a long time.

After graduating, I attending orientation for the company I now work for, and I was placed with a mentor to obtain 240 hours of behind-the-wheel training before I can be considered a first-seat driver.  My mentor, Rob, is a great guy and he has a very patient way of teaching me his driving techniques.

As of today, I have logged over 140 hours and over 10,000 miles.  We have been driving throughout the Northwest U.S., and I believe I have driven through 8 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon).  The northwest part of the country is so beautiful; however, I did drive through sleet and snow a couple of times, which made me a bit nervous.

At this moment, I am sitting in a motel room in Kalispell, Montana, while Rob takes a few days off for his home-time.  It's nice to relax a bit, but I already miss driving the highways.  I will resume my trek on Wednesday, and I'm looking forward to our next dispatch - you just never know where you're going to go!

Rob lives in Whitefish, Montana, and the area around his home is filled with pristine beauty.  He is lucky to live in such a magnificent area of Montana.  Along my recent 10,000 miles, I took a few photos that I would like to share.  Being an avid photographer, I am horrified that I did not bring my D-SLR along; however, this iPhone is quite an amazing little piece of equipment!  Here are a few photos...

One of the first photos I took.  We were at a rest stop in Wyoming, and it was COLD! I believe it was 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Often times, while traveling, it is hard to find souvenirs, mugs, keychains, and such, with Lillian's name on them.  Well, here in Montana, she has a whole chain of casinos named after her!

We were in Washington, and this was my first snow storm I had ever driven through in a semi.  Nervous?  Uh... Yeah.

My driving mentor, Rob, lives in northwest Montana.  This small road is right next to his house, and it leads to Whitefish Lake.  In about five minutes, you are greeted with the scene in the next picture.

Whitefish lake is beautiful and majestic.  I could have stayed hours here just looking over the water to the mountains!

Well, that is about it for now.  So far this adventure has taken me to some great locations.  My only true regret is that Lillian is not with me to see them; however, that will change soon.  When I get my truck and go solo, Lillian will be able to see the sights with me.

So, how does one cope with missing his or her spouse when either one drives a truck and is gone for weeks at a time?  Part of this blog will deal with that question.  Stay tuned - we hope to help those out there to deal with this very dilemma...

Trucking School Report - End of Week 1

Notes from Phoenix - 2/17/13:

The first week of truck driving school is done, and I am exhausted!  I don't recall ever learning so much in a one week period in my life!  Most of my class had never even SAT in a semi before, and here we are backing into stalls from a 45 degree angle and learning how to parallel park these 75 foot tractor trailers!  My brain hurts, but I feel good that I am keeping up with the pace.

Lillian has been WONDERFUL throughout this ordeal, and she has been super supportive.  I cannot thank her enough for putting up with the "alone time."  We are both struggling with being apart; however, she has been so positive and encouraging - I'm a lucky man.

Speaking of support, it is amazing how supportive everyone has been here at the school.  Whenever I talk to someone, they'll ask something like, "Hey, Tim, how's your classes coming along?"  Everyone has something positive and encouraging to say.  "You Can Do It!" seems to be the theme here, and the positive attitudes help my self-confidence tremendously.

Steve, one of my classmates, and I, have been studying nearly every night for our pre-trip inspection evaluations coming up on Tuesday.  We both started with no real knowledge of inspecting a truck, and now we are reciting the entire inspection without even looking at a truck.  Here's a picture of me and Steve:

So far, so good.  I will keep everyone posted with my progress.  Soon I'll be out on the open road with Lillian!  I can't wait!!!

A New Adventure Awaits!

Well, I am officially on the Greyhound bus on my way to Phoenix to start my truck driver training.  Here is a picture of me and "Dr. Lil" (aka, Rockstar) the night before I left.  We were both crying in our beer when she dropped me off... :-(  I am looking forward to hitting the road with Lil and seeing much of this great country!  We will keep everyone updated!!!  Stay tuned...

Welcome and Introduction

OK, so my wife, Lillian, and I decided to start a blog.  We are both interested in so many things that this decision only made sense.  Our interests range from spirituality to truck driving, with many things in between. One of Lillian's main interests is psychology, mental health, and eliminating the current stigma surrounding those with different types of disabilities.  Please check out her Twitter page: ChangingStigma.

Our goal for the blog is to share our lives, interests, occupations, and motivations with anyone interested.  Subscriptions are more than welcome.  Enjoy!

Just one of our many interests!