In the world of trucking, it's the drivers that are always give, give, give and it's the companies that are always take take take.  

But in my world, getting older, I am not really taking a lot of that is a given, I want the company to be as flexible as they require me to be in working any days regardless of weekday, weekend, weather conditions, holidays, this that and the other thing.

To preface this little story, the trailer I was pulling up from Brownsville the other day had bad landing gear on it. I tried taking it to a TA truckstop and I tried fixing it myself. I found it to be junk landing gear that needed to be replaced. Well, the dispatcher was having a small cow, not a big one, but a small version of one in stating that "I need you for the holiday weekend starting Thursday".  During this ordeal, she stated that fully 3 times and I said yes, I"m available, no worries, I just need to be able to get out from under this trailer, I'll try to make that happen when I get back to the yard.

So, yesterday, she sent me a Oklahoma run. No biggies, I just had a Brownsville run, I can deal with it.  While doing that run yesterday, it was brought to my attention about some folks coming over on Sunday and hoping I would be there.  I've been off for so long being sick, I really can't just ask for time off, I need to take whatever they are going to give me.

But, I went ahead and asked to be given a second Oklahoma run in a row for tomorrow (Saturday) so I could be back in time on Sunday to be available for a - personal reason - no need to tell my company my personal plans.  We are doing a pool party is the gist of it.  The dispatcher came back and said, well I have you being dispatched on Sunday.  

Huh? I thought you said you needed me all weekend long? (this is a very short version of the story, I just don't want to go into all of the details, too much).  She was getting way over-dramatic about this, like, heading into full blown meltdown territory and I simply wasn't going to do that with her.  I succumbed to the fact that she wasn't going to give me what I wanted and I didn't complain about it. But, what had happened to needing me the entire weekend? The drivers that said they wanted off for the 4th changed their minds and decided they needed to work.

My dispatcher hadn't told me about that little detail, hence my confusion.  She started going off which is when I ended the conversation.  "You aren't hearing what I'm saying and so I'm ending this discussion. Not worth arguing over have a good day".  She didn't reply to that so I just blew the whole thing off. As I said, drivers are expected to give up their entire lives, sacrifices at the gods of the transportation industry who demand you give them every inch but are pretty uncompromising when you want or need something.

Note I did say want something. Is there something wrong with wanting to do something that might have come up at the last minute?  They certainly have no qualms contacting me on a day off and saying, oh by the way, we need you to go to such and such a place and also btw, can you come to the yard now and leave?  Anymore? If I'm in the middle of doing something? No.  I'm busy, sorry, you'll have to find someone else.  Now, if I'm not truly busy, I will likely say ok  Mostly to stay in their good graces. But I'll put my foot down if I'm doing some pre-planned thing with people.  

Anyway, I got to the casino truck stop, decided I wanted to go into the casino and have dinner at Chili's, hadn't played blackjack in quite a while so I went to a table with this rather .... fiesty - dealer, won $110, gave her a tip and left.  Dinner was great, lol, paid for by the casino.  I didn't want to play too much, I end up staying far too long and they have casinos set up so you have no idea the time of day it is.  No clocks and no sunlight or lack there of comes into those places, or very little anyway, by design.  

So, I drove back to the yard, got in my  hot vehicle - they still don't have the part to fix the AC - and drove home. On the way home, she contacts me.  I'm giving you the Oklahoma run for tomorrow per your request. Note that I had completely blown it off and expected to have tomorrow off and work Sunday.  Just flat gave up on it, she wants to do things her way, I have no control over that and my manager is still "out of service".  

Thank you! and I appreciate it!  I offered her I could work Monday - the 4th of July - as well if needed.  Didn't hear anything back on that one, but I am certainly willing to make sacrifices if they budge a little on their end.  

That's it. It isn't even noon yet, I have basically the whole day to lounge around and take it easy.  Doggy was happy to see me, very happy lol.  Kids are gone til next Friday so we're just enjoying some peace and quiet around here.  If I am home the 4th, it will be the first one in quite a while where their friends aren't celebrating it with us. That's a long story and rather personal, so I won't go into it, but we'll just call it an extreme falling out that occurred late last year.  

Y'all have a good day.

 Ok.

The part for the AC in my SUV has not come in yet - I actually wasn't expecting it to but I had to ask. The shop told me 3 to 4 days, it's been 5 I think.  The reason I didn't expect it is because anything you have to order in this current day and age is going to take a long time to show up.  Blame Covid, the Chinese, supply chain, blame who or whatever, it is what it is.  And what it is is hot and very uncomfortable driving that thing in 90 plus temps.  

The ATV is also not done and the guy couldn't even remember what it needed.  It's been there almost a month, he was supposed to call me back and tell me why it's taking so long fix the blooming thing.  He didn't call back.  No matter, I will be calling him.  I mean, if he can't fix it, I'm take it out of there and find somewhere else to take it to.  

We - Addler and I - went for a nice long walk this morning in the forest.  It was nice to get back there, stretch, get some exercise and refresh myself with the property.  It was nice and cool as well, in the mid 60's earlier, I wanted to get out before the heat started cranking it up into the mid 90's today. 

I have a list of things to do out there and I am going to find a riding mower - used - and hope that it will traverse the trails so I can keep the vegetation mowed down.  Sort of a 4x4 mower? I don't know but I'm going to start looking today.  Actually, I suppose if I found a mower I could build a funky hitch for it and pull a small trailer back there with it.  I would really like to get that bridge started.  It's going to take a while to build it because I am not full time RV park, I'm full time trucker and I only have days off here and there.

Tomorrow I expect to be back on the road.  And I expect to be on the road for a full 70 hour tour - go out on a run, come back, go right back out on another one, etc, until my 70 hours are exhausted. I assume that's why I got today off, I didn't ask for it but she kept telling me yesterday "I need you for thursday and through the holiday".  Fine, I replied, I never said anything about asking for time off at all.  "Several" drivers are off is what I am told and they will need everyone else that isn't off to be running.  I don't know why she felt the need to keep telling me this over and over?  I don't complain at all about any runs I get. The only complaint I will lodge is if she tries the 3 Oklahoma run crap in a row thing on me again.  

