Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

Reporting from Clovis, NM – Cooks Cafe next to the Love’s T/S on US 84 – in the 60’s style dining room are gathered cattle haulers, milk transporters, flat-bedders, a Wal-Mart driver and a few Swift folks sitting by themselves over the in corner. Tonight – the Sunday special – is “real” turkey and stuffing. Not the fake Petro kind. Too much for me to think about along with the cold weather and cloudy skies. It really feels just like Thanksgiving. And I’m NOT ready for turkey day. Holy SAD – seasonal affective disorder – aka depression. Got to watch myself. I could slip into a blue “funk” real easy right now. I order a steak medium rare. I know that will definitely make me feel better. From my chair I can watch the very busy BNSF rail line across the street. On and on go the rail cars loaded high with foreign ship containers.

Well, the group discussion tonight is our esteemed President. Like the ref that throws down the puck for the hockey action to start, I mention the recent letter I received from the IRS questioning my “trucking expenses” deductions and just this weekend the letter I got from some government agency asking me to pay off my student loans NOW. When the carrier I drove for a few years ago went out of business and left the Mrs. and I very high and dry, I had filed and was granted a “hardship” payment plan. Yes, I’m a college graduate, but the degree was and is useless to me attempting to get a job during this and the last big recession. My CDL was my ticket out of a desperate $8/hr warehouse job. After years of trying to pay off the loan and the government taking every refund and stimulus check, seems they’re, along with the IRS, out for blood. And like many other truckers, I have no more to give. I wish they’d go after AIG instead of me. I’m still waiting for the bailout of the common middle class guy. I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath.

I’ll put my violin away in a moment. Also this past week my 80 year old mother called and said she’s out of money. Thanks to our government she qualified for $38 in food stamps. Just how does one eat on $38 a month? I went into Wal-Mart yesterday and bought nothing. Nothing these days costs $75. Ok – the violin’s away. But every one of these drivers at the Cooks Cafe had similar stories. Add in needed surgery’s, diabetes, drugs, jail time, autism, no health insurance, brokers stealing and on and on. It wasn’t a bitch-fest, it was reality. And we are America – here in the cafe in Clovis, NM. I can imagine the same conversation in thousands of others cafes around this nation – this Sunday – a month before Thanksgiving and a little further down the road – Christmas. Why does it seem the government is going after us?, says one driver.

So, of course, Mr. President Obama comes up. The winner of the Nobel Peace prize. He is ten months into “his”/”our” presidency. Lot’s of hope and NO change. Lots of talk, talk, talk. One driver says he waiting for the beef, and he doesn’t mean his steak order. The photo in the news (above left) this past week of Obama with the executives of the health insurance and drug companies upset people. The week before he was over in Copenhagen trying to get the Olympics. Many people were puzzled. Another driver says he doesn’t think things would be any better if McCain and Palin were in charge. A elderly woman says McCain couldn’t manage “her”, how did intend to manage the country?

Nothing good seems to be coming with the two wars, health care, jobs – the economy as a whole. Another driver asks why don’t we just take care of us right now – forbid companies from moving overseas. Another driver says enough with Israel and the Arabs! Strangely, nobody mentions immigration. It gets quiet. Someone says perhaps Obama deserves a booby prize not the Nobel prize. Everybody breaks out laughing. Boy of boy, is that guy on target. My steak is here. Looks good. I’m hungry. Where’s the A1? Tomorrow begins another week of hope – we’re all still waiting on the change. On the radio in the background is a bluegrass song – “Are you on the devil’s train? Just wait for the whistle’s sound and transfer to one that is glory bound.” Amen.

Photo credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times