John F Kennedy: 50 Years later

On November 22, 1963 at 12:31 PM three shots rang out in my home town of Dallas, Texas, most likely fired from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Those three shots injured our 39th Governor, John Connally and proved to be fatal to our 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Later that day Lee Harvey Oswald, a self-proclaimed pro-castro "Marxist-Leninist" was arrested and charged with shooting Governor Connally, killing President Kennedy as well as killing Dallas Police Officer JD Tippit later that same day.

Mr. Oswald was taken to Dallas Police Headquarters for questioning, but admitted to nothing. The following day, at 11:21 AM while being transported from the Dallas Police Headquarters to Dallas County Jail (ironically located across the street from the Texas School Book Depository) Mr. Oswald was shot by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his wounds shortly after 1:00 PM.

The nation mourned the loss of President Kennedy, the dynamic, charming, charismatic president who taught us to dream. The President who told us that nothing was out of reach and that we should (quite literally) reach for the moon.

Many see the events surrounding the assassination of JFK as the mecca of conspiracy theories, which is easy to do. The "lone gunman," Lee Harvey Oswald was murdered before he could even see the inside of a courtroom, the Warren Commission's (which was set up to investigate the assassination) findings have been hammered by all sides as a poor excuse of an investigation. In 1978 the House Select Committee on Assassinations found that there was a "probable conspiracy" in the death of President Kennedy and recommended the Justice Department investigate further. It has never done so. 50 years later so many questions remain
unanswered. No one has ever been convicted of any crime
related to the events that took place that day. Under our system of law, the principle of "innocent until proven guilty," Lee Harvey Oswald died an innocent man.

I am in no way a conspiracy theorist, in fact I am probably the furthest thing from one, and that is not what this posting is about. Rather, it is to remember the lives that were lost or ruined that day. President Kennedy left behind a wife and two young children. Officer JD Tippit left behind a wife and three children who were just 14, 10 and 5 years old at the time of their father's death. While you may not be inclined to mourn for Lee Harvey Oswald you must realize that his death left two little girls without a father.

It was a sad day for the the families of everyone involved, for people of Dallas, for Americans and indeed for people the world over.

Video of the Week #6: Truck Rampage

I found this video on youtube today. I thought it was just to good to pass on. This guy REALLY knows how to control his rig... even when its on fire and half his cargo is falling off.

Miss Me?

Just a quick little follow-up. I want to apologize for going so long without posting a single word. Its all my fault. Part of it was business, part of it was laziness. But both of those end now! So get ready for some new articles!!!

Video of the Week #5: Cops Behaving Badly

Ok, love 'em or hate 'em everyone likes to see cops get in trouble for just about anything. here are two videos that highlight just that:

Police Report:
On the morning of October 11, 2011, veteran Florida Highway Patrolman, Donna Jane Watts pursued and finally was able to apprehend City of Miami Officer Fausto Lopez, who was driving recklessly at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour southbound on the Florida Turnpike. At the time of the traffic stop, Officer Lopez was not responding to any form of emergency, simply running late to an off-duty detail assignment. Once aware of the blue lights flashing behind him, Officer Lopez did appear to pull over for Trooper Watts, but then unexplainably accelerated once he determined Trooper Watts was actually pursuing him, then he attempted to flee the pursuing State Trooper.While it is unknown what Trooper Watts was thinking when that happened, it would be reasonable for any law enforcement officer to assume they where pursuing a police car not operated by an officer, but possibility felon in a stolen police vehicle.Trooper Watts did draw her service firearm and complete a felony traffic stop, but whence she determined the Miami Police vehicle was operated by an off duty in uniform Miami Officer, she holstered her firearm, ordered the Officer to exit his vehicle and detained the Miami Police Officer, handcuffing him and transferred him to her patrol car. And it appears this not being the first time Officer Lopez operated his patrol car recklessly as at around 00:10:00 on the video, Trooper Watts, sounding very disgusted and upset with the Miami Police Department Officers driving and attitude, explained to him that they, (FHP) where aware of his driving habits, but could "never catch him" due to the speeds he routinely drove at on the Florida Turnpike.