There is no need for it and it really isn't fair.  One person gets great runs and another gets crap runs? No.  I do take into account I no longer do Cheniere stuff and several drivers get stuck with that garbage.  I found out my manager never did turn in that ordeal to corporate.  So the only people that know about it is my  manager, his manager and dispatch.  I didn't really care who knew about it, but it does give me more leverage that I don't have some kind of history at a particular place.  No one - and I mean no one - likes going into either of those facilities.  They are anal about rules and they make you wait forever, the pay isn't good and it's a really a waste of time.  

Ok  Well, I have stuff to do today but I haven't decided whether to do anything or not.  Facing elongated days over the road, I may just well enjoy a day off before going back to the grind.  It's still early.  I am assuming the contractor has all of the materials for the project by now.  It doesn't take long to get that stuff, it just sits in a yard somewhere until a customer orders it.  He is waiting on the septic permit - you simply can't start a septic system until the county gives it's approval.  

Hurry up and wait!  

Yup, politics is "interesting" right now, to say the least.  A circus show of varying flavors, nothing I really want to go into now, but obviously abortion is the biggest thing in the news today.  What is being ignored is a potential other blockbuster decision the Supreme Court is deciding.  Virginia v EPA.  Look it up.  It has the potential to determine how much authority and power these ABC government agencies have to enact rules and regulations from unelected bureaucrats who do not (and usually don't) have citizen' best interests as their priorities.  Some readings I have done indicate that if the Court rules in favor of Virginia, it could start a cascade of lawsuits against all the rest of these agencies that lord themselves over us.  The court is basically going to decide whether the EPA has these broad, reaching powers or is most of it something that elected politicians should be deciding?

If they find in favor for Virginia, I expect the trucking industry will take it as a cue to sue FMCSA and DOT for the rules they have put into place from bureaucrats who are placed into position by the President.  For example, Buttigieg is the United States Secretary of Transportation but is completely clueless about any and all of it, not just the trucking industry.  One would expect that they would place people that have the education and expertise to make informed decisions about matters pertaining to the work lives of millions of people - but they don't. It's just a political game, but the citizens that work in the transportation industry suffer. 

Anyway, that story is basically being ignored by main stream media who is on the warpath against the abortion ruling, yet this potential ruling could have such a significant impact on regulatory agencies that it is perplexing that they aren't reporting it. I only found out about it yesterday while perusing the "back" pages of a particular news site.  I looked it up and there were a bunch of stories but mostly from unknown news outlets. 

But, I am elated that the Supreme Court finally saw the Constitutional flaws with the Roe ruling and overturned it.  Pro life people have been dealing with the agony of the deaths of tens of millions of babies over the last 50 years, now it's pro-death people's turn. But not really, the fact that people can still get abortions where states will allow is almost completely ignored by the media, who continues to call abortion a "constitutional right" and that it was overturned.  Uhh, no, you can't just overturn a Constitutional right. It takes 2/3rd's of the House, 2/3rd's of the Senate and 3/4's of the states to ratify and amendments or adjustments to them.  

Good luck finding that kind of agreement.  A constitutional convention of the States could also so it without Congress help.  That also is pretty much out of the question currently.

Anyway, enough, time to decide what to do with the rest of the day.

G'day. 

 3rd trip done and over with. Brownsville down and right back up, no detention.  

However.  After I hooked up to the empty, I saw that one side of the landing gear was lower than the other.  Huh?  It did strike me odd that the trailer was leaning when I pulled up to it.  That was the answer.  These people must have known it was like this and just dropped it anyway.

They are lucky the thing didn't collapse and the trailer tip over. It definitely would have if the trailer had been loaded.  I sent pics to everyone of interest and then an agonizingly long message trail ensued.  I took it to the TA about 250 miles up the road. Dispatch wanted it for tomorrow.

TA said 45 minutes to an hour.  After  an hour and a half, I got out of the truck, got out my adjustable wrenches and got the lock-thread nut off the bolt holding the shaft that goes from the crank side of the gear to the other side.  I adjusted one side even with the other, put the bolt back in and walaah.  

Well, not so fast.  I cranked it down okay, but cranking it back up? One side was going up and the other wasn't. You could hear the internal gears giving way and causing one side not to crank.   So, I said this landing gear is trashed and left that TA that never did anything anyway.  

I had to try to relevel it all when I got back to the yard today, the mechanics were gone. Gear kept slipping, they aren't sending that trailer out tomorrow as much as they'd like to.  Or if they do, they are going to create serious problems. 

But, not MY problem.  I did what I could to help the situation along.  The dispatcher kept telling me "I need you starting Thursday, several drivers are going on vacation".  Of course they are, 4th of July.  Yes?  I am available, I just don't trust old landing gear. Not to mention it's only Tuesday, but she said this 3 times. Seriously, I wasn't asking for July 4th off, I've been off for 13 days, I need to make all of that back up.  

So I thought it odd that she didn't send me out tomorrow. Yes, I know tomorrow is Wednesday, but her continued reutterance of the holiday.....I have tomorrow off. I'm calling the repair shop - do you have the part yet? I'm tired of driving a hot vehicle in 100 degree weather.  

That and the ATV.  What on earth? That thing is going on a month in that shop, are they fixing it or not?  

On a better note, all of the supplies, I have been informed, have been ordered to start work on installing utilities. Hallelujah! The permit for the septic isn't cleared yet, the contractor says it usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. Well, it hasn't been that long yet since they actually go the thing over there.  I don't expect any issues, this contractor's specialty is septic systems and he's been doing it over 30 years, they know him and they know his work.  

