Peru, Il

I deliver to Cherokee, IA monday, so I stopped at the Super 8 here. I need a trailer tire replaced anyway, and there's a Sapp Bros. here.

Last night at the bar I met an Expeditor. He showed me his little van, which had a microwave, fridge, and sleeper like mine. He gets over 16 mpg's, pays 1/10th of my maintenance, and makes similar gross moneys.

I had heard truckers bitching about these guys, but never did the research I should have.

Sure, all these (for him one or two pallets--there's a larger one-pice truck that makes more) loads are hot, but wow--they're based on 57 mph!!! I mean, I have been under-the-gun, and based on what this guy said, this aint it.

And he gets longer runs, too! I'd thought they were all shorties.

I'm obviously sick of being nearly broke, and my truck has 825,000 miles on it. I'm at the stage in it's life where I need to accumulate more savings than ever to rebuild or replace the engine. Factoring in other stuff that'll come due such as the other leaf spring, my unfinished steering shaft replacement, etc., that could take 20k.

Or, I could sell this truck and get another one. A used one that I don't know.

I don't think so. I think I'm going to downsize and be an expeditor. Park anywhere. No logs. No weigh stations.

I'll want the bigger diesel box-truck so that more loads would be available to me. I also think that the longer runs are proabably multi-stops, which would require more space for more freight. Plus, diesels last ten times longer than gassers.

Right now, I've got to keep running as hard as I can. This load is light but doesn't pay much, but Korena has preplanned me two trips in advance and is moving me to higher paying loads. I'll be coming back to Wisconsin and from there maybe Chicago--I forget. Hate the cold, oce, tolls, and short distance, but that's why these loads pay more. I get it. She's helping me dig out of the hole I'm in.

And she's great. A little later after I've done more homework on expiditing, I'll talk to her about my probable downsizing plans. If I give her some notice, I'm hoping that she can sort of stick with me and make a similar deal with an expidited carrier to the one we now have with this company, and get my loads for me.

It might not work out, because she might have exclusive contracts, and her current connections are probably all for full loads.

I'd hate to leave her. Once you get somebody like her in your corner, any move away from her you make is down.

But jeez--I always wanted one of those huge sleepers, and as an expidor I could probably have one. These things are like campers!

Well, it's down the road apiece. Either way, I've got to save up a tion of money, so I'll be running as hard as she wants.