Difficult to Put to Words

How many times do we hear that an event is too difficult to put to words? I know I have heard it several times. Major events, like the birth of a child, are often described this way. I had spoken to a few people who had attended Let’s Truck’s Certified Master Contractor (CMC) Conference, and said the experience was difficult to put to words and I doubted it. How could a conference, especially a conference about trucking. Yet, here I sit, just two short days after the conference has ended finding it difficult to put the experience to words.

I knew to expect many of the same issues Kevin goes over on the show in greater detail. I had been told Larry Winget was a great speaker. I expected the negotiations portion to really push me to an uncomfortable zone. I was also told the networking with other drivers made the conference invaluable. I was not expected to really have the conference effect and challenge me in the ways it has.

We arrived in Kansas City on Thursday, and immediately ran into a few people I had been conversing, and sometimes arguing with on Facebook. By the end of the week, I hated to leave the conference. I knew we needed to get back to work, but I really felt like I really hadn’t learned all I could from all those around me. The networking was truly priceless. For those of us who listen to Kevin, we have come to know people like Jimmy the Junkman, and many had preconceived notions about him and there is no way he was like that in real life. Reality, Jimmy is a crazy smart, patient man who is willing to share his wealth of knowledge with anyone that takes the time sit with him. I cannot begin to thank him enough. Rico (or as I just called him Sauvé) not only shared his hard earned knowledge with all at the CMC, but he took time out to spend extra time with my husband. We spent a lot of time trying to teach Southern to a British Canadian, and he shared not only his business plan but his story which blew me away. Robert and his wife not only shared his knowledge, but his dedication to the industry shows in his willingness to take a younger driver under his wing and share his knowledge. There are so many more which taught me a lot, and modeled the mentoring I think is sorely needed in this industry. I was able to share a little of my knowledge and abilities with several others, but I really feel like I took so much more than I gave back.

Negotiations can be something many don’t want to attempt, and surely don’t want to learn more about, however George Gallamore made it really applicable to everyone’s life. He taught me more about me, and really made me realize why I do some of the things I do. Not only do I understand myself better, I understand my husband and much of my family a little better, so I feel his tools and information were something I needed, no matter how I dreaded it. Learning other people and learning to recognize the clues as to what type of person they are will help us in the end. While I don’t think his knowledge will help us make a decision on buying a new dishwasher, at least he now has a new couple to use as an example.

Goal setting is something I learned about while I was in the business world, but sometimes I forget those skills and don’t apply them in this business. Being reminded the steps for goal setting, and really analyzing the motives behind the goals was something I really felt we needed. I really would like to write a book, but I also know that goal is rather selfish. My husband and I have realized we really need to make a decision on our future. We need to decide on a plan that will work for us, write out goals, and make a plan to get us where we would like to be. We don’t have much time, but it is definitely needed.

Larry Winget said several things that were funny and yet made you think. One think that just made you think was, “Nothing is neutral.” In life, every decision we make either moves us towards our goals or away from them. No decision we make has no bearing on our lives. He made so many witty comments I don’t think I could ever list them all, but they all made me think about life. We definitely need to “Grow a Pair.”

There are so many more things we learned, and so much more I could write about how inspiring this conference was, but in the end my words will still not convey my true feelings of the conference. I can say, if anyone in the industry has an opportunity to be in Kansas City the first full week of May, I highly suggest making plans to attend the CMC. Many say the conference costs a lot, especially when you factor in the cost of the hotel, loss of revenue, etc. However, the investment in yourself and your business is invaluable. Bottom line, cost of the CMC: $1400, Hotel: $1000, Lost Revenue: $5000, but the CMC is truly PRICELESS!

Reviewing Plans

People always seem to have the best plans, and yet the follow through is not always great. I had all these grand plans for this blog, and then life happens. We end up running so wide open I pushed myself to run at 75 mph, which cost us about $600 in lost fuel but allowed us to make the appointment. We end up just so focused on the life we are living, I forget to share. So, while my follow through on plans hasn't been what it should be, I won't make any more plans, just hope to do a bit better at sharing.

Bonnie enjoying the "back deck" while we were empty in San Francisco, CA

We have been back out on the road for almost a month now. I feel we are really getting used to this new truck. We are starting to make money (which is a good thing). We are enjoying the almost 1 mpg improvement this truck has over our old truck. We are happy in the first 12,000 miles on full synthetic oil in a 700k mile CAT, we have no oil usage, and thanks to the EcoPur the oil looks like we just poured it out of the jug. If things stay like this, we may be able to easily go 250,000 miles before needing to change it. We are looking to swap out the tires on this truck, which should help with the fuel mileage. Not really sure what kind of tires we are going to get as of yet, especially since we never had good luck with Michellin tires in the drive position, and the Bridgestones we would have gotten have been taken off the market due to issues. I guess we will figure it out.
On the homeschooling front, we finished most of the work I set out to finish this year, and now are looking at plans for what we will do next year. The only break we will really have (other than a day or so here and there) will be when Chris and I go to the CMC in September (but more on that in a bit). I have been very proud of Bonnie's choice to read more often. Some days are a struggle, but then I have to remember she is a teenager. We are looking to add Latin (hoping that will improve her language understanding), Logic (because let's face it, all of us could learn better ways of analyzing issues), and possibly Spanish (Chris wants to learn Spanish so he can better communicate at some of the places we go, so we might as well all learn it together). We will be continuing with Sonlight, Teaching Textbooks, and Apologia. I have found out I can get better deals if I shop around, so I will be doing that to ensure we aren't overspending on homeschooling by trying to get everything from one place. I am excited about next year, and then we get to start planning for high school!
Back to the CMC. You may remember, I mentioned a few months ago, I have been accepted into the mentoring program Kevin Rutherford started to help give back to the industry. I think I am the only mentor who has not been to the CMC. It is a week long in depth look into fuel economy, and the business of trucking. We have talked about going to it for several years, but just like so many other things, life gets in the way and we don't go. This year, we have committed to going, and have started making payments. I am excited about going. This will be a week with no Bonnie (thanks to my father-in-law), and no dispatch to bug us. I know, how can a week spent learning about the business of trucking really be a vacation, but I am hoping we will walk away with knowledge, and a network of like-minded people.

My hydration device.

As an update on the diet, let's just say right now I am more concentrating on my stomach getting back to normal than anything. I "cheated" on the diet and had some cherries we bought from a road side fruit stand in California. Within 12 hours my stomach was on revolt, and didn't want anything to stay in it, not even water. After about 72 hours of trying everything I could think of, I was so dehydrated I could hardly function. We went through the house, and my middle daughter picked me up and took me to the hospital. I stayed there for almost 24 hours while they got me hydrated, and medicated enough to hold a liquid diet in. It took me a few more days to get back to normal, but I still have a few issues getting my system to act normal, so we have halted the diet for now. We are still trying to eat better, but when I am still not reacting well to being out in the heat, and my stomach still isn't what it should be, I really can't justify trying to diet. I hope I will get back to normal soon.
I hope everyone who reads this will understand, especially those who truck, how difficult it can be to blog on a regular basis. I still have so many ideas of things to say running around in my brain. I think I will have to figure out how to record my thoughts when I am driving at night, so it will be easier to write later. Be safe.