Second Year OTR ~

 The end of February marked the completion of Butch's second year driving Over-The-Road.  During the past two years, Butch has safely traveled 254,654 miles.

2-20-2023 Corinne, Utah

Butch began driving for Blake Scott Logistics LLC, June7, 2022, pulling D&D Transportation trailers.  He picked up his Freightliner -Traveler in December of the same year. His routes were fairly consistent, taking him from ID to UT, NV, NE, CO, WY & MO.  He was getting home about every three-weeks.

3-1-2023 Hwy 50, CA  26 degrees. 

2023 - Winter driving was, well, winter driving again!  Leaving Wells, NV the morning of 3-1 & arriving in Carson City, NV by nightfall, had been a day of treacherous driving.  My husband though - is an expert at driving the mountain passes & has done them all.

3-5-2023 1:07 a.m. Flying J, Snowville, UT

The morning of the fifth was thick with snow & fog too!  Butch waited until things warmed up a little before leaving.  Several semi's had slid off the road.  On to Hayden, UT the weather improved.

4-4-2023 Arkansas Rest Area~

Arkansas weather was warmer & turning springlike by April.  Dispatches were covering more states, D&D Transport had lost a large contract.  Without that contract, Blake Scott was down to six drivers.

4-18-2023 UT

On April 18th, the day's drive took Butch from Santa Rosa, NM to Green River, UT.  The country was beautiful.  He enjoyed seeing the southwest again driving in NV, NM, AZ etc.

5-1-2023 Mason in the driver's seat! Traveler~

The first of May, when Butch realized how his schedule was going to work out, he called daughter Courtney.  She & Mason were happy to make a long road trip south, through lots of traffic to have dinner with Papa!  Butch had driven 621-miles to make the meet-up happen!

6-24-2023 Oregon~

By mid-June, Jacko Logistics in Vancouver, WA was leasing the six remaining Blake Scott semis.  Butch's home base had moved from north of Salt Lake, all the way back to WA.  When he asked for home time, it seemed impossible for Jacko to get him home anywhere near the dates he needed.  

7-1-2023 Crossing the Hood Canal Bridge, WA

Butch spent the weekend of the fourth-of-July in Port Angeles, WA waiting for a trailer to be loaded. It was also the beginning of his second year driving for Blake Scott.  

8-18-2023 On the way from Beaver, UT to Coors in Golden, CO

In August, Butch sat a new personal best - driving 745-miles in 10:27.  To do those miles on an 11-hour drive clock takes long open stretches, no traffic, a light load & a lot of luck.

9-21-2023 - What happens when a semi takes a curve too fast~

September 25th, Butch was hired to drive for Jacko Logistics who had taken over authority on the Blake Scott semis.  (Butch was the last of the Blake Scott drivers.)  This change resulted in dispatches taking him up & down the west coast.  It wasn't long before he realized why so many drivers refuse to drive in or out of CA.  

10-3-2023 Cassidy, Courtney & Mason~

By early October, Butch had made several dispatches to the pacific northwest.  On one of those trips - he had a layover in North Bend.  Daughter Courtney brought both grandkids with her to have lunch with Papa.  (This was the last time Butch was with our Grandson Mason.)

By the end of October, Butch gave notice to Jacko Logistics.  He drove one final extended dispatch to get Traveler back up to WA before flying home.  He had been looking at companies in the Omaha area & with a friend's recommendation, settled on Nationwide Transport.  

11-5-2023 Maverick, Butch's new ride~

Butch had a few days at home the end of October while he had orientation at Nationwide.  His new truck, a Volvo VNL860 was not the Freightliner he had hoped for, but within a few weeks he was happy to be driving it. Maverick was more comfortable, had a bigger cab & was smooth ride.  

11-2-2023 Maverick's dash~

The first time I looked in - I was amazed at all the bells & whistles!  Of course, the one problem Butch encountered was the horn...  It wasn't loud enough.  Traveler had a very loud horn that got other drivers' attention.  This truck hardly sounded like a truck at all.  A trip to Iowa-80 solved the problem with a beautiful new horn that sounds off at 175 decibels!   