I get some things take time, but the cost of everything has gone up literally thousands of dollars, I want to get this thing over with before the costs go up even more.  Or sit on it until the recession hits and everything goes back down?  I'm not hoping for a recession, obviously, but it's a very real possibility.  

I don't know what else. I wasn't expecting tomorrow off. It's cooling off really nice in the mornings, down in the 60's, I'm hoping to get up earlier than normal for a day off and go for a nice long walk with Addler.  Kids are still in Arkansas, I actually like going for walks with Addler alone.  Kids kind of hold me up from the workout type of brisk walk I like to get.  But, the kids beg me to take them with me, even hot as hell outside, it's hard to just tell them no.  I like to encourage exercise and outdoor activity with kids, too many of them sit inside houses and play video games. 

Well that's it for me. I'm heading off to sleepy land early.

 2 trips done with, Oklahoma and Brownsville.  I get tomorrow off, which is Sunday and then back to Brownsville on Monday.  

There is so much stuff going on at work I don't even know if I want to go into all of it or even any of it.  Dispatcher having melt downs with everyone (not me, I'm just laying low right now), manager "relieved of duty" ... "temporarily" - I think he has a good case for a lawsuit against the company but nothing I want to go into here.  

No definition on what, exactly, we are going to get paid for in  Brownsville on detention pay.  I didn't get detention this time so nothing to even consider - tho on Monday a good possibility.  

The dude in Mexico telling people that if we're in the yard in Brownsville, we must be on duty.  Yea, that dude doesn't own that yard or the trucking company that operates it and I know all of those people. How would this dude even know if any of us are on or off duty?  They gonna get in my truck to check? In a pig's eye they will.  Those people at that yard wouldn't even think of doing anything like that, anyway, they are totally cool, chill, laid back Mexicans that love to have a good time.  I've never had any issues with any of them and I have partied with the owner's son who runs the place. 

Yes, I've had some beers down there. Nothing lately tho, they have shut down their parties there for some reason.  Doesn't matter, a lot of times I get down there and I don't want to do anything but go to bed.

And right now? I am still not 100% and driving all day is definitely taking it's toll on me.  Yes, I am still somewhat sick. The coughing has subsided substantially but the feeling of crud is still quite alive and well.  I stopped twice yesterday to take naps and today, I stopped once but for 40 minutes and fell right asleep.  

The kids are gone to grandma's for 2 weeks, I will be able to sleep in in the morning : )  It's so nice and quiet around here, no kids fighting, screaming, yelling, hitting each other : ) We are all enjoying it.  

Tomorrow is Sunday so I don't really have much planned. It is super hot here - over 100 degrees and tho I have some stuff to put together, unless I can do it in the living room or something and then take it outside, I doubt I will be making that any kind of priority.  

Plus the AC in my vehicle is kaput.  Monday, I'm calling the shop and seeing if they have the part in yet. The mechanic at work verified it's a 14 hour job to put that part in there. You literally have to take the entire dashboard OUT of the vehicle. Our mechanic had pics of the job he did on a car because it not only took him so long but he had to remove everything. That scares me, to be honest, what if they don't get it back together right? 

Nothing I can do, I am not driving that thing in this heat all summer long without AC.  

Umm, yes, I consider the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe a miracle. Not even a minor miracle.  A major, unbelievably wonderful miracle. Lives will be saved.  Yes, it goes back to the states but the states that won't allow abortion or will reduce how the number of weeks before cutoff will undoubtedly save lives.

Spare me the arguments. I am not arguing it here on my site.  I have been in the pro-life movement for decades. I have stood out front of Planned Parenthoods, I have stood on street corners, I have been threatened to be arrested, I have heard every single argument and they all fall flat on their faces.

The Creator's creation should not be trifled with in such a manner.  You're literally condoning killing HIS Creation.  All Constitutional arguments aside, which there are plenty against abortion, I put God above all of it.  As do most Christians and even many faiths of varying belief systems that also don't believe abortion is acceptable.  

I will say that all of the leftie debate groups I'm in, they are having melt downs.  I have been called a slew of names in those groups by these people, even tho I am not calling them names or even trying to get into any heated arguments. I just block people on Facebook now that engage in that.  It serves no useful purpose and if they complain to Facebook about me, even tho they are the aggressor? I am the one that gets shut down for 30 days.  My blocking campaign has worked for the 6 months we've been into this year, it is working I see no reason to stop now.  

And yes, I could go into the Constitutional level of things as outlined by Alito and his written opinion in this overturning of Roe, but why?  I am tired, I am trying to cool off, I am happy to be home and my dog was let out the front door when I pulled up to the front of the house to come greet me : )  And there was extra spicy chili waiting!  Made with home grown habeneros, serranos and jalapenos, it made my forehead break out in sweat and cleared out my sinuses lol! 

Taylor has been growing a lot of stuff, but the hot peppers apparently thrive in this heat?  I dunno, but they are good and so are all of the tomatoes that those other plants are pumping out.  

Oh, well I did get revised quotes from the contractor. Yes, revised because the prices of everything has gone up since I got the first quote.  It would have been nice if he had just ordered all of it then as I wanted him to.  I tried my contact, but he can't get the 4 inch diameter schedule 40 pipe, he has to order it from a competitor, pay full price and then mark it up.  At least he was honest. 

My other contacts at my old work? There are hardly any left.  They all either moved to where this other guy is or they were offered retirement and they accepted or they moved on elsewhere. I might try calling over there Monday anyway, tell them I'm an ex employee, can I get any good pricing? I know they carry the 4 inch pipe.  The price of the entire job has, so far, gone up almost 4 grand.  That's what inflation is doing.  This isn't the cost of labor going up, it's the cost of the pipe and fittings.  I don't even know about the electrical part, yet.  It's concerning, yes.  I can afford the extra for the pipe and septic, the electrical?  I am almost afraid to find out.  

With that, this one is done. Might write some more tomorrow, but I think I'll go enjoy the company of living humans versus being alone in a truck all day long. 

