Comments By Steve L.

This whole thread is, well...strange to me. It's caused me to laugh and ponder.

1. I think it's sad we gotta be fearful of someone taking help (albeit unsolicited) as anything other than kindness.

2. What kind of weirdo tells you what color clothes you were wearing, when you last met?

While I'm a little territorial about my equipment, I'm not gonna go freaking out if some driver starts lowering my landing gear for me, and I've done the same for others. But, I sure ain't gonna comment on what you were wearing last time I saw you either...well, unless it was a funny T-shirt or something.

It seems we denigrate chivalry, yet wonder where all the alpha males went. Some of us, at times, make an inappropriate comment and then get angry if someone points it out.

Maybe, we just gotta take two really deep breaths and just be grateful. :)

Congratulations, in advance, on your new knee!

I know, sounds crazy, right? I nursed my Wife through both knee replacements. She went from barely hobbling to the beach, to leading the pack. You will too! I found the following, a successful combination.

1. Stay ahead of the pain. I kept a written record of when she took her pain meds (on time, keeps the pain at bay). I cannot stress this enough. And,

2. DO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY! Doing the at-home stuff is critical to your recovery. Don't let it slide.

Sorry you and your Grandson are having to give up your comfort zones, but I suspect you're going to be very happy in about 4-6 months.

Good luck and keep the Faith!

Nice to have you back Errol.

Agreed! Nice to see you back Errol!!!

“The debtor is slave to the lender”…….period.

It’s always annoyed me how many supposed “business leaders” , “educated economists” and “gurus” seem to dismiss this fact or act all surprised when things blow up (financially speaking) in their faces. The sad part is that innocent people often get wrecked by careless decision making. Yellow/YRC has had it coming for years (not the drivers).

Back when I was in CDL school, we had a YRC rep come talk to us. You know what pushed all of us away from even considering applying with them? They didn’t provide enough lunch to feed all 30 or so of us and the rep had to call his boss asking for more $$ to get more pizza 🍕.

I smelled their crock a mile away, glad I stayed away.

Rhino, I’m glad you got on your feet.

Yellow should be a cautionary tale for all of us about living and operating within our means.

I thought a deal had been cut with Yellow? To prevent this? I must be wrong then, thought I read that somewhere.

It's an interesting situation and I'm following along learning a lot.

Apollo is the lender Yellow owes most. They have agreed to fund the shutdown. That's the lending I was reading up on. It wasn't another bail out, it was them moving to the front of the line.

That will make them the "debtor in possession", putting them at the very top of the list to get paid after the liquidation is compete.

You also have the stock skyrocketing because MFN is buying up a bunch of it. Last I saw they owned 48% of Yellow stock.

Buying stock makes MFN an owner of the company. MFN must believe that there are more assets than liabilities and Yellow will have a lot of cash after paying all the debt.

Then there's Uncle Sam. The 700 million from the government is secured by stock not assests. That means when/if Yellow files for bankruptcy the government gets nothing.

If the liquidation brings in more money than the debts owed, Yellow will not qualify for bankruptcy protection. Apollo and MFN are in the money business. They have no interest in running a trucking company or using the laid off work force.

Moe, THANK YOU! The borrower being slave to the lender is exactly what has been driving me to reposition myself. I'm a company driver and I used to get stressed if I didn't get 2,600+ miles/week. Now, I've got myself where I can get by (if I absolutely have to) on less than 1,500 miles/week.

With the economic downturn (regardless of what Joe Biteme says), I'm really glad I've been able to reduce my debt so much. While the relationship with Dispatch is important, I find it easier to have a good relationship when I don't HAVE TO make as many miles. While dispatch is freaking out trying to find loads AND please drivers, I can be more flexible; makes their job easier and mine a little less stressful.

🙏🙏🙏 Sorry to hear about your Mom. Your statement about God, TT and this career reflects my experience as well.

I hope your transition is as smooth as possible and you’re able to get some well-earned rest.

God’s Peace be with you!

I can't speak to the PTSD, but I agree with PJ on making the goal your primary focus and, with Bill M., that fear can be a motivator.

Scared? Hell yeah I was! Hey, I'm now 61 years old and don't care if others think that's a sign of weakness.

My first load was in January, out of Lebanon, TN, into Kentucky and it started snowing. As with all paper loads (unless you're hauling finished TP or paper towels), it was heavy. I had to navigate 90 degree turns in a small town and I was all alone. After what seemed an eternity (but was probably just a couple of hours), I got to a small Pilot to scale the load and there was one parking spot left. I scaled and parked the truck. The snow had stopped and as the sun set, a small break in the clouds appeared and the sun shone through. I took that as a sign from God, that He had my back.

Since that first load, I've made some mistakes and had a lot of success. None of the mistakes were serious and the successes (if nothing else) have kept me earning a good paycheck (which was my goal all along). I'm still on my second company and hope I can retire from here. Slow and steady wins the race.

You'll be given lots of advice, by lots of people and you have to decide what gets you closest to your goals. I've found the following few things (among many others) very helpful;

1. Reading my daily devotional. I grew up going to church, but for many years just went through the motions. For the past 8+ years I've taken 5-10minutes every morning, to read that same daily devotional.

2. Don't take on other people's drama. People who work for the same company tell me how horrible it is, what the bosses are doing wrong and how they'd improve the company, if they could just get someone to listen to them. Other drivers around me cut me off, 'cause they're late and about to miss their exit right in front of me. Don't let 'em control your mind.

3. Every day, I remind myself of WHY I do this. And occasionally, I treat myself to something different to eat or a tool for working around the house. Mostly, it's time with my family.

So, hang in there. Nobody talks much about the fears and I imagine it's because that'd quickly devolve into whining and being counterproductive. You've overcome in the past, you will again. This is a beginning and those are always challenging.

Good luck and DRIVE ON!

Congratulations on your award AND ESPECIALLY your perseverance! My condolences on your loss and I hope you continue to be an outstanding Driver.

It’s a very different situation for you drivers...

I admit I didn't always cherish the hometime like I do today. Especially during my military days.

Some years ago, while driving for Schneider, I would take a 34 or hometime at a friend's house in Ohio. I was Best Man at their wedding in the 1980's and we've remained friends ever since. The hometime spent with them was great and just enough to not let the friendship spoil.

I've also taken hometime at other relatives' places around the country and that was pretty cool.

In a few weeks, my hometime will be similar to yours as my family will take off for three weeks to visit in-laws up north. So, I get what you mean. They do this each year and I know what to expect. My suggestion is to plan ahead and try to think up something creative that YOU want to do. Then do it. Maybe it's getting a really nice hotel room on the beach or in the mountains. Pay the $$ for Uber or whatever you need, but spoil yourself. Heck, you earn that right.

Today we're going to the beach. I'm not a beach bum, but sometimes you've just got to take in the blessings of this life and forget about the road.

Got home today. I never complete all of the jobs I want to, but God has blessed me with more than I deserve. So, I'll just keep on keepin' on. :)

Slow yourself. Better to take 30 extra seconds than damage equipment or property.

When I was new at this, it seemed everything was moving so slow that I had to move faster when I could. WRONG! This is a slow moving business (in many ways) and as I adjusted to it, my job became easier.

Good luck in week two.