Long Haul Trucking

V. Grumpy over at A Courtesy Flush wrote about my attempts to take over the blogging world. Just because my blogs are everywhere and I’m always trying to recruit drivers (or anyone) to write at Life on the Road (it pays! why wouldn’t you want to write there!) and I want to make sure if I’m mentioned anywhere on the net that it’s somewhat accurate doesn’t necessarily mean I’m taking over the trucking blog world (or does it?). There doesn’t seem to be that many truckers online and even fewer that want to intelligently write about trucking.

My so-called empire has about 70 websites and growing and only three are about trucking. Adventures in Trucking has even started to be diverted into other subjects. And most of the other sites are “set and forget”, they’re setup and a few are almost to the “forget” stage only needing a few tweaks here and there, because I barely have enough time to write about trucking on the blogs I’m supposed to be writing on let alone on a huge trucking blog empire. But if other drivers want to write on AIT, or Life on the Road or want help setting up their own blog, I’m pretty sure everyone knows how to find me.

If you read Grumpy’s post, there are a few obvious facts that are wrong, I’m sure they’re wrong on purpose so he can deny that the post is really about me and protect himself from any repercussions. And yes I did mention long ago that he needed to break up his posts into paragraphs to make it a little easier to read.

Go over and check it out for a good laugh (or is it really true?) and since he doesn’t allow comments on his blog, feel free to leave any comments for him here. Like most intelligent truckers, I’m pretty sure he reads Adventures in Trucking.

It’s a  little addicting with all of the application possibilities. I’m not sure how much gets back to the people that have listed me as a friend, but all the updates and changes will settle down soon.

You can add all of your other social networks to Facebook. I can add this blog so updates will show on my Facebook page. Updates on our Flickr pictures and Youtube videos. I can even add Del.icio.us and Stumble bookmarks and many more. That’s a lot of stuff being shared and it fills up your page with everything your doing. That might be a little too much information. Moderation is probably best in this case.

If you want to follow Adventures in Trucking, you follow the blog. If you want to check my new pictures on Flickr, you follow me on Flickr. If you want to see my bookmarks I’m adding, you can follow my Del.icio.us and Stumbles. Facebook has a Twitter like interface too so you can tell everyone what you’re having for lunch. You can also share your Google Reader shareable feeds, our Youtube videos, last.fm (which I don’t have yet, but it looks interesting) and many more. I may put a few things on there, but it won’t be information overload about my day.

I’ve spent a lot of time searching for an option I wanted to update or looking for an application and being unable to find it. I suppose I’ll learn where stuff is eventually, but will stop updating so much soon and I’ll just log on, see what everyone else is doing, check out any new pictures, then go on with my day. Or I can just check all of the email updates.

I’m a little late in joining “social networks”, but since I’m preparing on getting a real job someday and employers Google everyone’s name nowadays. I need to make sure my name is me. I just created WayneWeisser.com and have started checking MySpace, FaceBook and Linked In for any discrepancies or anything that has my name, but isn’t me. I tried to get weisser.com just so I could have the email address of wayne@weisser.com, but weisser.com is already a German car dealership. Click on any of the links or go to wayneweisser.com and my network is on the sidebar.

There are several MySpace copycats just for truckers, but I never got into those. I don’t have anything against truckers, I’m just not the social butterfly and sometimes I just don’t want to talk about trucking. Now, I have to work on my social skills if I’m going to be back into the corporate office environment.

If you’re on Facebook or any other network, add me as a friend. If you’re on a network, I’m not on, tell me about it. I just searched for “myspace for truckers” and apparently there is a program you can buy to build a Myspace lookalike, so there are a ton of MySpace clones.

I was actually invited to test one of the early trucker myspace networks (it was owned by Siricomm which also provided WIFI at truck stops and is now out of business) and when I talked to the developers about my concerns in that I already have a blog, videos on youtube, pictures on flickr, why move all of that stuff or only use their service? They assured me that their goal was to bring in all those services to your home page. After a couple of years, still the same. They really frown on links outside of their domain, they really don’t want people leaving their site for any reason whatsoever.

The last few weeks have actually seemed like things are picking up. I actually had a few loads where I was empty one day and loaded the next. So at least I was kept fairly busy. The pay wasn’t as much as it should have been for $4 a gallon fuel, but it wasn’t horrible. For right now, I’ll settle for “not horrible”. Once things get to the horrible level, I’m parking for awhile.