VIDEO TWO! A drunk sheriff is pulled over by the highway patrol!

Drive Safe!!!

WHATS THAT SMELL?! Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches

As promised, another recipe involving fresh, delicious Wisconsin Cheese. If you missed my last recipe blog, let me give you a REALLY quick recap. Every time I go to Wisconsin I stop at Carr Valley Cheese and stock up. Its delicious, fairly cheap and better for you than candy. Check out my last recipe blog Quick Tuna Melt for more info on Carr Valley Cheese.


This recipe requires a George Forman Grill. Click HERE to check them out. They are super cheap and super handy. They do make knock-off brands, but why buy a knock-off when the original is basically just as cheap.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches

What You Need
Fresh cheddar cheese
a firm tomato
a pinch of salt, basil and oregano (optional)
Your favorite bread
Butter

What You Do
Slice the tomatoes and cheese medium-thick.
Butter outside of bread
Assemble the sandwich: Bread - Cheese - Tomato - Cheese - Bread
(optional) Sprinkle a little salt, basil and oregano on tomato layer to taste
Toss it in the George Forman grill until the cheese is melted.

ENJOY!

Breaking Up the Bordem: Entertainment While Driving

Ok, lets face it, a truck is basically a car. A very long car that requires the driver to be alert at all times. But that can get boring quick. Bordem leads to inattentiveness which leads to accidents. So what do you do keep yourself entertained on those 11 hour trips? Here are some of the things I do, and some of the services I use to fight off the bordem monster.

Satellite Radio:

Anyone who was a passing familiarity with technology has heard of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio. Most cars these days come standard with a built-in satellite radio reciever. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this amazing technology, here's a short explaination: You purchase a reciever for your truck. This is the single most expensive part of satellite radio, but you can usually get a reciever kit for around $100 at a truck stop or $40 on amazon.com. After that you sign up for service. (I believe my plan costs just under $18 a month.) This gives you access to about 150 channels which include a full lineup of music, weather, traffic, news, talk radio, comedy and sports stations. Whatever your tastes or interests in music or entertainment are, there is a station for you. Word to the wise: DO NOT Buy one at the truck stops! They will charge an arm and two legs. The Satellite radio receiver pictured above with all the necessary mounting hardware can be purchased at Amazon.com by following THIS LINK for the paltry sum of $39.99! And that includes free shipping!

Audiobooks:
Some people love them. Some people hate them. But they are a fantastic way to pass the time. I rarely buy CD audiobooks. I have a membership to Audible.com, which is an amazon.com company that has literally thousands of audiobooks to choose from. If you have a smartphone, Audible has an app that allows you to download audiobooks directly to your mobile device. Then it is just a matter of plugging in an auxillary audio cable from your phone to your truck's sound system. Audible.com will even let you try them out for free. just click on one of the Audible.com ads on this page, and get a FREE audio book.

Podcasts:
If you are familiar with iTunes, you probably already know about podcasts. If not, you should really look into them. Podcasts are free audio programs you can download or stream to your phone or other mobile device.

FM Radio:
If all else fails, there is the trusty standby: The FM radio. Honestly, what vehicle these days doesn't come standard with a radio? I use this as a last resort, or specifically for when I am driving into areas with heavy traffic or bad weather. Other than that, i stick to my audiobooks, XM Radio or Podcasts. It is just a personal preferance. I'm sure some people out there enjoy listening to a radio station for 30 minutes before losing signal and having to search for something else.

CB or Ham Radio:
I am a big talker and the radio waves give me a chance to talk whenever I want. I am not much for a CB, as it usually just has a bunch of guys on there complaining. Plus I hate the CBs with the echo feature. Makes people sound plain retarded. I much prefer Ham Radio. YES YES I know. you have to be licensed. dear me, what a tragedy. BUT did you know, you no longer have to know morse code to become licensed? Did you know that you can get on the air with a radio that costs less than a CB? There are thousands of repeaters all over the country that you can talk on. There are, however, a few rules. Mainly, no foul language, no conducting business, and be respectful to others. Sounds simple enough right? I plan to dedicate an entire blog entry to ham radio in the near future. In fact, I think it will be next Monday's blog entry.

