This has been a difficult winter. Actually, I'm inclined to say that it has been the most challenging winter season I've had in my entire trucking decade. For whatever reason, the variety of trips I used to get from Pohl has disappeared, and I have spent 99% of my time simply running back and forth between the east coast and the Ohio/Indiana area. I've frequently bitched in my blog about how atrociously bad the Pennsylvania roads are during winter weather conditions. The worst in the country (of the places I go, at least). Ohio is usually pretty good, but for whatever reason they are just not on the ball tonight. I-70 and I-71 were both littered with wrecks. I spent (a very illegal) 13 hours behind the wheel today and didn't even make it to where I was supposed to be. That's pretty rare for me... but I spent at least half the day moving at 20mph or less. What more can be expected? It gets there when it gets there. Keeping myself and my cargo intact is a lot more important than anyone's appointment schedule.

Anyhow, I've also got my eyes and ears open for a new employer. I've been with Pohl for a number of years now, and have weathered a few changes that I was less than enthusiastic about... but something is happening tomorrow that I simply cannot tolerate. I'll be heading into the shop for a bit of scheduled maintenance, but they will also be turning down the speed limit of my truck. It'll only go SIXTY with my foot on the pedal, and 64 in cruise control. I have a problem with this for several reasons:

-The owner of the company THINKS this is going to save fuel. If you measured fuel mileage on a flat surface, that might be so. But considering the hilly terrain and the extremely heavy loads we usually carry, turning the trucks down this much will actually make them all work that much harder trying to maintain momentum and climb hills. It's simple physics, and I am virtually certain the result will not be very good.

-Longer hours with less accomplished. It's minor, but it still means less money in my pocket.

-I refuse to drive for one of the slowest fleets on the road. I mean this is NOT EVEN the speed limit in most places. Unacceptable. I'm hardly a lead-foot. Even though I was disappointed a couple years ago when they turned the trucks down from 68 to 65, I could live with it. So I couldn't really pass many people anymore... but at least I could usually maintain the speed limit. Not anymore.

-Safety. There are times when I over-ride the high-tech radar based cruise control system on my truck. It's normal behavior is to slow the truck down when it senses a vehicle in front of you. Sometimes it sees "ghosts" (ie - there isn't anything there, but it "senses" something anyhow and slows you down). Other times (and particularly while climbing a hill), I simply need to maintain all the momentum I can get, and not have the system back me off from whatever is in front of me. So putting my foot down on the pedal and the actual result of that being my truck SLOWS DOWN... it's a recipe for disaster. It's simply unsafe. Believe it or not, I'm actually smarter than my truck. I'm the driver. This is just a ridiculous decision.

Naturally I could mention all of these things to any of the several people named Pohl at the company. But it's already too late. The decision is made, I don't own the truck, and I'm just a peon.

So I guess despite the fact that they generally treat me a lot better than most places would, it is perhaps time to move on. I'm not in a hurry, at least. I guess the best time to look for a job is when you already have one and aren't desperate. Fact of the matter is, I'm a very desirable employee. I'm young (by trucking standards) but come with 10 years of experience and a PERFECT driving record. I'm no longer licensed to carry hazardous materials, but I could pick up that endorsement again without much difficulty if it were necessary.

I'm actually giving a bit of consideration to pulling a refrigerated trailer, despite the fact that I've always been pretty opposed to doing so in the past. The main reason I'm considering it this time is I know of a company that would give me coast-to-coast runs as a SOLO driver. Most runs like that are given to teams, for reasons of expedition. It's tempting. I could really hit areas of the country I'm not used to going to (ie - Los Angeles, Portland/Seattle, across the Dakotas). Plus I'd get down to Miami and Laredo a lot more often.

Anyhow, that's one possibility. I've got a lot of homework to do before I make any decisions.

Some ask what have you done to make a difference in your lifetime? This is my answer.

The official state motto of Rhode Island is one simple word: HOPE.

Had a little time off. Hitting the road again this morning. Ain't really much else to report.

...except tomorrow is a big day, especially if you live in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, or Rhode Island.

Madonna is hottest wearing western gear.

For shizzle. 49 years old and still turning me on like she did back in the early 80s.

Oh Ralph Nader, you fucking idiot.