G'nite.  

 I've been watching my phone blowing up for a couple of days now.  Drivers pissed about the new rule that basically gives us the shaft.  

There are so many versions of what is actually happening that I decided I would try to get my manager to tell us what is actually going on.

I wrote him a short text, it wasn't long before he called me back.

I do mean, call, not text.  The ensuing 40 minute conversation was appalling. Not because of anything he is doing, but what the company is doing to him.  I have a lot of respect for this guy, he makes things happen and he has 84 drivers under him. 

He started out with 14.  They didn't give him a pay raise to be elevated to a regional manager ...well this is way too long of a story to go into right now. I'm fixing to go to bed and I just have to say, my company is even worse than I thought it is. 

Whatever the case, he said that the detention pay isn't going away, at least as far as he knows it. Yes, they were trying to do away with it, some lady that got hired over the safety department attempting to reinvent the wheel.  

There was so much information he gave me.  Our main competitor is getting more trailers converted to the product we haul from a different product they used to haul.  We will see even more work going away I guess.  I don't really care at this point, this is the way the trucking industry goes and it's cut throat.   

Anyway, he suggested that if I don't get paid for any detention time that I am owed, call corporate and threaten to quit.  Huh?  Yes, just tell them you are quitting. They aren't letting anyone go at this point.

Interesting, because my observations are that they get rid of people at the drop of a hat.  

Right now? I'd be happy to just have an empty down there waiting and not have to try to push this thing.  Not saying I won't push it if push comes to shove, I just rather wouldn't have to deal with it.  

Oh, and nothing that has been told any of us drivers: my manager has been put "out of service" and he doesn't know if he's coming back or not.  He is not actually our manager right now, even tho the company hasn't bothered to tell us that little tidbit of information.  

He is righteously pissed about the way the company is treating him, I can say that much.  For me? Yup, just laying low and seeing what's going to happen. No threats of quitting coming from me, other drivers are out looking for new jobs.  One of which apparently already found one.  

They were having a job fair today and hiring drivers on the spot, so he told me and I looked it up and sure enough, they were. However, I'm not interested in finding a new job, I'm interested in just keeping this one and making the same damn money I've been making, not taking a pay cut.  

Whatever.  

I'll drive all day long tomorrow and operate normally, empty or no empty available, it's after the fact that the fireworks may fly.  

Price of everything has, of course, gone up.  By 4 grand just for the water and septic install. That's how much the price of pipe has gone up since I got the first quote. I don't even know about the electrical but I intend on finding out soon.  Like, now.  Totally forgot about it today, I got back from Oklahoma and then got the news that the AC in my vehicle has another bad valve. 

This valve is allegedly located in a box in the middle of the dashboard.  Like take the dashboard off to get at it and an accompanying large price tag to fix it.  Call me spoiled, but it's hot out and I"m not going to be driving all summer long in a hot vehicle.  I'm going to be driving the thing to work and back until they get the part in, I went to get it today. 

They wanted to keep it for 4 days sitting there doing nothing while they wait for the part to come. Uhh, no thanks.  I have to go to work, I'll pay up whatever now and the rest after you get the part in and then get it going.  

I dunno what else. Between everything going on at work and trying to get this park going, my mind is rather preoccupied.  

Not to mention the fact I've been off work for 13 days up until this Oklahoma run and not going to see any paycheck this week and a very small one next.  I'm going to have to keep busy until vacation at the end of next month to even think about getting caught back up.  

Yeah.  No. No as in gag, I don't want to be driving all over creation but it's how I make money currently and it is what it is.

Anyway, it's bedtime and I need to get offa here.  

 I'm finally starting to feel - much better.  Still a bit low on the energy levels but the coughing has gone way down.  I'm not asking to go back to work earlier than Monday and they probably have Monday filled up so it's probably going to be Tuesday before I can go back to work. It's far too long for taking work off, but I had little choice. There was simply no way I could have worked, especially that kind of work, feeling like that.  Even a short trip would have just been beyond miserable.

So I go a week without a paycheck? Actually more than a week, closing in on 2 weeks.  Amazing they don't push me to come back or threaten to fire me if I don't.  Then again, they aren't exactly busting at the seams with new prospects wanting to join the driving ranks.  I dunno why they allow employees off so long for sickness, it's part of life but I know some companies won't "tolerate" it.  If I can't work, I can't work. Not like I try to find excuses to get out of work on a frequent basis.  

Anyway, I went over to the property yesterday to see what the guy had done with the box attachment and then bush hogging it after I said I wanted it all done.  It's ok, but I guess there is no good way to get rid of the sticks sticking up after the initial tree clearing. The closest thing to gone that I have seen of that stuff is the dirt work they did with the bulldozer. Even that still has some "stuff" sticking out, but it's pretty minimal.  I don't know, but I'm going to put grass seed down on this freshly dragged portion, there is plenty of exposed soil.  I really don't know what else I can do besides going around with cutters and cutting all of these sticks down by hand - there are hundreds of them.  

I'll wait before going to that much trouble, see if these sticks are going to push out leaves and start trying to grow or not. If not, they can just sit there and rot, it isn't worth that much effort.  I do wonder if a riding mower would cut those things down tho.  I've been looking at used zero turns going as low as $800.  

I also met with the contractor, he was out there measuring distances.  He's aware that I'm trying to keep costs down and says he does things to make it as minimal as possible.  For example, instead of running a main sewer line along the driveway, you just cut across the lots where all of the outlets will be.  That way you save all of that pipe that you would otherwise need going up and down the lots.

Some people would balk at this - what happens if you need to repair it? Well, if I need to repair any of that within the next 20-30 years, they did a poor installation.  Otherwise,  there won't be any issues with it and nothing will have to be dug up. Same with electricity.  And water pipe.  