Well that's it. That is all I can think of off the top of my head to keep you entertained. If I missed anything, be sure to let me know. Another part to this blog entry, which will be posted in a few weeks, will be about what to do for fun when you pull over. Until then, Drive Safe!

The Weekend Rant: Welcome to McDonalds. Will that be Cash, Credit or Food Stamps?

First I'd like to start off with a little history of the Food Stamp Program. It was put in Place by FDR, (Who else?) was vastly expanded by LBJ (Who else?) and was supposed to be part of a temporary assistance package for struggling families. In spite of this, we are now seeing 3rd and 4th generation welfare dependent individuals. Oh, and as for the name "Food Stamps," it has become derogatory. It implies that people are unable or unwilling to support themselves at even the most basic level, in this case, feeding themselves. So back in 2008 it was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Cute right? Focus on the keywords there: SUPPLEMENTAL and NUTRITION.

Would you be surprised to learn that a group comprised of 100% food stamp recipients purchases, on average, 40% more sugary drinks than any other consumer group? Would you be surprised to learn that snack cakes, candy bars, potato chips, ice cream, steak, frozen French fries, frozen pizza and other extremely unhealthy foods may be purchased on the government dime with no restriction? Would it surprise you to know that 82% of the Department of Agriculture's yearly budget is used solely to pay for food stamps?

Some of you wouldn't be surprised. I can't recall how many times I stood in line at Walmart with my 10-pack of Ramen and my hotdogs while the welfare queen in front of me unloaded a cart of soda, potato chips and steak onto the conveyor belt, only to brandish her welfare card to pay for the items... OOPS! Did I say Welfare Card? That's derogatory too. They are called "EBT Cards" now, that way it feel like your shamelessly using an ATM card.

Oh, and did I mention that Food Stamp recipients, on average, score 1.6 to 4 points higher on the Body Mass Index scale (BMI), which is the government approved system for measuring obesity?

As if obesity wasn't a big enough problem in our nation, many states are beginning to allow their food stamp recipients to use their EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards at their local fast food joints. And guess who is lobbying for an expansion of this? Major fast food companies of course. And of course our noble politicians are standing up and saying "NO!" Yeah... Sure they are. According to ABC News, Yum! Brands (owner of KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers and Pizza Hut) are lobbying their butts off to expand into the poverty market. Not to be outdone, McDonald's and Burger King are firing up the lobbying machine too. Are you curious where your tax dollars are going? Well if you live in Arizona, Florida, California or Michigan, you just might be surprised, as you can already use your taxpayer funded welfare cards (Oops, EBT Cards) at your local junk food dealer. And for the rest of you, stay tuned. Your next. Here's a short list of where my tax dollars are being spent by the "needy" people of those "impoverished" states for "Supplemental Nutrition:"

Michigan: Church's Chicken, KFC, McDonalds, Subway, Grandma's Famous Chicken, Mr. T's BBQ, Vito's Pizza

California: El Pollo Loco, Jack in the Box, Subway, Papa Murphy's Pizza

Florida: KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Papa Murphy's Pizza

Arizona: Dominos Pizza, Golden Corral, Southern Cuisine, Rally's Hamburgers

When did it become OK for welfare recipients to openly and flagrantly abuse the system? I can't afford to eat out all the time. WHY SHOULD THEY BE ABLE TO?

What many people overlook is that these welfare recipients are de facto wards of the state. I mean if they can't afford to feed themselves, what makes you think they can afford doctors' visits? So when they get so fat off of Big Macs and Extra Crispy Recipe that they need to go see the cardiologist, who do you think will be picking up that bill?

I am not saying there are not people out there who REALLY need help. Many people who use food stamps truly need them and are grateful to get them, but this is waste. pure, simple, disgusting waste.

