Fuel for Thought

Mountains and New Tech

           After sitting still in meetings for a few days, it was nice to get back on the road.  It's funny, a few years ago when I was in the corporate world, a few days away in a nice hotel would have been a dream LOL.. It definately was nice, but by the end of the 3rd day, I was getting 'antsy' to get movin. Also, I got a new Qualcomm communications system installed in my van, so I wanted to check it out on an actual run. As it worked out, I got dispatched Friday for a run delivering to a plant in upstate Pennsylvania, delivering late at night. It was kind of unusual to deliver as late as this did, but turned out it was some kind of circuit board 'controller' for machinery, and they had to have it. Since receiving was closed that late, I had to call ahead and make sure someone could meet me in the receiving area.  They were glad to see me coming!

          The delivery took me to a small town about 40 miles off the interstate.. and man was I glad it wasn't a few days earlier.  I had 40 miles of 2 lane, many parts up some pretty steep, curvy roads.. where the snow was piled many feet high.  Sometimes with the trees overhanging, and snow piles, it felt like I was in a tunnel or something.  Only in an area like that do you keep seeing signs warning you of "snowmobile crossing ahead"!  Different kind of traffic jam for sure!

       The new Qualcomm system worked great, and is pretty cool because it integrates a GPS system, and communications all in one unit.  For the bigger trucks, it includes electronic logging, and engine monitoring, but those are not needed in my Van.  The new system has generated a lot of talk for sure, but I think it will be accepted well, like any new technology, when people get used to it.