So, he said he doesn't make any money off of the pipe, he just charges me whatever he gets charged. Good, I replied, is it okay if I try to get it cheaper? I still have connections in the waterworks industry.  Sure!  Not trying to bring my own steak to the restaurant but since he said he doesn't make any profit there really isn't any reason not to let me at least try. I'll get middleman pricing.  Or maybe a very small percentage tacked on to it.  They'll charge me their cost plus whatever it cost them to ship it to their store.  I dunno, tho, this guy has been in business for 30 plus years, he may have good contacts.  

I'm waiting for him to send me the list.  

Well, this one isn't going to go on too long.  Just hanging out, resting mostly, trying to get better. 

 While I've been sick and out of it - still am, getting better I can say finally, but far from ready to go back to work, a new development has happened at work. 

Our manager said a while back that they are going to get rid of detention pay, which I thought a joke at the time, but apparently, that joke has become reality.  

He sent out an email several days ago saying that payroll will no longer pay for detention time that isn't done while in on-duty status.  

This is a huge blow to detention pay.  Up until now - the entire time I've worked there - we have been able to go off duty while on detention, we aren't working, we aren't responsible for any trailers, at least not in Brownsville which is the vast majority of our detention pay, but we do get some at the loading plant as well.  

Basically, the company is stealing our pay - they get paid whether we do or not for detention and they certainly don't have to go "off duty" to get it, they just bill the customer.  

It has caused a considerable uproar with all the drivers.  I estimate it's a minimum $15,000 per year of our pay, probably a lot more actually.  

Here's the Brownsville scenario before this new "initiative" it was labeled as was implemented.

You get to Brownsville, drop the loaded trailer. If there isn't an empty, you show it on your tour trip sheet and then you go off duty.  You don't go back on duty until an empty trailer shows up, which could be any amount of time later, usually no longer than a day, occasionally 2 days.  

Now, with the new "initiative", you will have to either stay on duty once you arrive for however long you can - up to 14 hours so maybe another hour and a half, but then, you have to go off duty for 10 hours.  So, if I show up down there at 9:00 pm, I might stay on duty until 10:30 pm, then have to take a 10 hour off duty break - of which we will no longer get paid for.  So, in this scenario, I go back on duty at 8:30 am and then stay on duty until an empty trailer arrives.  

So, on a typical day down there, it shows up at 3:30 pm.  I was on duty after arriving the night before for 1:30 hours, plus the 7 hours the next day, I will get 8 and a half hours of detention pay instead of the normal 14 I would have received.  See how that works? I just took a 5 and a half hour pay cut.  

But the problems have only just begun for the company.  Because while they are attempting to shaft us, they are giving themselves a huge headache as well.  If we want the detention pay at the loading plant, we will have to stay on-duty the entire time.  So, if I'm there 3 hours, that means I will definitely not be making Brownsville the same day.  Now you've turned a 2 day trip into 3 days.  What's the problem with that? Well, they won't have that empty trailer back up the next day to load it.  So now, the customer gets screwed and pissed - the Mexico company coordinator has a short fuse.  

Hire more drivers? Sure, where are the trucks? We are already driving old junk.  And you'd have to increase the number of trailers as well. At $350,000 a piece, that probably isn't going to happen.  

So, drivers are forcing their hand. I'm out of the game at the moment but I'd definitely be a part of that scenario. They want to take away pay for not more reason that corporate greed, they are going to pay as well.  Actually, several drivers are out looking for new jobs, saying they can drive a regular tractor-trailer rig (not hazmat tanker stuff) for the same money as we will now be making and not have to deal with all of the hassle.  

There is definitely some hassle involved with hazmat and cryogenics and tanker trailers.  

We're definitely looking at a pay cut and a substantial one with this new and improved driver rip-off scam.  And yes, there are plenty of regular dry van jobs that pay well, but in my case, I don't want to be out that much.  Most of that requires you to be out a minimum week at a time and most of them are longer than that. No thanks.  But, I would start seriously looking into local jobs.  

I have no idea when this RVpark is going to come to fruition or if it's going to haul in some decent revenue, as I have said several times, there is risk involved with any business venture and I will have a decent amount of money put into this project.  I'm confident I can make something work eventually if my initial business plan doesn't generate the revenue I need it to.  

This isn't exactly a situation I wanted to have to deal with right now, what with everything else that's going on and I am nowhere near making any kind of decision about what to do next.  I want to wait a bit and see what effect all of us spending extra days on runs is going to do for the motivation of the company to want to keep current, very lucrative contracts.  Or, as this company is want, they don't care who leaves and will just eat it.  

The company seems to take pleasure getting rid of people and any senior employee in the company that is open about it will tell you there is literally no job security.  You get what you can out of it while you can and the....move on.  For me, moving on was hopefully full time RV business, not another trucking company.  

Oh, and I also want to see, speaking of waiting to see what happens, what kind of paychecks I will get without any or very little detention pay on them.  You see, if they could just keep us moving on the Brownsville run - versus sitting around waiting alot - we can make as much money.  Of course, I love sitting around getting paid but I've done plenty of Brownsville runs without any detention pay at all and the paychecks came out well.  The problem, of course, is the Mexican company and their flare for getting empty trailers up whenever they please to do so.  It's a really weird thing. Because then, if they don't get them up in time, they start crying about not having enough product - be we can't haul product without trailers.  

They have fully 7 of our trailers on lease plus they have 6 of their own trailers.  Yes, they have 13 trailers of this stuff and the bulk of those trailers sit down in Alta Mira, Mexico, loaded and waiting to be used.  

Anyway, it is what it is and I'll have to somehow deal with it.  It's really kind of crappy this company is doing this to us, tho.  The dispatchers must be having a lot of added stress on them, this deal is coming from corporate, higher ups.  I don't know that they understand the headaches they are now creating for themselves with drivers being out longer than ever before getting back on any given trip.  

Coughing is subsiding even more.  I'm still having rather violent episodes but at least there are fewer of them.  

