Laredo...

Evening folks...this is ogre achiever, I am the assistant editor of acourtesyflush. We decided to send vgrumpy, the creator of acourtesyflush, across the border deep undercover in Mexico. He drives a flatbed and I drive a reefer. I really don't understand flatbed drivers, so I have no idea what he intends to do down there. We just wanted to give you an update as to what's happening here. As with the rest of Texas, road construction in Laredo is disorganized and ongoing, and ongoing and going. We think Texas and Georgia have the worst road construction in the nation. Whether I35, I95 or I75 there seems to be no end to whatever it is they're trying to accomplish. It would seem that whatever they're doing will pretty much be outdated when and if they ever finish. We do have the new T/A at exit #13 across from the FJ which is across the interstate from the Pilot. The T/A's gonna get you com'in and going with parking you have to pay for and a lot of Idle Aire. If you get here early enough, I recommend you park at, the always free, FJ. I fuel at my terminal so I'm not paying whatever it is at the T/A for parking. It's $12 over on the other coast in Ontario, CA - I would assume it's about the same here. Although the rain seems to have finally stopped, on the way down, there was considerable flooding off I35 south of San Antonio and north of Laredo. If you're familiar with Laredo, I dropped my trailer off east of the airport. North on I35 to exit #8 right along Bob Bullock Loop past 59 - which is where the Wal-Mart and Target super centers are, about a 1/2 mile past there right to Industrial Park #1. I was tied up pretty much all day at the forwarder. Later in the afternoon, I headed over to the Golden Corral buffet south of Mines Rd. just off I35. This is the best food value in Laredo. The $9.95 buffet is awesome and has 5 different kinds of chicken, barbecued steak and pork, many varieties of potatoes, vegetables, salads, pizza, fish including shrimp and the dessert table is amazing. It puts any truck stop buffet to shame. The atmosphere is nice - sometimes there is a two man band - the kids are well behaved and the service is very good. Your drink will always be filled without asking and with dessert, you will be offered free coffee. I should be here a day or so waiting for a load eastbound. Now speaking of eating and buffets, we have an excellent first hand account of a driver's first hand experience with an eating disorder and depression. We decided to hold it up for a few days so we can add some more detailed health advise for you. And before we stop talking about Laredo, even if you have a GPS and good directions to where you're going, buy a map before you get here to avoid getting confused, lost and frustrated. Laredo is an easy place to get around, but then I've been coming here for over 5 years and have seen the place mushroom into what it is trying to be now. And despite all the crap along the border with NAFTA and trucks, everyone is very friendly and accommodating. As with anywhere else, if you want respect, then show respect. And if you are not comfortable speaking Spanish, don't, everyone here is bilingual, therefore smarter than you. Don't try to be a smart ass or a redneck. There was one "of these" in the FJ last night, and he made all us of look bad to the "civilians" working and eating there. And an reminder, join OOIDA. We tried long and hard to convince vgrumpy this was the "right" thing to do. We want to see 350,000 members - which would give "us" a hell of lot more influence with elected representatives.

Join OOIDA...

For those of you that have been followed our rants and postings, you know that we have been "against" OOIDA. We had a staff "teleconference" this past weekend to go over "things." One change we decided on is to go ahead and recommend that both company and owner operators join OOIDA. We feel the best way to change an organization is to become part of it, rather than sit on the sidelines and whine. Truckers need all the help they can muster and we feel "we" can make a difference as members. You can join on-line by going to http://www.ooida.com One of the first things we want to see accomplished is a name change to reflect ALL drivers.

We strongly recommend...

that all drivers go to http://www.teamster.org/ and read the material there. Learn what is going on at UPS (Overnight) and FEDEX. Is this the answer to "our" problems of no representation and being ignored by management, no respect, lack of fair and accurate pay and overtime, reasonable working hours, and safe conditions and equipment? Maybe and maybe not. But it certainly deserves your attention and discussion.

Let the punishment fit the crime...

Woof woof Michael Vick? His code name was supposedly "Ookie." Millionaire star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. Dog fighting and animal cruelty? The NFL will not let him play. We say he's innocent until proven guilty. Let him play. If he is found guilty beyond any doubt, then strip him, tie him to a tree, hose him down and electrocute him - as he and others "allegedly" did to those poor dogs. Let the punishment fit the crime. Truck drivers love their pets. Some abandon them on the road without food, water or shelter. They are no better than Vick, if guilty. Thanks to all the drivers we know that keep an eye out for abandoned animals and rescue them.

As ugly as ever...

Another one bits the dust. Earlier it was that evil pest Falwell - now another schister televangelist goes down. We're certainly sorry for her kids, but this witch milked too many gullable folks out of their hard earned dollars to build things like an air conditioned dog house for her pets, for us to waste too much space on her meaningless life. We know a lot of drivers who were "taken in" by her PTL Club. Tammy Faye Bakker Messner last appeared on The Larry King Show about 48 hours before her passing from colon cancer. She weighed about 65 lbs and was as ugly as ever. Her 2nd husband spent time in prison for bankcruptcy fraud. When are you people going to learn from these crooks and get a life?

