2012 - A preview

I am absolutely tired of year in review stories that come out this time of year so I thought that I would do a year in preview of 2012 just to be a little different. Let me use this disclaimer, I am a truck driver, not a psychic, and as such will have to wait to find out what happens just like you will. This is just kind of a wish list so to speak. It is also going to be heavily political with a little NASCAR and trucking thrown in with a healthy dose of humor. So kick back with your favorite New Years beverage and see what is in store.

2012 in politics will be a wild ride. President Obama will announce that he has decided that this whole presidency thing is way too tough and that he has decided to resign and take a job in northern Alaska counting polar bears on ice floes. This infuriates Michelle Obama who becoming used having everything that she has being paid for by the public immediately files for divorce and goes on welfare, stating “You don't expect me to actually WORK for a living do you?” Vice President Biden upon hearing the news curses up a storm and is heard screaming “That f*%#ing son-of a b^#@& is not going to lay this on me!” Biden abruptly resigns as well and is last seen boarding a fishing trawler. This leaves us with President John Boehner. As his first act as president he signs the “National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act” and then sets to work disassembling Obamacare.

The new year will continue to see a rise in the popularity of NASCAR. The racing series decides to make it's all star race in Charlotte, NC in May a “run what you brung” event with teams allowed to make unlimited modifications to the drive-train of the cars. The safety systems of the cars are not allowed to be touched however. Dale Earnhardt Jr wins the race with an average speed of 225.689 mph with the race never being slowed by a single caution. When asked after the race why things went so smoothly out on the track second place driver Carl Edwards states “Are you kidding me? Going that fast if someone made a mistake they would have went THROUGH the turn 3 wall!

In entertainment we will see a popularity comeback for rock music. Van Halen reunite with BOTH David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. AC/DC and a rejuvenated Journey go on tour. And Fleetwood Mac sell out several dates despite Mick Fleetwood having to take a wheelchair to his drum kit. In movies the world will be shocked when Hollywood fails to release any re-makes or adaptations of old television shows! All movies are truly new movies and in appreciation the public races back to the theaters creating a banner year for the industry with one exception. Unfortunately Michael Moore decides to make a film about the occupy protests of 2011. Moore sinks his entire personal fortune into the film, certain that it is going to be his biggest financial success ever. He however has the audacity to actually charge admission for the film, and the occupy protesters have a fit. They demonstrate at theaters and eventually the total take for the film is $22.50, the entirety of which is from a family in Sheboygan, Wisconsin who thought that they were buying tickets for a Three Stooges retrospective showing at the theater. When asked what he thought of the film as the family walked out of the theater half way through the film the father, who asked not to be named out of fear that his young son would be ridiculed said “We thought initially that they made a mistake and were showing “Free Willy”, but the whale would not shut up! We finally decided to leave when Junior told me that wales can't really talk.”

The trucking industry booms in 2012 and has a tough time keeping up with the explosive growth of the economy that followed the exodus of the Obama administration from Washington. In an unprecedented move the FMCSA decides to scrap the hours of service regulations that were to take effect in July. The agency came to the conclusion that since the current regulations were working as they were there was no need to fix what wasn't broken. With so much freight needing to move and a limited supply of trucks and drivers, freight rates skyrocket and drivers reap big financial rewards. Shippers and receivers finally commit to getting trucks in and out of their facilities quickly when they are repeatedly hit with large detention bills after trucking companies figure out that they make more money when the trucks are moving rather than sitting.

That is it. I know pretty much for certain that nothing that I have written will happen, although it was kind of fun to imagine it. I sincerely hope that everyone that reads this has an absolutely blessed and wonderful year in 2012.

As usual, thanks for your time, and I'll see you down the road.

How anti-gun policies fail us.

If you are elderly, a woman, or disabled in any way the anti-gun lobbyists want you to suffer and die!

Ok, not really, but some of their beliefs are very harmful to you. If you give me just a few seconds I will explain why. The most basic belief in the anti-gun movement is that we would all be much better off if all guns were all to be confiscated and no one other than law enforcement or the military would be able to have a gun. No guns no gun violence right? Well almost, but let's look at the effects of that.

First of all, let's say that a law was passed that said that all Americans had to turn in all of the firearms that they owned. This will not happen in our lifetimes but let's just say that it did so that Sarah Brady can smile. What would happen is that a majority of the citizenry would do just that. They would turn in their guns. There are many formerly law abiding that would not. And I can just about guarantee you that almost no criminals would. So for quite a while the only people that would have a gun would be criminals and the police. The criminals have already (just by being criminals) expressed a willingness to break other laws or they would not be criminals. So now that they know that you have turned your guns in it is time for them to cut loose!

Ok, let's say that the law passed and somehow all guns that have been manufactured since 1875 have been confiscated and destroyed because the criminals all just got a sudden fear of them. (never EVER happen, but go with me on this just for a short moment). We now have a totally unarmed civilian populace. Will the criminals stop being criminals? No, they won't. They will continue to do what they do now. They will look for targets of opportunity to take advantage of others. Instead of guns they will use knives and baseball bats and bare fists. They know that you do not have a gun and since criminals are primarily young males that are in good physical condition they are going to look for weaker people to attack (less chance of fighting back). They do this now and there is no reason to expect that anything would change. Except that now you have lost the ability to fight back. You can't own a firearm and protect yourself.

No firearms no self defense. I don't know about you but the last time I was in a physical fight was more than 20 years ago. (I lost that one by the way). I am a big man. I am 6 foot even and 230 pounds. I have two adult sons. The older son is about my height and a little lighter than I am, the younger is a good 4 to 6 inches taller and at least 50 pounds heavier. If it were to come to a physical fight I don't know that I could take either of them down let alone both and I am in decent health. What chance would a 60 year old grandmother that is watching her grandchildren have against 2 attackers the size of my sons who want steal from her, and since they are hopped up on drugs, my doesn't that 14 year old granddaughter look sweet?

One popular comeback from the anti-gunners is “Call 911! The police will help you!” That is what 911 is there for right? Well almost. The police will do what they can, however from the time you dial 911 you are AT LEAST 5 minutes away from help. To be honest 5 minutes is an amazingly fast response time. Meanwhile it is you against your attackers.

I can hear the objections coming now, “Wait a minute! Who says that there would be more than one attacker?” Statistics and history for one thing. Very few violent attacks are carried out by only one person. Home invasions are usually teams of 2 or 3, sometimes more.

Another thing that I would like to bring up is that anyone who has access to a machine shop and a little patience can make a gun. It would be crude by today’s standards, but very deadly. Human ingenuity is a wonderful thing it has brought us all of the technologies of the modern world, and it would again. Explosives cannot be un-discovered, there were crude long guns in the 1300's called hand cannons. How fast do you think that criminals would start fashioning weapons if they knew that you did not have one?

One more thing that I would like to explore and then I need to leave this nasty little world created by the banning of guns. The United States has a population of roughly 312 million. China has a population of 1.338 billion. That means that there are nearly a billion more Chinese than there are Americans. China's military is 4,585,000 strong. Our military is 2,937,000. There are only a few things that keep China from overrunning our military and occupying all of North America.

1. Our military although outnumbered is the beast trained and equipped in the world.
2. Our citizens outside the military own 250 million firearms.

