Today’s blog will feature my wife of 25 years, Karen as a guest. I thought it might be interesting for her to
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| Karen and I in front of our first Cascadia |
write down some thoughts as a passenger during our road time together. She currently doesn’t hold a CDL; however Karen has partnered with me over the last 17 years in our trucking business and operated the back office… so to speak. I think she has pretty much covered all areas of work in our industry other than driving and maintenance. Karen has been an integral part of our business and I’m fortunate to have her as my wife and business partner for all these years. Having just returned home from a week together in the truck, I asked Karen if she would write her point of view and give her perspective on how things have changed over the years in regards to her riding as a passenger over the road. (Karen’s story is below).
I’m not one to say that I love being a passenger over the road with my husband all the time. However, on the occasion when I do travel with him in the truck I count that special time as high on my priority list as we can share the experience of being on the road together. At home, there are children, bills, household chores, a business to operate and many other things in life that tend to steal our time away from one another.
Once we stock the truck with plenty of healthy snacks, drinks, clean clothes, fresh bed linens and of course my overnight bag (everything a girl needs) which includes make-up, hair spray, perfume, lipstick and my favorite (white) ball cap for those bad hair days… we’re set to go. When Henry starts the engine of his Freightliner Cascadia and we make our way out of the parking lot, it’s just he and I and the open road ahead of us. I breathe a sigh of relief as I’m leaving everything at home behind me for the week. It feels good to have a change of pace and I can finally sit back and relax.
I took such a trip with Henry last week from Charlotte, NC to Laredo, TX. We traveled the 2,850 mile round trip and returned home safely last evening. During this trip, I began to think back on those early days before we were married. Henry would call to see if I wanted to have lunch with him in the middle of a hot steamy summer afternoon. He would come and pick me up in the company truck which was a GMC Brigadier. This truck was a day cab with a long wheel base and included a 26 ft. refrigerated box. The sweat poured off each of us as there was no air conditioning to be had. The interior was all metal with no insulation. The only two luxury items featured on this truck were an AM radio and power steering.
Henry thought he was in high cotton when the company assigned him to drive a 1982 cab over Freightliner. This wonder truck offered a sleeper, AM & FM radio with cassette. The doors and ceiling were even vinyl padded and offered a power passenger side window. Another added feature was a remote adjustable passenger side mirror. For the first time ever, Henry had air conditioning and he was thrilled. Our lunch dates in this truck enabled us to actually hear one another during conversation. Up to this point… it had been difficult as the trucks were very noisy inside and out.
After we were married and moved to the Carolina’s, it was back to the old days as Henry’s new job had him drive a 1989 Ford L8000. It was like starting all over again with no air condition or cab insulation. However, this truck did have AM & FM radio. Nobody could hear the radio while traveling therefore, it really didn’t matter.
Henry had several company trucks in which I was not a passenger. Then, in 1996 we began our own company and purchased a brand new 1996 Freightliner FLD 120 70 inch mid-roof XT. I felt like we had arrived in this truck as it offered more room, easier access to the sleeper, air conditioning/heat, air ride cab and suspension and even a spot to install a portable cooler for food storage. Ahhh… the life of luxury. I enjoyed going along for a ride in this truck. However, things weren’t perfect by any means. One winter night the temperature was in the low 40’s in New Jersey. We made our delivery late that night, grabbed some dinner and it was time to retire to the sleeper birth for the night. I was cold and woke Henry to let him know. I asked him to turn on the heat a bit. He made a comment regarding the fact that we were not in the “Marriott” hotel and heat regulation was done through a cable actuator. This system was difficult as you couldn’t regulate the temperature very well. Henry told me it was not a good idea to turn the heat up; however he was going to make me happy. Therefore, he moved the lever towards the “hot” side just a tad. The truck began to warm and we both fell back asleep. When we awoke, our throats were parched and we could barely talk. Our throats were dry to the core all the way down to our chests. After we both had some water, we laughed and Henry began with the old comment “I told you so.”
The next truck we purchased for our business was a 2001 Freightliner Century Class, 70 inch mid-roof XT. I was busy being a “homeschool mom” during this trucks tenure with us and therefore, didn’t ride too often in this vehicle. On the rare occasion of my travels, this truck provided a much smoother ride, was noticeably quieter and offered a greater degree of comfort.
In 2008, Henry began his business ventures in the Freightliner Cascadia. This truck is truly my favorite. It’s quiet on the inside and out. I don’t hear the roar of the engine inside the cab which is nice when Henry and I are having conversation. The passenger seating is very comfortable with lots of leg room. When I get tired of sitting, I can stand and easily move about within the cab. The refrigerator and microwave make it convenient to grab our snacks, drinks or pop in a quick meal if necessary. Finally, at night, I feel as if I have the comforts of my own home by sleeping in thermostatically controlled temperature. Its battery powered HVAC system called ParkSmart allows us to sleep with the truck engine off.
The truck is insulated well enough that if we park next to an idling truck or refrigerated trailer, the sound is muffled to an acceptable level for a peaceful nights rest.
Last October, I flew to California for business and decided to return to North Carolina by traveling with Henry. I wanted to experience a coast to coast run. I was thoroughly impressed with the comfort level I experienced in the Cascadia Evolution. Now, whenever time allows for me to spend time over the road with the hubby, I’m assured that it’s going to be a wonderful ride. The best comforts available today along with my husband and best friend of 25 years… what more could a girl want?