2022 - In Review~

 Our sixth year started with a wind-blown snowstorm on New Year's Day, leaving us with a few inches of white. On the fifteenth, another snow & again, another couple inches.  The remainder of the 21-22 winter season was very dry.  A harbinger of the summer to come...  

New Year's Day - the snow starts - view from the Cabin~

The following day Butch left for Springfield, MO to begin training as an Over-the-Road Driver.  By the 21st. he had completed his courses & graduated from the Truck Dynasty Driving Academy.  Leaving Springfield, the same day, he drove with a friend to CFI headquarters in Joplin. He attended company specific orientation meetings & met his Finisher.  The remainder of January & most of February he was driving over-the-road.  Dispatches took them to the east coast, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Ohio, IL & south to TX.  

2-23-22 Moving day!

The 23rd of February, Butch was assigned his first truck!  He was dispatched home to outfit Big Red the first week of March. Nika & I joined him on his next trip - a dispatch to Buena Vista, CO. I was happy to get the experience & see a little of the job my husband had signed up for! I found out quickly being on the road was not for me. By the end of the month, Butch had purchased a Rand-McNally trucker's GPS which was a huge help planning routes to unfamiliar places.

3-8-22 Connie & Big Red

 I started to keep a daily log of Butch's travels & link to the day's route with Google Maps. There were times I used Google Earth to help him navigate particularly difficult directions.

4-15-22 Butch returns home~

Butch had his first real home time by mid-April.  Those few days went by way too fast!  The rest of the month, he was in TX, TN, GA, PA, NJ, KY & IL.  

5-30-22  Memorial Day Weekend - Adair County Courthouse, Greenfield, IA

  The 26th of May, Big Red broke down while Butch was hauling a hazmat load in TX & was towed to the Kenworth dealer in Dallas. The wait for parts to make the repair was measured in weeks rather than days... Butch decided to fly home on the 28th to wait for word from the shop. During that same time - a friend mentioned the company she drove for was looking for a driver & Butch applied. 

In the interim, on Memorial Day, we made a drive to my hometown of Greenfield, to decorate family gravesites & attend services at the Greenfield Cemetary.

6-3-22 Going through Dallas~

When we returned home, Butch had a new employer; Blake Scott Logistics LLC.  Reservations had been made to fly him to Salt Lake City by the 7th.  Butch gave notice to CFI & we made a quick one-day turn-around drive to Seagoville, TX to pick up his personal belongings out of Big Red.

6-7-22 Ranger - Freightliner!

By June 7th - Butch had his second red truck & first Freightliner!  He loved the roomy interior cab space, larger semi overall & driving the Freightliner without a governor set at 65 mph. 

7-15-22 Nika - OTR - Deadman's Pass, OR

When Butch made a stop at home on June 13th, he decided to take Nika with him!  She was really excited to go & enjoyed her time OTR.  By October though - she'd lost weight & wasn't thriving.  We decided her days on the road, were over.

 Mid-month, a terrific windstorm blew through our area...  It took down the big Locust at the far west end of the woods.  As it fell, it broke big limbs from adjoining trees & made a terrific mess.  Of course, this gave me plenty of clean-up work to do.

6-15-22 Damage from the windstorm~

I was very appreciative of our neighbor, who took ownership of the Locust & started work on it with his chain saw.  Between us, we had piles of limbs & branches everywhere.  (In November, I hired a tree company to come & cut the rest on our property, down.)

7-13-22 Butch with Skyla & Josie~

In July, Butch was lucky enough to be dispatched up to OR.  Our daughter Jentry drove from Astoria with our Granddaughter's Skyla & Josie to meet-up for a picnic dinner.  Butch hadn't seen them since our trip in late December of 2017.

8-6-22 Butch home with his Blue Frieghtliner~

August, Ranger was to be sold & Butch again changed trucks.  This time, to a blue Freightliner.  His route could be called semi-dedicated, since most of his dispatches took him from Gooding, ID to MO, then back west to Salt Lake.  I was thrilled he could occasionally fit in a night or two at home on his way by. 

9-11-22 Bikes at Lake Cunningham~

By September, it had been a summer of record-breaking heat & deep drought.  I spent a lot of time watering - in the hope of keeping the trees & shrubs alive.  The soil, even in the woods was as dry & powdery as dust...  Butch had a few days home time & we took advantage of the nice weather to visit Lake Cunnigham.  It was Butch's first opportunity to ride his new bike!