The fact that so many guns are owned by private citizens is a large portion of the reason that we have not been invaded in almost 200 years. If you happen to get to the mainland you have a huge citizenry that is really pissed off at you and has the weapons to turn your armies away. Take away those weapons and you leave the entire nation at risk.

Let's come back to today and to reality. We have a second amendment to protect our right to keep and bear arms. Even if you personally chose not to own a gun, there is no way for a criminal who doesn't know you to know whether you do in fact own a gun or not. This in itself helps to deter crime.

I would recommend that anyone with an interest to go ahead acquire a gun and get training in how to use it. You really are your own best defense. I love our men and women that serve as police, sheriffs, and state troopers, however their job is just that, a job. They want to go home at the end of their shifts to spouses and children. And while they do not want anything to happen to you, it is not fair to ask them to give up their lives to save yours even though many would.

I have one last point and will close with this. If someone breaks in to your house, or walks in to the gas station that you are at and pulls out a weapon of any kind, as I stated earlier you have at least 5 minutes before the police get there. After you finish reading this, look at your watch and let 5 minutes run off. Don't do anything else, just look at the watch or a clock. Think of what can happen in 5 minutes. Remember that when seconds count police are just minutes away.

Stay safe, thanks for your time, and I'll see you down the road.

A quick update

Hello again everyone! I am stopped in southern New York and have about an hour to kill before stopping in at the receiver to drop off my latest run.

I want to give a few more thoughts about last nights post. I really am not trying to beat you over the head with this, but this may be one of the more crucial problems that our country faces in terms of it's relationship with the rest of the world.

Last night I posted unless you were in posession of the drug since it's creation that it was likely that at least some of it came from Mexico. After thinking this over some more I have come to 2 conclusions.

1) It doesn't matter if you have been the only one in posession if you share the illicit drug with even one person.

2) The source of the drug is only a secondary concern because the consumption of that drug fuels the need for more supply.

Going back to the supply and demand aspects of drugs, anyone who is caught with enough of a supply of drugs on them is going to go to jail. The people who traffic drugs are not idiots, they are aware of this. As such depending on the amount of drugs that they are carrying or are responsible for the risk increases for longer prison terms and other punishments. There comes a point where taking a life is not so much more than the punishment that they are already going to get, and once they have taken a life taking more adds very little to punishment.

At the risk of being oversimplified, if no one used illegal drugs there would be no demand and therefore no reason to go to war to bring drugs here. The lower the demand the less valuable the supply, and the risk of imprisonment becomes much greater when balanced with the financial rewards.

One last thing I want to bring up is really going to piss off those of you that are parents and still use drugs. If you use any type of illegal drug you are harming your children.

Think about this for a second. Your children have you as thier primary role model. They do everything that they can to act as you do. What happens when you are popped for a posession charge and spend a few nights in jail? What happens when they are studying history in school and learn of the Mexican drug wars and put 2 and 2 together?

I am guessing that the arguement against this is "But my child has never seen me do anything". That may be true, but they still emulate your behavior both sober and not. So if you have been under the influence around them they will emulate that behavior.

Another response might be "What right do you have to tell me how to raise my kids... I would DIE for my kids!" I have no right to tell you that you must raise your kids the way that I think you should, and honestly I will never win father of the year myself. And unless you are the most abysmal parent on the face of the earth, of course you would die for your children, we all would.

I would like to challange you to do something much more difficult than to die for your children. I want you to LIVE for them. Show them by example what it takes to be a great man or woman. If you are not proud of what you are doing than do not do it wether it can be seen by others or not.

Look I am human too, we all are, and only one perfect person has walked the earth in the past 2012 years and I am certainly not him. The point I am trying to make here is that you can serve your children so much better by being what you want them to become, because that is what they will be.

Well enough rambling for now, I need to get my load delivered and get moving again. The bills don't stop so niether can I.

Thanks again for your time and I'll see you down the road.

Are you killing people?

Hi all! I am sorry that it has been a few weeks since I have posted. I took a little time off at home and really enjoyed spending some time with the family. I have had this one brewing and stewing for a few weeks and I think it is about time to set it out there for everyone.

I want to start out by saying that I am not a saint. I despise people with a holier than thou attitude and swore that I would never allow myself to have one. That being said I am going to rock some of you back on your heels and I am sure that a lot of people will not like what I have to say. Please feel free to comment or write to me at paul15561@gmail.com if you disagree, however make sure you have your facts straight before telling me I am wrong, because I can assure you that mine are in order and I will have no problem telling you where you are wrong.

As of June 7, 2011 the LA Times estimated that 40,000 Mexican citizens had been murdered during the drug wars going on in Mexico since December 2006. According to the same article there were 111 US citizens murdered in Mexico in 2010 alone. As I see it there are 2 reasons for this. The first is that Mexico has no provision in it's laws protecting the general population's right to own a firearm and protect themselves as our constitution does. The second is that there are a lot of people in the US that are too wrapped up in themselves and continue to do illegal drugs.

If you do any type of illegal drug you are at least indirectly responsible for the murder of those 40,000 Mexicans, many of them women and children. I have seen it posted many places that marijuana has never killed anyone, I strongly disagree. You only need to look at the statistics of the drug war that is raging in Mexico to see that people are being killed at a rate of over 6600 per year. That is the same as more than 2 September 11 attacks every year in a country that has a population about 1/3 of ours!

I am not interested in debating medical marijuana, I have not seen any statistics that show that the pain relief given cannot be better synthesized by modern drug companies. There may be some instances where increased appetite may be helpful for some cancer sufferers, however if you really want medical marijuana for legitimate reasons it is simple. Change the federal law, until the law is changed, any time you light a joint or a bong you are helping to kill people no matter where it was grown.

I cannot state this more simply than demand drives supply. Unless you can prove that the drug you are using has been in your possession ever since it came in to existence it is probable that at least part of it came from Mexico.

I implore each and every person who reads this to think about what you are doing before you ingest any illicit drugs of any kind. Your decision is not only harming you it is killing others.

Thanks for your time, and I'll see you down the road.

Can I do it?

I officially became a truck driver 9 1/2 years ago. The reason why initially was simple. I needed money and a good friend said that I could make a lot of it driving truck. At the time I was 33 and considered myself a very good driver, little did I know.

In the intervening years I have driven many different makes and models, pulled mostly dry van and reefer trailers and have been able to provide a decent paycheck for the family. I have traveled through 48 of the 50 states and have seen sights that struck me with awe at their beauty and brought nightmares to me from their terror.

I am very proud of what I do and who I am. Not everyone who decides that they are going to drive truck for a living is able to do it. Driving a truck is difficult, and most people who enter school will not be driving truck 1 year after entering school. I can only speak from my experience and what I have seen, but in talking with a lot of other divers who train the averages to seem to bear out. About ½ of the people that start driving school finish and get a CDL (the license that allows you to drive a tractor/trailer). After getting your CDL you drive with a trainer for a period of time, and only 2/3 of those that start training qualify to drive solo. Of those that do only about 2/3 are still driving for the same company after a year.

The reason that the year with the same company is significant is that with the company that I drive for if you leave before 1 year you have to pay for the schooling that you took. I do not know what the current rate is, but when I signed up it was $1500.

