When Nothing is Everything
by
Phil Madsen, Expediter
(Written August 2, 2004. Edited November 27, 2005 for publication on SuccessfulExpediters.com)
It's Monday. We are near Kansas City where we delivered a load from Toronto in Ontario, Canada. We are now dispatched to pick up a load tomorrow afternoon and drive it overnight to New York City. That gives us the kind of day off we never would have had in our pre-trucker lives (white-collar professionals, homeowners). It's a day to savor.
The fuel tanks are full and tire pressure is checked. Our freight-handling equipment is neatly organized and stowed. Log books are up to date. The cab and sleeper are clean. The truck is recently washed. We took morning showers and enjoyed a sit-down breakfast at one of the better truck stops we've come to know on the road. Virtually all the work involved in selling our house, household goods, and cars is completed. We know when we'll drive next and that we'll have a full night's sleep in a non-moving truck tonight.
In other words, we have a day off with nothing to do and nothing to worry about.
At the moment, nothing is expected of us as truckers. We're in service. The truck is ready to roll. As long as we pick up on time tomorrow, our carrier, shipper and receiver will be happy. They could care less what we do between now and then, as long as we stay sober and rested for the drive they hired us to make. As they go through their days at their offices, they won't give us a second thought.
This is the simpler life we sought by making the career and lifestyle changes we did. It's the simpler life we now have ... YES!
Diane and I are avid readers. After breakfast we drove to a local library where we'll spend the day. The truck is parked on the far side of a small parking lot. Our food, computers, eye-glasses cleaner and anything else we might need from "the house" is close by. The building is air conditioned. The rest rooms are immaculate. The reading area includes nice soft chairs. Dozens of current-issue magazines and newspapers line the racks; there for us to read free of charge. Of course, the library also has many books to browse. If nothing catches our fancy in the library, we also have books in the truck.
Folks who are not into reading may not understand the joy of this day. For us, this is a slice of heaven; several hours of uninterrupted reading in a setting designed exactly for that.
Not only can we sit here and read - and write pieces like this one - we can do so without all the "shoulds" from our past lives creeping in. Our minds are no longer cluttered with guilt-laden thoughts like, I should mow the lawn, I should line up the next round of continuing education classes, I should study for another computer certification, I should check in with that business prospect I met two months ago to see if he's ready to use my services, I should fix the hole in the screen door, I should chat with the neighbor three doors down to be friendly, I should, I should, I should.
Today, before breakfast, Diane and I completed all our shoulds. There's nothing we have to do or should do to advance our career, increase our trucking income, or fulfill our family or social obligations.
Today we can do nothing ... which means everything to us.
We did it!.
We got out of the rat race and into trucking.
We are at peace and we are free!