During the days and days of sitting around waiting for loads and since I’m online most of the time wherever I happen to be parked, I came up with a few ideas of making some spare change and not by hanging out at street corners! I’m going into the Internet Marketing Business. That’s a vague term for making money online. There are so many scams out there, I’ve read them all. But with all of the research I’ve done to help Life on the Road perform better in the search engines and gain traffic I’ve decided to see if I can make more money doing it.

Adventures in Web Hosting

Right now I’ve got about 30 websites I’ve either built or planning to build with plans for many, many more. During all of that, I’ve had to expand my hosting requirements. I’m in the process of moving my websites to, not quite a dedicated server, but close. Because of the plan I have, I can sell the space and bandwidth I’m not using to someone else. I’m connected with the best web host with the best support. Right now, I can match and probably beat any web hosting plan out there. Some web hosts advertise unlimited space and bandwidth, in the real world, if you need an outrageous amount of space and bandwidth, you’re not going to be happy on a shared hosting plan. My plan will be cheap, but realistic. But if you need outrageous space and bandwidth we can work something out.

For anyone that wants to move up to a WordPress website, I will install Wordpress, one theme you choose and some of the essential plugins to expand the functionality of WordPress. Plus assist you in moving your content from your old blog. Billing will be by Paypal so I can save you money by not paying for a merchant account. Billing is secure and professional. Tech support is 24/7 (not by me, but you can contact me if you have questions and don’t need immediate help.)

Get Your Websites and Domains Right Here

Any other type of website or blog can be moved and installed if you really don’t want WordPress. You will have complete cPanel access some of the features will allow you to create databases, email accounts with access to your files and directories with a file manager or FTP.

In order to get cheap domains for myself, I’m going to be able to sell domains also at a discount. I’m not going to spend a lot of time promoting web hosting, I need to concentrate on other things, but the opportunity is there if anyone wants to take advantage of it.

I’m still setting things up to be able to actually have customers but should be done soon. If anyone is interested in cheaper web hosting, help getting started with WordPress, on a less populated, better quality server or have any other requirements for your web site, let me know at the normal contact email.

I’ve been neglecting trucking lately. Even thinking about trucking is a little depressing. If I can’t write anything good, then I probably won’t write. I don’t want this to turn into a whine fest, which would be real easy nowadays. But to come out here and have a return trip rescheduled, another trip rescheduled and have a trip offered that paid $1 a mile (thankfully, my office turns that stuff down so I don’t have to deal with those idiots) it gets a little depressing with all of the waiting. Waiting isn’t trucking. Okay, waiting is a part of trucking, but it’s not the good part of trucking.

It’s the Economy, stupid.

I received an email from a Chicago Tribune reporter asking for stories about how truckers are dealing with the high cost of fuel. It’s not the fuel, it’s the lack of freight. It’s the lack of good paying freight, not the price of fuel that’s the problem. Fuel is so high, not because oil cost so much, but because the dollar is worth so little. “It’s the economy, stupid”. Think I heard that from somewhere, long, long ago. Now it’s the stupid economy and it’s stupid politicians that are running our economy stupidly.

Like I told the Chicago Tribune reporter, it’s bad, but not impossible. If you’re dedicated to one or two customers, you’re doing pretty good. If you’re waiting for the leftovers or crap from brokers, you may not be doing as well. Brokers that offer crap for a $1 a mile should be shot. It’s way to easy to become a broker nowadays.

I’m sure the reporter is only looking for a sob story to make into a headline then forget about it. So, I’m pretty sure I won’t be hearing from him again.

McCain Romney Ticket?

I saw a report that Mitt Romney would accept the Vice President if McCain asked him. Since McCain has already admitted he doesn’t know the economy, Romney would be a great choice. Then hopefully he would give him more of a role, then just window dressing, as most past VP’s have been. The Presidency is getting so complex nowadays, there should be a bigger role for a VP instead of waiting for the President to kick the bucket. But with McCain, that’s probably a very real possibility.

…the harder they fall.

Barrack is flying too high on wings of wax right now. Something is going to happen either before the nomination or after, where he comes falling back to earth in a hurry. Like most superstars, the quicker they rise, the quicker and the harder they fall when people wake up. Maybe his preacher will be his fall from grace (get it?) How can you listen to a man for 20 years, be a member of his church, say he’s the inspiration for your book (at least the title) and not hold some of the same beliefs? At the very least, think that his preacher’s beliefs aren’t radical. How can the drive-by media give him a pass for that? Especially after the whisper campaign everyone (including Republicans) got away with about Romney’s religion? For be a Preacher and someone that said he had morals, Huckabee was dispicable for what he did.

