i got a feeling this could be a long one !!..but i promised Rikki i would use full stops… 
but first things first…the thanks…Trucknet U.K. who organised the trip…and the competition of which i was the winner…thanks to Rikki and Lucy who made this possible…
Special thanks go to Shaun (bully) and his wife Laura.their daughter and Laura`s brother John who not only accommodated me…but made me feel welcome.
And thanks go to everyone who arranged the trip and various meetings throughout this wonderful trip of a lifetime…i am very grateful.and so to the story.
Saturday the 26th March saw me getting up early at 0500 and getting ready for my trip to the airport (gatwick) and although the station is only a 15 minute walk away, my wife offered to drop me off in the car, and so with her dressing gown on, and curlers still in her hair…she dropped me off at Charlton Station for the journey to London Bridge where i would catch the train to Gatwick.
Although i was a frequent flier, i had never been to America before, however i did enjoy being a passenger at the airport this time. I headed straight to the Delta Airlines check in desk to get rid of my bulky luggage, and everything went according to plan and so headed for the smoke room…there was at least a place to smoke as most of the airport was a smoke free zone. I couldnt help noticing the presence of armed uniformed police all around me and felt that we in the u.k were taking security seriously. I of course checked out the so-called duty free shops and found to my horror that the prices were much higher than in the normal shops outside of the airport, for example the cigarettes were £5.54p a packet…in my local shop they are £5.20p…so i decided to buy only some reading material for the flight, which of course was a no smoking one…as are all of the public transport. When it was time to go through the gates to board the aircraft there was yet another security check which was manned by american staff where they asked me the usual questions about my luggage…who packed it…has anyone else handled it…have i been approached by anyone asking me to take something onto the aircraft etc, and then proceeded to walk through a detector, and my hand luggage through an x-ray machine…i walked through the archway screener and the machine went crazy…so they asked me to back up and do it again…it made noises again…this was caused by the metal heel protectors on my shoes…so i had to take them off and put them through the x-ray machine…i was then frisked by a metal detector and given the all clear…all quite impressive i thought, and continued down the ramp and onto the aircraft for my flight to Cincinatti. The security at this airport was even tighter than the u.k. and at last i was on American soil…i had to get my visa here and was asked many questions and had my fingerprints scanned, a normal procedure before stapling the visa document to my passport. From here it was a brief visit to the long awaited smoke room. Whilst in here i was spoken to by a very good looking female who asked me for a lighter as a lot of americans believed that lighters were banned from flights and she had did just that. Thank god i was on my own for i started flirting with her when she told me my accent was cute and she enjoyed the way i spoke, even offering to show me around her town, an offer i had to refuse because i had another flight to catch. We said our goodbyes in the conventional british way ( a good snog and a ■■■■■) nah…just kidding, but i waited a couple of hours for my flight to Pittsburg and took in the sights of the airport and its many bars/pubs before my 45 minute flight was called. My previous flight was a very long 8 and a half hours with very good meals and entertainment system.
This flight was still full although it was a much smaller aircraft, and i still managed to get a seat at the rear of the plane on my own, a window seat, and the other remaining seat was to be occupied by the stewardess, but she never used it because she was too busy at the front going through the various safety procedures and of course giving out the beverages, and so she stayed at the front of the plane.
We landed in Pittsburg and went through the various security procedures once again, and i couldnt help noticing that the security was not being taken lightly, even on internal flights, which i was grateful for and wished that our own security was a lot tighter. It was off to the baggage re-claim area which was quite a walk from the main terminal and once i collected my suitcase i headed for the exit door to be greeted by bully and his daughter. I had previously e.mailed him to tell him what i would be wearing in order for him to recognise me, we shook hands with each other and headed to the car park where he had parked his 4x4. I was grateful that he too smoked for it meant i could smoke as we drove along the roads. This journey to his house in a town called Mineral City was about 3 hours or so and i couldnt help but look at the views and differences between the two countries…the little houses…the huge monster trucks parked…and the truck-stops that he was pointing out to me.
I wondered why he always stopped at road junctions- even when there were no no traffic about, buit it was pointed out to me that this had to be done as it was a violation if you were seen by the police, and after a while i could see the reason, and thought that this could also be done in the u.k. considering the amount of accidents that happen on our own junctions where drivers often cross the white stop lines.