10-9-22 Antique Archeology, LeClair, IA

October was the month of our 40th Anniversary!  We made reservations in LeClair, IA.  We'd always wanted to visit the town, after being fans of the Antique Archeology TV show.  Both the shop & the town didn't disappoint.  There was even a little local brewery overlooking the river.

We took a long drive north, crossed the Mississippi & returned south down east side in IL.  We also discovered the Mississippi Palisades State Park & hiked to the overlook.

11-1-22 Butch & Blue - 100,288-miles!

November, in nine-months of driving, Butch reached 100,000-miles!  A big moment for him & for me too!  It had taken four trucks to get the job done!  (The four included a red loaner truck - Rebel - he drove while Blue was in the shop & again while waiting on his newest truck.)

11-5-22 Solar Panels Operational~

On the home front, after over a year of installation delays, we finally received permission to power up our solar panels!  They take up a good-sized portion of the backyard, but we have plenty of open space.  We were told our choice of a ground mount installation was a wise one.

12-16-22 Butch's new truck - Traveler~

December, Butch's latest truck arrived.  Another red Freightliner, Traveler is the newest yet & in excellent condition.  He was very happy to have a truck designated "his" & hopes to be driving Traveler a long while.

12-18-22 Butch with Josie, Ben & Skyla~

A few days later, Butch was again driving up in WA.  The same day Jentry was making her move from Astoria, OR to Camano Is., WA.  The timing was perfect!  They managed a meet-up near our old hometown of Arlington, WA.  Butch got a huge surprise!  Grandson Ben was with them!

Home for Christmas~

Butch was home for Christmas!  Ours was white, with light, fresh snow falling most of the day.  We had a quiet dinner, Jentry & the grandkids called to video chat.  The next dispatch arrived on Christmas day.  A trip up north,  leaving the 27th. to pick up a load of Blue Bunny Ice Cream in Le Mars, IA!

_____________________

When I wasn't mowing, weed whacking, weeding or watering, I spent a lot of time on my bike & reached my goal of 800-miles on the trail.  I enjoy the monthly Glenwood Garden Club meetings & still participate in our mat-making group on Wed. mornings.

12-31-22 New Year's Eve - 5:10 p.m.

New Year's Eve was a quiet one, not even as many fireworks as usual.  Nika was thankful for that!  I walked the property in the evening.  The sky glowed an amazing, brilliant orange, as the sun set.  An auspicious end to Butch's first year of driving OTR~  

Happy New Year 2023!

Past Year - 2021~

Butch's first 100,000-Miles!

 Congratulations to my favorite Over the Road Truck Driver!

11-1-2022 - Butch & his big Blue Freightliner - at 100,288 miles!

Butch hit the big number at the end of today's drive!  Nine months to the day from when he first left Joplin with his trainer - the first of February.  Most new to the road drivers have arrived when they've reached 100,000 miles.  It can easily take a couple years to attain those miles.  Accomplishing it in nine months doesn't surprise me - knowing my husband!  It takes a lot of skill, grit, consistant dispatching & trucks that don't break down often!

An outline of the journey~

Butch completed his month of training at Truck Dynasty in Springfield, MO for CFI the end of January.  He was sent to Joplin where he met his Finisher, Steve.  The two of them left Joplin on February 1, 2022.  That first day Butch drove Steve's Kenworth T-680 623-miles.  

2-23-22 Butch is assigned Big Red!

By February 23rd, he had completed his time with his finisher & was assigned a truck!  From then on - he was on his own & on the road full-time.

3-3-2022 Big Red comes Home!

Early March, Butch came by home to outfit his new truck & pick me & Nika up!  We were going to see if we'd like traveling with him!  I did my best, but I've had difficulty with motion sickness my entire life.  It was a relief to me - when he was dispatched back through Council Bluffs a few days later.  I was happy to be home, but sad traveling wasn't for me.

5-26 - Big Red gets a tow~

Butch enjoyed another short home time in April.  The problem with asking for home time, is the difficulty in dispatching you to home & then back out!  We were lucky to be close to a large customer of CFI, so usually only lost an additional day or two.

