Yikes...
The new truck and I are still getting along, however I discovered today that there may be an issue with the power steering. Luckily it's due for PM so as soon as I get to one of our terminals I will have it checked and/or fixed. I'm wondering if I am gonna end up repeating the same maintenance process from step one again just like I did with Trucky. One of the first big problems that I had with Trucky was the power steering... I truly hope this isn't going to be indicative of the maintenance future my new truck and I will have to look forward to.
Oh, and I suppose I should go ahead and formally introduce my new ride to my readers. Everyone, meet Squeak aka: Kenny.
You're probably wondering, as everyone has so far, why on earth I've chosen the name Squeak?
Well honestly, it was a day-one name that came to mind because of the various squeaking noises that occur while I was bouncing along the highway. The majority of the squeaks come from my air ride captains chair drivers' seat . But there are also what I can only describe as "squeaky sucky noises" that occur as the trucks' automatic shifting does its' thing. So Squeak has been in my mind since the first day I drove the truck.
Since that first day, I've tried to get a feel for the trucks' temperament to maybe figure out what his name would be that way. But at the end of the day, the one name that seemed to shine through was Squeak. I really did like the reader suggestion of "Otto" and a few others that family and friends offered. But none of them really fit when I'd try them out.
So I was driving along the other day and was trying again to figure out the trucks name. I just feel like it's not a good idea to NOT give it a name, call it superstitious or retarded or whatever, but the dang truck needs a name. My mind was running through a list of things to consider and no matter what popped into my head, Squeak was there to push it aside.
However, even after deciding to officially name the truck Squeak, something else crept into my mind. My truck of course is orange, as you can see in the picture above. And as I was thinking about Squeak, my mind wandered to "Tweak" from South Park... which then wandered to "Oh My God They Killed Kenny"... and then I remembered that Kenny's coat is orange also and it was then that it hit me.
My trucks name is really Kenny... but will be affectionately called by his nickname, Squeak.
And there you have it folks, the crazy lady that names things finally named her new truck.
...in other news...
As I said before I've been quite busy. I've had a bustling few weeks with some darn good miles to keep me scooting about. I did take a little time off and enjoyed that immensely. But since I've been back out on the road, things haven't gone very smoothly.
My first load took me back through the house for one extra night in my own bed, which was swell. But on the morning I was finally off for good I woke up feeling a little icky with a tinge of a sore throat. The entire day left me feeling wore out and like things were turning into a head cold or something like it. That night, I woke up in a cold sweat, soaked to the bone feeling like I had a fever that had just broke. Which I probably did.
The next day I woke up feeling drained. I felt like I'd been run over by a steam roller as well. Every muscle and joint ached like crazy and my head was pounding. I also had fresh nasal congestion. Yuk. Cold city. And twice throughout the day I had what I suspect were fever breaks. But work had to be done, and so I trudged on.
All the while, I forgot to add, I was flying blind as far as work assignments go, because my Qualcomm computer had quit working BEFORE my time off. After the first load coming out of the house, my second load had me routed to our company terminal in Carlisle, PA to get it fixed.
Later that morning I made it to the terminal and put the truck in the shop and headed to the nearest drug store to get some cold supplies. I've put my trust in Zicam to help eradicate colds in the past and figured I'd rely on it once more. So I bought the Rapid Melts, a box of tissues, a pack of cough drops (just in case) and considered myself armed.
Now, I'd never tried the Rapid Melts before from Zicam, I always used the nasal swabs but recent reports have warned people against using the nasal stuff because it can damage your olfactory nerves rendering your sniffer useless. The Rapid Melts recommend you take one tablet every three hours.
Feeling that was a little much, I did it my way and took them about every 4-5 hours. I still wonder if that wasn't over kill. But that's the point, really, of Zicam... to load your system with zinc which is believed to help aid in your body's fight against cold bugs.
I can't blame the rest of my illness on Zicam, but I have to consider that it was a possible suspect in the downward spiral my health took the next night.
I took the Zicam throughout the rest of the day and once my Qualcomm was repaired I needed to boogie on down the road to deliver one load and pick up my next work assignment bound for Wisconsin. Once I'd done all I needed to do I stopped for the night and promptly fed myself with a ham sammich before settling in for sleep. Once sated and getting sleepy, I turned out the lights and hit the pillow. Only to wake up within a couple hours with an upset stomach.