WHATS THAT SMELL?! Quick Tuna Melt

Well I am in Wisconsin, and that means Cheese! So since I have been sort of sluggish about posting blog entries this week (I've been busy, sue me) and since I stopped into the Carr Valley Cheese store, I have decided to do two recipes that incorporate fresh Wisconsin cheese. Tune in next week for Wisconsin Cheese Part Deux!

Just a little note first: Every time I am in Wisconsin I stop into Carr Valley Cheese. The staff is super friendly and extremely knowledgeable and the store is open 7 days a week. They have several stores in the state, but I think the one in Mauston, Wisconsin is the most convenient for trucks. Simply take I-90 Exit 69. Truck parking is available across the street from Carr Valley Cheese at either the Pilot or BP. The fried cheese curds at the motel restaurant next to Carr Valley Cheese are highly recommended.

Now on with the recipe for the week:
Quick Tuna Melt Sandwiches
Recipe notes: This recipe requires a TOASTER OVEN. If you don't have one, click on the link. They are VERY handy for cooking on the truck. The recipe recommends Day Old Cheddar or Mild Cheddar, the sharper or more aged the cheddar, the longer it takes to melt.




What You Need:
a can of tuna (drained)
4 slices of bread
Dijon mustard (to taste, a little bit goes a long way)
Mayo or Miracle Whip (to taste, but at least enough to coat the tuna)
two to four nice thick slices of DAY OLD Cheddar. You can also use Mozzarella or Muenster if you prefer

Optional additions:
diced onion, sweet relish, tomato, jalapeno (I always add onion)

What You Do:
Preheat your toaster oven to 350 degrees. While its preheating, toss in the bread.
While the bread is toasting, combine all the other ingredients in a small disposable bowl.
Smear the tuna/mayo/mustard/optional veggies mix on two pieces of the toast and the slices of cheese on the other two pieces.
Toss it in the toaster oven face up for 7-10 miles, combine the cheese side with the tuna side and enjoy

Alternate Directions:
I like open face tuna melts, so if you do too, simply smear the mixture on all 4 pieces of bread, top with cheese and bake 7-10 minutes. For a slightly burnt crust on the cheese, use your toaster oven's broil setting for a few minutes.

Serve With:
I like to eat my tuna melt sandwiches with a pickle, some slices of tomato and a handful of chips. But you be the judge.

Video of the Week #4: Convoy

So this week I figured I would post a more musical video. The song I chose is Convoy by C.W. McCall, written and preformed for the 1978 film Convoy (not to creative there.) If you want to watch the movie, its available from amazon.com for a fair price. If not, just enjoy the videos!

This song has been remade several times. I like this version a bit better its preformed by Paul Brandt:

Paul Brandt also did a Christmas version of this song entitled Christmas Convoy. I think its my favorite. Check it out, you might like it.

The Weekend Rant: The Government Shutdown

I don't pretend to be an expert on politics but in my eyes, this entire shutdown thing is idiotic. It's also necessary, so I am conflicted. The Republicans have said the shutdown is about ObamaCare and massive overspending by the Democrats. The Democrats say the Republicans are just being babies.

I am a Republican, and I am against ObamaCare. In fact, I think it is the stupidest piece of legislation that has come out of Washington in recent memory. If I were an elected official, I too would use any means at my disposal to attempt to derail it. That's what the Republicans are doing. They are also using the means at their disposal to say "We are here. You have to pay attention to us. You can't simply do whatever you want, like you've been doing for the last 4 years."

The Republicans refuse to pass a spending bill unless the Democrats come to Conference. The Democrats refuse to negotiate in any way, shape or form. The Republicans offer to temporarily fund the government as long as concessions are given on ObamaCare. The Democrats refuse to negotiate. The bickering and name-calling and mudslinging is being covered by Liberal CNN and Conservative FOX News every second of the day. Both parties are playing the blame game.

Newscasters show clips of closed parks, furloughed government workers holding picket signs, and cut little pictures of hastily printed pieces of paper saying "This facility is closed due to the GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN" pasted on the doors of the Department of Education and on barriers surrounding the Lincoln Memorial.