We eventually arrived at his house which was out of town and where he told me that his wife often did the shopping to last 2 weeks…unlike here where theres a shop on every corner if you have forgotten anything. He operated one of two large garage doors from a device in the car and it opened as we approached and drove straight in with the door closing behind us.
The entrance to the house was from the garage, although he did have a normal front door as well, and this led us into his office where there were three computer systems set up. One was for Laura for her business, one was for Bully and the other for John, and also for the other business called Bullys Bytes, which is a computer repair and set up business etc.
Off of this room we entered the kitchen, and talk about large…it alone was like a small apartment over here, and off of here was the bathroom which is like a uk living room…the bedrooms were upstairs…and i wont go into anymore details but the place is very large with a workshop as big as a house…and grounds/garden to match and the price they paid for it made me take a deep breath and exclaim how much…you certainly get a lot more for your money out there. I was introduced to Bullys wife Laura…and not forgetting the dog called bully. He was a beautiful dog who was only 9 months old…a british bull dog.and i was told cost 1400 dollars…and what a character…he made us laugh on several occasions as he loved to destroy anything given to him…tearing it to bits. The time difference in this part of america was 5 hours behind ours and after a meal which laura cooked, and a few beers we went to bed as it was an early start to the next day.
The time was 04.30 when Bully woke me up, and i was still jet-lagged but i got up, had a cup of tea then a shower, and it was time for us to leave for work at 05.15 for a six o clock start. The journey to work took about 30 minutes to forty five minutes which was back across town. He works for a very large company who owns most of the land in the county, which comprises of coal excavation, and clay, for the brick companies, to rubbish from various states coming onto the land for burial, dust cart operation etc…the list is endless…bullys work comprises mainly coal collection from the area and delivering it up state or collecting it from the various pits and delivering it to the coal processing plant where it is washed and graded.
Bully showed me his truck which was a Mack with a 54 foot trailer tipper body, as were all of the trucks parked in this yard, and before i climbed in he showed me inside one of the other trucks and assured me they were all like this, never cleaned or swept out and piled with all the muck one would associate with working in this environment. Some of the trucks were plugged into the electric supply to heat the engines in the cold weather, and i noticed that all american trucks had a socket beneath the drivers step for this purpose.
After bully had been to the office for his days schedule, we climbed in, and i noticed immediately how clean his truck was, no dust anywhere, no muck on the floor, and this truck never needed an electric supply as it always started without any help. With 2 big chrome stacks up the back of the cab, we started the journey to the coal yard, but used the depot as a short cut, after about 3 miles we reached the exit road where we travelled for about 10 miles. On reaching the depot there were various trucks of different sizes including rigids with multiple axle configurations and 6 axle ones, the last 2 axles having double wheels and the rest singles where 3 of them were lift axles.
The machine driver was a very young girl probably about 21/22years old, and the c.b. radio was used extensively in all trucks in america, including here. Of course bully was no exception and a good morning was said to the young driver, and after a very polite answer she told him where to park for loading.
The next step was to weigh out, bully never bothered to weigh in because he already knew his empty weight, and once the paper work was collected we headed off the bridge, down a steep hill, where he would apply his brakes sharply to try and evenly distribute the load in order for it to be sheeted. All vehicles had to be sheeted, and with very few exceptions, were air/electrically operated from a switch next to the drivers seat, as were the tipping switches.
However, this time the load was still above the top edges of the trailer, and so bully had to climb up with a shovel and even it manually, before the sheet would cover the load. unlike the sheeting systems in england which seem to work like a pram with a hood, this american system used a guide rail on both sides and the sheet slid along the rail on both sides until it reached the end of the trailer.
We were off to a company some 2 hours away, this was a salt company who made salt from the brine water which was pumped or brought in from the rivers, and our load was to supply the boilers that heated the water before extracting the salt, which would then be bagged up and delivered across america by the huge trucks waiting in the parking area. The ride was quite comfortable although a lot of the roads including the highways (motorways) were left in a very poor state with very little maintenance. The trucks had no speed limiters and would often pass us when we were doing 65 mph…they had no road tax either as the tax was paid through fuel purchases, a gallon was currently 2 dollars and they were moaning that it had doubled in a year…there was no M.O.T. requirement either, even on all other vehicles…but the ministry would and could stop a truck on the hard shoulder of the highway…put his overalls on…get his little board out…and wheel himself under the vehicle to do an inspection. They also had a weigh station every so often on the motorways loking for overweight vehicles…but if any were caught.would give them a fine…park them up…and they could move when the station closed for the evening…most fines were paid for by the companies…but there are a lot of owner drivers out there who often have to foot the bill themselves.
