Driver Lifestyles

Memories from the road

One of the most often-used rationales to enter the expediting business is used by prospective expediters and recruiters alike:  "See the country ane get paid for it!"

That's quite a tease and one that many of us couldn't resist.  What a job, right?  You get to travel around the highways and roads of the U.S. and make a living at the same time.!  In my particular situation, I was just looking for a better income than my old driving job, but the tourist aspect of it sure was appealing. 

Well, once you've been in the Just-In-Time business for a while, you come to certain realizations:  For one, you'll see the country alright, but quite often in the dark because many of your loads are in the middle of the night.

For another, the parts of the country you do get to see include many of the finer industrial and manufacturing areas of the U.S. and Canada.  You know, the incredibly scenic industrial parks and breath-taking car plants.  The places that just don't seem to make it into the travel brochures.

And, probably most important of all, if you're running hard and staying busy the way you hoped you would when you got into the business, you ain't got time for no sightseein'!

That is, unless you take the time and make the effort to see a little more of what this great country has to offer beyond the truck stop video games or Wal-Mart parking lot.  Expediters have the opportunity in their travels to see places that, for the average person, requires loading up the family and taking vacation time.  Our form of trucking is unique in transportation because it regularly gives us the layover time (often, too much) to visit those places of interest.

Among the veteran expediters I have met over the years are a number of folks who know what I'm talking about, and have used the downtime of waiting for a load to their advantage.  Some of the travels and experiences that they have told me about make me envious still, and I regret sometimes that I didn't use every opportunity to see more of our piece of North America.

Sure, they've seen the Grand Canyon, taken a walk around Times Square, or, for those lucky few, been privileged to stand on the observation deck of the sombrero tower at "South of the Border" on I-95.

But, they've also shown me that they have enjoyed the "little places" as well, the off-the-beaten-path locations where they've met interesting people, had a great meal or even just observed a particularly scenic view.
  
My own "touristy" weakness was museums.  Specifically, those for military aircraft and military hardware, along with a few car museums as well. 

I'm definitely not an expert on these subjects and I can't claim to be a military historian, but since I was a kid, I've enjoyed learning about the tools of war.  I like looking at the weapons, aircraft and the technologies of combat and America is chock full of museums that cater to anyone with those interests.

It would have been difficult to visit these museums if I had had a "conventional" job, but expediting allowed me to be in the right place to feed my interest.

Interestingly enough, I never really planned many of the visits; I would see a road sign that gave a name that I may or may not have heard of and that was enough.  If I had the time, I would stop or save the visit until the next time I was in the area.

I was on the road for about seven years back in the 1990's and my remembrances are a little fuzzy about some of the places that I hit.  That is, until I pull out my box of photos and refresh those memories. 

I recently did just that and some of my most pleasant museum experiences include:

Kalamazoo (MI) Air Museum - One of the cleanest, well-maintained aircraft repositories I've seen.  It's theme centered on being the air "zoo" and many aircraft had animal nicknames, i.e. Panther, Hellcat, etc.

The Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum, Quantico, VA
A very comprehensive display of the Marine Corps uniforms, weapons, aircraft and history.I was amazed that they were able to fit so much memoribilia into the small facility. 

Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC
The centerpiece of Patriots Point is the world famous aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, a heavily decorated warship that was at the "tip of the spear" in America's victory in the Pacific during World War II.  There's a variety of aircraft from different eras displayed on the flight deck and the park facility has other ships, including a WWII submarine on display.

The U.S. Air Force Museum, Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH
Next to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, this one is the daddy of 'em all!  It's the largest collection of military aircraft in the world with over 300 airplanes and missiles on display.  From one of the Wright Brothers' early planes to spaceflight, this is a warbird mecca.  And, it's free!

This is the kind of place that, if you want to take your time and see and examine each display carefully, figure on taking a couple of days.  I've made maybe a dozen pilgrimages there over the years and it's well worth the trip, even for those with only a passing interest in technology. 

If interested, you might consider timing a trip to the USAF Museum with a visit to the annual Dayton Air Show that takes place in July.  It's sure to be crowded at both venues, but again, worth your time.

United States Army Aviation Museum, Ft. Rucker, AL
A great collection of early years to present day rotary wing aircraft.  As a matter of fact, this facility had the best collection of helicopters I had seen. 

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, AL
A great place to explore a type of vessel that won't be seen again.  The park contains the Alabama and other WWII vessels, along with an aircraft park.

There were a number of other museums and sites that I enjoyed during my time on the road, but I don't have space for those.  I hope you didn't mind my trip down memory lane, but it was just to illustrate that yes, at times, you can "See the country and get paid for it."

To the veteran expediters who are enjoying their particular areas of interest and making the most of their time on the road, keep it up!

To those prospective expediters considering this line of work, see what you're missing?