T/A buys Petro...

Any day now, the fine folks at T/A will be sending equipment and crews to all Petro's to screw up their truck parking lots. Soon all Petro's will have huge pot holes, big bulges and wide cracks, just like all the T/A's. Enjoy the Petro lots now, because after the T/A acquisition is complete, your truck will being swaying and rocking and everything in your cab will fall all over the place, just like at T/A. Make sure your cargo is secure because T/A doesn't care about it. T/A will also be making all the Petro spaces smaller and eliminating 1/3 of the spaces for no apparent reason. Rumor has it that T/A is going to try to patch their horrible parking lots with Petro's iron skillets.

Checking in on our fine "professionals"...

Channel 19 Little Rock, AK: "where all da commercial girls?, homo, pull up a lit'l bit, I'm going over to the bar, bitches, homo, shit, slow down, he's goin' 25 mile a hour, we don't want no niggers over at that bar, what's the price of diesel, redneck, hillbilly, go back to Africa you god damn nigger, god damn mother fuckers, you hobo cracker, put your panties on faggot, do what?, what channel is the CB shop on, anybody got any x-box games for sale?, yeah I hear ya, nobody knows, we got a half ass dead key out there, where's the pussy at?, get your mirror out, where's that damn commercial at, shit, they heard your cheap ass was in here, have you ever seen a North Carolina lot lizard?, it's got to be creamy and wet in the middle, a little extra cheese on the taco, goodbye. *** And you wonder why you get little respect from other drivers and the public. The use of the "N" word is repulsive and disgusting, as are obscene references to one's sexual preferences or body parts. This was an actual reporting of 15 minutes of CB transmissions. We did not mean to offend anyone.

What part of poison do you not understand?

Do you still smoke? What is your problem? You just gotta be one ignorant asshole. There just can't be any other reason. We don't care if your Auntie Betty smoked 12 packs a weeks a lived to 102! If you can't stop, you've got a problem. And when you lite up, it becomes our problem too. The shit stinks. You're gonna die. Nobody wants to smell it. It should be illegal. Shame on FJ, Pilot, Petro, Love's and others for selling it. You look like a fool when you light up. No, it is not your "right" to light up. And, those drivers that smoke with their kids in the cab - ya'll should be arrested for child abuse. How dare you put that little guy in harms way. What part of it's poison do you not understand?

What are these folks thinking?

Drunk astronauts?

Important NASCAR update...

We were really into NASCAR at the start of the season. Then we got busy and our interest fizzled out. Dale Jr. moved over to another team. That was kinda interesting for a few weeks. But, the tracks and players are still the same. The cars are the same. The tires are the same. The same whining sponsors. The same fuel. The NASCAR bureaucracy is the same old red neck Jesus lov'n white boys. Same ole', same ole'. We never understood what the big deal about Dale, Sr. was all about. Then we started following the career of Danika Patrick. She's on the Indy car circuit and was the 2005 Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500. She's smart, talented and a lot easier on the eyes than Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon or the other 5 millionaire's that win all the races.

Little Rock, AK en route to Laredo, TX

Lot's to talk about. First, what is with you Mercer drivers? Talk about a bunch of arrogant old dumb fucks. We're telling you, one of those hot headed Mexican companeros are gonna flatten one of you one day. The world does not owe you a living or service. Even though most of you are over-the-hill and should have retired long ago, you must learn to wait on line like everyone else, you cannot treat truck stop waitresses and clerks like dirt and I know it's a challenge, but you have to start reading signs. They're very useful in telling you what to do, since most of you are clueless how to act in a civilized world. Speaking of being flattened, it is only a matter of time before we read in one of trucking rags that a driver got arrested for punching out an Idle Aire rep. We see it brewing. You'll see. Ok, we have Con-Way and CFI merging. The courts have said they don't like the 34-hour restart and the 11 hour driving cap. Wow, big surprise. They're gonna dick around with this thru Sept. and a "final" word probably won't be decided till the 1st of the new year. Our position is that the 34-hour restart should either remain or extended to 48 hours - a full two days off before getting your 70 back. And, we don't think 11 hours of driving is safe under any circumstances. It should be no more than 10 hours, period. We all know that drivers "fudge" on their logbooks when being held up at a receiver or shipper, so they can drive to meet the absurd ETA's set by sales or customer service representatives. The FMCSA needs to take a closer look at the "whole" picture. We spoke directly to a FMCSA agent and he told us "everyone" is confused and the entire system needs to be simplified. Next, we turned off our Sirius and are giving XM a listen. We are very impressed wiith XM 171 Open Road - the trucking channel. If you get past all the Jesus died for our sins crap, it's not bad. Unfortunately, it seems that the same 3 drivers are always calling in on all the shows. Also, it really annoying that all the "personalities" have their noses straight up OOIDA's rear. One driver called in and said he won't join OOIDA because they have done nothing to change the way company drivers are paid. The response of "it's not in their charter" ain't good enough. Going slightly off topic - if OOIDA wants company drivers, it has to start by changing their name. Back on topic, the Sirius trucking "network" is horrible. The XM/Sirius merger is still on hold pending review of a new XM/Sirius pricing proposal by the FCC chairman and his pencil pushers. And finally now, we had the Petro Little Rock "steak" $10.99 buffet. It was horrible. The steak could barely be cut with a steak knife. It was like chewing rubber. Jerky is easier on the choppers. Everything was overcooked and had little or no taste. A few days ago we had awesome dinners at Panera's on the Ohio Tpk. and Starbuck's. Panera's has a terrific roast beef sandwich and French onion soup. Starbuck's has a great selection of pre-made sandwiches. Our coffee in the truck is better and certainly cheaper than any of their coffees. Anyway, after those two meals, we had to suffer at Petro.