12-15-2023 - Silver Lake Rest area, IL~

We were both happy to have him based closer to home.  Nationwide is only about 25-minutes away which makes it handy for Butch to come home overnight when he's in the area.  It took a few weeks for the dispatching to smooth out, but it's been very consistent.

12-19-2023 - I-80 Sunrise, eastbound~

The views have changed too!  From the mountains & snow to the prairies of the Midwest.  Butch was very lucky this winter & managed to skirt most of the storms that rolled through.  Not having the passes of CA, CO & WA to navigate has saved me a lot of worry.

1-7-2024 - Great Sauk Trail Rest Area, IL~

It's not that he didn't have some interesting driving conditions.  He's traveling to MI, IL, IN, AK, KS, MO, WI, KY, TN, AK, OK.  Of course, IA, SD & NE too.

1-13-2024 Bosselman Travel Center, Grand Is. NE

Travel in the winter months along I-80 is rugged no matter what state you're in.  NE is almost as notorious for bad weather as WY.  IA saw a record number of accidents during a big blizzard that rolled through.  

It's gratifying for us both to know this second year is in the rear-view mirror.  I won't say it was any easier, with changes in companies, trucks & dispatches.  All's well that ends well & this year ended with Butch home for Christmas & a New Year's Day spent with our closest friends.

This new year, I'm no longer home alone - since Finnigan became a member of our family early December.  His cheery little attitude does wonders to keep me smiling.  I'm happy every evening when Butch calls to say he's done driving for the day & is parked somewhere safe.  

Butch's first year~

2023 - In Review~

 The seventh year in Iowa - on the Home Place!  The New Year dawned chilly & gray, but the temperature was moderate, especially for January!  What little snow we had left on the ground was melting.  

New Years Day - Tinkle Branch Trail~

Mari Jo & I decided if the weather was decent, we'd start the year with a bike ride.  Even without sunshine, it wasn't too cold.  It was great to get out in the fresh air & it felt pretty amazing to be on our bikes so early in the year.  Butch pulled in at home by 8:30 p.m. in the evening.  It was a short stop, but he managed to come by again a day later & a total of three times during the month. The last time was the saddest - we lost Nika...

2-16-23 Lots of snow!

February was a tough month for me.  Nika had helped to buffer the loneliness of having Butch gone.  Without her, it was so quiet, so still & so lonely.  Butch completed his first year of OTR driving on the 25th.  (He made it home for our birthday weekend, but Nika's recent loss cast a long shadow.)  During the winter months, Butch made some interesting drives through snowstorms in WY, CO & CA.  The weather cooperated enough I could do some riding at Lake Manawa.

3-9-23 Beautiful Snow~

March gave us a couple good snowstorms with several inches of white stuff.  I met Mari Jo & Gracie for a few walks on the trail, but it wasn't the same...  Luckily, when I saw the first of the tulips emerge from the ground, my spirits lifted.  Butch made it home & we had fun riding our bikes at the Lake.   By month's end, the Wabash was open again & we loved getting back out in the countryside.

4-7-23 New trees planted~

April - with nice spring days - I decided to get some long overdue projects done.  The first, was to get all the old Mulberry tree trunk & limbs we'd had stacked against the east fence since May of 2017 - removed!  That was a nightmare.  The fence ended up with a $800. repair.  The yard was torn from end to end, but having the mess finally gone was worth it.  Butch came home & we took Traveler to pick up new Emerald Green trees to plant along the now bare looking east fence. 

5-18-23 The Marsh~

May, the most beautiful month of the year, didn't disappoint.  It was dry, I did spend a lot of time watering, but it was so rewarding to see the flowers I've planted grow & bloom!  The end of the month I took my yearly trip to Greenfield & Creston.  The weather cooperated & the flags flew at the Memorial Day Service in Greenfield.

6-1-23 Rain!

June roared in with 3.1" of badly needed rain!  The novelty of it kept me outside watching most of the morning.  The month was wetter than usual.  It didn't make up for the deficit - but it was a huge relief anyway.  I almost was caught out in a thunderstorm on the trail.  Beautiful, but scary at the same time.  On the seventh - a bad hailstorm hit.  It was hard to watch as the vehicles got plummeted.  Two of the three sustained major damage.  Only the Bronco - solid steel - had a few minor dents.

