I don't remember what kind of dog this is, but this is what I felt was coming toward me from all directions that first day. It was scary, intimidating, and my leg cramped from using the clutch repeatedly. That ol' leg muscle builds pretty darn quick!
Anyway, this post is about a woman's day on the road. It's pretty similar to a man's day without all the farts, belching, and bathroom humor.
My day starts when it's time to drive and ends when I go to bed. Huh? Does that use all the minutes of a day? Yes.
I set my alarm for about an hour before I have to actually put it in gear. I set a second alarm 15 minutes later. I set a third alarm for 30 minutes later. I set a fourth alarm for 45 minutes later. There is a method to my madness. I promise.
An hour before I get behind the wheel I'm sound asleep and the alarm goes off. I have the most annoying tones and set it to maximum volume. I actually do occasionally hit snooze or sleep through it. Thus, the second alarm. This one usually gets my tush out of bed.
Once I manage to pry my eyes open and take care of morning needs, my copilot is pleading with me to help him take care of his. Regardless of my appearance, I step out of the truck, drag the leash out, and proceed to follow him around. (Him, is my Parsons Russell Terrier named Bingo. He's 9+ and a shelter rescue from Omaha.)
Now, you'll notice I didn't step out of the truck until AFTER morning needs. You guessed it. I've got a primitive bathroom setup. Picture large cups, empty (until used) water or soda bottles, and a plastic lined bucket and you get the idea. Hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and gallon jugs of water are pretty essential. I've also got an electric kettle to boil water and a basin for getting the old spit bath going.
A lot of drivers take that morning trek into the truck stop for a morning shower to get going. My shower is whenever I can fit it into the schedule. A day or two without a shower won't kill me or anyone else as long as you wash the necessary areas in between times. Some drivers wash at the end of the driving day. Some will grab an hour or so out of the schedule.
At the 30-minute alarm, I know I need to hurry my butt along. The hair gets pulled back after a quick dry shampoo or spray of conditioner and a combing. Whatever clothes I grabbed to take the dog out are checked to make sure I've got clean stuff on. (You would not believe how many times I've sniff tested my clothes!)
This is also when I grab a quick bit of food and set up the dog for the day. Sometimes, I have what I need in the truck. I have a fridge now, but that wasn't always the case. In training, I honestly don't remember seeing a fridge in the trucks. I guess it was a space-saving issue to accommodate the trainer and the student driver's stuff. I'll talk about the shopping issues later.
Food and drinks are set where they'll be handy going down the road. Usually, this means a couple water bottles and whatever snack foods I'm craving at the time. I am a pop drinker, so I almost always grab a 44 ounce fountain drink. One of these keeps me from caffeine withdrawal all day. No, I'm not drinking the loaded versions. Sugar free is bad too, but I'm getting the caffeine and not the huge calorie count. (It's better than grabbing the coffee, which I can't stand without tons of extra crap. The only time I drink coffee anymore is when I'm constipated. Works every time. Usually when it's the most problematic.)
By this time, the 45-minute-from-wakeup alarm is going off. Turn the truck on, get the Qualcomm to wake up, and start my pre-trip inspection. The pre-trip is all about making sure the truck is in good working condition. Opening up the hood, checking fluids, brakes, connections, tires, wheels, lights, air lines, mudflaps, and the list goes on. Getting back in the truck, you check all the gauges, interior systems, braking systems, and all the other bells and whistles are working. The general consensus by DOT (Department of Transportation) and companies is that this should take up 15 minutes minimum of your day.
When that 45 minute alarm goes off and my Qualcomm is awake, I put myself on duty for that pre-trip inspection. While I'm doing the inspection, any messages from the company have finally been sent to me. These include everything from safety messages to load plans. I usually finish my pre-trip a little earlier than 15 minutes and take the leftover to look over what the company has sent me.
You'll notice that nowhere in my morning routine have I done anything that improves my appearance. No regular makeup routine. No jewelry choices. Nothing. If you're a girly-girl, you might think about that. This is not the career choice of the easily insulted, intimidated, or high maintenance kinds of women. Many women on the road will take the time to do a makeup routine, but they have to include the extra time it takes in their plans or forgo it altogether when time is short. It's short a lot.
Which, right now, it's short for me. Gotta get that shuteye for my final push to the yard. My day starts at 1 AM tomorrow.
Again, Thanks for visiting and hope to see you again,
Renae-The Truck Driving Woman
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