Must see viewing...

Have you seen this movie? If not, you must! It's too bad George Bush didn't pay a little more attention in his history classes at Yale. If he sat down the night before he ordered our kids to invade Iraq and watched this movie, we are convinced, unless he is far more ignorant than we imagine, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in now. Again, we support our troops. The problem is either shit or get off the pot. Take over the country, flatten whatever needs to be flattened and take the oil. Fly the Stars and Stripes, bring on the casinos and make it ours. Throw out all the cowards and trouble makers and take the damn thing over - the way it should have been done in the beginning. Haven't our men and women over there taken enough shit already? Let's stop the "foreplay" and do what needs to be done. Otherwise, let's get the hell out! This is a must see for all truck drivers. We have seen it at least 5 times already. Better yet, if you're at a terminal, get a copy and play it for a bunch of drivers to see again, or for the first time. Semper Fi!

Too expensive...

Harley-Davidson sales down here - up overseas. Custom models are very expensive. To the left is the special firefighters edition. Stock models run about $20K. For us to afford a Harley, we can probably get one "used" for about $9500. At least they're still made in the US.

Stand tall drivers and honor...

18 year-old Christopher D. Kube. Enlisted at 17. From Sterling Heights, MI. A newlywed. Killed in Bagdad by an IED - July 14th. We thank you for your service young man. We honor your bravery. You are the best of the best. For additional details, please go to http://iraqnam.blogspot.com

What were we thinking?

We got sucked in, just like millions of folks. A day off and some sleep and we all quickly came to our senses. Look, if you want to be a Christian or follow some other religion, you're happy and don't hurt anyone else, more power to you. But, as we see it - all religion is nonsense and easy money. We think simple people like simple things. Most people don't want to think too hard. They feel more comfortable following and being told what to do. So "they'll" make your life easy. "We" all came from one dude in a "magic" garden somewhere. Then there was the "rib" thing and we got a female. Don't worry, forget evolution, we have absolutely nothing to do with monkeys, bears and other hairy things. Forget science. Then, a woman got pregnant, but not by having intercourse. She gave birth to a "nice" guy" - a carpenter and fisherman - who after 30 years or so, came on the "scene" and was called Jesus. He was an iconoclast and a Jew. But the rest of the Jews were threatened by him. He was nailed to a cross by Roman soldiers. His body was taken down, put into a cave and somehow "came alive" again until...well you know the rest of the "story." Jesus, interestingly enough, was very much like Budda and Mohammud. A talented "imagineer" named John said if you "follow" Jesus you will live forever in the "kingdom" of heaven and you will be forgiven for any "sin" that you commit. What followed and what continues now is, as we said, nonsense and money. Some "guy" with a cool hat says you cannot wear a condom to prevent aids. You cannot do this or that, because it is "tradition." Others say if you blow yourself and others up, glory and virgins will await you. Over thousands of years, since the "beginning" of time, millions of people have be murdered in the name of religion. We're right, you're wrong, you must follow us, you have to be us, your a this or that so you must die, convert, read this and nothing else, don't do that, do this, we do this in the name of..., all bullshit. Want to be free? Want to be happy? Forget any and all religion. Reject being a follower of some "slick" salesperson with an easy solution to your problems. Be a leader.Think. Break the "pattern" and set some new better "rules." Smile more, do the best you can, be kind to all people, help folks in need, don't push what you believe on others, let people be free and do unto others as you would want done unto you. Forget the symbols, the buildings, the books, the radio and television crap, the hats, robes and costumes. Forget the stars, crosses, angles and jewelry. Throw away the signs, pictures, drawings and statutes. The world will be a better place for all. And until this is accomplished, the wars, the murder, the misunderstanding, the diseases and the hate will continue.

It is with a sad heart

that we announce the closing of this blog. All the staff have been very busy driving at night the last week, listening to all the late night terrestrial radio. There is certainly a lot of Christian broadcasting that we've paid close attention to. We had a conference call early this morning and made the decision final. We have all decided to be reborn and give our lives over to Jesus. The attraction of life forever and having all our sins forgiven is too overwhelming for us to turn our backs on. We will miss all of you. Christ Jesus has called us to a higher purpose. In Jesus' name, we pray for all you sinners. We have seen the light - we hope you come with us. Praise Jesus. Bless you and goodbye forever.

Let us never forget...