At the weigh stations or scales every vehicle has to go in…and move over the weighbridge at a slow speed…watching the traffic light signals…if they stay on green…keep moving…and out the exit…if they turn to red…you have to pull around the back to the parking area…and a fine…
Bully was an expert at dodging them, and would always take a diversion, along with most of the other coal trucks, for as sure as hell they would be overweight, and this time was no exception. We found ourselves driving down narrow roads and country lanes to avoid the pitfalls that so often we share here in the u.k. although they would have a heart attack if they had to pay our fuel prices.
Although the americans moan a lot about their overheads, they dont want to change their habits of a lifetime, for in every truckstop you can hear these monsters rumbling…they never switch the engines off…they leave them running to keep the cabs warm in the winter…and overnight…and leave them running for the air conditioning during the hot weather…they dont have night heaters, well most company drivers dont, because to the bosses, its an added expense, and it dont earn them any more money…do you remember those days?
Well we finally arrived at the salt company and i reached for the camera…well cam corder…i couldnt believe the trucks that were sitting in front of my eyes…these monsters with huge sleeper compartments…i was in awe of these machines that i had only seen in truck magazines, and here i was living the dream of actually being here side by side with them, i wanted to film them in all their glory…but the z.b. battery had run out…so it would have to wait till i got back to bullys to charge it up…but there was always tomorrow.
We tipped that load and headed back to the coal depot…looking at all the sights along the way…the big trucks for sale…the huge motorhomes at the side of the highway for sale…opened my eyes…oh how i dreamed i could own one of these…or one of each.
It amazed me how on the highways drivers could overtake or undertake in any lane, a practice i thought was dangerous, and also the fact that as we were going through road works the trucks had to use the far lane…not the nearside but one i suppose they are used to.
It was time for breakfast and not far from the coal depot was a huge truckstop which we pulled up into…as usual bully never switched off the engine or locked the cab…and i was just staring at these huge trucks once again, before going inside. The staff knew bully and said good morning, i was introduced to the staff as well and we had our breakfast of sausages, eggs and toast washed down with coffee…which was never ending…as soon as you finished one cup.it was re-filled… of course i just had to try one of their doughnuts and after brekki we went over to the fuel station to look at the truck goodies, lights galore, c.b. goodies of every type…i could have spent a fortune in here, but declined.
Tuesday was pretty much the same although this time my cam-corder was fully charged and i had the camera too…so lots of film was used…i have yet to develop the film from the camera but will of course post them when theyre ready. Tonight we were going out to have a meal…im not saying we were fed up of lauras cooking…for shes a great cook…and we really enjoyed her curry on monday night…but she needed a break too…so we went to a place called Hogs something or other…or maybe something hog…but was a nice restaurant
anyway and we never stayed late cos tomorrow we were travelling to Louisville in Kentucky. This is a 5-6 hour drive and of course the greatest ever truck show in the world called M.A.T.S. or mid american truck show.
We had a home cooked pizza for breakfast before loading the car with our luggage for the 4 day stay in Louisville, including bullys cart…this was a small 4 wheeled cart that Lauras brother John had decorated…with mud-flaps…flashing lights…and a mascot that resembled the dog that was going to be pulled around the show in…the british bull dog…or the mack emblem…this made me laugh when i saw what he had done to this little car…i could just imagine what the guys on the mack stand would say when they saw him sitting there.as it was everyone who saw him made a big fuss of him anyway, the journey was a very pleasant one with a few stops along the way which were described as bully stops…well a dog is no different to us humans when it comes to needs and wants…although he did have a mishap along the way…on his blanket to be precise…but it was soon forgotten and we continued our journey over the Ohio river in Cincinatti across the bridge and into Kentucky county.
The roads had improved a great deal, and i wondered how one state could improve its roads and another couldnt…but we continued any way and arrived at the hotel which was called Executive West Hotel (if you want to check it out lok it up on the internet) at around 4pm. We went to reception to book in and i went off in search of my room with the promise of meeting them in the bar in a short while.
