Once again I've been staying at places that don't have a wifi connection, so another week has gone by without an update, but last night I stayed in Greenwood, LA at the Flying J truck stop so I'll try to take advantage of this opportunity to tell you about my travels.
After delivering my load of coiled re-bar in Milton, FL I was promptly dispatched to Calvert, AL where a 42,000 pound steel coil was waiting on me to get it safely delivered to Lavergne, TN. Since I drive a flat-bed truck most of what I pull behind me is headed to Industrial sites or manufacturing facilities, so I was surprised to see my next message sending me to Springfield, TN to get loaded with something headed to a Dollar Tree distribution center in Marietta, OK. Being familiar with the types of things that Dollar Tree sells I couldn't imagine what I'd be taking to their warehouse. These dispatch messages don't typically tell me what I'm getting loaded with, and I was curious all the way there until I got there and realized they were a manufacturer of warehouse shelving. So, even though the customer was a retailer I was still delivering an industrial product.
Have you ever thought about what it takes to get the $1.00 package of paper plates or plastic cups to the shelf of the store where you so conveniently go and purchase them? Well, it takes manufacturing facilities (often times over seas), and ships, and ports, railroad tracks, and trains, and trucks - lots of trucks, and warehouses, distribution centers, and more trucks, and then finally it takes the retail outlet itself with an individual person to unload the truck and set the product on the shelf so your little kid can have matching paper plates, cups, and napkins at their birthday party. Then you throw them away without even a thought of how many people had a hand and an effort in getting those things to you.
Like the continual flow of a river, freight moves across this country in and through some amazing facilities that are all designed to keep the American consumer satisfied. There are times that I can't tell if I'm actually part of the flow of that river or if I'm just a little speck of flotsam being carried along by the current. But at times I catch the flow of the current that carries me home and that's my favorite time on this river.
Some of these facilities that I go to are so huge it's almost hard to believe when you see them. There is an awful lot of investment and effort that goes into putting those $1.00 packages of party favors on the shelf for you to so conveniently pick up at the store just before your kid's birthday party.
After that I went to Idabell, OK and picked up a load of lumber headed to a truss manufacturer in Austin, TX. As I left out of Idabell around 5:30 in the morning I witnessed the new day being ushered in with the brief but endearing kiss of a beautiful sunrise. The heavens declare God's glory. Day after day He speaks down through the ages. He is the light of the world and His people will dwell with Him in a fair and glorious land that needs no sun or moon for He is the radiance and glory of Immanuel's land.
From Austin, TX I made my second visit to Gerdau Steel in Midlothian, TX to get 40,000 pounds of steel I-beams bound for the port in Mobile, AL. That's where I will be tonight waiting for a ship to dock there so we can unload them directly onto it. There will be long line of trucks there all with the same intention, so I'll be contending for a position up front so I don't have to wait a long time to get unloaded.
Well, I've got to get rolling, but I'll let you know how all that goes as soon as I can.
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