President Bush, why don't we have this man? Why are we in Iraq? Why are our kids dying? We support our military, but Mr. President, you have lost site of the ball. We want this man, dead or alive. Why is it taking so long?





* WTC photo by Bill Biggard, 2001, http://digitaljournalist.org/

Give 'em the ole razzle dazzle...

What do Fred Sanford, Robert Preston "The Music Man", Richard Gere in "Chicago" and George Bush all have in common? It is that unique line of bullshit that immediately diverts people from reality. Gere sings: "Give 'em the old razzle dazzle - razzle dazzle 'em - give 'em acts with lots of flash in it and the reaction will be passionate - give 'em the old hocus pocus - bread and feather 'em - how can they see with sequins in their eyes?" Fred Sanford in the 80's t.v. series "Sanford and Son" says "Weezie, I'm a com'in" - holding his chest faking a heart attack - when his son tells him something he doesn't like. Preston in the movie, stands in the background of a town meeting shouting: "We've gotta protect our kids!" Today, we have George Bush telling us that the evil forces of Al Queda are stronger than ever - the folks responsible for 9-11 are in Iraq and we must not desert the Iraqi people. Perhaps when Bush is out of office he can play the shyster lawyer role (Billy Flynn) Gere played in "Chicago". This nonsense just doesn't work anymore. These wild claims are unsubstantiated, just like the lies about weapons of mass destruction. Our military commanders don't even know what's going on in Iraq. Bin Laden is somewhere in Pakistan and "they" won't let us in to find him. That in and of itself is incredible. Bush has no credibility with the American people. Nobody believes his "line" any more than the colored terrorist warnings posted by "Homeland" security. We're "wise" to the whole game. Iraq is a country comprised of criminals, thugs, religious fanatics and cowards. No one in Iraq has stepped up to the plate - they're too busy blowing themselves and our kids up. Their "government" just went on "vacation" from doing nothing. If we're not going to make Iraq completely ours and drive the bastards back over to Iran - if we're not going to make Iraq a massive US military base and take their oil - then let's get out and soon. Let's find another country we can screw up. And let's not have anymore jive talk'n hocus-pocus nonsense from Bush. Why doesn't a senior member of the administration tell him he sounds like an idiot? Better yet, why don't we all write and tell him that on our own. With all due respect, Mr. President.

Fat just ain't where's it's at anymore...

Ok, here's the dilemma. On the far left are 5 Werner drivers. Ok, sorry, they're not Werner drivers, they just look like typical Werner drivers. We all know we're too fat. The FMCSA wants us to loose weight, reduce diabetes and lower our blood pressure. The government wants us healthy. They don't want us to get paid more, get overtime or buy affordable health insurance, but they want us thin and happy. So Glaxo Smith Klein comes out with this over the counter FDA approved weight loss "drug" called Alli. Their web site is http://myalli.com/. If you take this stuff, eat a low fat diet and exercise, the idea is you will lose weight. The problem we're all hearing is that if you eat any fat, you're going have a few difficulties with - we'll be polite here - going to the bathroom. None of us have tried this new drug. If you have any health insurance, they will not pay for it. We just found the web site and are reading all about it. We recommend you learn more about the whole program. Don't do anything without talking to your doctor first. We'll keep you posted. And FYI drivers, we working on a story about being 50 something and working up the courage to have a colonoscopy. Fun, fun, fun.

*by the way the Alli photo, mention of the drug Alli and Glaxo Smith Klein is all trademarked, copyrighted, rights reserved - bla bla bla and if they don't like what we've done here they can drop us a line and we'll change it - ok? And, the staff at http://acourtesyflush.blogspot.com/ does not recommend this drug nor has anything in the world to do with Alli or Glaxo Smith Klein. Jesus. And again, see your damn doctor first before you do anything. Got it? Good.

We're not joking...

So follow me on this. This little "animal" somewhere deep in the rain forests of Indonesia eats cherry-like things. Inside its stomach everything gets stuck together. He poops it out. The photo on the far left is what it looks like. It has to be "collected" fast so it doesn't get rained on. Then it's made into the world's most expensive coffee - $600 a pound! No, we're not joking. Go to http://Sally's-Place.com or http://AnimalCoffee.com for the details. We just went shopping the other day. Our favorite is Sam's Colombian for about $2.75 a pound. Drivers, don't ever let us hear that we don't bring you up to date on everything, including this stuff, which is called Kopi Luwak. We heard about this on NPR the other day. Massimo Marcone wrote a book called "In Bad Taste" about all kinds of weird food and drinks. Like cheese with maggots? How about an edible birds nest? This book is for you. Go to http://Keyporter.com/book to read about the book. Filed by Born2Shop from San Francisco, CA.

Update on the Sirius XM merger...