Having been a trainer, (I quit counting at 50 students) I have helped a lot of people get started in trucking and have had students that ranged from a 21 year old headstrong young man that thought that he knew everything about trucking to a 68 year old grandmother that had a very tough time learning how to shift. I swear if I had a dollar for every time I had to say “watch the tach” I could retire to a nice little 20 room mansion in the Bahamas!

So, let's get into some of the realities of learning to drive and driving truck. I will tell you that if you are of average intelligence and physical coordination you can be taught the mechanics of driving and shifting. It is a fairly simple process to get in a truck and make it go forward down the interstate, It is 10 times harder to back up than it is to go forward, and the laws and regulations that you have to follow are enough to make an accountant start tearing at his hair and run home crying to his mama!

The single biggest challenge and reward to the job is the lifestyle. To be a successful over the road driver you need to be out on the road for 3 to 4 weeks at a time. To be honest I have seen more marriages ripped apart by trucking than those that have survived it. Every once in a blue moon a marriage will thrive. I am extremely blessed to say that I have one of those marriages.

The job itself can tear your body apart, my back is probably never going to be the same after an incident unloading a trailer a few years ago. You sit behind the wheel of a truck that bounces down the road for 8 to 11 hours a day, you get next to no exercise. It is hard to eat healthy things on the road. Most of what is available at truck stops these days is fast food, and time pressures do not allow a lot of time for lunch. Diabetes and obesity are rampant in our industry.

The stress levels of the job can be massive at times. You are responsible for sometimes extremely expensive loads that have a delivery schedule that you need to do everything within reason to meet. We are paid to be on time and while there are exceptions (I cannot control the weather or if the state shuts down a roadway) the shippers and receivers do not want to hear excuses. Traffic in and around the larger cities can be hellish, and winter in the northern states can slap you upside the head whenever she feels that you are becoming complacent.

Driving is a lonely job. A little less so now since the ever present cell phone, but still lonely. You are alone in the cab rolling down the interstate at 65 mph for hours and hours at a time. Most drivers have a CB radio, but if you rode down the road with me it is on, but turned all the way down 80 to 90 percent of the time. The terrible language and idiots are thick on the CB. I call my wife several times a day, and from time to time talk with others on the phone, but there is only so much to say.

So after reading all of that why would anyone in their right mind want to drive a truck for a living? Well to be quite frank I believe that the rewards far outweigh all of the challanges.

The freedom that you get from driving is amazing. Some companies are cracking down on this a bit, but I happen to drive for one of the better ones. For the most part I set my own schedule. I can be home when I want and leave when I want. My schedule on the road is flexible as well. I usually start driving when I feel like it is time to start driving and stop when I feel like it is time to stop. Keep in mind here that there are deadlines that I have to meet, and I average 8 to 11 hours driving a day.

Another benefit to driving is that I have first hand knowledge of most of the lower 48 states. I have seen some of the most beautiful things that there is to see in our country from the drivers seat of my truck. I cannot describe the beauty of descending into North Carolina on I 77 in the fall, the fantastic vistas of I 70 in Western Colorado, or the amazing view from the summit as you descend on I 15 from the north at night and Las Vegas, NV slowly emerges below you and expands showing you shimmering lights that fill the night. Stopping for the night at a parking area in Wyoming 20 miles from the nearest town, getting out of the truck and looking up to see a sky so filled with stars that it is as if God himself is sending you a reminder that he made all of this.

There is a pride in doing a job and doing it well. I like to think that I am a good driver and I truly do learn new things every day. Also there is a “brotherhood” among drivers. I put that in quotes because there are a lot more ladies driving now, yet when you are at a truck stop eating dinner, you can sit at the counter and feel like you are at home with the people there. Some of the conversations there are a bit over the top and the bragging and story telling are a bit much at times, but there is a feeling that you are among your own. This is true no matter where you are in the country.

So can you do it? Yes, you probably can. Learning to drive is not easy and as I stated earlier there are a lot of challenges that face our industry, but I have trained enough people to know that most people that can stick to the training can learn to drive. Should you do it? That is a question I will leave up to you.

I will part with this, almost every driver that has been at it for more than a few years will tell you that they find they are unable to do anything else for a career. I tried myself. Last year at Christmastime I tried leaving trucking and drove a taxicab for 6 months. The job was fun, and although the pay was not as good as I would have liked I was good at it. I would be lying to you if I told you that the open road was not calling to me on a weekly if not daily basis during that time.

Perhaps these lines from Ronnie Milsap's song “Prisoner of the Highway” sums it up the best. “I got a wife living back in Tennessee, and she tries to understand the way I feel. I could give my hands to another line of work, but my heart would always be behind the wheel”

Until next time, stay safe and enjoy the ride!

An interview with Chaz of the Roadgunner Podcast

Ever since I got my most recent phone I have fallen in love with podcasts again. I downloaded an app that downloads and sorts podcasts and RSS feeds automatically at night so that they are ready for me to listen to the next day as I drive. I currently have between 6 and 8 hours of shows that download on Monday through Friday and several on the weekend. If any of you are interested in the app it is called BeyondPod, and is in the Android Market.

One of the Podcasts that I have really enjoyed listening to is The Roadgunner Podcast. It is put together by Chaz (not giving his last name for reasons that soon will become obvious). On the show he goes by the name “The Un-named Trucker” You see there are trucking companies that could cause problems for a driver or owner-operator as some carriers have a policy of no guns in the truck. I detest these policies and will go into why in another post.

If you have been reading my blog recently you know that I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about security around vehicles and in it touched briefly on firearms. I thought Chaz, as a professional driver, podcaster, concealed weapons permit holder, and handgun enthusiast would make a good interview. I asked and he agreed, and what follows is the “interview” which was conducted over a few emails.

Please tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been a professional driver and what brought you to the industry?

I have been an over the road driver for 13 years now. I had been a cook at The Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. My pay there wasn't great and I was going through a divorce. My wife took our 3 year old to Georgia with her when she left. My job was very stressful, with long hours, a varied schedule and little reward. Two of the cooks that had worked with me in the restaurant I was working in left to become truck drivers. They returned to visit the kitchen a few months later and made truck driving seem like a worker's paradise. With a career in cooking seeming to get me nowhere and my son so far away from Orlando, I decided that I would go to truck driving school. About a year later I was driving for a now defunct company, Dick Simon Trucking out of Salt Lake City.

Fast forward ten years past a second failed marriage to a crazy lady who let a drug pusher move into our house and we get to my experience with guns.

How long have you been a firearms owner?

In December of 2008 my current wife got me a $100 gift card to use at a gun range in Hot Springs, AR called On Target Firing Range. I had expressed to my wife an interest in firearms and she obliged my interest by getting me that gift card. That first 100 bucks led to many thousands more spent in the following months. I got around to using the card in February of 2009 and I was hooked from the moment I fired my first handgun, a rented Ruger Mk II in .22LR. That wonderful day in February I also fired a Springfield XD's in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. A few months later I took The Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License and received my permit in October of 2009 followed by my Utah Concealed Firearms Permit in November of 2009.

What types of firearms training have you had?

I felt empowered by having the legal ability to protect myself with a gun, but I felt like I needed more than just the right to carry. I felt like I needed training in the proper techniques, tactics and legal repercussions of the use of the handgun I had chosen to carry: a Springfield XD45 service model.

