It's a Team's Life
Which way is Out?
The number one issue is how to get from where the truck is parked back to the roadway in the correct direction. There are times on a load when the truck will get parked for a few hours before the next driver needs to drive. In this situation, the driver who parked the truck is off in dreamland and would prefer not to be woken for directions. Sometimes if you wake them and ask they do not remember which way they came in.
One way that might help is taking the dog for a walk and hoping to see other trucks leaving. Another way is to go inside the building and ask someone. My favorite is to act like I know what I am doing and start driving. Sometimes I guess right and other times I circle the truck stop parking area looking for an exit.
Once the exit is found I hope I can see the interstate so I know which way to turn out of the parking lot. It really does not start the day right when I turn in the wrong direction. GPS’s are notorious for starting the day going in the wrong direction and then posting helpful (sarcasm) hints of places to turn around. It can be several miles going in the wrong direction before a safe place to turn around can be found. Once I start turning around my husband knows I have again gone in the wrong direction.
Dogs create dilemmas first thing in the morning as they will not tell you or guide you to the nice grassy area they used before going to bed. Sometimes that grassy area is behind the truck and at other times it is at the end of a row of parked trucks. It is again a case of “which way do I go”.
Bathrooms are another problem that can become an emergency in some of the very large truck stops. It can take a bit in these truck stops to locate the building even though you have parked there numerous times. It is even more interesting in the fog as you might imagine. The worst is if you have wandered a bit looking for the building and when you come back out you cannot quite remember where the truck is parked. Imagine losing your car at the mall. You can get your steps in for the day by looking up and down the isles. The last thing you want to do is call your husband and ask where he parked the darn truck.
I like to use the app “My Radar” to pinpoint what city we are in and then Google Maps to tell me the name of the truck stop where we are parked. Google Maps can also be helpful on how to get out of the truck stop and find the interstate. Knowing the city where you are parked gives you an idea of how far you have come and how far you have to go to deliver the load or pick up the next load.
All of these dilemmas just add to the mystique of being a team truck driver. How boring is it to wake up in the same room, same city, and same route to work day in and day out?
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.