Drivers, here's the deal...the FCC is still dragging its feet on this merger. It reminds us of the court case to see where Anna Nicole Smith should be buried. It took about a week to decide what should have been settled in a ten minute hearing. The "regular" radio folks don't want this to happen and they're bringing out all their trump cards to see that it doesn't. We're sure a lot of backdoor b.s. is going on here with lobbyists offering to do this for that and so on. It has nothing to with whether or not we drivers (subscribers) care or could possibly benefit by the merger. The two make their money from new car sales when the buyer activates the service. We love competition, but these two companies are drowning in their often-misguided efforts to outdo each other. Opra on the XM? Give us a break! Opie and Anthony? Who cares? Howard Stern receiving $500 million from Sirius? Absurd. NASCAR goes from XM to Sirius. OK, that's pretty good. XM has major league baseball, Sirius doesn't. But it would be better if they're were 3 or four satellite services rather than the big 2. Our Sirius and XM in the truck are off right now. We listening the "ole-fashioned" way to local radio around the US. It's really not too bad except for those horrible car commercials and the sexy girl/guy fool combos so typical of drive-time terrestrial radio. Satellite is better just because of the consistent reception everywhere you go. But satellite does have commercials and the DJ's are just as bad as regular radio. So here we wait. We're not going to buy any new equipment until the FCC makes it final ruling. We recommend you do the same. Filed by SaturnNate from Clearwater, FL

Going where no other blog or magazine goes...

I'd like to see the clowns that run Pilot Challenge Magazine, who represent the wacko religious right, do a story like this. What would "their" Jesus have to say? So anyway, we're here at the Petro in Carlisle, PA. We gave our load of (more) roofing material to another team because for whatever reason they "had" to get to Indianapolis yesterday. We weren't crazy about another 600 mile overnight trip, so we drove the 78 miles from Myerstown, PA to Carlisle and they gave us a MT trailer which we will use to pick up a Hazmat load of (yup, roofing material) headed 1450 miles down to Houston. After the repower, we went into the Petro to take advantage of the $7.95 luncheon buffet. We made our way through the Idle Aire folks (wow, they say drivers are overweight and unhealthy) standing around trying to look busy - in case the boss drives by in his (her?) golf cart - past the beggar sitting outside, past the annoying vendors inside to the restaurant. We sat down in the non-smoking section which used to be the smoking section until they shoved all the smokers in the back. Our "waitress" (server?) came right over and wait a darn minute. This woman looks familiar. What is it about...hold on...our waitress is (was) a man. "Barb" used to be Vinny. The legs, arms, shoulders and face are Vinny, but the hair, little boobs and I guess the "rest" are, well, kinda "Barb." She had no makeup. And no she was not a "lesbian." The legs were waxed but they were definitely a man's legs. And yes, we did spend a lot of time checking her "out." "She" was far more interesting than our meal. Under her yellow Petro shirt she was wearing a bra, but the shoulders were definitely a man's. Based on the way she worked - "she" was a hustler - we would have to call her an "alfa" transgendered female. But you couldn't stop thinking "she" was a man, who decided one day to come to work as a girl. But hold on here. This is a "new" world. You will lose your job if you call someone a "nappy" haired something or other, and you will be shunned in Hollywood if you refer to a fellow actor as a "faggot." Ann Coulter can use the word faggot, but not someone else, especially an African-American male. Black folks can use the "N" word, but not a white person. According to the religious right and the "church", our waitress will soon be struck down by lightning and go to hell. I wonder if the devil likes to dress as a women sometimes? Well, bottom line is, we don't really care. "She" did a hell of a job making our meal more "efficient." She even threw out two women who tried to lite up in the non-smoking section. Right on, girl (boy) friend! The other servers are the typical droopy truck stop "girls" not really knowing what the hell to do. It's as if these "women" never ate in a restaurant in their lives. You want to put them in front of a mirror and ask "you've got to be kidding, right?" So "Barb" was once a man and is now a woman? If "she's" happy, then so are we. She certainly didn't have that "gay" attitude. Just kidding! She does the job (well) and that's enough. She certainly wouldn't make it as our city manager. He - she - decided to become a woman and got fired. A well known sports writer decided recently to make the switch. Whatever - they're other more important things to worry about. The photo is of Susan Stanton, who used to be Steve Stanton, the former City Manager of Largo, FL. Google him/her if you want more details about the transformation. And since we had to do a little research on this "situation", we learned a few things you may or may not give a shit about, but here it is anyway. A transvestite is a dude who likes to wear women's clothing, but does not want to be a woman. A transsexual is a man or woman who wants to go 100% in the opposite direction and change sex completely. There's a lot more, some who are in between and well, you can find out more on your own. Susan's photo is from the St. Petersburg Times (that's Florida, not Russia), and we did not think it advisable to ask "Barb" if we could take her photo for this article. And, for all our GLBT readers, we love ya. We listen to Derek and Romaine too! Filed by Cowboy Kitchen and "friend" from Carlisle, PA.

We salute you...

This brave young man was killed in Bagdad last week. He was hit by an IED - an improvised explosive device. From Safety Harbor, FL, he was a 2005 graduate of Countryside High School. His unit, the 4th Brigade Team, was stationed out of Fort Bliss, TX. Please don't forget, as you go about your daily lives, whether on the road or at home, that we are at war. The media seems to have forgotten this. Our kids are over there in harms way. We implore you to keep them in your prayers.
God bless Private First Class Johnathan Rossie.