 So, this is day 8 of this nonsense.  11:00 am on a Thursday morning, I would really like to get back to work, but there is just now way I'm doing that until I feel at least a bit better than what I am now. I'm at probably 50-60% right now, that's just not good enough.  

My 401k is down almost $13,000 with the "stock market crash" some are now calling it that is currently going on.  Down another 700 points today, I can only be thankful I got the old 401k out when I did.  At least it was well ahead of where I had ended with it at that employer.  

I've been following some things closely - the food supply, gas prices-oil, inflation, supply chain.  You know, at this point, I don't care who is responsible for all of this, let's fix it.  The problem is, the current administration thinks that spending even MORE money is the answer. Why can't these people just listen to neutral academics in the world of economics and understand that government spending is NOT the answer, it's the PROBLEM.  

I was not a fan of the government Covid stimulus from the get-go, people being paid to stay home an do nothing. A bit of that was bias - I was still working and have been the entire time - but the other part is that I have never believed that the government is your daddy and you should rely on it to the point of it dictating your whole life.  I had no idea at that time, however, the extent of the problems those payments would cause' further down the road.

Now, people don't want to work. Not everyone, of course, but small business especially suffering nationwide due to labor shortages.  There are plenty of heathy, able people that can work, there is no problem with that. But they are now demanding much higher wages for unskilled labor, or so we thought. Then a bunch of places started offering those higher wages and then what? They still won't work.  I still wonder how these people are all surviving, is  a bare existence on meager government programs any kind of life?  

And we found out how dependent we are on China and how China is taking over American industry and buying up millions of acres of American farmland.  Why do we allow this to persist? It's a communist run nation, there is no good reason to allow this.  They certainly won't allow us to go over there and start buying up all of their land?  

Whatever the case, I just wonder where this all ends, or how it turns out. Because from what I'm seeing, these lefties are in love with Marxism and they will stop at nothing to get rid of capitalism and property ownership/rights.  No one owns property in a communist run nation.  And no one is motivated to do much of anything in such a scenario, when your efforts are betrayed by a nation that takes everything away from you the second you "earn" it and it is given back to the people.  The problem, of course, is that no version of socialism or communism has ever worked, that's historical fact that is easily sourced.  

Meanwhile, back to my little world, the contractor is allegedly coming out today to do measurements and the bushhog guy is going back yet again. I was like, dude, I am not paying you that much money until the whole entire thing is completed as you promised.  He did smooth out the front, yes, but he didn't mow down all the weeds.  I'm sure he wants paid, he will get it when he's actually done. 

The sign people disappeared after I offered a couple of changes.  They have full time jobs, I don't expect them to get this done overnight.  But I do want to get that sign out there.  And the ATV? Nothing lol.  That's the way things go around here lmao. 

I would say the ATV is holding up starting commencement on the bridge, but I don't have the energy to go out there and do anything like that anyway.  There is no way besides hand carrying all of that stuff back hundreds of feet to get all those materials back there without having the ATV available to 

OIC. The sign people were somehow waiting on me to get back to them, even tho I got back to them and was awaiting an answer from them lol.  Ok, whatever, let's move along here.  I also have to meet a fencing guy out at the property, but I need to determine where I want that doggy park first and lay it out.  

There are a lot of different aspects to this proposal that I am working on and there are a lot more to go. The legal aspects I haven't really even delved into yet nor the insurance, excepting I have found 2 nationwide companies that specialize in RV park insurance. Once utilities are installed, I will get general insurance to cover any losses, but not the RV park version of it until we're closer to opening day.  Taxes are a mystery to me and I'm going to need software or something that makes it easy.  I'm not fixing to try and skirt taxes, I just need help with it - like a LOT of help.  Insurance probably won't be a headache tho I'm a little leery of the price tag, I figure liability might turn into a headache and right now, I have enough headaches from being sick.  It's just something I will tackle when I get to it.  

I don't want to get burdened down with huge legal fees trying to get thing going.  I'll have to start researching it, I guess, perhaps there are some suggestions in the RV managers/owners groups I am in.  Others have asked but all I saw was "seek legal counsel". Maybe I really only need to discuss with RV park insurance agents about liability issues and not really need the input of lawyers.  

What I'm going to do, tho, is go to one of the websites of one of the huge, RV resort style places and go through the registration and see if there is a bunch of legalese included on the forms anywhere.  If anyone is going to have such verbiage, those huge resorts will. They spend millions of dollars building those parks, they have something to lose if things go south.  

Ok, my energy levels just went bye-bye. G'day.  

 I feel like I have just taken a tour of the depths of hell.

The coughing has been incessant. Prescription cough medicine only works for a little bit and then the coughing comes right back. And we aren't talking about a light cough, we're talking full throttled hacking...and it accomplishes nothing.  I can hear the sounds of wheezing every time I exhale, I haven't had bronchitis in a long time. I had forgotten how seriously foul this sickness is and how much it affects my system. 

My manager said at the beginning of this after I found out what it was: "Well thankfully it's just bronchitis".  I had to give him a history of my life with asthma and severe respiratory issues and the fact that Covid is actually preferably to bronchitis.  I haven't heard from him since, but it's been that way throughout my life, that when I get bronchitis I have to give an explanation of why it hits me so bad and that it is far worse than what happens to most people. 

Now? My head and my torso are absolutely aching from coughing so much.  I called the doc office yesterday and they just said "well wait a few more days". I would like to think they could give me more powerful cough medicine, even if it's stuff you can't drive on - I'm not driving so what difference does it make except to give me some relief from this internal animal. 

Meanwhile, the painters have come up with a pretty decent version of what a painted sign would look like.  I wanted a few changes of which I am waiting for them to show me.  The bush hogger dude was out there yesterday with a box attachment and smoothed out the dirt. I forced myself to drive over there and take a look. It looks decent but he didn't finish up by using the attachment to cut down the weeds.  So, he will have to do that to get the money I promised him for that job - I have all of that in writing.  

