Little Rock, in Transition

In the trucking industry, we are vulnerable to parasites.

Parasites and the naaive and soft-headed have caused a lot of difficulties, and made everything you buy cost more. Also put more trucks on the road than would be neccessary. Low sulphur fuel is less efficient, so we consume more of it. Hours of service regulations impose a cieling on the best drivers (including me) which prevent us from running as hard as we can. So you have about 15% more trucks on the road than you need.

Some lawyers even specialize in extorting trucking companies. They run ads "Been in an accident with a big truck? Call me now and I will make them give you money!"

Doesn't really matter whose fault it was--and over 85% of the time it's the "plaintiff"'s fault.

Because of this: In three years, having driven over FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND miles, I have a record. Two citations will drop off my license in November. One is...well I just don't know. The state of Maryland decided to give me a ticket, without using a cop or a courtroom. It just appeared there. Can't figure out what it's even for.

Another, which will also go away in November, is a ticket for an improper lane change in NC.

Well, I had to climb a curb on a right turn, and some guy hit me...I think. He was adverse to me--waiting third in late for his light to change, facing east. I was southbound, and turned west.

I was supposed to have hit him with my left trailer tire without running him or anyone else over with my tractor, and while my right tires were on the curb.

It was easy for me to prove that this was impossible. But for this, I end up with an improper lane change, and most likely the company settled with the asshole and he got the front end repairs he was angling for for free.

I had an asphalt shoulder collapse under me as I pulled onto it, and rolled a trailer.

Now, some other idiot or asshole such as the guy in NC could decide to run into me at any time, and fall out of his car grabbing his neck, and a parasite ambulance chaser gets into it and takes my company to court. "Look! Improper lane change! This other thing! This guy rolled a truck! These guys will hire ANYBODY!"

And a bunch of idiots, even if it's obvious that I did nothing wrong, will decide to transfer a bunch of wealth simply because they feel sorry for the fake whiplash and loss of affection and pain and suffering and all that crap. That's why most suits are settled.

My company's deal with their insurer is set to specific standards. The safety man really dragged me through it, like I was seven years old, or retarded. They agreed to these standards in order to get cheaper rates, and I had become unqualified based on my history.

I went online and applied to my old company, USA, as an owner-operator. My leasing company (that I lease my truck from) has a deal with USA, as well as my current company, so that I can go there with my truck.

Happily, they accepted me, and as soon as my truck's bodywork is done I'll bobtail over to Van Buren for orientation.

New truck? Landstar? Well, I've paid for two years on this truck, and to turn it in would cost me about 20k to pay off my negative balance in my maintenance account. That would be 20k and starting over.

I'll make 2c more/mile here--basicly most likely over 100 more/week. I won't have to switch trucks, and I'll just keep doing what I'm doing--just moving different trailers.

I won't get screwed by politics and stupid policies like I was as a company driver. There is only one dispatcher for the o/o fleet, and all he cares about it production.

One of the load coordinators at USA hated me for some reason. When I left them, having given three weeks' notice, they sent me as far away from Little Rock as they could get me, so that I had to turn in my truck in PA, rent a car, and come all the way back. They could easily have brought me to their own headquarters in Van Buren. It was deliberate.

I've head enemies at other places I worked, and still don't know why. Somebody was simply out to get me.

Well, I'm pretty sure that this childish, evil bastard can't screw me again. My dispatcher, once I prove to him how easy I can make his job, and how productive I can be, will look out for me. I'm starting fresh, and should do fine.

I guess I'm lucky.

Right now I'm in a hotel. Paid for a week, because it was cheaper and I don't expect my truck's bodywork to be done til monday or tuesday.

More later.