7-12-23 Skyla, Josie & Jentry Visit!

The highlight of the year was a long overdue visit from our daughter Jentry & granddaughters Skyla & Josie!  Butch made it home & we enjoyed every minute they were here.  We visited our favorite attractions, Fontenelle Forest & the Henry Doorley Zoo.  As always, it's so hard to see them leave. 

8-8-23 New Gravel~

With Butch parking the semi on the drive by the cabin - it was ready for another layer of gravel.  Pat, one of the volunteers who keeps the Wabash trail passable, was available to do the job. Since we were hauling gravel, I decided to add rock along the drip line of the Cabin's roof.  On his home time, Butch installed new shutters on the front of the house.

6-18-23 Picking up a Jacko Trailer~

September, Butch passed the 200,000-mile mark driving OTR.  After just over a year with Blake Scott, the owner turned over Authority to Jacko LLC.  Butch had been pulling Jacko trailers since the middle of June, but now Butch would be driving for them.

 Later in the month, the front hose spicket broke. While the plumber was here, I had a new hose bib installed at the back of the house. Next, the AC quit cooling.  Mari Jo's husband repaired it & replaced parts in the compressor, along with an overhaul of the furnace.   

10-11-23 Butch, Lake Okoboji 

For our 41st Anniversary, we drove up to revisit the Lake Okoboji area.  Our first time here had been for our anniversary in 2017.  A favorite restaurant with lake views had been torn down, to make way for expensive high-rise condos.  The main street through town was completely torn up & the two detours took us through some beautiful residential areas.  

Returning home, the garden style tub in the master bath developed a crack.  We hired a contractor to tear it out & replace it with a walk-in shower.  The same week, my Speed Queen washer quit, we replaced it & the water heater too.

11-27-23 Butch & Maverick~

Butch gave notice to Jacko in October & started driving for Nationwide out of Omaha November first.  He was ready to be done with the winter driving in the west.  He enjoys his new truck, Maverick.  A 2022 Volvo with a large interior & more amenities. Dispatches have taken him to IL, IN, OH, KY, MI, WI, NE, KS, MO, TX, etc.

12-20-23 - Finnigan~

As the winter months approached, I found myself browsing dog adoption sites.  When someone would ask what kind of dog I was looking for - I couldn't answer.  I just knew if the right one came along - I would know.  Well...  That happened & December fourth, Finnigan came home!  I feel very lucky to have found him & it's wonderful to have a companion again.

__________________________________

12-31-23 - Butch takes us for a ride!

The 31st., Butch came into Omaha.  He dropped a trailer at Nationwide, Maverick was serviced & he arrived home before noon!  He left again on the second.  Soon his second year of OTR driving will be in the rearview mirror & he'll be starting his third.

I continue to pedal the trails & rode just shy of 700-miles, mostly on the Wabash.  Working outside is still my favorite pastime.  

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2024! 

Past Year - 2022~ 

Goodbye Traveler ~

Butch had driven four Freightliners in the months, since hiring on with Blake Scott Logistics, LLC in June of 2022.  He was being dispatched & hauling trailers for D&D Transportation, Gooding, ID.  

He was lucky enough to have a friend recommend him for the job, since he didn't have the required two-years of OTR experience most companies require.  The logistics also worked well, since D&D had a large account hauling cheese from Gooding to Carthage, MO. Butch would usually have enough time in the schedule each way to stop for the night.

December 16th, he was notified, a truck had been purchased for him to drive.  He just needed to drop the truck he'd been driving & pick up his new-to-him semi. He arrived at Premier Truck Group of Salt Lake City & decided on Traveler, from the two available.

12-16-2022 - The Freightliner Cascadia who became Traveler!

From that time on, Butch finally had a semi that would run & run & run.  No breakdowns, no problems & plenty of power & speed.

Odometer at the end of the first day's drive of 512- miles.  408,837~

 Just a couple days later, Butch was sent to Kent, WA & from there to Ferndale, WA near the border of BC.  Our youngest daughter Jentry, who'd just moved from Astoria, OR to Camano Island, WA - met him at a truck stop with three of our grandkids!