HERE IS THE REAL KICKER: The Democrats and Republicans are arguing about how to spend DEBT. We are trillions of dollars in debt. ObamaCare will add trillions more debt. The most important vote, once the shutdown is over, is to raise the debt ceiling so we can spend more nonexistent money! This country is in debt up to our eyeballs and the most important thing congress has to do is pass a law so we can raise debt from eyeball level to hairline level. What happens when YOU spend 10 times as much as you make for a few decades?

And how will it end? Simple. It will end the same way everything in Washington has been ending for about the last 2 decades. A fun waltz called the Potomac Two-Step.  It's a simple closed door, back room negotiation where the Democrats scratch the Republicans back while the Republicans rub the Democrats feet. Who loses? AMERICA. Until we get a Congress and President that works for the people, we are doomed to this kind of BS.

And that's my weekly rant. Don't like it? TOUGH.

Video of the Week #3: SET YOUR PARKING BRAKES!

Sorry I didn't post this on Friday like usual. I have been pretty busy.

The following video, courtesy of YouTube, shows what happens when you fail to set your parking brakes. Just remember, if your brakes don't stop you, something else will eventually!

WHATS THAT SMELL?! Super Easy Frito Chili Pie

OK! I am breaking my rule from the previous blog. While our elected representatives stop working, I feel a need to push forward. So here we go! As promised, a recipe that doesn't involve a crock pot! This one does, however, require a microwave. Aside from that, its super easy and EXTREMELY tasty.

This is a common dish in the South but when I cooked it for my roommate up in New York, he had NEVER even heard of it before. So if you know what it is, you already like it. If you don't know what it is, try it. You'll love it.

Super Easy Frito Chili Pie

What you need:
A bag of Fritos
A can of chili (I like Wolf brand chili without beans, but its your choice)
Shredded Cheddar cheese
onion, jalapeno, green pepper (all optional)

What you do:
Stick the chili in the microwave and nuke it until hot. put some Fritos at the bottom of a bowl, cover the chips in chili, top with a handful of Fritos and a handful of cheese. Nuke it just long enough to melt the cheese, ENJOY!

Blogging Halted Temporarily Due to Goverment Shutdown

If a bunch of old men want to fight like 5th graders and shut down the government, I can do the same. I am fiscally conservative, and I wholeheartedly support the Republican led shutdown of our government in an attempt to derail the "Affordable" Care Act. I am angered at the Democrats' refusal to compromise in any way so, this blog is on hold until the government is up and running again. Hopefully, by then the ultra-left wing radicals in congress will have bowed down to the voice of the people they are supposed represent.

I leave you, temporarily, with these quotes relevant to our current situation. Heed the advice:

REPUBLICANS: "Government is not the solution to our problem; Government IS the problem" -President Ronald Reagan

DEMOCRATS:  "The problem with Socialism is eventually you run out of other peoples' money." -Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

AMERICAN PEOPLE: "We've got to stop crying and start sweating, stop talking and start walking, stop cursing and start praying. The strength we need will not come from the White House, but from every house in America." -President Jimmy Carter

Video of the Week #2: How to Navigate a Traffic Jam

As I sat in bumper to bumper traffic on the North side of Atlanta, Georgia this Tuesday, I imagined how I could easily get through it, and my best option is shown in the video below. It is actually a clip from the movie Armed & Dangerous starring John Candy and Eugene Levy. If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it. You can buy it on DVD from Amazon, or download it from Amazon Instant Video if you want to see it.

Come on! Be honest, you've thought about doing it before. What's stopping you? I mean aside from the lengthy sentence in Georgia State Penitentiary and a mountain of lawsuits? Someday I swear, I am going to try it... maybe not, but its nice to think about.