Despite the fact that I agree with the fundamental idea that Americans SHOULD have more than two candidate choices, in general, all you have done is make John McCain a very happy man. Despite your extreme ignorance when you denied responsibility for George W. Bush's election... the fact is that 2-3% --DOES-- make a big difference these days. The fact that you're tired of hearing about it and want to move on just proves to myself (and hopefully the rest of America) that you really, simply do not know what you're talking about when it comes to politics.

Most of those foolish enough to vote for you are siphoned from those who WOULD HAVE voted for the democratic candidate. So in a country as evenly divided as ours, the only thing you are doing is making life easier for the republicans. And enabling the continuation of the status quo.

And hey, maybe you made a name for yourself as a consumer advocate 40-something years ago. But frankly I couldn't possibly care less. Do Americans really want or need yet another stubborn old white man calling the shots at this point? For chrissake, you're older than John McCain.

Honestly, time to go on the cart.

I'm pretty sure, at this point, that we're going to win.

It's an awesome feeling.

Obama might not carry my home state of Rhode Island, but unless Hillary wins all the remaining states by something like 15% this contest is over.

John Edwards is perhaps the best (and obvious) running-mate choice. Anyhow, Barack will need someone to balance out his perceived weaknesses. It sure wont be "her" despite them both answering cordially when asked. Who else would be as beneficial other than Al Gore... and he certainly isn't interested in 2nd chair yet again.

Hillary catches a lot of flack for being a woman. But I am pretty sick and tired of the double-standard that is going on. I criticize her A LOT. But it has nothing whatsoever to do with her gender.

Vocal Hillary supporters are quick to accuse anyone who criticizes Mrs. Clinton as being sexist. And not just men. My mother's best friend actually tried to give my Mom (who, like me is an Obama supporter) a guilt-trip over the fact that she was NOT supporting Hillary. It's almost as if this baby-boomer generation of women believes they are handing America some kind of gift with Hillary Clinton, and that all women who reject that gift are fools to be pitied. That they have somehow betrayed all the previous efforts made on behalf of women's rights.

They'll say that it is sexist to reject a candidate based on gender. Yet they are supporting her for that exact same reason.

The reality is that many people, myself included, have legitimate reasons why we support Obama. And distrust Hillary. Lets face it... on policy they are VERY similar 95% of the time. If that is so, then clearly there are other important factors in this decision. Some of my reasons are generalities, others are quite specific.

1) Hillary Clinton voted for the war. Sure, she's seen the light now and supports a draw-down. Great. But it's more comforting to think of someone who gives more careful consideration to how our troops are committed in the first place. We sure don't need any continuation of the loose-cannon cowboy leadership we've seen.

2) Hillary Clinton voted for NAFTA. This is a --HUGE-- problem for me. NAFTA is a big threat to American jobs. American manufacturing has suffered horribly. American trucking jobs are under severe threat right now from Mexican truck drivers. These Mexican truckers, with the support of President Bush and all the legislators who voted to authorize NAFTA are on the verge of being given free reign to drive anywhere in the United States. They will be doing so for much less money and with much more dangerous trucks. This hasn't gotten a whole lot of press, unfortunately. But I can assure you... the ONLY people who benefit from this are the Mexican truck drivers and corporate executives who care more about cutting their logistics budget than they do about preserving the American workforce.

The NAFTA issue alone makes Hillary my enemy.

3) The continuation of the status-quo. Hillary is an incredibly smart, accomplished woman. But she is also a typical politician. She's lived her entire life just setting herself up for this moment. That disturbs me. The ONLY change she represents is her gender (in this case). Because in every way, she represents business as usual among American leadership.

3a) Barack Obama began as a community activist. He ascended to politics to address the needs of average people. Not to float his own ego. Not to be "first" in some historical footnote. I'm not trying to imply that his desire to help the American people is any more noble than that of Hillary. But I sure do FEEL like it is.

3b) Lately Hillary has been down-playing Barack's rhetoric. But do not discount the importance of inspirational oration. Senator Obama is in good company in this regard. Prominent leaders throughout history have shown the power of words. The WAY in which you say things can inspire a nation to greatness. Jack Kennedy. Robert Kennedy. Ronald Reagan.