When an indoor range opened closer to where I live, I became a member and enrolled in their Defensive Pistol class, which the instructor bases on the training methods used in Rob Pincus' Combat Focus Shooting. I am a member of that range, Shoothouse USA in Conway, AR and have taken at least 2 refresher courses for the Defensive Pistol class as well as Low Light/No Light shooting and a beginner's Krav Maga class.

In addition to the Defensive Shooting class I have twice attended and graduated from the Massad Ayoob Group's MAG-40 class which combines 20 hours of classroom time on 'citizens judicious use of deadly force and 20 hours of marksmanship on a range.

In your opinion how necessary is weapons training?

I believe that any citizen responsible enough to obtain deadly weapons to protect him/herself and family would naturally want to get the training necessary to use that deadly weapon safely and effectively. You could hand me a chainsaw, but that wouldn't make me a lumberjack. I have no clue as to how to operate a chainsaw, and if I were shown how to turn the thing on, I still couldn't safely fell a tree with it. I have the right to go into any Husqvarna dealer and buy a chainsaw without a permit or training. I believe the same should be true of firearms. No permit or training should be required. The Second Amendment makes no mention of permits or training being needed. That said, you are a fool if you believe that a CCW class constitutes training and you are a danger to yourself and family if you don't get at least some minimal training. Going to a basic pistol class will prove that to you.

Do you treat security with an 18 wheeler differently than security with a personal vehicle?

Now that I carry a gun, I carry it everywhere and all the time, where the law allows. I do not travel to States where my gun is not allowed to at least be taken with me unloaded in a case. I do not travel to Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey or Maryland for legal reasons. Not traveling to New York blocks off Northern New England where my Arkansas permit is honored but so be it. I do not go to Canada.

I treat vehicle security exactly the same whether the vehicle is car or a semi truck. I carry a gun. Period. When I am permitted to carry concealed with my Arkansas, Utah or Florida permits I wear a Concealment Solutions CE IWB holster containing either a Glock 26 or a Sig Sauer 1911 C3 dependeing on my mood. I wear the holster at the 3:30 position on my body and conceal the holster with an untucked shirt.

I like having more room to move around in my semi and the higher vantage point to view my surroundings, and the seat position grants me better access to my sidearm. That said, I don't do anything differently in my car as far as security goes. I pay attention to my surroundings,and I don't go to stupid places with stupid people to do stupid things.

You referred to the 3:30 position, I am assuming that that means the holster is slightly behind your right hip?

By 3:30 I do indeed mean slightly behind my right hip. I use this position for driving any vehicle. If I lose some girth I will try carrying in the appendix position for ease and speed of draw. I find that 4:00 or farther back cocks my elbow into an awkward and slightly uncomfortable angle when drawing my gun. But to each his/her own.

Are there any types of firearms that you would specifically recommend for vehicle security?

A firearm is the great equalizer. It eliminates disparity of force of numbers, gender, or disability. It is an essential piece of your security kit.

Any simple to use, reliable, polymer framed semiautomatic pistol in a major caliber (9mm, .357 sig, 40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm) is to me, an ideal vehicle security weapon. The pistol is mobile, and handheld. A revolver would also do well at the "point and shoot" distances you would expect to engage an attacker assaulting you in your vehicle. If you aren't at very close range from an attacker, your primary weapon should be the vehicle itself. If it isn't mechanically disabled, DRIVE AWAY! Curbs, fire hydrants, other vehicles be damned. The only exception to that is you must never hit an innocent bystander with your vehicle. That goes for bullets too, obviously; but that's why you need training.

As a driver of a vehicle you are in a seated position, what is your opinion of using an ankle holster, or in the winter months a shoulder holster under a jacket or coat?

I think ankle carry for vehicle use us a good idea with 9mm or up. In the winter, I think a shoulder holster would be an excellent option but I don't have a shoulder rig...yet.

What about using the vehicle itself as a weapon? Can you envision a circumstance where this would be justified?

I think that using the vehicle itself as a weapon should be considered before using a firearm. If your vehicle is not disabled, attempt to drive away from an attacker, avoid hitting innocents, but a 3000 lb car or 80000 lb semi tractor trailer has a hell of a lot more stopping power than a 9 gram bullet. And the car is a guided freaking missile! I believe most road rage killings happen because both parties stop on the side of the road and present stationary targets. If your vehicle can move than you need to move it. Car jackings occur because the driver is in condition white, and car jackers spot that. Victims get jacked because they aren't willing to drive over sidewalks, curbs, road signs or other vehicles. Create a huge scene with noise and chaos and I bet the jacker will move on unless he REALLY wants your car. You also have to be ready to give up the car if you do get caught unaware and you are alone. If you have a wife and kids in the car, I'm fighting no matter what.

Final Question, have you encountered problems carrying your weapon in regards to weigh stations and contact with DOT in the various states that we as truckers travel through?

I have not had any problems with DOT at weigh stations. I don't travel to the four fascist states of NJ, NY, MD, or MA and if I get pulled around for inspection I lock the gun up before I report inside.

I really want to thank Chaz for agreeing to the interview and for offering his insights. I encourage everyone to check out his podcast at http://roadgunnerpodcast.com/ .

Thanks again for reading everyone! Stay safe and I hope do see you down the road!

Our growing problem with our growing debt.

A couple of things have inspired this post. Recently the national debt exceeded 15 trillion dollars. That is 15,000,000,000,000. A few days later Congress decided not to pass a balanced budget amendment. I am growing increasingly concerned over this. Our GDP, the gross domestic product, or the total of all goods and services produced in the United States is 14.58 trillion. US GDP

What that means if that if we were to shut down all forms of government and impose a 100% tax on everything that everyone in the country made for 1 year we could still not pay off the debt. This is roughly the same as having personal unsecured loan that equals the total of your family’s yearly income.

One final thing that concerns me is the total refusal of the Government to spend less than they take in. At 2010 levels our President and the Congress spend 1.49 for every dollar that they take in in taxes and fees.

We really do need a balanced budget amendment. My idea (and I am paid to drive truck not come up with political ideas) is to treat the federal budget just the same as you would treat a household budget. This is how I envision that this would work.

Congress would be required to base the budget for the current year on the revenues from the previous fiscal year. The absolute limit on spending would be set at 90% of the previous years income. This would be AMAZINGLY painful for the first few years. Of course by design this will create a surplus. In order to spend any part of this surplus a 75% majority of both houses and the president would need to sign off on it.

The surplus would grow from year to year and once it reaches 100% of the federal budget anything over that level could be spent. This 1 year surplus would be there should at any time we have to go to war, or a national disaster of unprecedented proportions strikes.

Unfortunately every amendment ever adopted has started in the congress, and to be quite frank there are very few in the congress that have the intestinal fortitude to put something this strong forward. There is a procedure in the Constitution that allows the states to call for an amendment without the congress, but it has never been used, it requires 34 states to call for a article V convention, and while it did come close in the late 1980's the congress gave in a little and promised to do better. Enough of the states folded that the convention never happened and congress forgot about it's promise and we end up where we are now.

Being a realist I do not believe a constitutional convention will ever take place. I do have hope that an amendment can happen through congress. It will not be as strong, but it can happen if the public pushes hard enough.

So what to take from this? Well of you are not politically active become active. Call your Representative to the house and your Senators. Everyone serving in the House and Senate have email addresses, start writing. I myself have written several letters and do not plan to stop until I am no longer able to type. These people are supposed to be representing me and as such I feel responsible to let them know how I feel.