I have heard nothing from the contractor, but I need to get the pipe out there.  Dunno if I have the energy for that today. I did sleep last night, albeit waking up multiple times last night with extreme coughing fits, in 12 hours of laying in bed I probably got 9 hours of sleep. That's the first night I've gotten any decent amount of sleep since this thing began, but it doesn't seem prudent to just get up and walk out the door acting as if all is hunky dory, let's go back to work!  

It wouldn't take much to load up that light pipe onto the trailer tho, and it definitely needs to be done before they do any gravel work. I've sent him some texts about the next steps - I don't feel like talking to anyone on the phone atm.  

Well that was quick. The contractor has been doing doctor's appointments - in Houston? - why he would drive clear down there, who knows, maybe a specialist, but he said he forgot about the rolling, but they install the utilities first before rolling it.  He said he would measure it all and give me a quote on the pipe.  However, he already gave me a quote on that so I'm not sure what he's talking about.  Again, if there are even more costs to this than I know about, this would have been good to know before making any commitments.  I dunno, but this project has taken on more costs than I originally knew about and it's getting a bit disconcerting.  

However.  Once the pipe, electric and sewer is run to the lots, expanding won't cost near as much. The utilities will already be in place, it's only a matter of adding on to it. 

__________

Wrote that 2 days ago. The coughing is beginning to subside. When I say that, the coughing spasms are still hellish but there are few of them.  Working has been out of the question.  I just got through talking to dispatch, they're like, get better first before coming back.  Yes, thank you, at least they have that part right.   

This campground's rules is close to what I want to incorporate.  A few things I will eliminate and others I will change.  But it's a good template. I'm looking at others as well, make sure I'm not missing anything.  

 Check in time 1:00 

Check out time 12:00

Reservation cancelations must be made 48 hours in advance, by email only.  Cancelations made at: reservations@jbrv.net

Extended time for check out. Must check with office first and is based on availability.  
     * 1:00.........$10.00
        3:00.........$25.00
        5:00.........$40.00

$30 ALL NSF CHECKS

NO ONE  MAY CHANGE SITES WITHOUT PERMISSION

No clotheslines or hanging clothing or towels

10:00 pm curfew for children, they must be back at site unless with an adult.

You are allowed 1 unit and 1 car per/site.    
    *  There is a $10.00 fee for an additional vehicle.

Quiet time: 10:00pm - 8:00am. Unnecessary noise, drunkenness and disorderly conduct will NOT be allowed and may result in immediate eviction. 
     *  $250.00 Late call out fee (after hours disturbance)

Dogs must be on a leash

You are responsible for your child's safety at all times

Clean up after your pet

Personal and rental golf carts are allowed at the park. Only adults can driver motorized vehicles.

No aggressive dogs

$25 Site clean up fee (if above average cleaning needed)

No mats on the grass
     *  You are welcome to put mats on the concrete however.

All vehicles must be parked on the concrete on your site. Do not park on the roadway. No parking on the grass.
     *  Extra vehicles can be parked in designated parking areas.                   Please check with the office and get a parking permit.

No open ground fires. Fires are permitted only in certain areas of the park. 
     *  But... Personal fire pits are allowed!

General Policies

YOUR RESERVATION IS NOT CONFIRMED, UNTIL YOU RECEIVE YOUR RESERVATION NUMBER. (5 DIGITS NUMBER)
NOTE: RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

I.

ANY RIGHTS GRANTED TO REGISTERED GUESTS IN OUR RV PARK ARE THROUGH A REVOCABLE LICENSE WHICH MAY BE REVOKED AT ANY TIME.    UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A TENANT WITH A LEASE.

V.

THE MANAGEMENT ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTS, INJURIES OR LOSS FROM ANY CAUSE.

II.

MANAGEMENT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INJURY OF PERSON, PETS OR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY CAUSED BY FIRE, THEFT, ACCIDENT, OR ACTS OF GOD. NO SKATEBOARDS, ROLLER BLADES, BIKES OR RUNNING ALLOWE ON THE HANDICAP RAMP AND DECKS.

VI.

THE JAMAICA BEACH RV PARK WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY OBNOXIOUS OR OFFENSIVE ACTIVITY OF ANY SORT THAT COULD INTERRUPT AND OR ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ENJOYMENT OF OTHER PARTIES UTILIZING OUR FACILITIES.

III.

MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE OR DISCONTINUE SERVICE TO ANYONE, AT ANYTIME, FOR ANY REASON, INCLUDING CONDITION AND OR TYPE OF CAMPING UNIT, AND LIMIT OF PEOPLE PER SITE.

VII.

IN THE EVENT OF OBNOXIOUS OR OFFENSIVE ACTIVITY, IN THE JUDGEMENT OF  MANAGEMENT, THE PARTIES RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES WILL BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE THE PARK IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT REFUND.

IV.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL, THERE IS A ZERO REFUND POLICY IN PLACE.

VIII.

Pet Policy

I.

PET POLICY: DOG OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP DOGS ON LEASHES AND IMMEDIATELY PICK UP AFTER THEM.  AGGRESSIVE DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE PARK. THERE IS A DOG UNLEASH AREA BY THE FRONT OF THE PARK.  NO PETS IN THE POOL AREAS, CLUBHOUSE OR BATHROOMS.

 This idea of being awake all night long, not being able to sleep, is getting very old. I finally managed to fall asleep at around 5:00 am, slept 2 hours and that was that.  The other nights, it was coughing keeping me awake, last night it was the medication I'm taking that kept me awake.  I'm not going to stop taking the medication simply because I can't sleep, I will just not be going into work tomorrow and that's that.  

I still have the house alone, at least until sometime this afternoon, I will likely try to take a nap in between now and then.