We didn't know she was still around...

This is a Reuters photo. Lady Bird Johnson. She passed away at 94 years old. She was living in Austin, TX. We remember her pushing the cause of highway beautification. Too bad we didn't listen. Our interstates look terrible. She took out a $10,000 loan way back in 1939 to finance her husband's first campaign for Congress. She was also a successful businesswoman. She represented a different time and another era when females remained in the background behind their husbands. She died of natural causes. Bless her soul.

$15 air?

You see the can of air to the left? Can anybody tell us why this costs between $7.99 and $12.75? It's a can of air to clean off computer screeens and keyboards. A spray can of just about anything else - paint, cleanser, wd-40, bug spray, goo off, etc - is less expensive. Office Depot sells a pack of three for about $15. We discovered something a lot cheaper. We put our lips together and blew "free" air onto our keyboards. It worked great!

Stay out amigos!

Pictured to your left is one of the best solutions to Mexican "truckers" thinking about entering our country. The politicians and corporations that are behind this insanity should be tarred and feathered. Let's not leave this to the "border" patrol and customs services. Now is the time to get real serious with a secure wall and our fine military police armed and ready to deal with this threat to our livelihood. This is not personal. We don't hate Mexicans. This is business. Freight delivered inside the US must be handled by drivers who are US citizens. And don't talk to us about Canadian drivers. This photo is from the Professional Bulletin of Military Police.

To reiterate what drivers are telling us...

Mexican truck drivers...stay home! You are NOT wanted north of the border. We have never supported any legislation permitting you to enter our country to take money out of our pockets. We support any and all measures to keep you out.

The only solution to truck idling!

Yes, it's called a motel room. The only real solution to "unnecessary" truck idling. Drivers can park in the back or at a lot across the street for their 10 hours off. The trucking companies with their corporate jets, fat executive salaries and "sweet" perks will just have to adjust in the name of safety. APU's and Idle Aire are only "reactionary" measures to the latest "green" lunacy. FJ has motels, just not enough of them. We see a whole new business opportunity here.

Cooler almost catches on fire...

Drivers, watch out for the Coleman model 5644-760 "thermoelectric" (???) cooler w/power supply. It's sold at Wal-Mart, FJ and T/A. The MSRP is $139. We had to exchange the first unit purchased because the power cord overheated and melted. If we were not in the truck to smell the problem and take action, the '07 KW T-600 we hate so much would have been toast. It was connected using the manufacturers AC power cord, which must be used in conjunction with the cigarette lighter cord. Stupid design. We had it plugged into our Cobra inverter all the time - 24/7. We didn't realize it was a fire hazard. It shouldn't be! Wal-Mart gave us a new one and just last week, the same thing happened. Right now, we're using the unplugged "thermoelectric" unit (that's what Coleman calls it) with "i-c-e." Coleman does not, at this time, sell replacement parts for this new unit. Do you believe that? They do sell parts for units that are so old most drivers have long since replaced them. We have contacted Coleman and are waiting for an intelligent response. You might want to wait on buying one of their products. If you're in dire need, perhaps consider an Igloo brand. When it was working, it was great - everything stayed nice and cold in the hottest weather. But we want to make sure our problems don't stem from a manufacturer defect. We don't want a fire hazard in the truck. We don't think our carrier would understand that "their" truck was destroyed because of a defective Coleman cooler. We'll get back to you on all this. Let's move on to some other "tech" issues. The Wilson replacement antenna for your Sirius radio is terrible. Don't buy it. The flimsy antenna wire will NOT stand up to the wear and tear of daily OTR usage. The slightest crimp or break in the antenna wire will cause you to get a "no antenna available" error message on your display and loss of service. A driver at the T/A in Savannah returned his today because of that reason. The (factory) Sirius replacement for the antenna is overpriced at $39.99. Unless you have fuel bonus points to buy it, don't. We do recommend the Wilson 303-5002 SR5000 Sirius (or XM version) for $59.97 which has the heavier duty antenna (and radio connection) far better suited for our needs. Our tech advisor, SaturnNate, the leading electronics installer in the US for a major retailer, tells us that Sirius is phasing out all of their present radios. Newer updated versions will be available in late August - early September. Unless you need an immediate replacement - wait until the new models come out. Next, we recently signed a (renewal) 2-year contract with Verizon. Our staff had tried AT&T, Nextel and others, but Verizon, although by far not perfect, had the best nationwide coverage (and price plan) for OTR drivers. In conjunction with that, we purchased two LG VX8300's which suited our requirements just fine and they work with Bluetooth devices. Verizon sells the Samsung WEP410 Bluetooth headset for $99 - we found it for $29.99. If you want to look like a pilot or air controller spend three times as much and get one of those anti-wind, noise cancelling "trucker" headphones. The Samsung unit works great in the truck environment and is very small and lightweight. The LG phone has a whole bunch of stuff we don't need and will never use. We don't need the MP3 player, the camera, the VCast, the downloads and whatever else it does. Darn we just use the phone as a phone - what a concept! Back to Bluetooth a sec - if you still use a cell phone without the Bluetooth feature - using any of the "standard" headsets by GE, Plantronics, Jabra, etc. - update to Bluetooth. We have wasted more money on headsets over the past two years. The wire from the phone to your head/set will drive you crazy. It gets in the way of just about everything. Countless times we've put our arm here or there - up and down - and it would get caught in the wire and snap. At least three got caught in our steering wheel and broke. If you drive without utilizing a headset, you're a moron and dangerous. You're no better than the idiot 4-wheelers that drive tilted to the left or right talking on the phone avoiding everything else around them. We've used the Bluetooth/Samsung combo for about a week now and love it. Lastly, the Wilson "trucker" cell phone antenna - the most popular version sells for about $39-$69 - it's on sale at many truck stops - is a complete waste of time. We've tested it for about six months and you don't need it. It looks impressive, but your cell phone will work just as good without it, no matter where you might be or what the conditions are around you. We'll keep it up on our mirror mount for show, next to our satellite radio antenna.