I cannot state strongly enough how important this is. We are on track to become the next country like Spain, Italy, or Greece. Look at what they did and where they are now and look at what we are doing now. Will there be an apocalypse if we do not change our ways? Honestly no, there won't be one. Will the pain be worse if we don’t do something? It absolutely will.

What I am thankful for.

   It is Thanksgiving evening and I finished driving a little over an hour ago. I have been listening to pod-casts and radio programs all day and many of them listed a litany of things that they were thankful for. I wanted to take just a few minutes to let everyone know what I am thankful for tonight.

I am thankful for my beautiful, wonderful children. All of them are adults now and I am now a proud grandpa of 4!

I am thankful for my job, it is sometimes a huge pain in the ass, but it pays well and allows me to keep the bills payed.

I am thankful for the men and women who have fought and are now fighting to keep the greatest nation in the world free. Everyone who calls themselves an American owes more than can ever be repaid to these brave people.

I am thankful to live in this country, where we have the ability to live as we please and have opportunities that exist no where else.

I am most thankful however that my beautiful wife chose me to be her husband and has stuck with me through thick and thin. Everyone has listened a million times to the wedding vows, “To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part.” Let me tell you that when Susan said these things she meant them.

I wish I could say that I am a perfect person, however I cannot. I am not going to publicly display all of my failings, as this is not what this post is about. However suffice it to say that my wife has seen a while lot more of the worse, the poorer, and the sickness than she has of the good sides of the equation.

The love of my life has been there for me in terrible struggles. She has been the reason that I get up and get going every morning and the last thought that I think every night.

If everything that I now have was taken from me I know that I would be ok, and could start from scratch with nothing as long as I still had my sweetheart and soul mate beside me .

I love you Susan.

Driving Security (and securely)

 Security Driving

I was debating on whether to call this blog post “Safety while Driving” but I thought that a lot of people might misinterpret that to mean that I wanted to convey driving tips to avoid an accident. While that is true there is a lot more that I want to include, and avoiding accidents is only secondary to overall safety in your vehicle.

I have been a truck driver for about the past 9 ½ years and in my job I deal with security every day. I sometimes carry loads that are very expensive, and hard to replace. Hijacking and cargo theft are big concerns in our industry. I deliver and pick up in some neighborhoods that are, shall we say, less than desirable, and can be scheduled any time of the day or night. I wanted to share a few things that I have picked up along the way with you and hopefully help to keep you a little more safe.

While you may not have to deal with cargo theft, it is possible that you may have to deal with a carjacker, a strong-arm robber, an ex husband or wife that has snapped, or another person that just plain wants to do you harm.

Your personal safety should mean much more to you than you not damaging your vehicle or that of another person. Your car, pickup, van, SUV, RV, or commercial vehicle have a lot of safety systems that are designed to keep you safe and minimize injury in the event of a collision. The tips that I am going to offer here are more designed to help you in case there is a person (or persons) that want to do you harm.

First and foremost. Some of the techniques that I will mention are considered operating a vehicle at the very edge or possibly outside of its intended performance design envelope. I would strongly recommend practicing these techniques at an open safe place. Just as someone who has never handled a gun will likely mess up the first (several) times they fire one, emergency driving, and performance driving are something that need practice and occasional refreshing of skills, and just the same as shooting a firearm, can be a whole lot of fun!

There are events put on all across the country by autocross clubs that will allow you to find the limits of your car and your driving skills at a very inexpensive price. Besides being a whole lot of fun these events make you a better driver overall. Do a Google search for autocross and your city and you are likely to find at least one club that has events. Attending and watching these is usually free, and there is only a cost to compete.

Just as in any activity of life, the better you plan the more likely you are to be successful in your goals. So let's look at some things that are helpful in keeping you safe while involved in vehicle operations. I would advise that you have a few things in all of your vehicles, whether it goes with you from car to car or is duplicated in each car.

1. A cell phone. All cell phones must be able to call 911, so even a cell phone that is not on a plan will be able to summon help for you.
2. A D/C charger for your phone. This is a charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter and charges or powers your phone while on the road.
3. A GPS device. Some cell phones have these, but I like to see people have a separate one so that if you need help you can read off the display of the GPS while you are on the phone.
4. A flashlight. I wish everyone would carry one of these in every vehicle. Remember to change the batteries and test the flashlight every time that you change your clocks in the spring and fall.

You need to start thinking about security before you ever leave the house to get in your car. Think about where you are going and have a general plan of how you are going to get there. In planning your routes try to take main roads as often as possible. These roads are lit the best at night and have a better chance of having witnesses around. Not that witnesses are going to come running to your aid should something happen, but they might, and witnesses are a deterrent to someone wanting to do you harm and not wanting to get caught.

I always advocate treating ½ of a tank of fuel as empty. In the winter months it can be a lifeline if you are traveling in the northern states, but any time of year it is helpful. If you are being followed and you are nearly at empty and the closest police station is 12 miles away you could have a problem, however if you just got to a half a tank no sweat. Also keep your car in good repair. Breakdowns are not only expensive they put you in a vulnerable spot. Not only is it cheaper to fix a problem with your vehicle before it fails it is far safer for you as well.

I am also a STRONG advocate of having a concealed firearm. If you have one depending on your state you may need a carry permit for your gun, and in the case of Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, and a few other states I would recommend a new state if possible. If you chose to carry a gun or a knife or a baton, or a rocket propelled grenade, (I am pretty sure that that one is not legal in any of the states but think of how nice we all would be to one another if it were) you MUST get training in how to use it properly. I can't possibly name all the good and bad places to get training, but do a Google search and do some homework. In South Dakota, where I live, there are some great places to get training and we are one of the most sparsely populated states in the union. In my opinion you are better off without a weapon than having a weapon and not having even the most basic training.

Ok, so we have planned the route we are going to take and are ready to leave. If you have a connected garage you have an advantage. With a connected garage you can load and get in to your car without a lot of attention from the outside world. Before you lift our garage door make sure that you have everything in the car that you need in it, this includes all of the kids(and the cup of coffee that you are about to leave on the roof). If you have a remotely operated garage door opener get in your car and lock all the doors before hitting the button. If you have to lift the door and close it, make sure that everyone is in the car and all of the doors except yours are locked. Leave your door open and open the garage door. Back out of the garage and look around to make sure that no one is coming your way, then go close the garage door, get back in and lock your car door. If you do not have a garage the best advice that I can give you is to try to load the car as quickly as you can and lock doors as you close them. The time that you spend loading and unloading your car is the time that you are most vulnerable to attack.

One more thing that I would like to suggest before we move on from here. If it is at all practical I would recommend that you back your car into the garage and drive out rather than the other way around. There are a number of aids to help you with backing if you need it. These things might include hanging a tennis ball from a rafter so that when it hits the back window you stop, drawing chalk lines on the concrete or tar so that you can line up the car/pickup/van/SUV as you back up, and many others. The point is, when you are leaving you get a direct look out as you are leaving the safety of your garage instead of cranking around and only seeing directly behind out and your passenger side.

