Received a load from the Port of Manatee to just north of St. Paul, MN. It's a load of pine wood from somewhere in South America. One again the retards at homeland security are at it again, changing for probably the fifth time in six months the security procedures for drivers to enter the port. None of it now or in the past has made any sense. In fact, talking to the security folks, they're just as frustrated as the drivers are. I have mentioned in the past my 100 yard rule. That being that the freight that has to be loaded is almost always 100 yards from any security "they" set up. All of it a waste of time. The only security that is necessary is having the containers and freight being offloaded from the ships scanned for whatever it is we are worried about. If I was a terrorist and wanted to do damage to any part of the port, all I would have to do is walk or drive in. The security is comprised of retired men who need to stay out of the sun. While I was tarping a tour drove by. Yes, you read it right, a tour. In the same "getup" as Busch gardens or Universal Studios. "Yes, folks on the left is a big ship with lumber from the rain forests they are destroying throughout South America and on your right are those horrible truck drivers that everybody hates working their asses off!"That photograph of the lumber in the warehouse is actually from the port in Baltimore. It is a load of extremely low grade lumber from somewhere in Russia. You see, as a truck driver, I move all this crap from Russia, South America and China into our fine country. Before I went on home time I moved three coils from China to Virgina. When in Laredo I move more crap from Mexico inland. On no occasion do I actually pick up anything made here and move it to the port to go overseas. Something definitely wrong there, ey?
The photo to the left I took at the Pilot off I80 in Gary, IN. A very typical example of one the many pigsties in the Pilot chain of so called "travel centers." At this location, rather than clean up the parking lot, they have to employ a full-time "security" guy to stand around with his you know what up his you know what making sure someone doesn't rob the place of all that cash they have lying around. I only go here because it is the nearest CAT scale to my customer coming out of Chicago. The other places across the street and down the block are just as worse. The inside of this Pilot isn't bad, but I would never eat here. The folks behind the counter are, which is rare for a Pilot, pretty sharp considering all the driver abuse they have to put up with. And don't blame the drivers - ever see a movie theatre when everyone leaves? Part of managing any business is cleaning it up. 
This is a photo I took after delivering a load in NJ. Yes, the same state where its governor likes to drive around at 90 mph without a seat belt. The state of EPA wonder princess Christie Todd Whitman. And of course, the governor who needed to come out of the closet after his Israeli boyfriend threatened to sue him. I spent some time in NJ when it was a fairly "normal" place. There are many beautiful places there. The place I delivered to in Bridgewater not too far off the turnpike was beyond stupid. They do not allow overnight parking despite a huge empty lot across the street from the front gate because the local "officials" are morons. You have to park in the street, walk to the opposite end of the plant, go into a building probably built 75 years ago. Although I couldn't be sure, the place smelled of "union." I had been scheduled to deliver the load the day before, but they decided not to receive any freight that day. I was one of two load they decided to receive this day. There was more stupidity, but I won't bore you. Needless to say, I was glad to get the hell out of there and on my way to Philadelphia for a load home.
This is a 40,000 lb. coil being transported somewhere. The laws governing this type of freight have to be changed. I don't think coils should be placed on flatbed trucks like this and moved anywhere. Specialized trailers with coil wells should be the law. This load does not have enough chains securing the load. Even with the proper amount of securement, I have seen coils come off the trailer, especially when in the winter. In a "well" configuration, at least 1/2 the coil sits below the deck. With the right amount of chains the load would be considerably safer. Many coils are tarped, but it does not make the load any safer. Drivers will lose coil freight, but safety should be the only consideration here.
