My old man Beau

[littlebit]

About four months after we adopted Bailey we decided he needed a buddy. We were origianally going to get a cat. Girlfriend came home with Beau instead. He is a great guy. He taught Bailey how to sit.

[Redstone]

1. Who's the GOOD dog? BEAU's the good dog, aren't you? Come over here so I can

give your a scratch behind your ears. That's a GOOD dog.

Redstone

[Droopy]

2. Beau is a handsome fellow as well

This is off topic, but I'm wondering about something. How is trucking for you now days? I've got a local deal hauling car parts for Honda. It looks to be about the most secure deal going around here for local drivers. We haven't experienced any slow downs or cut backs yet despite the ailing economy. But that's not the case with most of the trucking companies around here. There is a GM assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio which is just a few miles away from me. It's shutting down completely in November. They make SUVs there. Go figure. They say about 6000 people will lose their jobs when you count all of the associated warehouses, parts suppliers, and truckers in the area. I'm thinking that there will be several hundred truckers looking for work after the shut down and several companies will go out of business because their only customer is GM.

[littlebit]

3. We are doing good.

I have three trucks leased on with Landstar right now. I stay mainly on the east coast hauling groceries. Just in case I have to get back home fast. Girlfriend has ovarian cancer and if she gets really sick again I have to get there. My other two trucks haul mostly military loads out of TX up to either NJ or DE. Now those loads are my money makers. I get one heck of a fuel surcharge on those loads. Then I have to find loads for them going back to TX. Which can be really fun sometimes. The freight is out there. A lot of it just depends on what one is willing to do to get it.

[Droopy]

4. I'm glad you are doing well

I hope we can both weather the storm. I was leased to Landstar in the late 90s when I owned a truck. I did pretty good with them until that first fuel spike in 2000. I couldn't get a fuel surcharge out of anybody. I figured up that I wasn't making much more than your average company driver and couldn't find a better rate anywhere, so I sold my truck. I guess I would have been alright if I would have just held on a little longer, but things are better this way. I have a medical condition, too, and it costs a boatload to treat, so I need that company insurance.