A statement which entered into my mind this week is one that I cannot easily let go. The words were uttered by a shipping clerk at the dock where I load/unload. This man said something so simple, yet so very important to a drivers everyday schedule. He uttered the words “It’s Only Ten Minutes”. To most people, these words mean just that… ten minutes. For me, these words managed to have great meaning in regards to time than one would normally think.
My morning began in San Antonio, TX. I awoke and conducted my pre trip inspection prior to leaving out for Laredo, TX. The trip was two hours and forty five minutes until I reached Laredo. As usual, I went inside to check in and was assigned a dock. While my customer was unloading and reloading my trailer, I made arrangements with the shipping clerk to bob tail eight miles down the road to the nearest travel center. I decided to use my time wisely and therefore, I ate, showered, talked with some drivers and headed back to pick up my trailer. All of this took three hours as I thought to myself that the process for them to unload/reload and prepare my paperwork typically takes about four hours.
When I returned back to the dock area to pick up my trailer, to my surprise the shipping clerk came over and handed me the bill of lading. I looked at him and couldn’t believe it. I realized at that moment that I could have been back a whole hour earlier and have been on my way. I asked him “when did you finish unloading/reloading?” and his reply was “only about ten minutes ago.” I thought to myself this was no big deal as ten 
minutes isn’t that long.
I left Laredo, TX and began heading back to North Carolina. My plans were to stop overnight in Vidor, TX where I can always find parking availability and a good breakfast. My GPS indicated that I had thirty minutes of extra time to complete this trip. Unfortunately, traffic in Houston was unusually heavier than normally planned and erased my thirty minute window. Therefore, shutting down any extra time I would have had to make it to Vidor, TX. Fortunately, the speed limit is 70 mph plus… and I was able to increase my speed from 62 mph to 68 mph. When I arrived in Vidor, TX and backed my truck into a parking spot, I had exactly one minute left to spare on my electronic log.
Upon setting my parking brakes for the night, I reflected on those words of “It’s Only Ten Minutes” and they had quite a different meaning at the end of my day.