It's completely ridiculous to suggest he is all talk. But it's equally ridiculous to suggest that the ability to inspire a nation doesn't matter.

3c) Many things Hillary says suggest a continuation of the same-old-thing in Washington. This past week I have heard several times from her campaign that she "won" in Michigan and Florida. Lets look at the FACTS:

-There were rules set forth by the democratic national convention ahead of time.
-The states of Michigan and Florida BROKE THE RULES.
-The voters of these states knew AHEAD of time that their votes wouldn't count. I agree completely that this is unfair and that it isn't the fault of the voters. But the fact that they knew their votes meant nothing also means that not everyone who would have voted bothered to do so. Thus the results are not an accurate reflection of the desires of the voters of these states as a whole.
-Barack Obama's name WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT in Michigan. This is important. Because Hillary suggested multiple times that the voters of Michigan had an open election and chose her over her rival. That is just not so. Michigan democratic voters were given two choices: Hillary Clinton or Dennis Kucinich. The fact that the Clinton campaign would INSIST that this was a fair reflection of the will of the citizens of Michigan is disturbing.

It's complete spin. Things like this simply enforce my opinion that she's a typical Washington politician with typical tricks up her sleeve. And willing to do whatever it takes to win, regardless of the ethics. It's unconscionable.

Incidentally, the only fair solution to the Michigan and Florida "problem" is to have a "do-over". If that isn't possible, then split the delegates from these states 50-50. Thus they CAN be seated at the national convention, but would have no practical impact on the result.

With all due respect to the citizens of Michigan and Florida, your STATES fucked up. Be angry at your own state's democratic leadership. Nobody wants to see people's votes not counted -- but your results are tainted.

4) A Clinton or Bush has led this country for the past 20 years. Doesn't that make anyone else uncomfortable? 232 years ago we rejected the rule of dynasties.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is pure insanity.

5) Hillary Clinton is very divisive figure in American politics. To a great degree, the many reasons for this are irrelevant. But the perception is real. Conversely, Barack Obama has a PROVEN ability to pull us together as a nation. Heck, I'm not even a democrat. His supporters span the breadth of America. This is exactly what we need at this point in history. Someone who can reach across partisan lines. Someone who inspires us to be a better nation. And someone who can lead us down a path to regaining some of the respect and admiration we have destroyed recently among our peer nations around the world.

6) Obama can beat John McCain. Hillary? It's questionable.

7) Hillary is arrogant. She thought this race would be over by now. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected to still be fighting tooth and nail beyond "Super Tuesday". Well, we know how that turned out.

And just as a final thought: I grew up the oldest child with three younger sisters. I have tremendous respect for these women in my life. I think it would be a wonderful thing to finally tone down the tradition of testosterone in the Oval Office. I'd be delighted to vote a woman into the presidency of the United States. But I cannot support this particular woman.

So lets have an end to any ridiculous implications of sexism damaging the Clinton campaign. The exodus she is experiencing has nothing to do with that.

Lennon was interviewed on the Howard Stern show today. Which I thought was pretty cool.

I have more political stuff to discuss, but it'll have to wait. I'm tired and generally feeling furious with the state of Pennsylvania for the atrocious way they take care of their roads during the winter. PA is by far the most dangerous state that I travel though. Within the first 21 miles from the Ohio state line I saw 5 wrecked big trucks. That's inexcusable.

There are many factors in any accident, including things like excessive speed and following too closely. Things truckers are frequently guilty of. True. But I am telling you, NONE of the states that border Pennsylvania have a problem to this degree. I've been driving professionally long enough to tell you with complete sincerity that the state of Pennsylvania's road policy is as simple as this:

It is cheaper to clean up a few dozen fatal accidents every winter than it is to budget the money required to prevent them in the first place.

Shame on you, Pennsylvania. You fuckin' suck.

So according to Hillary Clinton, you only really matter if you live in one of the "important" states. New York, California, Ohio, Texas. Rudy Giuliani adopted an attitude like this too, and look what happened.

I guess she thinks your vote is irrelevant if you live in 2/3 of the rest of America that voted for Obama so far.

And I'm predicting three more wins today. The country is rejecting the status quo.

But hey, Hillary does have one thing: