On the Road with Kurt Grote

Hello everyone, I ‘m hoping everyone was safe and profitable this week! The launch of season two went off very well, in my opinion. All the trucks look very nice they should turn a lot of heads as we roll in to the various truck stops and venues. The graphics are just amazing!! I just gave Vomela an idea and they ran with it. It was a full day of instruction and picture taking for the new website which should be up soon. I bobtailed from Charlotte N.C. All the way back to Tulsa O.K. The comfort of the ride was more pleasant than I thought it would be without a trailer. What surprised me even more was the mpg. It came out to 10.47 mpg. I know I was just bobtailing but I don’t get too much better than that in my pick up truck. These are just some of the changes that I made on the truck, all wheel disc breaks, I am anxious to try these puppies out!! As far as I can tell just bobtailing the stopping distance very short, how well will they do under a trailer, under a load, with a trailer that has drum breaks, remains to be seen. I will keep you posted! I also changed the rear ends to a 336 instead of the 326 I had in the other truck. I kept the 10 speed auto shift. It should pull better and keep me in the sweet spot even in California at the lower speeds. I am taking the rest of this week off, to get not only my stuff but you all know Spencer is such a pack rat it will take me one whole day just for his stuff!!So I can also get the truck not only road ready but ready for the truck show in Las Vegas N.V. Which starts by the way June 17th thru the 19th. If you are there make sure you stop by the booth and say hi and look at the truck.

For those of you that follow Spencer he is at home with me this week. However by the end of the week he will be sent back to the sitters until I get back to get him. Of course he will be a little ticked off but he will get over it. He is in very good hands so I don’t have to worry about him. I’m sure he will be happy to get back on our regular schedule. I also know the first chance he gets to hijack my computer he will do so! Until next time enjoy the pic’s and I’ll see you in Vegas!!

Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone, I hope all of you have been safe and profitable! Well the first season of sliceoftruckerlife has come to a close. It is hard for me to believe that it has been nearly two years since the program first kicked off. It has been a very exciting two years to say the lease. I have been able to do just some of the things drivers only dream about doing. It has been very rewarding and at the same time very humbling, with the two other sliceoflife drivers Dick McCorkle and Henry Albert their expertise and knowledge of the whole trucking concept is something one can only witness. I feel very lucky to be mentioned among the likes of these two individuals. I think from this day forward when I think of truck drivers I will automatically think of them. As we start the second season with Henry and Dick, we are also happy to have on board Gina Angsten as our forth driver. I’m sure all of you are wondering my final numbers for this truck! Most of you already know my operation, running a reefer unit mostly Midwest to west coast, there fore I’m heavy most of the time and I run the mountains, also I don’t run very slow which was part of my deal to run at a higher speed. I can tell you that if I would run that truck at about 62 miles per hour, like I would in California this truck would be a solid 7+ mpg truck. However being that I run at about 68-70 mph this truck is a solid 6.43 mpg. Which I think is a great number. I first put this truck on the road on September 1st of 2008 and I’m turning the truck into freightliner of Tulsa on June 1st 2010 with 255135 miles on it. I am looking forward to the new truck and the new challenges that will pose. There are many changes to the new truck that I’m very excited to be able to test and comment on as well as write about them on the blogs. I hope all of you continue to read and follow our progress. One other thing I would like to mention is that those of you that have followed and requested Spencer he is a little upset because he is unable to attend the launch of the 2nd season, he will have to stay at the sitters! Until the next truck stop all of you be safe and we will write again from the new truck! Take care.

Thanks Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone, one of the advantages of being a truck driver is the fact that we get so see all that this country has to offer. You are usually never in the same place at the same time or in the same season, so every thing looks very different from one place and time to another. We see the good seasons and the worst any given state has to offer. Which is the case this week, I was hoping for a little sunshine and warmth being Spencer and I were going to be in “sunny southern cal” but that is not the case this time! Cloudy and overcast is the forecast for the week, so says the local driver that I talked to. A little disappointing, however there is always the next trip out! As Murphy’s law would have it, it might be sunny and triple digits for a temp. Oh I know we can never be satisfied, always complaining. I would have to imagine it would get pretty boring if it was all sunshine and 70′s, every trip. So Spencer and I will take this cool weather and enjoy it!! Until the next truck stop all of you be safe!

Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone, those of that are new to my blogs, Spencer is my traveling companion a miniature schnauzer. He is really great on the truck and an excellent copilot. We were driving across route 30 out of Utah and into Wyoming. We had just left Cokeville WY that morning. We usually take this route for many different reasons, one is just the scenery. Snow cap mountains on both sides, with the multitude of wild life from eagles to deer and elk. If you are on the lookout you can see just about any kind of wild life you can think of. Not to mention the hot springs there, I keep telling my self I will have to stop and check this stuff out next trip but as usual we are always in a hurry. At any rate we had left Cokeville that morning headed east, we came upon a road side sign that read sheep ahead. I thought ok so what. We kept rolling on down the road and went in the weigh station there but still no sheep so I kind of put it out of my mind. I should have known better Murphy’s law you know, I looked ahead and traffic was stopped on both sides, I thought oh great how long are we going to be stuck here must be an accident or something. The something was right remember the sign I said I saw about the sheep? Yep there they were all over the road a whole herd of them. I just could not believe it!! Here we are on a major US HWY and we have to stop for a herd of sheep!! Now don’t get me wrong I truly enjoyed it. That was the first time in my driving career that, that has ever happened to me. I do realize that this is not unusual for the people in this area but for Spencer and I we very much enjoyed time sitting in the middle of US HWY 30 with our flashers on waiting for the herd of sheep to pass. I know you just asked what Spencer was doing? He was just as impressed as I was. He barks when people or animals come up to the truck but not this time he was very curious about the whole thing! I hope you enjoy these pictures that we got to take of the sheep and herders. I know Spencer and I sure did!! Until the next truck stop you all be safe.

Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone, when I was a kid my mom told me April showers bring May flowers, but she didn’t say the showers were in the form of snow showers. Just last week I was in California looking at the sun and surf and saying how nice it was. Being able to watch the surfers catch a few waves. Now this week I’m going across Wyoming and yes back to the real world of trucking. Drivers that travel this area are not surprised of the snow showers in the mountain area, actually it is not that uncommon to see snow all the way through May. I’ll tell you this Spencer cant understand it. I will also tell you this, even with the rain and snow it’s nice not to have large amounts of air making it’s way around the door like someone just left a window open. It seems funny that I have to either look at the temp gage or open a window to see how cold or how hot it is outside. In my other trucks there was no guess work involved, you could feel around the doors and windows how cold it was outside. Not any more with the Cascadia, snug as a bug in a rug as they say. I have gotten in the habit of bringing along Spencer’s sweaters just in case, as long as I don’t forget to take them off of him. Even with the snow showers you can tell spring is just around the corner because I can see all the blooms on the tree’s. I look forward to this season of parades and truck shows. With the new trucks coming out soon it promises to be fun and existing. Until the next truck stop.

Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone, I hope all of you have recouped from the truck show. I know I sure have and am back to work. The starting of spring is always a little slow for the refrigerated business. It’s this time of year that we start to picking up strawberries. So today I’m on my way up from Riverside Ca. To Santa Maria Ca to do just that. I absolutely love this ride, if you haven’t taken 101 north from L.A. You really need to. Today seemed a little more special than usual, maybe the cool breeze or the very clear sky, ( which is unusual in itself for L.A.) the large waves that crash down awaiting surfers to catch them or the many motor homes parked along side the road watching. It is very hard to keep from getting distracted with a view like this. However with the large windows that my Cascadia has nothing seems to be missed. With the hills of the inland on one side and the ocean on the other it is just one of the many sites this great country has to offer. What makes this even a better ride is that it is all “FREE”. I can even see Santa Cruz Islands and all the oil platforms out in the ocean and of course the many ships making their way to one port or another. Even the smell of the ocean, the salt in the air, as I roll down the window and the sound of the waves that crash against the rocks can be heard over the passing traffic, I keep playing back in my mind and remembering all of these sites and sounds as I make my way from state to state in my Cascadia. Until the next truck stop all of you be safe.

Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone, here it is a week later already that “MATS” is over and in the books. I would like to thank all of you that stopped by the freightliner booth to say hello, talk, and see the new trucks. To the ones that are curious yes Spencer is a little ticked off, he has been a little unruly this week. However I’m sure he will get over it. Myself I had a great time again this year. I would like to congratulate Gina Angsten for becoming the newest member of the slice of life group I know she will make a fine addition to the program. I look forward to working with her as I know all of you will be interested in checking out her blogs as well. It is just my opinion that “MATS” was a huge success this year over last year. All the drivers that I met were very polite and courteous. Freightliner did have a ride and drive this year also and that was a big success as well. For now it’s back to the pavement and the road. Until some time in May (I’ll let you know the exact date) that we will pick up our new trucks. I cant wait to test drive that truck to see what it and how it will preform. Until next time all of you have safe travels.

Kurt and Spencer

Hello everyone I hope all of you had a safe and profitable week. I see by the way my computer was left that someone has used my computer, I know it couldn’t have been Spencer!! Could it Spencer?
At any rate as most of you already know, but those of you that don’t I am on my way to Louisville KY for the largest truck show “The Mid America Truck Show” or MATS if you will. Spencer is a little upset with me for not taking him along but he will get over it as soon as he sees me again. I’m not used to not having him around it’s kind of strange but at the same time refreshing. By all indications this year should be a better show than last year. I don’t know if the weather is going to cooperate but it still should be a great show. As far as Freightliner is concerned there are a lot of special events that are in the works this year. For instances the announcement of the 4th driver for the slice of life program, I know I will be excited to meet this new addition to the program, who ever it might be. Also the key presention for the new 2010 tech., trucks that Dick, Henry, and myself have spec’d out for the new up and coming program. We are also having a ride along in the new Cascadia, with drivers who want to drive one of these great trucks. Thats just a few events that are planned. Not to mention the show in it’s self. If you are at the show please stop by and say hello, I would be more than happy to talk and show you these great trucks, and as usual to answer any questions you may have. If I don’t know the answer to your question I know someone who will. In fact I encourage you to try and stump me!! I hope to see you all there. Spencer and I will be back on the road, yes together next week. Until then all of you be safe and profitable.

Kurt and Spencer