Here "they" go again...

We had the last week off and got back to the truck this morning at 8am sharp. It took one phone call lasting about three minutes and we got a load of roofing material from Lake City, FL up to Lebanon, PA. In the next week we are scheduled to go to our main terminal for repairs. Due to the extremely heavy rain storm just north of the FL/GA border, we decided to call it a day and spend the night at the Brunswick FJ off I-95. After some steak and salad we picked up the latest copy (July 1-14 '07) of The Trucker, a publication, along with other "trucker industry" papers and magazines, we try to avoid reading. If you're new to our blog, we suggest you go back and read our May 14th posting for some additional background. One of the cover pieces (from The Trucker) really pissed us off. Not just the subject matter, but the poor way it was presented. We just don't like the "reporters" attitude. "He" comes off with more as a corporate "green" mouthpiece with an anti-driver agenda than a objective reporter. If you don't already know, the "trucker press" are a bunch of 40 year-old wannabees who know nothing about the realities of driving and living in a truck. "They" go around in private school-girl like "clicks" wearing their corporate golf shirts, hoping for recognition from the mainstream press, consistently failing to write intelligent articles about the leper colony known as trucking industry. "They" wouldn't last a day in the real world of OTR trucking. But since they present themselves and their "product" in front of our faces at truck stops around the country, [sometimes] we are bound to notice and comment on their ignorance. If anyone cared for a nanosecond about what we really do, the "pros from Dover" (The New York Times, AP or Christian Science Monitor for example) would come down from their ivory towers and professionally report on it. So, The Trucker story we're referring to is: "Will demand for no-idle solutions catch up to the sizzling forecasts?" by staffer Kevin Jones. Screw this guy. What the hell is he talking about and to whom? He says: "Everyone knows idling is expensive and environmentally unsound, right? Well, you could try telling that to the [truckers] if you could coax them out of their comfortable air-conditioned cabs, and if they could hear you over the racket." What did this clown say? He sure as hell isn't talking to "us". To suffer through more (if you can stomach it), you're dragged through this rag having to read more of what this pinhead has to say. Jones derives much of his pseudo "expertise" from the conventions and shows he attends. Do you really care what the maintenance director from a second rate carrier has to say about idling. No. Do you give shit about the EPA? No. We already know that everyone hates Idle Aire and their nonsense. Do you care about their bullshit? No. And do you care about what a flatbed carrier with purple trucks has to say about anything? No. The only "thing" this "approach" accomplishes is that Jones gets his golden staff "writer" chance to kiss the ass of an advertiser (or two) and get a rain check for calling them again to comment about some other nonsense. This guy knows nothing. This truck is our home for 8 weeks. When we're in it, it stays on. When our carrier (s) find some other way to keep us cool, warm and comfortable, we will probably follow. This Jones piece is crap. Listen drivers, he doesn't know about us. He is a fool. He is as good as the next thought some carrier suit or advertiser puts in his little pin head. Without the useless information he gets at the next show or convention, he wouldn't know what to write. Drivers, do the right thing - leave The Trucker in the stand. It does, though, make excellent lining for your cat box. Need to check your oil? Tear the front cover off and wipe. Throw the rest in the garbage. Want to save the environment? Stop printing it. Think of all the paper we will save.

We celebrate our independence from England...

George Washington had it right by doubling the rum ration to his troops on July 4th. We're all going to celebrate it in our own way. Hopefully, you will have off from work or if you're an OTR driver you will be home or parked safely at one of the better truck stops. We just want to say this - the US is the greatest country in the world since men and women first walked the planet. As Americans, we are damn lucky to be living here. US Citizenship must be a unique and treasured responsibility. Living in a democracy is not easy. It is work. And we must all take that work seriously. We have a duty to watch what "our" government is doing. A free press is our front line to keep us informed about what is happening. We need to vote. We need to participate. We need to speak out. We need to ask questions. We need to write. We need to be activists. We need to learn from history. We need to e-mail and blog and pod cast. We need to be iconoclasts. We need to have compassion. We need to fight. We need to be smart. This is what being free is all about. Anything less is simply unacceptable The staff of acourtesyflush wish all you a safe, happy and productive July 4th. God bless America.