You are not always going to be able to get into your car from inside a secure location. When you approach your vehicle try the following suggestions. Before going outside to go to your car get our car keys out, select the key that opens the door and keep that in your weak hand. On my key chain I have a tiny LED flashlight that I can hold between my 3^rd and 4^th fingers, with the door key in between the thumb and index finger. This provides light and access to the vehicle and leaves my right hand free. Of course many cars have a key fob that unlocks doors remotely just substitute that for the key if that is the case for you. In your dominant hand (right hand for most of us) keep your cell phone. I know people that dial 91 before they leave a building and that way they only have to dial the final 1 and then send if something is not right.

As you approach the car take a lap around it, this serves 2 purposes. It allows you to see if someone is crouching around it, and if (and this happens) someone has scratched up your car, run into it and left a dent, or your radiator gave up the ghost and puked out a ton of coolant on the pavement. Look into the back seat and if you have a SUV or mini-van look into the cargo area.

This is the part where I get most of you mad at me (this includes most of my fellow truck drivers). When you drive your 1^st responsibility is to drive. You are controlling a 1500 pound to 80,000 pound missile, one that at 45 mph travels at 66 feet per second. While driving in a city environment you should not be talking on the cell phone (even with a hands free device). You certainly should not be texting or reading e-mails. You should not be eating or drinking anything. And here is the one that is going to hurt... You should not even be listening to the radio. The only thing that should be on your mind is safely getting from where you start driving to where you finish driving.

Now in full disclosure, I do listen to the radio while I drive. I listen while I am on the interstate and there are 4 lanes of traffic, 2 going my way and 2 going the other. If there is enough traffic to warrant 3 or more lanes in each direction or if I am in a city situation the radio is turned off. I do have a soda that I drink. Same thing here with the exception that I will take a sip while I am stopped at a red light.

Why do I say this? Well quite frankly it is tough enough to try to avoid all of the other distracted drivers without having distractions of your own to deal with. If you are a music lover like I am you have to admit that there are some songs that get your blood pumping and you are a little heavier on your right foot. You might get so into a song that you sing along. Both of these things can and WILL increase your reaction time. Also if you are into that song and you have the radio cranked up you will not hear the sirens coming up on you. If you are a talk radio or podcast listener (I am guilty of that as well) when listening you can easily get really emotionally charged up. That is the last thing that you need when dealing with traffic that can make you tense already.

When driving any vehicle try to keep a picture in your mind of everything that is going on around you at all times. Keep your eyes moving, it only takes a quick glance in the mirrors to know what is happening in back of and on the sides of your vehicle. Try to notice colors and styles of cars as they come up on you and then as they pass. For example a red sports car coming up, and then as they pass you notice that the driver is a bald male. (I know that is stereotyping... But it is SOOO true.) If you keep practicing this you will become better at noticing if someone comes up on you but doesn't pass.

Alright, lets talk about the drive itself. Any time you are in the car all doors need to be locked. I prefer to have all of the windows rolled up as well. This provides the greatest barrier that you can have between you and anyone who wants to threaten you. I have heard discussions that you should drive with the windows down so that you can hear better, and while I do see the merits to that I think that rolling a window down a few inches can provide the same audio benefit while still providing protection.

I recommend wearing your seat belt every time you get in any vehicle no matter what seating position you are in. In the event of an impact anything that is in the cabin is going to be flying that is not strapped down. This includes the passengers and the driver. The driver, if wearing the safety belt, can remain in the drivers seat and in control of the car. If one of the passengers is not wearing theirs they

have a good chance of flying into the driver and injuring both themselves and the driver. One more benefit to wearing a belt is that if someone wants to drag you out of a car they have one more barrier to deal with.

I have been an EMT for more than 20 years and I can honestly say that I have never seen a situation where I can say that someone was worse off wearing a belt. If you want to debate this feel free to contact me, but you had better have your facts in order and be REALLY well prepared. I have well documented statistics and some horrific personal memories of responding to accident scenes to back me up.

While driving I also like to drive just a little slower than the traffic that is driving around me. There are a couple of benefits to this.

1. As people drive around you they also drive away from you giving you a constant buffer of space in front of your car so that should something happen in front of you you have plenty of time to hit the brakes or maneuver around the situation.
2. It makes anyone who is following you glaringly obvious.
3. It keeps you calmer on your drive.

As you are driving in the city you will frequently have situations like stop signs and red lights where you have to stop behind another vehicle. This is critically important, when you stop you need to be able to see pavement behind the rear tires of the car in front of you! If you can see pavement behind the back tires of the car in front of you you have room to turn the wheel all the way to the right or left and accelerate away if a dangerous situation presents itself. In the case of a tractor trailer where the tires might be quite far forward of the rear of the trailer do the same thing with the back of the trailer, make sure that you can see pavement behind it's bumper.

In any situation that you are going to have to stop where there are 3 or more lanes of traffic in one direction try to stay to either the farthest right or left lane that is going your direction, and of these I prefer the right lane. In the USA if there is a right turn lane it will clear out of cars faster than a left turn lane will because, in most places, a right turn on red is legal. The center lanes are “choke points” and it is quite common for a car to be in front of you and on both the right and left sides, so that should you have to move you are stuck, or at the least there will be a collision if you do try to move.

In almost all circumstances the safest place for you to be is in the drivers seat of your car and for that car to be moving. The best way to keep moving is to anticipate traffic lights. If a traffic light ahead of you has been green for a long time it is safe to assume that it is going to be red before you get to it. Slow down early and try to ease up to the intersection so that by the time you get there it is green again. Not only does this create a more secure environment for you it saves fuel as well.

Let's try to break down some scenarios. First, you are driving along and notice that a car is following you. The first thing to do is be certain that you are indeed being followed. When it is safe make a few random turns. Avoid residential areas when doing this, but drive in such a manner that if they follow you there is no doubt, such as making 4 right hand turns. If you are being followed DO NOT STOP AND CONFRONT WHOEVER IS FOLLOWING YOU! I would advise driving to the nearest police station. At this point you do not need to go screaming down the road, just drive as you normally would, and do NOT go home. Out loud start describing as much of the detail of the car and driver as you can to yourself. This will help you remember these things so you can give the authorities a better description of the car. If you have a passenger have them call 911. If there isn't a passenger you should make the call yourself, but use a hands free device (such as a headset or speaker phone) and set the phone down once you have dialed as there is a good likelihood that you are going to need both hands for driving. Once you get to the police station do not get out of your car unless there is a uniformed officer standing right there.

Let's move on to another scenario, you are stopped at a red light and you are first in line. A young adult male starts crossing from your left in the crosswalk. As he approaches your car he veers out of the crosswalk and walks towards you while locking his eyes on you.

As soon as you start noticing him move towards you look at the traffic pattern. You are looking for an opportunity to make a right turn. If he continues toward you, or shows any kind of weapon GET OUT OF THERE. I would rather make a illegal turn and have to explain it to a policeman than deal with a dangerous situation longer than I had to. You have an inherent advantage over anyone on foot, you are faster, but they have an advantage as well. They are quicker and more nimble. That is why it is important to notice this as early as possible

Ok, same situation as last time, only you are the second car in line. If you have room to move, do it. If not lay on your horn and stay on your horn until the person turns away. If a weapon shows up make some room if you can. This includes jumping curbs, running red lights, doing anything you need to do.

Here is where the practicing part that I mentioned at the beginning of this comes in. Go to a large empty paved lot and with the permission of the owner practice fast right turns with your car. The ideal situation is to get a few orange cones and place them as though they are the back bumper of a car then mark a “curb” about 9 feet to the right of the back of the cones that you need to stop behind. Pull up behind the cones and then practice turning the wheel all the way to the right, goosing the throttle and then quickly turning left and right again to negotiate the corner. Please be sure to have your seat belt on and tight before you try this and after a few times you will see why.

Each car is different and has different handling characteristics, that is why it important for you to practice this with the car that you drive the most. A few words of warning here. Be careful if you drive a pickup or an SUV, and even some minivans. These vehicles have a high center of gravity and overturn much easier than a car. When practicing with a vehicle with a high center of gravity go slow! You can eventually pick the pace up, but take your time getting there. The last thing that I want you to do is to turn a SUV on its side, and it is actually fairly tough to do without hitting anything first, but it can be done.

A few more scenarios that I want to cover. One way that bad guys try to get you to stop and be in a vulnerable position is to actually hit the back of your car. If you are involved in a collision and you are not injured, get on the phone and get the police on the way. Wait for the other driver to get out first and assess the situation. If it seems just to be an honest accident then prepare to exchange insurance info and all the other things that go with an accident. Should you feel unsafe tell the other driver that you want to go to a safe place to exchange that info. They should have no problem with this. Above all until you are certain that it is safe stay in the drivers seat and leave the engine running.

It may also happen that someone tries to run you off the road. When this happens blow your horn constantly. They are most likely just not paying attention. Brake quickly and let them in front of you. If they are just being a jerk they will flip you the bird and drive off. If they brake and try to get you to stop call 911 and try to keep rolling, if they stop in front of you put your car in reverse and back away. Again the key here is distance. If you have room around your car you can maneuver. Even a small 4 cylinder car can do some pretty amazing things when it is driven by someone who knows the limits of their car, knows their own limits, and has practice.

Here is another thing that I would like you to practice. Any car guy over the age of about 40 will know this as a “Rockford” from the 70's TV show The Rockford Files. In an empty parking lot put your car in reverse and start backing. Crank the wheel all the way left and keep backing. As the car comes up on 180 degrees (the opposite direction from the one you started in) brake, shift into drive (or 1^st gear in a stick shift) and drive away. This maneuver can get you out of a situation in a hurry in a case where there is a car blocking the front of yours and it is difficult to drive around it, however it can be really tough on your transmission if you shift while moving too quickly. This is where the practice comes in. You want to move between reverse and a forward gear as your car comes to a stop.

I would honestly try to avoid making contact with another car if at all possible. You run a risk of disabling your car, and it will certainly sustain some damage. Keep some distance and you will have room to maneuver.

Let's talk about breakdowns. Cars are machines and as such from time to time they can fail. As I stated earlier the best investment you can make in regards to your car is regular maintenance. Should the unexpected happen, and you have a flat tire or the engine stops while you are driving pull as far off to the side of the road as you can. Raise your hood and turn on the emergency flashers and then (if you are alone) go and sit in the passengers seat. This will give the impression that you are not the only one with the car and that the driver is somewhere nearby.

The last scenario that I want to cover is what to do if you are pulled over by “law enforcement”. In every state that I know of there are small towns with volunteer fire departments. These volunteers sometimes are allowed to place flashing red or blue lights on their cars and trucks when responding to calls. What this means is that from time to time regular citizens are allowed to have flashing lights on their vehicle that could be mistaken for law enforcement.

As I have stated I live in South Dakota and while it is rare, there have been instances where a person has used these lights to pull over a motorist and then attempted to rob or rape them. If you see a flashing red or blue light in your mirror, try to recall if you have done something to warrant being pulled over. Have you been going just a little too fast or rolled through a stop sign? Slow down to a safe speed, and look for the first opportunity to pull over in a safe spot. If you doubt that the person that is pulling you over is legitimate get on the phone and call 911 right away and do what the 911 dispatcher says. If you are pulled over by ANY law enforcement do not get out of the vehicle. Sit still in the drivers seat and leave both hands on the steering wheel. Leave the engine running until you are certain that you are safe. Roll down the drivers window just enough that you can slide your drivers license through. If you are not sure that the person approaching your car is legitimate ask to see some ID. They have to show it to you, not just flash it. If you are still not certain, you can ask for another unit to respond as well. Any legitimate law enforcement officer will not have a problem with these things as long as you are not doing it to be a smart ass. Do not get out of your car even if asked if you are not sure that they are who they claim to be, and for sure do not get in theirs.

Well I guess I have burned up enough of your time for now, and I want to thank you for your attention.

Until next time, stay safe and happy motoring!  

Winter driving essentials

First I suppose I should introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me, My name is Paul, I have been a truck driver for 9 years and a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the last 22 years. I live in South Dakota and have experienced winter conditions all over the country. I have been on the rescuing end of things and have hunkered down through some really ugly weather.

Being a truck driver and also being from South Dakota, if there is one thing that I can say with a fair degree of certainty, it is that I know how to prepare, and drive in, adverse winter conditions. That being said, I would like to take this opportunity to write down a few things to help some others along the way.

Preparing to drive in winter conditions should start quite some time before grabbing your keys. Before you even debate going over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house in Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri or Michigan you need to think of several things. I am going to start with the assumption that you live in Miami and have your whole life. Another assumption is that the farthest north that you have been is Mississippi.

In this effort I am not going to get into how to drive in the winter in less than ideal conditions. I will likely do this at another time. For now we are going to assume that you have had some additional training in your driving skills and are capable of driving safely in a little bit of snow.

I am also assuming that your car is in good repair and has at least all season tires. If you are stuck in a blizzard your car is your lifeline, and if your vehicle fails your chances of dying just doubled. I don't want to be an alarmist here, and forgive me if I go a little overboard, but being stuck in winter can get you killed. A temperature of 5 degrees with a wind of 30mph gives a wind chill of -19 and can be deadly in under an hour. Add significant snow to that and you have a blizzard.

The first thing that you need to have to plan your trip is information. Go online and get the 10 day forecast for the area that you are traveling to, then pack for the record low that you see in that forecast during the time that you are going to be there. We all like to make fun of weathermen and how we wish we had a job where we can be wrong 50% of the time and be considered a success, but they are REALLY good at recording what happened yesterday, ten days ago and on out to the last 100 years or so (at least in the US).

Pack clothing assuming that you must remain outdoors for 2 to 3 hours in the record lows. I am hoping that you do not have to, but it is far better to have a little more than you need than not enough. If it can get REALLY cold there, plan on dressing in layers, something that should be self-evident but I will likely cover at another time.

