On the Road with Henry Albert

Hello to all!

Today is Monday 9/28/09.  I loaded in Cleveland, NC and made a short visit to West Carolina Freightliner located  in Hickory, NC. I had the opportunity to meet with one of their sales representatives,  Phil Ray. We discussed how impressed I’ve been with the Cascadia and the DD15 engine. I explained how much I’m enjoying being a part of the Slice of Trucker Life Program. Phil told me this morning that his customers are pleased with the Cascadia as well.This year, he has received lots of excellent feedback  from his sales.    

 Today, I’m heading out to MO for the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association Board Meetings. I will attend all day meetings from Wednesday – Saturday. I found the first meeting last spring to be very informative and I’m looking forward to this gathering as well. I enjoyed the discussion of today’s issues that effect our industry. I’ll update you as I progress towards Missouri. Have a great day and be safe.

Henry

Hello to all,

It’s the weekend and I am enjoying some time at home with my family. My son was supposed to play with his band at a festival today in Denver, NC. Just as we were ready to leave for the event, we got a phone call saying the entire county festival was cancelled. This seems to be the week for rain. I encountered lots of rain this week in the southeast. I am aware that many areas have experienced flooding and heavy rains.

This week, I stopped at Houston Freightliner in Texas for some minor repairs. I had an opportunity to meet with the sales and service team. I found the staff to be very accommodating and professional. The shop was clean and well organized. The dealership is located just off the six ten loop in Houston, TX.

My fuel mileage this week suffered due to heavy rains and windy conditions.I  was delayed by two major traffic jams and several minor accidents. Seems as if everything was working against my goal of 8.5mpg.  My shipment weighed in at 42,000lbs. I only managed to average 7.484mpg. for the round-trip from Charlotte, NC to Laredo, TX.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend… until next time,

Henry

Hello to all,
Monday, I found myself stuck in heavy traffic in Atlanta. I quickly realized the severity of the situation as I witnessed the extent of the flooding. I  listened to the radio address the amount of rainfall which measured in feet in various locations throughout Georgia. Roads were closed in many areas around Atlanta due to the high water. I also understand there were some deaths due to the situation. My prayers go out to the residents  of Georgia as they begin to recover from the storm.  Take Care… until next time,

Henry

Good morning… Today is Monday, September 21st. I will be leaving out on my regular run from Charlotte, NC to Laredo, TX. Last week, I ran short of my goal and ended up with only 8.173mpg. This week I’ll go at it again and try to reach 8.5 mpg. I need some really good weather and traffic conditions to achieve my goal. Stay tuned… I’ll keep you posted.

Henry

Hello Everyone, I had a nice weekend at home. We did not do much at all but rest. Our son is getting old enough to carry the torch and was a big help by servicing our car. Monday is a big day for our son because he will be driving on the road for the first time in drivers education.

Hello everyone, I just finished my regular Charlotte NC to Laredo TX round trip. I broke two personal MPG records this week. My fuel mileage for the week was 8.173 (The old record was 8.01). I also set a new record for one leg of the trip of 8.41 ( The previous record was 8.351). The Cascadia and Detroit Diesel DD-15 never cease to amaze me. I think that my goal of 8.5 MPG is within reach.

Henry

Hello everyone,

On Monday, I had the chance to meet four new drivers who were being trained by The Charlotte Truck Driving School.  I offered them the opportunity to check out the new” Cascadia” from Freightliner. Each driver got a first hand look inside the truck. The men were  impressed with the modern features and the quietness of the cab.   The new drivers were curious as to why I was wearing a tie? I explained how professionalism is very important in our industry. We discussed how my appearance has affected my career in a positive manner. We also spoke about the importance of driving safely. We could have talked for hours. However, the men had to get back to class and my trailer was loaded. I enjoyed speaking with this new group of drivers who are about to embark on a new career. I wish each of them the best of success.

Update:  I am unloading/reloading today in Laredo, TX. I am halfway on this round trip shipment for the week. Currently my fuel mpg is 8.35 on the dashboard display. Usually my fuel mileage is 2 1/2 tenths less than my dashboard display. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks,

Henry

Hello to all,

It’s Monday morning, September 14th and I’m happy to say that I am returning to work. My body sure has taken a beating during the last several weeks. However, I feel much better and am ready to get back to a normal routine.

This morning, I am loading in Charlotte, NC and will take the shipment to Laredo, TX. My new goal is to push my fuel mileage to 8.5 mph for the round trip. Later in the week, I’ll let you know how I am progressing.  Until then… take care and be safe.

Henry

Hello everyone,

Well, I’m finally feeling better. I visited the doctor yesterday and he took more tests. I am waiting for those results. It seems my body has really taken a beating with everything that has happened in the last few weeks. However, yesterday I started to feel like myself again.

I want to thank all of you for the support during my down time. It’s difficult being away from work . However, I should be back soon. The rest is doing me good. I especially want to thank my driver Mike Conner ,who gave up his Labor Day Holiday weekend to complete my TX run.  Mike’s fuel mileage was 7.723 mpg. for the round trip. I feel this is remarkable due to the fact he had to idle the truck for four hours of his thirty four hour restart. The Park Smart HVAC System was not designed for thrity four hour rest periods in hot TX weather.

I am looking forward to traveling to Grain Valley, Missouri at the end of September to attend the OOIDA board meetings. On October 9th and 10th, if my schedule permits, I will attend the Tennessee Truck Show with fellow Slice Of Trucker Life driver, Dick McCorkle. On October 30th, I am scheduled to appear at Freightliner in Philadelphia, PA .

I want to thank my wife, Karen for looking after me during my recovery. She is insistent that I rest until I am ready to get back to work. This week on September 10th,we will celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. I’m happy to be home with her during this anniversary. However, not quite the circumstances I had hoped for. 

Finally, I will ask that you take time to check out Dick McCorkle’s blog on September 11th. Reading his story brings back lots of memories on that day that we will all never forget. 

On September 11th, I was making a delivery and pick up in Wilmington, Delaware. I still remember seeing all the smoke rising from the Pentagon in Washington, DC. There were fighter jets flying over head as I made my way south to NorthCarolina. I couldn’t make communication with family or friends due to the phone lines being down. I had a driver who was supposed to make a delivery in New York City that morning, but broke down the following evening due to a fuel line. Come to see… it was a blessing. I didn’t know he broke down and thought he was amidst the tragedy.There are so many emotions that I feel when I go back to the memory of that day. As long as I’m alive, it’s a day that I’ll never forget.

Until next time… thanks,

Henry Albert

Hello to all,

On Monday, I became ill in Jefferson, GA. I was admitted to a hospital for observation and remained there for three days. So… if your wondering where I’ve been? Looks like my body had a perfect storm going on. The doctor diagnosed me with kidney stones, food poisoning and pneumonia. I had a high fever and my blood pressure dropped significantly. 

I was in a meeting and began to feel ill. I was not going to drive the truck feeling like I did. Over the next hour, I got progressively worse. Peach State Freightliner felt it necessary to call an ambulance. I want to thank the staff at Peach State Freightliner for coming to my aid and informing my family of the situation. They also kept the Cascadia and load secure until we could make the necessary arrangements for pick up.

I am home in NC and feeling better. However, I will be resting for some time until I get my strength back.

I’ll get back to you in a few days…

Henry