By the 26th of May, Big Red's computer had gone out & the semi was towed into the Dallas Kenworth dealer.  When the mechanic said it would be a wait for the parts, Butch flew home.  After a five-days, Butch was told the parts could be weeks out. 

A friend mentioned the company she worked for - was looking for a driver.  Butch was hired by Blake Scott Logistics LLC.  Making this change would require a road-trip back to Seagoville, TX to unload Butch's things from Big Red.  He officially gave notice to CFI.  It was fun to take our truck & make the drive.  I hadn't been to TX for many years - so we made a short holiday out of it. 

Butch left for Salt Lake on June sixth, traveling light, with his duffle bag & a sleeping bag.  After an unplanned overnighter in Denver due to weather - he was in Salt Lake & on the road the following day.

6-7-2022 "Ranger" a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia

It didn't take him long, to appreciate driving a Freightliner, over the Kenworth T-680.  The larger engine, spacious cab & overall drivability of the semi was great.  Not being governed at 65 mph was a nice change too.

6-10-2022 Ranger comes home to be outfitted~

A short time later, Butch came home to outfit the truck & after an all too short stay, left again.  This time with Nika!  She was thrilled to go & seemed to love having a job to do.  Guarding the truck was an opportunity to bark!

7-9-2022 Nika on the road~

Butch was putting in some good miles but ended up with two flat tires on two separate occasions.  One drive tire & one steer.  Then another flat on a trailer.  Toward the end of July, he was notified Ranger was to be sold & he'd be driving another truck. 

A few weeks later, another driver met Butch & they exchanged trucks in the middle of WY. (Ranger was to be sold in TX & the other driver was picking up a almost new Kenworth.)

8-6-2022 Ranger & Blue~

It was fun to see the bright Blue Freightliner parking at home!  Another truck to thoroughly clean, replace air filters in the cab etc.  This truck was two-years newer than Ranger & sported new brakes & tires!

8-6-2022 Blue comes Home~

Just a couple weeks later, the AC went out!  Not a good thing in the middle of summer!  Butch drove to Gooding, ID with the windows down - where D&D Trucking called out a Freightliner mechanic.  Another part needed to be ordered & that was weeks away.

8-15-2022  Nika paitently waits on the cool concrete!

Butch was given another truck to drive in the interim.  Way better than waiting days & weeks for truck parts to arrive.  (As far as we've heard, Big Red is still parked at Seagoville, TX.)  The truck below was another Freightliner, newer with more options.  Butch really enjoyed driving it.  

8-18-22 Nika riding shotgun in their temporary truck Rebel~

By the 30th, Butch & Nika were back in Blue.  Rebel was moved to a  dedicated route.  

Our 40th anniversary was the second week of October.  We'd planned a trip to the far side of our state.  It's always a beautiful time of year to travel.  We visited the trucker's Nirvana - the I-80 Truck Stop.  Butch had stopped by once but hadn't had time to look around.  We spent a night in the area, which gave us time to tour the amazing museum.  We also did some shopping!  It was fun to see all the extra gadgets & customized items available.  Blue is sporting a new Look!

10-14-2022 New Bars & Mud Flags~

When we left for our trip - Nika stayed with our friend Doris.  Doris said Nika slept for almost two-days straight.  We decided her days as a trucking dog were over.  She'd lost weight & even though she had the heart for it, at ten-years young, it was too hard on her physically.  Since then, she's picked up weight again, has stopped shedding so heavily & her new winter coat is rich & beautiful.  (She let  the mailman know she was home!)  Butch misses her terribly & she listens to our daily phone conversations :-)

The trucking business is having ups & downs currently, as our economy suffers.  We're thankful Butch was able to make the move to Blake Scott Logistics LLC, when he did.  Driving refrigerated & moving supplies of food from one side of the country to the other is probably one of the most reliable trucking jobs.  There have been only a few cancelled loads.  Dispatches can run from; have it there yesterday, to four days to make a two-day run.  Even so, the wheels are turning!  Driving for a small company has been more beneficial for us so far - than if Butch had stayed with CFI.

10-27-2022 Heading out!

  Butch is able to occasionally come by home for a night or two - nice for us both!  We still have a few months to go before this first year of OTR driving is complete.  His goal was to drive the miles.  We're expecting he'll probably do at least another year of over-the-road to gain the required experience.  Then possibly move to a local company route.  