My allotment is 200 milligrams per day, that's the max.  Cholesterol, that is.  I'm kind of treating this like keto, tho, and low carb.  Look for the lowest cholesterol options with at least semi-low carbs and that's it. I was thinking spaghetti chicken today - red meats are totally off the menu for the time being.  The sauce has a bit of cholesterol at 35 milligrams, but, I am not eating that much right now due to being sick and not doing much of anything, so that's acceptable.  

It's Sunday morning and I will not be getting anything done today beyond perusing the internet for more ideas.  I was looking at a campground yesterday with a particular set of rules that interests me.  The rule is, you clean up your lot when you leave or get assessed minimum $25 fee.  

Why would I want to do that? Because I won't be there to clean lots and I really don't want to have to pay anyone.  I can clean them when I'm in town of course, which is fairly frequently, but certainly not a daily event.  The fee, if assessed, could be given as money off to the next guests showing up and they could clean the lot up if they so choose or just get the money back and that's that. 

This isn't, I am finding, a huge issue with most campground owners besides pet owners not cleaning up dog dung and people throwing cigarette butts everywhere.  Many of them say for the most part, they really don't have any cleaning to do at sites except hauling out the ashes from the fire pits.  I don't assume that others do this, but I will be having a trash can at every lot.  This will facilitate most people to simply throw it away versus chucking it on the ground.

If I could get away with putting cameras on every lot, well, I could see who is cleaning up and who isn't.  Of course, I don't believe that would be very ethical or right - seems kind of creepy actually, so I won't be doing that.  In the eventual day that I can be there full time - I truly hope at some point - I can check every lot after people leave.  I may still charge a fee for not cleaning up when there is ample facilities there for guests to do it themselves.  What are they going to do, get on Google and leave a bad review about how that mean owner charged them a fee for them leaving their trash laying around?  

I may have to succumb to the idea of long term renters.  There are more parks going up in the region, I really didn't expect that. I say region, meaning they are at least 50 miles away, but that's relatively close when you're talking about trying to get the travelers to stop at your place for the night. 

What is so great about your place that's better than the others?  That's the question campground owners who have been in the business for years ask me and others attempting to get started in it.  You need something to appeal to the senses and make them say, yes! That's where I want to be!  I figure my doggy park to be 75X100 in size.  Not too big but not small, either.  I figure the trees and the walking trails through the forest will be an immense pleasure for those that are nature enthusiasts.  

It's going to be hyped up greatly on the website and it's going to have aerial photos and even a video of it.  There are places around with minimalist walking trails, yes, but nothing what I am creating.  It's a small investment to get people into the campground.  

When they get to the utilities, I am going to be scrutinizing the electrician's work. Not because I know anything about stringing up lines all over the place, but that's exactly the point.  I can see how they do it and then run a line clear to the back of the property and have electricity back there for more "modern" camping. This would give tent campers the option to run an AC unit in their tent.  I have done that in the past when I'm going to a place where I know it's going to be ridiculously hot.  Hopefully the well back there is still good and I can run water line from that and then....I dunno about waste.  I think to begin with, simply rent some outhouses.  

Or probably just one to start with and see what kind of interest I get. This will be heavily advertised to locals who want to go camping but don't want to drive a hundred plus miles to do so.  In fact, locals will get a discount and they can spread the word.  

A swimming pool is simply going to have to wait, much as I don't want to. I mean, I could throw up an above ground pool with a deck, but that might look gaudy and probably offer risk that insurance companies might not be interested in taking.  The sticking point is that none of the other parks in my immediate area have a swimming pool. Most of the parks are just long termers with junky RVs and extremely messy outdoor living areas, a thing I will not tolerate.  Keep it clean and keep it tidy or get out.  I am going to start working on rules, perhaps today.  

In fact, I was looking at one of the "better" RV parks here a few days ago via satellite and was surprised at how small it is and how crammed in the spaces are together.  Old school "technology", yes, but you'd think they'd upgrade it.  People want those pull-through sites and will pay more for the privilege.  I have 7 of them.   

Wifi is also on the list, something I keep spacing out to at least call them and find out how long it will take to get on their list to come out and wire everything up.  It might be a good wait, I dunno.  Having them run a line to a telephone pole would be the thing I'd think will put it on a longer waiting list.  I won't know until I call and am making that a priority this coming week.  If it's months out, I will go ahead and order it.  

Oh, and those electric sites in the rear? Just 20 amp outlets. Nothing too fancy.  Tent camping is usually not about luxuries and more about enjoying nature.  But, when it's 90 plus degrees outside, I do need think about finding a way to make that a bit more appealing.  I'd also like to get those armadillos out of there.  I didn't know until last week that Armadillos are carriers of leprosy.  I don't necessarily want to kill them, I just want them off the property, thanks and goodbye.  

Never did hear back from the shop with the ATV. I guess I will just wait a while, they need to fix it right this time, not just get it started and call it good.  

Yes, I think that's a great idea. Go back through various camp' rules and extract the ones I want.  I will compile a list and add my own if I don't find what I like and then eventually have it looked over by a lawyer.  Litigation is a thing and I want to minimize that possibility as much as possible.  

I am thinking it's at least several months before a park can be opened, just getting that into my head so I don't start getting frustrated and impatient with the contractor's process.  The ground should be dry by tomorrow - it's getting very hot here and there is very little chance of rain for a while to come - so I will be contacting him tomorrow and finding out what his plans are.  There are many things I can do now, such as rules, but there are many things that simply have to wait until closer to opening - well soft opening - day.  Hmm, I may not call it a soft opening if I have at least a doggy park and the walking trails up and running, with the office and a laundry set and a bathroom.  

Yup. Most park have some pretty strict rules in place.  Imagining that is to be able to get rid of people that are being more than just a general nuisance.  I like it.  It gives me an out - if you are going to misbehave here, you can leave and you can leave immediately.  

Well, that's what I'll be doing for the next several hours, I think, just pulling up park rules of various places small and large and picking and choosing what I want to incorporate into mine. 

Happy Sunday.