12-18-2022 - Josie, Papa, Ben & Skyla~

At Christmas, he brought Traveler home for the first time.  The Bronco - grudgingly gave up his usual parking spot in front of the cabin.

Traveler home for the first time at Christmas~

During this home time visit, Butch took Nika & I out on a ride to Council Bluffs.  Nika had already done her stint as an OTR dog & didn't really want to go again.  But, if I was going, she was going too!

12-26-2022 -Nika & I get our first ride in Traveler~

By January, Butch was done making paper signs in plastic sleeves for the doors.  Traveler was the first Blake Scott truck to receive the new company logo.

1-23-2023 Traveler get a new logo!

This last winter, there was plenty of snow & wind across the middle of the country.  

2-21-2023 Snow on the Utah mountains~

The anniversary of Butch's first year driving OTR happened in February!  He was also home to celebrate our birthdays.

3-24-2023 Traveler with new mudflaps~

There was time to install the mud flaps he'd purchased at the I-80 truck stop during our anniversary trip - on Traveler!  Leaving home after home time - wasn't an issue either - since D&D had a contract with a busy company in Council Bluffs.

4-30-2023 Traveler gets a bath~

On another trip up to WA in May, Butch met with our oldest daughter Courtney.  She made the drive through miles of traffic, with our Grandson Mason to have dinner with Papa.

5-1-2023 Grandson Mason & Papa

6-24-2023 Sunset La Grande, OR

By June, Butch had been with Blake Scott for a year.  On the 16th he began officially hauling trailers for Jacko Logistics, based in Vancouver, WA.  This involved a big change in area of the country Butch would be traveling.  Jacko operated in eleven western states.  

7-4-2023 Port Angeles, WA

The fourth of July, Butch ended up out at the spit near Port Angeles, WA.  Another beautiful spot.  His routes now started taking him out to the Denver area, up to Salt Lake, on to OR, WA & down to the far reaches of southern, CA across NV & into AZ.

9-2-2023 Butch - 200,000 miles

On Monday, September 25th, Butch was notified he would be driving as an employee for Jacko.  They were leasing the six Blake Scott Semi's & had taken over Authority.  Butch drug tested & filled out the necessary company paperwork.  We'd already discovered - it was very difficult for Jacko to dispatch Butch east for home time. 

10-03-2023 Granddaughter Cassidy, Papa & Grandson Mason~

October, making another run up to WA, Courtney, Cassidy & Mason met up with Papa again near North Bend, WA.  The first time Cassidy & Papa had been together in several years.

10-24-2023 Oregon~

We started looking for a company closer to home.  A friend, who parks his trailer where Butch parks his, here in town, had just started a new job with a company in Lincoln, NE.  Butch made a call, but they had no semis available.  Another friend mentioned that his son worked for a company out of Omaha.  Butch contacted them.  They offered a position & scheduled Butch's orientation.  

He gave notice to Jacko, while we were on our anniversary trip.  Returning home, he was dispatched two days later to drop his trailer in Omaha.  Another dispatch didn't come for three days.  When it did, it was to the east, bobtailing almost 600-miles to pick up a new trailer in IN.  

It became the strangest, most extended dispatch of all time.  He ended up sitting over six hours & inspecting three trailers, before finding one he would sign off on.  He picked up a load just south of the Chicago metro & was to deliver it to Salt Lake City.  As he read the bill of lading, he discovered it was a split load, with half going to CA.  (No - more trips to CA.)  In Salt Lake, the trailer was unloaded, the load split & another driver picked up the CA delivery.  Butch delivered his half to north Salt Lake, before picking up a load for Target. 

Travelers' final odometer - 515,209~

Eventually, 2,950-miles later, Butch arrived in Vancouver, late in the afternoon of the 24th.  He packed what was left of his belongings & walked away from the big red truck for the final time. He took an UBER to a nearby hotel & flew home the following morning. 