Butch & Nika - OTR Update~

 It's been over six-months since Butch left home for driver training in MO.  A month of school, a month of driving with a finisher & three-months driving for CFI.  After a breakdown with Big Red, inconsistent dispatching & a lack of drive miles  - Butch accepted an offer with Blake Scott LLC out of Ogden, UT.

6-10-2022 Ranger comes home for the first time!

Normally without at least a year, usually two,  of OTR experience, companies don't hire drivers.  (Our friend Roxi, recommended Butch.)  Butch flew out to Salt Lake City on the 6th of June to meet the company owner & pick up another truck!  Delayed overnight in Omaha, Butch arrived on the 7th & was back on the road the same day!  He did a run to southern, MO before turning for home to outfit Ranger.

6-13-2022 - 7p.m. Butch & Nika leave~

Home time only lasted a couple days before he was leaving again - this time with Nika as his companion!  With this company, Butch is hauling refigerated trailers.  He will be doing mostly dedicated runs from Idaho to Missouri & return.  He will also get to come home every three-weeks!

Nika enjoying the ride :-)

In June, Butch & Nika came through Nebraska City.  I met them for lunch & combined a shopping trip.  The 29th, they came home for one night.  I was thrilled at the unexpected stop!  On the fourth-of-July, I drove down again to meet for a quick meal as they were going north. 

July fifth, the two of them returned for home time!  Butch picked me up at the house.  We drove to Blue Beacon truck wash in Council Bluffs. This time of year Ranger's front was covered with smashed bugs.  Butch said at the truck stops, the birds come from everywhere to snack on all the bugs on the grills. 

Nika  ~

Butch really enjoys driving the Freightliner!  There's more room in the sleeper, better seats, a bigger engine & smoother ride.  Ranger doesn't have the Blake Scott logo on the doors yet.  There's a temporary sticker Butch put back on after going through the truck wash.

Three days sped by!  He had his usual coffee with friends, we enjoyed some really nice weather & sat out to watch a big thunderstorm roll by.  Butch made a shelf for his microwave & installed the mount for his TV.  We went to see the new Top Gun movie!  

By Saturday morning, Butch & Nika were back on the road.  Butch said Nika kept an eye on him while he was putting the last of his things in the truck.  She enjoyed being home, but didn't want to be left behind!

7-9-2022 Flat on the trailer~

By 3 p.m. Butch called from Elk Point, SD to tell me he had a flat on the trailer.  He passed his first Level Two Inspection, but had to wait two-hours for service truck to arrive & replace the tire.  Better to have discovered it at the Weigh station rather than out on the road.

By late evening, Butch had driven 480-miles in 7.5 hours & was done for the day.  This trip is taking him back to WA, but not close enough to visit the Grandkids.  Maybe one of these days that will happen!

7-10-2022 Nika ready to roll ~

After driving the east coast & southern states, it's been a nice break to be dispatched west.  We keep in touch during the day.  A text when he's leaving, a morning call & another when he's finished his drive & found a place to stop for his rest break.  

7-10-2022 Sunrise, Montana

I keep daily google maps of his routes from one stop to the next.  It's fun for me to follow along in the virtual world :-)   It will be a month this time before they return home again.  

7-11-2022 In line at the weigh station, MT

Butch said Butte has grown & has spread out with new housing under construction.  The mine itself has grown too, since the last time we went through.  

7-11-2011 12:30 p.m. Near Butte, MT

After tomorrow, the heat is going up here in Iowa & the weatherman tells us it will be staying days into the long-range forecast.  Not my favorite month in the mid-west, but I've enough projects saved up to stay busy!

Butch's Thursday Drive~

 Making pet food is a 24/7 business in Meta, MO.  The company has eight facilities & is looking to buy more!  The road there was one of the most narrow, twisty trips Butch has made so far, which is probably why they have difficulty getting semi's in to pick up the loaded trailers.

Upon arrival the company asked each truck to go through the scale, so they know ahead of time how much weight in product they can load.  When he'd arrived, he was one of three CFI trucks waiting & twelve trucks total were in line ahead of him.  The operation was efficient though & Butch got through in decent time.

At the dock~

Truck/Trailer stats:

33,720 lbs. empty – Tractor/Trailer & ½ tank of fuel.

78,520 lbs. loaded

Steers – 11,780 lbs.

Drives – 32,680 lbs.

Tandems 33,600 lbs.

The load - 44,800 lbs. of dog & cat food!

The employee who was loading Butch's trailer, mentioned they have drivers come in who have no idea how to move the tandems & distribute the weight of the load.  The two brown bags in the center are filled with air, to keep the load from shifting.

Old grainery~

Butch used the last minutes of his drive time to go aross the scales & then had to creep at 5 mph to park for the night.  Since Meta is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, Butch was told he could park just across the way from the plant entrance.  He took his evening walk-a-bout while we were on the phone.

Diamond Pet Company

The population of the town is only 276 people, making the plant the primary & only large employer.

Beautiful old home~

As he was walking around town & taking a few photos, one man stopped to ask what he was doing.  Then another semi came in & Butch directed him to the correct location.  We both thought he might find a small cafe, but no luck.

Big Red, parked for the night~

Butch has learned it's not just about the driving, but its also a balancing act between how much time it takes to be loaded or unloaded, how many hours are on the drive clock & how effeciently he's dispatched to each destination.  Traffic plays a huge part too.  Sitting in rolling roadblocks, going nowhere - takes time.  Drivers would be happier out in the open, doing 65 mph. As the cities become more & more congested, it takes longer to reach any destination.

This last week, Butch drove over 3,100 miles.  His best weekly total since completing his OTR training the end of February.  From when he started, he's driven over 16,500 miles.  It will be interesting to see how many miles he's covered by the end of the year!

Butch Comes Home!

I can hardly find words to describe how happy I was - knowing my husband was heading home!  The time he'd been gone felt like forever.

March 2, 2022 Butch drives down Elm!

We weren't sure until the last minute, whether he'd be routed home or dispatched for another run.  He had transported a trailer from Joplin to the Tractor Supply lot in Waverly, NE.  When something was mentioned about another dispatch, Butch said;  "Yes!  Home!"  

I told him to call when he was a few minutes out.  At 2:44 a.m. Thursday morning, I got the call!  He was at the intersection of I-29 & Hwy 34!  I grabbed my coat & sat out on the front porch to wait.  It was so quiet out, it wasn't long at all before I heard the rumble of a Big Deisel engine coming down Sharp.  It was quite a sight to see Big Red make the turn onto Elm.

Parking Big Red by the Cabin~

It's hard to appreciate the size of these 28 ft. semi tractors until you see them maneuvering in your driveway :-) Butch made it all look easy.  He looked tired as he got out & did his post-check.  Soon though, his arms were around me & I cried in relief.  It had been eight weeks & two days since he'd left for training the second of January.

He took a shower & we both slept the best we had in all that time.  We had our first latte's a little late on Thursday morning. :-)  It was to be a short stay, Butch wants to make the most of this mandatory year of driving so planned to be back on the board by Saturday.  

We unloaded all the things he'd taken to training with him, the same items he'd used for the month he was on the road with his Finisher.  Then, it was time to go shopping for the items he would need to outfit the rig for his solo driving.  I wiped down the inside of the truck, Butch had cleaned while he was on the road his first week too.  

"Big Red" is a handsome fellow~

Butch's Ford F-150 looked like a toy compared to Red!  A couple people stopped by to talk to Butch, knowing he'd been gone & now knowing why!  We did have our discussion about my riding along - guess who won?  It wasn't me!  :-)

Friday, we started loading up the new things we'd purchased & finding places to stow everything.  The little refrigerator with a small freezer went up in the bunk.  So did a three drawer portable dresser for clothes etc.  Butch had obtained a Passenger Pass for me to ride along & of course Nika too!

Refrigerator in the upper bunk~

TV & table area~

I packed my bags, baked cookies & made up some meals for us.  I sat in the passenger seat for the first time & admired the view from way up there!  

The "View"!

Butch sat in the driver's seat & instructed me on the safety rules he wanted me to follow.  There were only a couple, but I was glad he made clear what I should & should not do!

Big Red enjoys Home Time ~

We were still rushing around when Butch got a dispatch to leave 1 a.m. on Monday morning & return to the Tractor Supply loading facility in Waverly.  We went to bed early Sunday night - I didn't sleep a wink.  Butch woke me at midnight & of course it was snowing!