New York = Home!

Yesterday's run was the longest we have done in awhile now... and boy were we feeling it by this morning when we finally made it to the consignee. Jeff was worse off than I was-- he never slept yesterday and when his leg came up at 12:30AM, he wasn't sure if he'd make it for his five hours.
And because I was worried about him, I couldn't sleep!
It was a rough journey, but once we dropped off the freight we found a nearby truck stop and crashed for a few hours. Once awake we were offered a run to Suffern, NY for tomorrow.
We'd been hoping for a run to New York; but like California, we thought it would take a bit longer than this! Because it happened so fast I choose to see it as a good omen. For us, northern New York is like our second home base because that's where our owners live, and we made the decision over the weekend that if we can't get a load to California, then we need to try to get a load to New York so we can take the truck back to our owners and go home. And that's exactly what we're doing. We are taking an extended leave so we can rest and spend time with family.
Unlike the standard trucking industry, expediting is highly limited on the West Coast. Most expedited companies don't even deliver there-- we joined with our company specifically because they do. And while freight to California is common, it's still not easy being in the right place at the right time to secure a load there. This is why we've only been home once since April, and this is why we're going home to stay for awhile.
And we have every intention of returning to expediting, in some way or another. Our owner is going to look into securing us a "dedicated run"-- meaning we'd have a regular route we travel with regular visits home. It will be great if it works out, because I love this industry and I can't imagine doing anything else. But a balance is important too-- especially in Jeff's case because he is the father of two very young boys. The oldest had a birthday in May, and Jeff missed it. It broke his heart, as any parent can imagine. His youngest is having a birthday this weekend, and all this time we figured Jeff would make it for that one; once again, he'll be missing it. As devastated as he is, the good news is he'll have plenty of time at home now to make up for that lost time.
For me, I have a little niece at home who was four months old when I left in April. She is nearly nine months old now, and in the time I've been gone she has developed a lively personality and has learned how to crawl and stand and is very close to walking. For the first four months of her life, I spent nearly every evening with her, bonding and enjoying all of the little milestones of her age. I have missed her more than I could have ever imagined.
And let's not forget the Boo-Dog! I've missed him too. We all have lots of catching up to do!
For those of you who are wondering, the blog shall continue. It may take on a different theme for now, but I still have lots of stories to tell from being on the road. And no doubt, there will be more of those in the future!
For now, it's shower time, as we prepare for another long run to Suffern, New York.