Rise and shine

The wake-up call came a tad early this morning for Media Day in Louisville. In town for the Mid-America Trucking show, the Land Line Magazine and Land Line Now staffs got a "bright" and early start on the day. Waking up in an area with a time zone an hour ahead of my body clock didn’t hit me until I drew open the curtains and noticed the sun still hadn't popped up over the horizon. Then the realization hits: I’m missing out on some good sleep.

When I made it down to the lobby for the head count, I soon came across truck driver and OOIDA Life Member Bill Rode. I was recounting the trials of the night. There was the occasional airplane heard flying nearby, as well as a repetitive sound outside that I can only liken to someone dropping the lid on a large trash bin. Land Line Now's Barry Spillman says it's a monster. Nobody is certain what it is, but Barry is convincing.

I commented to Bill that he likely had some very interesting stories about staying in hotels/motels through the years. He recounted one temporary stay in a room with a collection of yellowjackets stationed under the sink. Another stop had him rooming with a scorpion. He let me know he was certain I got much more sleep overnight than he did on that occasion.

Ya gotta love it. The tales of the road that folks like me don’t get to hear very often make each trip to Louisville its own lasting memory.

Bill and I parted ways for the day as the Land Line staff made their way to the Exposition Center for the media events. Many hours later, I can tell you it was a very long day going from one press event to another. I’m dog-tired at this point. But I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.

Thursday is Day 1 of MATS with the trucking community filling the halls and wings of the Exposition Center. I look forward to chatting with a whole lotta good people during the next few days. Talking face to face with people who love the trucking industry is the highlight of the trip for me. People share stories about anything and everything affecting the industry. Good or bad, it's insight that stays with you for the long haul.

Well, it’s time to hit the shutdown button on this computer. There’s a big day ahead that starts before the sun peeks over the Kentucky sky. I just hope I don’t hear any yellowjackets under the sink tonight.