On top of all that all of his (and Hillary’s) promises are built on a house of cards and someday soon people will realize that (hopefully). Wake Up America.

Enough Politics

During all of the waiting part of trucking I’ve been building a website and doing some work on the inside of Adventures in Trucking. I’ve been reading on how to make websites better for search engines and about what makes a better blog inside and out.

What’s that Zoom thing?

Part of that process is that Blogging Zoom badge. It’s a new service like Digg, but better. It’s geared more toward blogs and bloggers. Feel free to vote and comment if you feel the site and posts are worthy. You vote by clicking on the badge. You’ll have to register, but from then on you only have to click.

Also, I might be doing some rearranging in the next few days, so if you see something different, hopefully it’s for the better. Let me know in the comments or directly (I get an email every time someone comments, so it’s like the same thing) and let me know what you like or don’t like.

Do you believe that feedburner number? I want to thank everyone for their patience and their support during this tough time. And I thought only my family read this! If I could ask for further support by being more involved in Adventures in Trucking by voting, commenting, and telling me what’s good or bad about the site, I promise to be more involved more on my end.

Ground Zero

Still in southern New Jersey, the wind is blowing the truck back and forth like a boat and it’s supposed to snow tomorrow but stop in the afternoon. Hopefully by Monday night things will be cleared up and I can drive to Allentown tomorrow night and be loaded Tuesday. It’s being loaded by a crew which is good, but most of these kinds of loads, product isn’t ready until the last minute.

I think I’m sticking with this theme. It’s the same that’s used on Life on the Road, but everything works. All the headers, paragraph breaks, photos, comment area, everything works and looks good with no unnecessary stuff. I might change it from two sidebars to only one, I liked the picture on the top banner like the other one, especially since it was taken in Alaska and I may change some of the colors. Since I have all this time on my hands, it will be a good learning experience.

The picture is Ground Zero from my trip to New York City back in 2003. I have a few more I need to post.

Ground Zero

Still in southern New Jersey, the wind is blowing the truck back and forth like a boat and it’s supposed to snow tomorrow but stop in the afternoon. Hopefully by Monday night things will be cleared up and I can drive to Allentown tomorrow night and be loaded Tuesday. It’s being loaded by a crew which is good, but most of these kinds of loads, product isn’t ready until the last minute.

I think I’m sticking with this theme. It’s the same that’s used on Life on the Road, but everything works. All the headers, paragraph breaks, photos, comment area, everything works and looks good with no unnecessary stuff. I might change it from two sidebars to only one, I liked the picture on the top banner like the other one, especially since it was taken in Alaska and I may change some of the colors. Since I have all this time on my hands, it will be a good learning experience.

The picture is Ground Zero from my trip to New York City back in 2003. I have a few more I need to post.

A new WordPress version has come out and I’m going to be upgrading and putting in a few more plug-ins I want to try out.

If anything looks funny today (Tuesday), it’s just me.

Update: I messed something up. May have to start over from scratch. Good thing for backups.

Update2: Holy cow that was fun. After screwing up , reinstalling, then restoring tables, I was distracted and imported Adventure tables into Truckingblog. What a mess. Adventures is fixed and I’m done messing with it for now. Pictures work, the page listing needs a little tweaking, but I can do that later. At least everything works here.

Update3: Okay, I thought everything was working except for some small stuff, but I’ve got to either reinstall everything or rebuild a couple of tables. Nothing is lost. I’m sure it’s something I messed up.

Not sure if I’m going to stick with this theme. I like it and it’s got “widgets” for the sidebar which the other one didn’t. That forced me to learn how the code worked, so it was good for learning.

It’s taking a little longer than I thought, so if things don’t look quite right, please stand-by.

Someone needs to find me a good photo for the top banner. This one is the one that came with the theme and it’s a great picture, but everyone that uses this theme has this picture. I need something different and something that looks like trucking!

A couple of updates to the site – I noticed I didn’t have comments listed on the side, when I was looking for a plug-in to list comments, I ran across this Similar Posts plug-in. Other plug-ins use tags and categories, this one compares the entire posts and looks for similar posts with the same content.

Probably not real important or relevant to this site, but I wanted to see how it looked in case I wanted to use it on another site. I’m not sure if I like both so I may keep looking around for something different.

We are home for the 4rth of July. I heard the strip isn’t going to do fireworks this year. I’m not sure what we are going to do for the holiday.

We have a trip to Minnesota from Portland, OR and I’m pretty sure we have a trip from Vegas to Portland. We should be in Minnesota on the 14th with plenty of time to put the truck in the shop.