Journal entry 05/15

This time, I'm writing down my experiences. I didn't do that with my first job, and now there's so many neat adventures and places I've been that have faded away from memory. I got a new trucking job, and I could be very happy right now if not for Amanda, my dog.

She ran away while I was picking up my truck in LA. It was an accident, I'm not mad at my roommate. She is still missing after five days. 

I got a load up to Reno and hauled ass up the 395 to get home and find her. They gave me a day off, and I did everything I could, but didn't have any luck. 

I had to go. My roomie could pick her up when she was found, that is, if. I'm hoping she's okay, she's a tough girl and she's just hiding or she's been adopted by someone... I hope. 

My truck is a nice, classy Volvo. I never thought I'd trust an automatic, but I love it. The storage is poor, but everything else is great. It's built like a truck. The shape is right, it has power to spare but high gears for cruising, the placement of all the controls is perfect. It has very practical storage to make up for the lack of space.

My bill of lading (load paperwork) is in easy reach under the radio, not way up overhead like a Freightshaker. The color scheme inside is a warm dark grey/tan, it has ac outlets for an inverter, the air horn is on the steering wheel, the bunk heater control panel is very nice, the info screen on the dash is useful with a clock and ice warning, there's steering wheel buttons to dim the lights and flashers, and the e-logs this company uses are tablet sized, looks like it actually belongs on the dash, and is a quiet, helpful aid rather than a chirping, beeping nuisance. 

Instead of a single display of time left, it breaks down all my legal driving hours and also shows fuel economy and miles driven for the day. 

It has a steel plate on the bumper to give it a classic look, and a wonderful in-cab hitch release and hood release. The built-in phone mount works very well. Newer models than mine even have nice LED lighting. Both windows roll down with one touch, one less distraction. 

The bunk vents could open easier, and for the storage it could use some cubbies on the back wall, more cabinet doors instead of open shelves, and maybe a sock drawer, though I made do with a shoebox in the bottom shelf. 

I love my job, I essentially got paid to take a scenic drive from Seattle down through Oregon and N California. The moutain air was fresh, Portland was crazy with its double-decker bridge, and I plain forgot how rugged the north part of CA I5 is, but I still got 574 miles for the day.