WHATS THAT SMELL?! The World's Easiest Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Welcome back to WHATS THAT SMELL?! The weekly blog entry giving truck drivers fast and easy recipes they can prepare anywhere cheaply. Today's recipe is another one of my favorites. This is another crockpot recipe. YES, I know, you sitting there saying "Two crockpot recipes in 2 weeks? COME ON!" Well, get over yourself. the weather is starting to cool down and I like to cook in the crockpot when its cool out. I promise next weeks recipe won't involve a slow cooker. By the way, if you don't have a crockpot, here is a few links to a 3-quart crockpot (What I have), a 5-quart crockpot, and a 1.5 quart 12-volt slow cooker for those of you who don't have an inverter.

The World's Easiest Pulled Pork Sandwiches!
Serves 8 regular people or 4 truck drivers

What you need:
2 pound pork tenderloin, shoulder or butt (pretty much your choice. I like tenderloin)
A can of rootbeer
A bottle of barbecue sauce (I like something sweet on this, but it's your choice)
pack of hamburger buns
whatever fixin's you want on your sandwich (I like white onion and dill pickles)
crockpot liner

What you do:
put the crockpot liner into your crockpot
put the tenderloin/shoulder/butt in the slow cooker
pour in the can of root beer.
Set the slow cooker on low, put the lid on and let it sit for 6 hours. THEN, drain the liquid off, shred the pork with a fork, mix in the BBQ sauce and serve.

NOTES: This recipe makes about 8 pulled pork sandwiches. I usually put the leftover meat in a Rubbermaid container and use it for a quick lunch over the next couple of days.

Pinching Pennies: saving money on the road

For some reason everyone assumes truck drivers are rich. WELL THEY ARE NOT! But this doesn't stop truck stops from charging extreme prices for everything from soda and candy bars to GPS navigation systems and satellite radio receivers. Why do truck stops do this? Because they think truckers have no other choices available to them. This simply isn't the case. So lets go through some helpful hints on ways to save on the road.

1. Don't buy things at truck stops! Don't eat at truck stops. Make food on the truck. you will eat better, and cheaper than at the truck stops. In the near future I am going to post an extensive blog about cooking on the truck, in addition to my weekly recipes.

2. Use your "points" from your loyalty cards. Almost every major truck stop offers drivers a loyalty card. In most cases, you earn 1 point (equal to 1 cent) for every gallon of fuel you purchase. As any truck driver will tell you, these points can add up very fast. Use them for items you need to purchase immediately. DO NOT buy junk, electronics, audiobooks or videos with them.

3. The Mighty Amazon! Amazon.com has literally EVERYTHING! Whether your looking for Books, DVD's, or Washers & Dryers you can find them on Amazon. The great thing about Amazon is they have a LOT lower overhead than retail stores, so they can offer savings on almost anything. This is where I buy all of my cooking appliances, electronics and video games, at a much lower price, better selection and better quality than truck stops or even Walmart. It is also GREAT for gifts since Amazon has a gift wrap service. Your mom wants a kayak for mothers day? No problem it will be on her doorstep waiting for her. Your son needs crochet needles for Home Economics? They got 'em! Even items you need for the truck, like windshield wipers and all the rest. More on Amazon in a future post.

3. Wally World: You non-drivers have seen it before. You pull into Walmart late at night and see 15 trucks parked at the far end of the parking lot. HUNDREDS of Walmarts allow trucks to park in their parking lots overnight. Why not take advantage of it? I stay overnight at Walmart at least once a week, if just so I can buy food and whatever supplies I might need. I will tell you now, I eat like a pig and I only spend about $70 a week on food at Wal Mart. BUT don't make the kneejerk assumption that Walmart has the best price on things though. I always compare with Amazon before I buy anything.

4. No impulse buys. Do you REALLY need that Arizona shot glass? or that magazine filled with information you could get for free online?

The more you save on the road, the more you have to spend when you get home. Drive Safe!

A Note About This Blogs Ads

YES I have ads, see above, and to the right. Almost every blog has ads. What makes mine a bit different is the fact that I only advertise sites and products that I use myself, or find useful. At the top of the page is a link to a free trial of Amazon Prime. I plan to dedicate an entire blog entry to this because I find it EXTREMELY useful when I am on the road. To the right is an ad for Amazon.com. Once again, I link to it and highly recommend it. Don't believe me? Try to compare the prices of things at truck stops to what you'll pay on amazon! You will be hooked too. Soon I hope to get ads for Audible, as it is another great service I use literally daily. So check out our advertisers and see what you think. Have a good weekend and DRIVE SAFE!

WHATS THAT SMELL?! Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

My Weekly "WHATS THAT SMELL?!" is a simple recipe you can easily make on the truck. Feel free to modify these recipes and please, comment on the recipe if you liked it, hated it or changed it for the better. Anyway, enjoy the recipe, don't get to fat, and happy driving!

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
Serves 4 regular people or 2 truck drivers.

What You Need:

• 2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 tube of your favorite biscuit dough. I prefer Pillsbury but its up to you.
• 1 10 oz can of Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 finely chopped onion
• (Optional) whatever kind of canned veggies you want to add. I put in Celery and Carrots
• CROCKPOT LINER! (It will save your life!)

What You Do:
Install the crockpot liner
Toss all the ingredients into a crockpot EXCEPT the biscuit dough
Let it cook on high for 5 hours.
Tear up the dough and add it to the crockpot 30 minutes before you eat. DON'T ADD TO MUCH! the dough swells at it cooks.
Turn off the crockpot, serve and enjoy.

Tips:
Put the crockpot on the floor while your driving and put something around it to keep it from tipping. you can also tie it down if you want. Also, I always stir the dough down into the chicken soup for a more dumpling-like texture.

Video of the Week #1: Will It Clear?

T.G.I.F. That's right! It's finally Friday, and I have decided that every Friday I will post a video. No, not like the one I made in college... I was drunk... and they offered me money... another story for another day. This is just a random, entertaining video that I found online and I thought I would share with my blog readers. THIS IS NOT MY VIDEO!! I have to give credit where credit is due, so this video was uploaded to YouTube by uShip.com which you may recognize if you watch the show Shipping Wars which airs on A&E. If your not familiar with it, you should be. It is an AWESOME show. Various drivers bid on unusual, dangerious, oversized or sometimes downright humorous loads through uShip.com and show you their successes (and sometimes, failures) at delivering those loads.

Please click on the LINK TO USHIP.COM'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL to see other videos they have uploaded and let them know you appreciate them!

 

I did not obtain uShip.com or A&E's permission to link to their videos or webpages, but I' fairly sure they won't be mad. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the video! Have a great weekend and Drive Safe!

Getting Started in Trucking

So you want to be a truck driver? That's great. I personally love trucking, although I must warn you its not for everyone. You will know within your first year if this is a profession you will want to do for life. That being said, let me tell you, the first year driving a truck over the road is going to be the worst year you will ever have as a truck driver. You have to deal with an enormous learning curve, companies that pay you just enough to survive, old equipment (YEAH, they are going to hand the keys to a brand new $200,000 truck to someone who, until 2 weeks ago, hadn't driven anything bigger than a Toyota Corolla), not to mention getting used to life on the road.

What You Need:

The basic things you need to get a job in the trucking career are: (In no particular order)

• Class A CDL
• Decent driving record
• No felonies
• Respectable Employment History
• Some endorsements

Lets start with a Class A CDL. If you don't have one, your going to have to get one. Most people seek out a local tractor-trailer school around them. Many vocational schools also offer CDL programs that can be completed in a short time. I earned my CDL at a school in Buffalo, NY in about a month with little out-of-pocket expense and even less trouble. More on choosing a school in a later blog.

If you expect to get a job after you get your A-CDL then you will want to have a good driving record. Most companies specifically look at tickets and accidents within the last 3 years. No company is going to hire you if you have 17 speeding tickets, 8 other moving violations and 4 accidents in the last 36 months. Just ain't gonna happen. Company policy on accidents, tickets, et cetera varies greatly from company to company so do your research. Almost every trucking company has an 800 number for their recruiting department. Call and ask!

