Sitting at ___ Coatings in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. We're picking up a load going to Otay Mesa, California (don't look for it on a map, 'cause it's not in Rand McNally). It's a few miles from Tijuana, just north of the border. It looks like a good run, and was given to use so that we could get by Beaumont, Texas to get the truck inspected. We're a little irritated because the first load info we received said that it picked up at 08:00 today. We thought that was great. We could pick up the load, be in Beaumont by this afternoon, and still get a full day's running in. Then they changed the pickup time to 14:00. We've been here since 14:00, it's now 15:00, there's no one else here (the place only has two docks), and they haven't touched us yet. That means, most likely, that the load isn't ready. It also means that we have no idea when we'll get out of here. I guess we'll be stopping at the Petro in Beaumont tonight, since I doubt there'll be anyone in B&L's shop until tomorrow morning. I've written B&L on the satcom to ask what they want us to do. As usual, there has been no response.

Oh, well.

I'm not really writing because of this. I sarted writing because I wanted to mention that we're near an Air Force base. As we've been sitting here, A-10 Warthogs and F-18 fighters have been zipping overheard at low altitudes (taking off). We're seen the same planes going overheard at Medway, Ohio, but not this low. To put it mildly, we both think it's cool. It's not everday that you see these planes so low that you can tell what they are.

In other news, our checking account it $145 in the hole. Man, how does this happen to us? We got hit hard last week, because we didn't draw a paycheck. For some reason we only got paid for one trip, and our advances cancelled that out. Man, we spent money didn't have expecting at least a decent paycheck. So our asses were really hanging out when nothing came in.

At least there's a Christmas tree at Mama's house this year. And they have a car. Mama thinks that us buying her the car is what put us in the hole. But it wasn't. Our problem is that we never know what we will be paid, or when. Almost invariably, when we expect a good week, it's just the opposite, and sometimes we have great weeks when we expect slow ones. There's no logic to the way B&L Trucking is run. And we are the ones who suffer for it.

We like everyone at B&L Trucking, but working for them has in no way been profitable for us. We run more miles, but see no financial benefit from it. Admittedly, a lot of that has to do with the fact that we live mostly off of advances and spend a great deal more money than we should by eating out of convenience stores and restaurants instead of keeping groceries in the truck. But with us often running double the miles that we were with U.S. Xpress, it should balance out at least a little. Of course, our expenses kill us, as well. Especially since we only sometimes get reimbursed.

I don't know. I often think that going with B&L was a big mistake. If we hadn't, we would have been teaming by now, and making damn good money. But then, driving with B&L and seeing the industry from the perspective of an Owner/Operator has been educational. And while I've enjoyed driving this old Peterbilt 377, I won't mind getting into a Volvo with an automatic. And I won't mind getting paid regularly and reimbursed promptly.

I really do hope that I don't come off like I've been bashing B&L. That wasn't my intention. It's just that this has not worked out for us like we expected. It's nothing personal, but it really seems like it would be in our best interest to move on.