The upset stomach was the demon in the night that kept me up until 7 am, not allowing me to stray far from the truck stop facilities. I had to call in to my company to tell them that I was not going to be making an on time delivery because I was very ill and severely lacking proper sleep. They remedied the issue by sending in another driver to pick up the load from me which would allow me to take the day to recuperate and rest. Which I desperately needed and appreciated.
I suppose it was just a 24 hr flu bug I picked up somewhere along the way, but I still have to wonder if it might have been some sort of reaction to having so much zinc in my system. Although, I have to say that at least all of the cold-like symptoms vanished with the end of the sickness I endured for that night/day.
Since then I've been running steady. Well, for the past two days that is. I'm still not 100% in the stomach yet but I am certainly much better than I was the other day. Of course, that hasn't stopped me from putting in 10 hours of driving each of the past two days!
Being on the road and being sick sucks butt. At least my problem started AFTER I'd already stopped for the night and not in the middle of a long haul between rest areas! YIKES!
.....one more thing....completely random but on my mind....
How many of you who drive truck actually tug on the air horn when a child in a passing four-wheeler is giving the universal "honk the horn" signal?
This is something that bothers me to no end because I was led to believe that unnecessary and excessive use of the air horn can land you tickets/fines/warnings in certain areas. So I am forever reluctant to oblige a child's fantasy, which in turn makes me look like a meanie butt fuddy-duddy truck driver who probably hates kids.
I know this sounds insane, but I hate it! I want to honk that horn for every kid that is tugging on their imaginary air horn! But at the same time I worry about the possible consequences. Least of which, honestly, is law enforcement related. My biggest worry is that my air horn (however weak it may be) will startle another driver who was not expecting it and cause an accident.
Anyone else feel this way? How often do you honk the horn? Do you reserve the act for open areas away from heavy traffic and city/housing areas? Or do you just yank it upon request?!
Comments
Air horn--I'm with you, I don't blow the horn when I'm in traffic, heavily populated areas, etc. I have seen people startled by it, a couple of times by the person driving the car with the kid that wanted to hear it and they always seem to swerve TOWARD the sound.
Plus my truck has the airhorn on the steering wheel so it looks (and sounds) like I'm just using the city horn :-(.
A 2nd issue if you are around other trucks, there's no way to tell who's driving team and an air horn close by always used to roll me or James out of the bunk, grrr.
So that brings me to a huge pet peeve--WTH is it about a female behind the wheel that makes some of these guys feel the overwhelming urge to blow the air horn or ride next to you with the engine brake engaged? Just wave and go on darn it....
I only used it out of meanness once. Going thur Austin Tx by UT there was a bunch of girls(track team maybe)running across one of the overpass, I just could,nt resist.
Lori
That said, there are also requirements to fulfill, and that's called the Halloween rule. If the kid looks like he's too old to be at my door requesting candy, I may just pass on his one armed request. I'll save my air for the cute little kids.
The only exception to that rule are a bunch of teenage girls in the back of a school bus all giving the toot-the-horn at once. I always oblige them but I can't help it, I'm Male!
Hope you are back to feeling one hundred and ten percent. My [yet unnamed] truck and I pass along our regards to squeak/Kenny! :o)
My feeling is exactly opposite...kids LIVE to get honked at by a truck. If a little kid is pumpin' the hell out of his arm, I ALWAYS blow the horn. And if Ed is driving, I beg him to do it, laying on the guilt of "how can you let that little kid smile and pump his arm and NOT give him a little horn?"
Of course, I'm with all of you on the circumstances thing...I'm not going to lay on the horn in heavy traffic where someone might think a truck is comin' at them and it'll cause them to freak out - I give a little air toot in those circumstances. But if it's open highway or safe to do so, I give them a big 'ol long truck honk.
In fact, just recently, a family traveling in an RV was passing me and they were all sitting at the little table by the window of the RV...this little girl was pumping her arm like crazy....I looked over, smiled and waved and then gave her a BIG LONG HONK....there was another family member in the passenger seat filming the whole thing with a video camera. I'm pretty sure the driver of the RV was most likely aware of what was going on....looked like a grandma, mom and the kid were sitting at the table.
I just kept thinking that when they get home and look at that video they're going to say, "Remember that lady trucker we passed who blew her horn at us?? How cool!" I'm thrilled to be that cool lady trucker. LOL
But Gabs....sorry to say, I don't really care too much about a sleeping team driver. You're sleeping IN A MOVING TRUCK - if you're such a light sleeper and a little air horn is going to rouse you from rest, perhaps you should be wearing ear plugs or sleeping with a pillow over your head.
So in closing....BLOW AWAY!graven