FELONS BEWARE! That's right, the transportation industry has finally caught up with almost every industry in the United States. Most companies will not hire you if you are a convicted felon, ESPECIALLY if that felony is recent, violent or drug related. Some companies will accept you on a "Case by case basis" depending on the type of crime, how old the conviction was, if you have any criminal history since then, etc. Once again, check with the company you want to go to work for to see what their policy on criminal convictions is and DON'T LIE! I can guarantee you that almost any company out there will run a criminal background check on you before hire. Another big setback for felons is, to my knowledge, a convicted felon cannot hold a HazMat endorsement. More on this later.

As with any employer, most look for a Respectable Employment History. If you got fired 10 years ago for cussing out your boss at a McDonald's, no big deal. If you've been fired 5 times in the last 3 years for stealing from your employer, your going to be a hard sell. And YES, most companies actually do call your old employers for references.

The last thing I am going to touch on in this blog entry is Endorsements. As most of you know, an endorsement is special permission to operate a certain type of vehicle or haul a certain type of cargo. There are three major endorsements you can get and they are:

• Hazardous Material (H)
• Tanker (N)
• Doubles/Triples (T)

The names are pretty self explanatory but I will go over them here. Doubles/Triples (T) allows you to haul double trailers and triple trailers, if the state in which you are driving allows it, not all do but all 50 states offer the endorsement anyway. Tanker is another self explanatory one, it allows you to haul tanker trailers. HazMat (H) allows you to haul reportable quantities of hazardous materials. It's not as exciting as it sounds. All of these endorsements require you to pass a written test, that's about it. EXCEPT for HazMat. In addition to a written test, you also have to be fingerprinted and pass a background investigation. Felons, don't even bother trying. Sadly, for you guys with a checkered past, you will probably be denied. Most of the major OTR companies want you to have a HazMat endorsement before your hired, or at least obtain one within a short period of time. The good companies will even reimburse you for the expense of the background investigation and fingerprints. One I left off the list is the X endorsement. The X endorsement is simply HazMat AND Tanker, and in most states, if you have both H and N they automatically convert it into an X endorsement. Not all companies require ANY endorsements at all, so check with whoever you want to go to work for.

For those of you who love extra letters on your CDL, get your license in New York State. In addition to those endorsements they have S for school bus, M for metal coil and W for tow truck. I have a New York CDL and I have all the endorsements I could get so my CDL says ENDORSEMENTS: XPWTM. Kinda looks like Roman numerals doesn't it? You may ask "why does he have all those endorsements?" Will I ever use all my endorsements? Probably not. Does it feel good to be over-qualified? HELL YES!

That about wraps this blog entry up. we will explore a lot of these things more in depth in future blog entries so stay tuned! And, as always, if you have any questions, or if you think I got anything wrong, feel free to comment below.
Drive Safe!

Hello and Welcome

Thanks to everyone who read this introduction to my blog. As the name implies, this blog is about trucking. I have been a professional Over the Road truck driver for a little over a year now. YES, I know the old timers who read this are thinkinking "A YEAR? What the hell does he know about trucking?" I freely admit that I don't know everything. I often come across situations that leave me scratching my head. BUT I have come to believe that in the past year I have learned quite a lot.
  
That being said, I encourage you old timers to chime in with your comments, and you newbies to chime in with your questions. If I say something you disagree with, or you simply think I am talking out of my ass, please feel free to correct me, but please be respectful to me and other readers with your comments and questions.

Also, unlike some truck drivers, I cook almost every meal on my truck, so I plan to share a recipe with all of you ever week, as well as give you hints and tips about cooking on the truck. I am also a miserly penny pinching person who loves to spend a lot of money on a good deal as opposed to a little money on a bad one so I will share with you some tips I have found useful to getting necessities as well as toys and extravagances much cheaper.

Along with all this, I will have my trusty sidekick, Blake, (another former Werner/Current Crete driver) who has a bit more experience than myself to chime in on certain issues. We both hope you will enjoy the blog and visit us again real soon. DRIVE SAFE!