On the Road with Henry Albert

Hello everyone,

Below is a picture of some special workers who do a great job for Freightliner. As I mentioned earlier, I plan to recognize those folks in our industry who work behind the scenes and do a fantastic job. I’ve known John Furr (left) and Jason Murphy (right) for quite a few years now. These two guys work very hard at the dealership for Freightliner of Charlotte, NC. They work in the truck shop. John is a technician and Jason is the shop foreman. On Friday, my truck needed to be serviced fora regular P.M. John worked on my truck and did a great job. He treats the equipment just as I would myself, which I really appreciate. I never have to worry about after-work grease on my seats, door and steering wheel. This is not always the case at other service centers. Jason  listens to me regarding maintenance issues and is always willing to discuss options related to repairs. I am always pleased with these two men as they strive to make their customers satisfied. I have found that they go beyond the call of duty during their everyday work. I want them to know it has not gone unnoticed and your excellent service is greatly appreciated. Thanks to John and Jason, two  behind the scenes workers who make life on the road a little easier.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Henry

Hello to all,

I have just finished my last run for 2009. I made it home safely and will spend Christmas with my family. This week on my travels, I experienced lots of rain. I think it rained every day for a week. When I arrived home, we had sleet, rain and snow . Definately a good mix for a white Christmas in North Carolina. I enjoy the winter with it’s beauty of white snow and I always have fun as I’m a big fan of winter sports.

This week, I had the opportunity to run across a fellow Slice of Trucker Life driver, Kurt Grote. We met in Laredo, TX at the Flying J Truckstop. We ate lunch and discussed the past year. We talked about our experiences throughout the Slice of Trucker Life program. We are both pleased with the performance of the Cascadia and the Detroit Diesel DD15. We shared with one another how we plan to spec our new trucks for 2010. The new trucks will feature the latest blue tech SCR engines. My favorite waitress served us our meal and tried to talk us into enjoying some pie for dessert. She’s one of those people I spoke of who make life on the road a little easier. She always offers a smile and does her job well. Another behind the scenes hero. It was great to see Kurt this week.   Until next time… be safe,

Henry

Hello everyone, I found a truck stop that I have been stopping at in my Cascadia  worth noting. The  stop is called Newborn Truck Stop and is located at exit 5 on I-20 in Tallapoosa Georgia. The first thing that I noticed about this establishment was how big the parking spots were. Whoever designed the parking lot really understands how hard it can be to safely park a semi-truck at the end of the day. The bathrooms are very clean and the staff is very friendly. I did not use their showers, but if they are anywhere as nice as the rest of the truck stop you should not be disappointed. There is also a chrome shop that appears to have any of the bling you might what to add to your ride.

If all of this wasn’t enough, there is also a great sit down restaurant on the property called the Old Time Country Kitchen. The restaurant features down home country cooking. I  had breakfast here

 three times and enjoyed every minute of it. I plan on stopping at this stop in the future due to the great experiences that I have had so far. Stop in and maybe I’ll see you there.

Henry

  P.S. If you are planning to enter the contest to be the fourth Slice Of Trucker Life Driver, time is running out so, get your enrty in soon.

Hello everyone,

This is a picture of  the truck owned by Walton Burchfield. I met him last week in Orange, Texas. He is from Clarksdale, Mississippi. I found this gentleman very interesting. He is seventy seven year old and is still driving . We discussed the many changes over the years to trucks and the industry in general. He plans on driving as long as his health is good. He told me he is very pleased with his Cascadia and the DD15 and this will be his last truck. I enjoyed our conversation as he offered a wealth of knowledge. Unfortunately, my battery in my camera was low and did not allow me to get a picture of Walton however, I was able to get a snapshot of his truck. If you happen to read this Walton, I hope our paths cross again sometime. It was great to meet you. Thanks,

Henry

Hello to all,What a busy weekend it’s been. Our family had the Christmas party for our home school group on Friday evening. My wife put alot of hard work into planning for this event and it was a big success.

I sure hope everyone is ready for Christmas. Nobody wants to trek those malls in the next couple of weeks. Way too busy for me.

Remember to winterize your outside faucets before you leave home on your next run. Also, make sure you have plenty of warm clothing in your truck. A candle might be a good addition as it can provide enough heat if you get stranded. As long as the cold doesn’t get below 50, I don’t even bother to turn on the heat in the Cascadia. It stays warm enough due to the fact it’s so well insulated.

Tomorrow, I’ll leave out for my run to Texas. Be safe and stay warm.

Henry

Hello to all,

Sorry I haven’t written all week. I have taken some time off to do some projects around the house. I am winterizing our home and property.

This evening we are hosting a Christmas party for our son’s home school co-op group. So far we have seventy eight  reservations for tonight .We will definitely have a full house.

Monday, I’ll be back in the Cascadia. My time at home always seems to fly by so quickly

I really enjoyed the comments I received from my last blog. I’ll be looking forward to starting that series when I return to work next week. Take care,

Henry

Hello to all,

I would like to begin by saying a big thank you to all the behind the scene heros that make our lives a little easier each day. Sometimes, it’s the smallest things we do or say that can change a person or a situation.

Each week I will be looking for people who do the jobs that we often take for granted. These people do not get recognized enough for their efforts. I would like to feature those who go beyond the call of duty to serve others in our industry. Some examples would be: fuel desk attendants, waitresses and various service personnel.

Last week, I encountered a man cleaning the parking lot at the Petro in Eagen, LA. I have always noticed that he keeps that particular lot in tip top shape. Upon leaving the restaurant, I came upon him while walking to my truck. He began talking to me about my Cascadia. He told me it was a fine looking ride and questioned me about the “Slice of Trucker Life” decals. During our conversation, I complimented him on a job well done with the parking lot. He smiled and I could tell  he appreciated the fact that somebody took the time to notice.

If you see anyone across your travels doing a great job behind the scenes… let them know that you appreciate them and their work. It just might make their day. Thanks,

Henry

Hello to all,

Today, I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends in Laredo, TX. I met Bob and Linda Caffee last year while attending the Mid America Truck Show in Louisville, KY.  This couple has kept in contact with me over the past year. I have enjoyed getting to know them and we have many common interests in our careers and life. Bob & Linda are leased to Fed-Ex Custom Critical. They are married and drive as a team. The Caffee’s are very professional and I was impressed by them and how they present themselves. This team is a fine example of what our industry has to offer.

Linda has a blog on Expeditersonline.com. It’s under the heading “It’s a teams life”. Be sure to check it out when you have some free time. The blogs are interesting and informative.

The chance meeting reminded me of days past when I ran the same lane from North Carolina to New Jersey. This was a dedicated run each week and I had lots of friends along the way. I was never far from seeing anyone familiar.  On a regular basis, chance meetings took place at restaurants, truck stops, shippers and the highway.  

We both delivered in Laredo this morning and had the pleasure of enjoying a nice breakfast together. Thanks Bob and Linda for the great conversation. It was nice to see you both again. Take care…

Henry

On a side note:  My fuel mileage from the previous blog turned out to be 7.17 when I finally got fuel on Tuesday morning, December 1, 2009.