The One Man Show project started like a many project, and continues to be a “work in progress”. Over time, it had one objective to help get the most out of computing, while in the role of Professional Driving. In that ongoing time frame, understanding the role of Professional Driver had its own learning curve, that includes those blogs written on the Driver’s Daily Blog, that includes endurance, routine, and one’s own set of standards (like creating a style).
It started out simply with one spreadsheet for load calls, and to have information on hand, such as the pickup number, destination, the trailer to load, and so on. Through practice and practical use, it has become part of the routine, since 2006. Through curiosities in the many positions of trucking, like, OTR, Dedicated, Boarder Crossing, and types of loads and trailer uses, one spreadsheet grew to many to have the same purpose; having that information on hand. This comes true today, such as road service calls and maintenance.
Other spreadsheets became and established the second part of the project, the financial portion of records keeping. Each spreadsheet now was created and dedicated to the specific task, from fueling and truck purchases (oils, grease, lights, etc.), to expense spreadsheets, and again, specific to the type of expense; such as expenses specific to maintaining the truck, to cleaning and personal items, stationary and office materials (a truck has its own loose definition of being a rolling office), parking, and more. The second part of this project eventually became as important, if not more important, than the first part of the records, simply stated as the tracking records of every load.
In short, and in the last seven years, one spreadsheet became many. With many spreadsheets came the development of when to use them, leading to one common practice, use them as I am involved in that specific activity. Trying to wait until the end of the work day only made recalling the daily events and issues impractical. Basically, the fueling spreadsheet was filled right after I fueled, and the load information spreadsheet was filled as I got the load, picked up, and delivered the load.Those were the two basic spreadsheets that had to be done at the time of the activity, while others, such as the replicated recap sheet, mileage countdown spreadsheet (used to count down to the next PM service), and mileage and hours spreadsheet, for my own goal of eventually analyzing and projecting future load services.
Other parts of those spreadsheets involved scanning receipts into a file format, which I chose [.PDF], to continue the nature of computer records with the sense of eliminating the piles of papers in the truck. Over time, and especially when out for long periods, paper takes up space and can get lost. The other issues is keeping the groups of paperwork organized, rather simply a pile to sift through when needed. Organizing on computer is not always easy either, but if you figure the time in scanning and creating on computer compared to paper, to do the same process of going home and organizing folders for the paperwork would consume a deal of time, or simply be another pile. Still, scanning receipts and paperwork is something I chose to let go until there was time. That also was a work in progress, since when that time came, I simply wanted to relax and be entertained.
Maybe that was why I took on the challenges of the Lease to Purchase, now in that Independent Contractor position, focusing on true owner operator of my truck. All of a sudden, the seven years of this project doesn’t sound so long if you think of the time it took to understand basic driving, experiencing the many roles of trucking (which includes border crossing, and I’ll mention towing doubles (two trailers at a time). In seven years, and out of a school, called Smith and Solomon, I took on owning a truck (over seniority in one company), and possibly in two years (instead of one), run my own show.
Basing everything on computer takes time to develop, and much in the beginning falls to the wayside, until that routine is improved. But after seven years, the improvements in records keeping, scanning, and the timely submission of all work related issues is approaching that goal and objective of a true business. I still need to develop weekly routines for sharing information with other people, such as ATBS, a financial services business, to the IRS. Both now also focus on website (computing) records sharing and submissions.
That covers the ongoing work in progress of using computers in a trucking industry, and at the level of “foot soldier”, that when accomplished, makes it also the role of being one’s own administrator, manager, and office worker (the truck being the the cubical). But this project involved two more key objectives, with again, more activities, that set it apart from the role of professional driving. The blogs were part of the big plan from the start. Reporting suggestive ideas and possibilities still falls short of any given routine. After all, I still need that time away to just relax.
Blogging, like any project has to set a theme, and in the beginning, a blog can look like a diary, a sole persons perspective, and advertisement and enticement to a new or different activity to explore, and everyone seems to “muddle” at times, to make sense of the theme of their blog. I have four blogs, and in the beginning, the Driver’s Daily Blog was one of reporting, that shows many points of “muddling” through, just to keep a blog active. The other blogs, like this one were other “brainstorms” to build onto. The hardest thing is when to blog when in the beginning it starts as a simple tool of expression rather than a focus or true purpose of intent. This blog [was] is to continue and run with side by side blogs with the Driver’s Daily Log, but focus more on the constant struggles and improvements to combining technology with Professional driving.
Hopefully this will lead to “how to” ideas and instructions, that will advance not only in written steps and techniques, but will lead to simple short videos of an activity in progress. This was the very thought of starting a business in 2006, called HY Resources, and it was to work in association with small and big named computer schools, searching for key concepts that would help a student or user get past various learning curves. In 2006, the business started, and in my own business development, made my first step by step video,on using the common program of Microsoft Paint. It had many flaws such as actual and practical purposes to using Paint and Photoshop programs. I had no real purpose, and after reviewing them found myself in a virtual workshop filled with all the tools, but with no real and interesting activity or project to build with.
When the economy caused issues, I had to shut down, in a short two month period, and after establishing not only a business, but financial credit, that had to be paid back. With part of the money in business development and materials, returning everything was not possible, and getting a CDL was based on “out of the box” thinking. Truck driving and computers at an individual level? How? And in the average truck drivers eye, why? Well, truck drivers either have a home life at on time, then on the road, with no real means of merging both worlds together…like trucking and computers. So, a CDL with a Toshiba Satellite in hand. There were Office programs, mapping programs, camera, camcorder, printer, and portable scanner. All that was left was the objective of making sense to Trucking and HY Resources. Seven years later, and with a truck, that objective might now become a reality, and where I started HY Resources with no real key basis for my “how-to” videos, I start with real activities, real data, real spreadsheets (oh, and by the way, I am working on four Microsoft Access (database) files too), I am so close to returning full circle to to starting point of HY Resources. I guess in a sense, these last seven years has all been a “business development” period.
It may still questions…why? I have a ways to go before that can be seen as answered. But for now, not only is a personal computer a tool for the professional driver, but a way to finally merge home with the road. Sure emails, and Instant messaging has been around for years, but never truly applied. It is also hard to get others to join in, when you cannot find the right explanation. So, there is still an obstacle to tackle. For, I am staying with my routine, working on spreadsheets, databases, and fighting the routine for blogs. At the same time, the computers now in place of that one Toshiba Satellite S45151 keeps records, transfers files, makes telephone or cell phone calls, plans routes for loads, and I have found a new tool or purpose…staying informed of the weather, and the news.
Next is that website sharing of important documents with those financial firms, agencies, and businesses; while taking a leap ahead, and work on communicating with family (currently through a well known social network), that now opens the opportunity to video conferencing as the next “resource”. Slowly and a degree of thought, I should be able to do everything while on the road. But, do not ever think that a commercial vehicle is my office or my world; instead, slowly come to reality, that merging not only my records keeping and my daily planning and communication, and now reaching out to others at home and business, with all possible forms of communication, my true office and world will be that machine, the computer.
If I was to finish off here…laundry should almost be finished, for now, lets simply agree on the title of the blog. This truly is a One Man Show!
I opened the cover, and that smell was strong. One of the batteries was boiling. I found the bad one right away, as the acid was leaking out the side of the battery, and onto both of the battery cables. I moved the cables to one side, but had to call in to get authorization to disconnect the ground wire. Once I got approval, I got all the lines away from the battery, and had to let the load be reassigned. Strangely enough, the customer had issues with the order, so there was another delay. In a sense, it gave everything a chance to just sit for some time.
Driver's Blog 