12-24-2023 -Traveler ~ At Jacko Logistics

From December 16th of 2022 to October 24, 2023, Butch & Traveler covered 96,888 miles!  It's a big number & a testament to Butch's driving ability & a really good Freightliner.  Butch made a lot of memories driving this truck, getting the opportunity see the kids was at the top of the list.  

He was told team drivers would be out on the road the following day.  He's sure a team had driven the truck before him.  Traveler was a 2020, so it would have required constant travel to have racked up as many miles as the truck had when Butch took the keys.

We hope this change, to an Omaha company close to home, will be a good move.  Soon - Butch will be driving his sixth truck & another story will begin...  The first of this coming year, will be the second since Butch took on this occupation.  I won't say the time has flown by - but it has - for us both. 

Trail Time & a Busy Time ~

 It had been just over two-weeks since I'd been out on the trail.  Butch had given notice to Jacko while we were away on our anniversary trip.  Once we returned home, he emptied all of his personal items from Traveler & had expected a dispatch on Sunday the 15th.  The wait stretched into the week.

I was happy he was still home on the 16th, when the contractor came to remove the recently cracked, garden style tub from our master bath & replace it with a walk-in shower.  Late that same day - Butch was dispatched to drop his trailer in Omaha.  Without a trailer, we both wondered how much longer the wait for a dispatch would be.  The goal was to return Traveler to Jacko's Vancouver office in a timely fashion, so Butch could fly home for orientation with his new company on the 23rd.

Again - on my way~

The remodel took two full days & was finished late in the day on the 17th.  The same day Butch's F-150 decided to have issues, he had it towed to Little Red's.  As if that wasn't enough, the washing machine decided to go out too.  By the 18th, we made a trip to Menards for materials & Butch started repairing the shiplap in the bathroom.  Late afternoon, a dispatch finally arrived, he was to leave for Indiana the following morning.

Smokey with a standout golden walnut~

Butch pulled Traveler out of the driveway for the last time Thursday morning.  I was very sad to see the big red Freightliner go...  He's been such a dependable semi & has taken great care of my husband for many, many miles.  They would be bobtailing all the way to Wabash Used Fleet Sales in Lafayette, IN to pick up a trailer.  Isn't Indiana in the wrong direction from Washington state?

The Walnut Cathedral ~

By Friday - I was ready for some R&R.  October has been so stellar!  Every day seems more perfect than the last.  As I was leaving Silver City, I was cut-off by two ebikes intent on getting ahead of me on the trail.  I'm seeing more & more of them & as they passed, one rider told the other his top speed was 27 mph.  Way too fast for the trail - at least in my opinion.

The Silver Creek Trestle in Gold~

Butch was still in IN, he'd refused the first trailer, due to damage.  He was delayed 6.5 hours as a second trailer had issues & the third - which he had on the road when I called - doglegged to the center line.  His dispatch had been changed & he was going to pick up a load in Bridgeview, IL.  We knew by now; he would not make Monday's orientation.

Entering the park~

I hope the photo above is a good visual example of just how stunning our days have been!  I think we need to delete July & February from the calendar & add two Octobers in their place!  After our call, I turned back north, this time with the wind at my back.

Silver Creek - so low...

I passed a woman off to the side of the trail with an ebike.  She looked tired & I had a feeling I knew what would happen.  Sure enough - as I watched my rearview mirror, I saw her pull out & start following about 100 yards behind me.  After a couple miles of this, I decided there was no way I was going to set the pace for someone with an electric bike.  I pulled off at the trestle - she had to go around & keep up her own momentum, or lack thereof!

The corn is down!

I made it back to Silver City in really good time, almost catching up to the two ebikes who had cut me off earlier.  Go Smokey! :-)  Of course, I paid the price yesterday & today.  I can hardly walk!

Butch waved as he passed by Council Bluff's this morning - on his way to Salt Lake City.  He'll make a delivery, drop a trailer & bobtail to pick up another load.  He should eventually reach Jacko by Wednesday.  Traveler will be left behind in Vancouver.

With any luck at all - Butch will finally - be flying home by Thursday.  Hopefully, this new company will still have a truck available!  Based out of Omaha with a Midwest territory, we're hoping to improve our chances of more timely home time!