Special report from the staff...

If you happen to be home on the 4th, tune in to ESPN's coverage of the Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest from Coney Island, NY. The winning prize will be $20,000 and the "coveted" mustard yellow belt. The lingering question this year will be whether #1 Takeru Kobayashi will be able to defend his World Champion title against #2 Joey Chestnut. Last year, Kobayashi ate 53.75 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes to win. However, in a recent competition Chestnut consumed 59 1/2 dogs. Kobayashi has complained about a sore jaw. Everyone will be holding their breath to see if Kobayashi can compete. In descending order, the top 5 contestants are Kobayashi, Chestnut, Patrick Bertoletti, Sonya Thomas and Bob Shoudt. Thomas is a 110 lbs. female who, not too long ago, ate 8 lbs. of chili cheese fries in 10 minutes! Don't let her size fool you - she is a real threat. There are plenty of web sites on the Internet for more information. The International Federal for Competitive Eating is at http://IFOCE.com and/or http://MajorLeagueEating.com

No health insurance...

Our dog had a large golf-ball sized lump inside his "pawpit." His teeth were bad. No I do not brush the dogs teeth. Henry was scheduled for surgery at 8am this morning. There was a flat on the car. By 7:30am it was already in the 90's and the humidity was awful. I put on a donut which needed air. I made it to the vet by 9:15am. Got the call at 11: 30am that all was fine and Henry is out of surgery in recovery. While cleaning his gums, three of his "bad" teeth fell out on their own. He will need to be on antibiotics for about a week. I'm going to pick him up in a few minutes. The cost is $275. Henry has no health insurance. Never did actually. He is a dog, although I forget that all the time. And no, the photo to your left is not him. Henry is black and about 11 years old. I thought about taking him OTR with me, but the KW T-600 is not big enough for the both of us.

Untreated depression?

Christopher Michael Benoit, May 21, 1967 - June 24, 2007. He killed his wife and son, then committed suicide. Our staff does not follow staged "professional" wrestling. We know many OTR drivers do. We have no idea why. The reason we bring up Benoit's case is our constant focus on depression. The reason for this tragedy is, as of yet, unknown. But we strongly encourage you to read our previous posts on depression and seek immediate treatment, whether for yourself, a family member or friend.

Thinking of moving to Florida?

Don't. I first started coming down to the sunshine state a long time ago. My mother came down here as a kid and then went by boat to Cuba with her parents. Florida was a magical place to me. I would look forward to June when school let out and the family would board the Silver Star train and head south. We would stay until late August. I hated to go back to the city and the dirt and the horrible heat. I vowed some day that I would live in Florida. I got the opportunity about twenty years ago. It was not a good decision. I still regret it to this day. I can save you a great deal of aggravation and disappointment by strongly advising you to stay where you are - whether it be Ohio or New York or anywhere else. Why? Because Florida is no longer magical. The rat race and all the morons you think you want to get away from are all here - big time. My son told me the other day that for the first time in many years, there are actually more people moving out of Florida than moving in. I'm certainly not surprised. Florida has too much government, taxes have gotten out of hand, insurance costs are skyrocketing, the weather has become hotter and more humid, pollution is worse, traffic is miserable and, well, the people here are assholes - most of them from "up north." Orlando is, in my opinion, one of the worst cities in the US. Having Disney there means nothing. As an OTR driver I obviously go to a lot of places around this country. And some of them are starting to look pretty darn good to me. As an OTR driver working for a company far from Florida, I can basically live anywhere. My wife, an underpaid teacher, might have some trouble elsewhere, but would do fine. I might add here that the job situation in Florida is great if you are a nurse, salesperson - preferably pharmaceuticals - or in some form of insurance or banking. However, having worked in a series of "local" jobs - both in trucking and other industries - it is typical to "screw" the life out of the worker while the boss is on his 40' boat hoarding every dollar out of the business. Many folks cannot afford health insurance and the majority of businesses do not offer it. Listening to local radio you will hear endless hours of car commercials and lawyers who can't wait to find the next car accident victim and sue someone's ass off. Well, I think I've just about had it. Because of local code laws that I never knew were being considered and I never voted for, I cannot park my tractor on my property, my pool cannot have any leaves in it, my garbage cans have to be a certain size and color, my son and I cannot restore a boat on my driveway and the stupidity goes on and on. While the cities here pay $65K a year for former cops to drive around harassing taxpayers, there are no controls on illegal immigrants or pedophiles. The county I reside in has more pedophiles that any other in the US. Multi-million dollar development projects have destroyed one of the most beautiful beach communities in the world. So, I'm on a search for somewhere else to spend the rest of my life. I want a large plot of land, a small house, and plenty of weapons. I don't want anyone on my property. If I want to have a horse and ride it in the nude, that is my business. As long as I don't hurt anyone else, I want to be left alone in peace. And that my friends, ain't gonna happen in Florida!