My room was number 179 and i also had to meet my room mate as well, i was told before leaving the u.k. that i would be sharing, but had no idea who with, for i wasnt introduced beforehand, but on entering the room i found he had already checked in for his luggage was already there, its at moments like these i wished i had shared a room with a female winner but that was not to be.
The competition on Trucknet only had one winner…me…but the magazine Truck and Driver also ran a competition…and they too had a winner.called Dave Phillips…of all things a coach driver…there you go…i wont say no more…after unpacking a few bits i headed for the bar…i was on the ground floor accommodation so it was easy to get to…unless Rikki and Lucy thought i was a geriatric and couldnt climb stairs as i walked into the bar i noticed that bully and his family were not in yet and being as i didnt know anyone in the group decided to use my intuition and listen for the british accent…or loudness of the drinkers.for i thought that if they were loud…it had to be them…it was pretty quiet.so i stayed at the bar and ordered a beer whilst waiting for the others to arrive…i was halfway through my first beer when a barmaid spoke to someone called lucy…so i enquired whether this was the same Lucy who was married to Rikki…yes she replied…where are they sitting…and so i trotted off to their table and introduced myself, and they to me.including my room mate dave
After a couple of more beers we decided to try the restaurant, this was a nice place very large with either a set chefs menu or a help yourself buffet…the same as the breakfast, this too was a self service. The meals had to be paid for at the end of each meal and tips were extra…normally 10%…these tips were given every where across america…probably because the wages were very low and staff relied on them to make up the wage. The food and services were normally very good and as we have read or told very large portions. The thing i couldnt believe was the very high level of politeness…i have met americans over here and in europe and thought they were showing off and a bit over the top…or even loud…but i have learned that its their way…and i admire them for it, i did tell a few people that over here in england we dont complain enough…we only tell each other…dont tip…and say were never going in that place again…well thje americans have told me that they have worked hard to reach this level of service or politeness…they are very straight when talking to people…say what they mean…whereas we are frightened to offend…and its about time we did the same…i mean how many places have you complained in only to be told.if you dont like it.you know what you can do…to my mind thats not good enough…maybe thats why our industry is like it is now…weve been treated like fools for too long…and the bosses are getting their just rewards…a big shortage of drivers…its no different over there…there are yards full of trucks…rigs you would give your right arm for…all with no drivers…they are begging for drivers…but as most companies are paying by the mile 50 cents drivers are telling them where to put it…difference here is some companies are buying better trucks…offering a half decent wage…and still cant recruit drivers…cos it isnt good enough…and i must admit that after seeing the rigs over there …i have a different outlook…its not so much the units…or engines…but their living accommodation…a walk through cab…fridge…freezer…microwave…tv…video…table a home from home…its a motorhome behind the cab…some couples drive together…live in the truck…work till theyre 45 yrs old and retire with half a million dollars…others work till it suits them…they travel vast distances often bringing their children up in the truck…dad drives…mum teaches…which is allowed over there…but we have to live in one room…so cramped you cant swing a cat…our laws restrict us from having a longer cab because of our maximum overlength, well its about time somebody allowed manufacturers to build us a decent sized cabin and not have to sit behind the steering wheel to eat a meal.or sit outside and eat from boxes hanging from the trailer.
I have seen sleeping compartments at the show which will make yopur eyes water…some have their own water supply tanks…hot and cold water…toilets…a shower…wash sink.all leather interior,permanent beds…a generator in built…the list is endless…but thats what they expect when they go to a transport company looking for work…a decent tool to do the job.we cant expect that because of our old fashioned bureacrats who have never seen inside of a truck let alone rode in one…or lived in one for weeks on end…but dream on trucky…it may happen one day…but not in my life time…if they extended the overall lengths…it would be to the bosses advantage…and he would stick it on the trailer…to make his life better and more profitable…and stuff the driver…look what happened when we went from 12metre to 13.6 metre trailers…how much extra did you earn ?..same as containers when they extended them back and front…how much extra did you earn ?..when you took your haz-chem…did you earn any extra…i doubt it…thats why we so badly need a union to represent the drivers…run by drivers…and not pay some idiot who knows nothing about transport.only his trip to work in the car…but there i go ranting off again trying to increase the time an employer will recognise the hard work drivers do…and pay the just rewards with decent equipment and decent wages for everyone.
Tomorrow is showtime…when the show is open to V.I.P only from 10.00am till 1pm when its then open to the general public…more to follow…
