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OK. I have pretty much vented about our O'Connell encounter. In the interests of fairness I am compelled to detail the good he did for us as well. First of all, he was cordial and professional. If he holds any animosity against us for past deeds unrelated to his present position, it did not...

I don't find it ironic but sad and disturbing. Not because the company seeks to protect its image but by how it now goes about it. We don't have a dog in our truck. Never have. Our truck is just 4 years old, well under the company age limit beyond which company inspections (different than DOT...

You make an excellent point about many companies getting goofy, and one that I had not fully considered until you mentioned it. How many times have we had to sign a new piece of paper, give up our fingerprints, go through another background check and be subjected to more scrutiny in ways we did...

Perhaps there is no privacy issue in this particular case, but there is the distrust, proactive spy aspect and presumption of guilt that Diane and I find to be very unsettling. While we have nothing to fear from a truck inspection, inside or out, and while our near-zero CSA points make us a...

Actually, he seemes to find great satisfaction in the work. He told us the story of how he came to get the job in the first place. As a contractor and driver's council member, he has promoted the idea for a long time.

I suggest that you reconsider that thinking. I used to think the same way but changed my mind after I saw this post by Tennesseahawk. The video he linked to was an eye opener. If you have not seen it, please play it to learn more.

Exactly right!

It goes to customer service and the image the company seeks to present.

Full grown bears (uniformed state troopers in marked cars) sometimes hide in the bushes and sometimes sit in full view. The full view approach has a deterrent effect.

No, I did not get approval. He did not swear us to secrecy before telling us about the device. I presumed he told an outspoken person like me about his use of this device because he wants people to know. My purpose is to help a buddy by giving warning. No different than giving a bear report on...

Depending on the shipper and the circumstances, a dog can create safety issues but also customer service issues that would be otherwise avoided if no dog was present. White Glove trucks sometimes serve customers that specifically request that no dogs be in the trucks. The dog policy has been...

Diane and I were surprised to meet Terry O'Connell yesterday at the truck show (GATS) in Dallas. We were surprised because FedEx Custom Critical did not have a booth at the show and we had seen no company announcement that he would be there. He explained that he was there in his van because he...

Diane and I spent part of the day at the show. It's smaller than MATS and can be easily done in less than a day. It's a good show and a nice way to spend the day if you are in the area. The free truck parking and free admission are a plus (the $7.00 hamburgers and $5.00 hot dogs are a minus)...

Whether it is better to keep the day job or return to the road depends not so much on the job but on what you like. The dislikes you listed have not changed. Like a broken leg, the pain of the road fades as healing completes and time passes. You remember that it hurt but only the memory...

Yes it is possible to get your Class B without going back to school, and no, it is not nerve racking to do. Diane and I both self-trained to get our Class B licenses and endorsements (HAZMAT, Air Brakes). It took a little bit of study. The free CDL manual from our state department of driver...

Diane and I are about 20 miles away and will stay put tonight to get sleep. We are still in service and want to be prepared to run if dispatched. If not dispatched, we will swing by the convention center tomorrow morning and probably stay the day.

We just completed a delivery about 20 miles from the convention center. Show is over for today. We'll see about getting there tonight or tomorrow. Remaining in service. Will roll on a load if a beep comes in.

Here is a link to a report of an interview with Nouriel Roubini a/k/a "Dr. Doom" of Roubini Global Economics. He correctly called the Great Recession and identified its causes well in advance. While he has his critics, I like to include his views when thinking about the mix. Regardless of what...

One remaining question is, is FDCC adding BR-units at this time? Jeff Jones still has some for sale so they are available for purchase. Is there anything in the wind about building more?

Helpful indeed! Maybe not so much for Diane and me, who have made up our minds to stay the course, at least for now, but for many other readers who will no doubt find your report and Jack's to be informative and helpful.