While You Slept

Many times I find that I have to drive all night on this dedicated account for SAPA.  The trip that I just finished up into several states which was supposed to end in Grand Rapids, MI had one little glitch in it, the first customer in Columbia, MO rejected their freight because they apparently had specified that their part of the load be loaded on the back of the trailer because they can't get their fork lift out of the building to unload me from the side and they needed me to back up into a dock so they could unload it from the back.  So, I worked out an arrangement with them that I would go and deliver everything else and then I would have my last customer in Grand Rapids move the material to the back so I could come back through Columbia and deliver it.  That all worked out fine, plus it allowed me to get another 535 miles on my load, because it was SAPA's mistake.  We talked about it on the phone and they agreed to add the miles onto my dispatch order.  I'm sorry, I'm getting all bogged down in the details, but what I was trying to tell you is that I had to drive all through the night for three nights in a row, plus a little bit of day time driving to make everything work out right on that load.

It is not uncommon for me to work while most of the country is sleeping.  Even tonight I will be driving all night back to Delhi where I will pick up a load tomorrow that is bound for North Collins, New York.  It will need to be there Monday, so I will be driving all through the nights on Saturday and Sunday to make it work out right.  Driving at night removes all the nice things that you get to see, but it also takes away a lot of the problems with traffic and crazy drivers.  I know when I was growing up my mom would always warn me about being out at night, and as a parent I understand those concerns, but when you are travelling like I do, the night shift can be a welcome surprise at how peaceful and quiet it is with out all the cars on the road.  I have had cars do some amazingly stupid things around my truck in the day time, but I only can recall one such incident like that which has happened at night.

When you go to the store to pick up your favorite brand of toilet paper, or that special box of Kraft macaroni and cheese, just remember there was probably some dedicated truck driver who drove all through the night so you'd have the convenience of having what you need at your fingertips.  I recently heard about a city that was implementing an ordinance against any eighteen wheelers coming to their city.  Well, that was kind of dumb!  I guess they'll re-consider when they find they can't even get the goods they are accustomed to having on the shelf in their stores.  Almost everything we purchase or consume makes it's way to us on a truck, and often times the driver was driving through the dark of the night.