Some other things that you should pack if you have them and STRONGLY consider getting if you do not have include,

1. A small folding camping shovel. This can be used to clear snow from around your exhaust system in case you are going to be stranded in your car for an extended period of time, and can be used to get your car un-stuck.
2. Kitty litter. It is cheap and if you are stuck you can spread some around your tires to help with traction.
3. A good pair of sunglasses, there is a good reason that when you see pictures of mountain climbers they are wearing them. If you are in a snowy circumstance and the sun comes out it is easy to get snow-blinded.
4. A D/C charger for your cell phone.
5. A GPS device if you do not have one on your phone. Not only can it tell you how to get there, if you are stuck and able to call for help it can help you tell rescuers EXACTLY where you are. If you have a smart phone that does have GPS make sure you can get your longitude/latitude location from it, if you cannot there are a number of free apps for both the android and apple systems that can get that information for you. Also, do not take the routing of these things as gospel. I have had GPS try to send me down roads that do not exist and the wrong way down one way streets.
6. At least 1 blanket and 1 pillow for every person that will be in the vehicle.
7. 9 to 12 energy bars per person, usually 300 to 500 calories each. These can provide sustenance if you are going to be stuck in the car for a few days. Try to make these a flavor that you are not so fond of so that you do not snack away at them out of boredom. (I haven't found any Brussels Sprouts flavored bars yet, but you get the picture)
8. A large multi-wicked candle. With this and a tin cup you can melt snow and the candle can provide a surprising amount of heat in a small enclosed space such as a car or pickup truck. With this you need either matches or 2 butane cigarette lighters.
9. Fore mentioned tin cup, 8 to 10 ounces is a good size.
10. Water, a gallon per person.
11. Paper towels (always useful and can double as toilet paper.)
12. A reliable flashlight with fresh batteries and if it is anything other than a LED flashlight a spare set of batteries.
13. Chemical hand warmers. These are cheap little packets that once you break the plastic seal that wraps them heat up and warm your hands (or any other skin they are placed against) for a few hours.
14. A LOUD whistle. If you are trying to get someones attention over a distance and the wind is blowing forget using your voice, you car's horn might get it done, but a loud whistle seems to carry better in the wind in my experience. (besides you can use it to hail taxis in a big city)
15. Road flares. (more on this later)
16. A hand-held CB radio. Truckers routinely tell one another what road conditions are like on the road and that information can be vital to you. One bit of advice, The language on these can get a bit rough and if you have young children in the car I would listen sparingly, or with an earpiece. Truckers are generally on channel 19.
17. A weather band radio with weather alert. (if you have a hand-held CB it may already have this.)

I would keep all of these in a tote in the trunk or the cargo area of your pickup or SUV, most of these things can freeze without an issue, however keep the water in a heated area of the vehicle, and I would just go ahead and plug the D/C charger into your cigarette lighter of your vehicle before you leave. Also I would advise that every time you stop to empty your bladder you fill your tank! I mentioned earlier that your car is your lifeline and it will serve you much better if you have fuel in the tank to keep the engine running. If you are in an area where it snows, treat ½ tank as empty between October 15^th and April 30^th.

Ok, so we are packed and we are moving north. Once you get into the area where snow and ice can occur you need to check the forecast daily before the start of your drive. If you have reached an area where you could get significant snowfall call someone and let them know your route for the day and when you plan on being done for the day. Then call them at the end of the drive so that they do not worry about you. This is crucial if you get in to trouble and there is no cell signal, so that rescuers know where to start looking for you.

If there is a winter storm watch or warning within a hundred or so miles of your days planned route I would recommend not listening to your Ipod that day and instead listening to a local radio station as you drive. I know that it is a pain switching to a new station every half hour or so as they fade out, but you are going to get good local conditions. I would also recommend listening to AM radio as much as possible as they are usually news oriented and have people that can get on the air even if they are playing a syndicated show and give you up to date information. Your music and favorite podcasts will still be there the next day waiting for you. (The Gun Dudes and the Un-named Trucker really wont mind that much if you listen a day late).

Another resource that quite a few states have is 511. While they are all different and some MUCH better than others, all states that have this can give you vital information regarding conditions on the roads that you will be traveling. Another safety tip here, the time to call 511 is when you are stopped. One of my biggest pet peeves is people that are driving down the road staring at their phone. When you are moving at 65 mph you travel 95 feet/second. In just looking down to dial your phone or entering the highway number of the road that you are looking for information about you are covering at least a third of a football field BLIND! Do yourself and everyone around you a favor, have your passenger call or pull over to make this call.

A few things about weather reports and road conditions. A winter storm watch is something that you seriously want to pay attention to. It means that conditions are favorable over the next 24 to 48 hours for a significant snow storm. Consider this a tap on the shoulder from good old mother nature. A winter storm warning means that there is a significant snow storm headed your way and conditions will be really tough over the warned time period, think of this as Mother nature giving you a good shake. A blizzard watch should make the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up if you are in the watch area, this is like a good old back hand slap. A blizzard warning is a Louisville Slugger to the groin A blizzard is when significant snowfall is expected, a visibility reduction to ¼ mile or less and sustained winds of 35mph or greater for more than a 3 hour period. I will still drive my 18 wheeler depending on conditions,with weather reports that say that a winter storm warning is in the area, and in certain instances in a blizzard watch. But if there is a blizzard warning out and I cannot avoid that area of travel it is hunker down time.

Next is when to pull over and call it a day. There are several things that can indicate this, If you feel tired, you cannot remember the last several miles that you drove, you seem to be having problems paying attention, or you are THE LEAST BIT nervous about the driving conditions. If you think that you might be in over your head, chances are that you went past that stage a long time ago.

If you encounter a roadway that is closed, heed the warning. It is there for a reason. A lot of states have BIG fines for ignoring these closures and you can be billed for the cost to rescue your sorry butt. Also, if you call for road conditions or are listening to the radio and they tell you that no travel is advised, heed this warning as well, just because you have the very latest super duper SUV with full time smart all wheel drive and anti lock brakes and heated seats and a seat-belt specially designed for Fluffy the poodle in the back seat doesn't mean that you can handle what is ahead. This is ESPECIALLY true if you do not have a lot of experience driving in adverse conditions. When I see people in the ditch it is more SUVs and pickups with for wheel drive than anything. I do often see semi trucks in the ditch, but 4 wheel drives outnumber them usually 1.5/1 to 2/1.

Another caution that I would like to throw your way is ice on the roadway, I do not care if you are the re-incarnation of Dale Earnhardt, you CANNOT drive safely on ice in any vehicle that doesn't have chains on all of the wheels, and even then your top speed needs to be 15 to 20 MPH. Ice is the one condition that no matter what I am driving shuts me down right away. A few patches here or there can be dealt with, but under no circumstances should you ever drive in an ice storm. If you are in danger of dying and need to get to the hospital call an ambulance and let someone who is equipped to handle the situation deal with it. (better that than getting into a wreck and giving the doctor more injuries to deal with)

One last thing before we get down to what to do if things go wrong. When choosing my routes in the winter my preference of roadways is as follows.

1. Interstate roadways. These are state maintained and are always the first to get worked on. The states usually try to keep the Interstate open if at all possible.
2. Other 4 or more lane devided state highways with on and off ramps. These interstate-like roads also are usually among the first to get attention.
3. 4 lane regular roads
4. 2 lane paved roads.

Any road that is not paved if conditions are bad I will avoid no matter what I am driving. It could be several days before someone comes along to open an unpaved road.

Alright, you didn't check the weather forecast and were really wrapped up in the last 2 hours of the Cam Edwards podcast from last night, you went whizzing by your exit and then took one a few exits down and GPS shows you this GREAT shortcut! You cut down this 2 lane road and are now on that last 50 mile stretch of road that leads to Granny's place. WHAM you hit the snowdrift around the bend and high side your 1983 Chevette, the front wheels are in the air, and you ain't goin' nowhere Bubba. NOW WHAT?!?

Don't panic and STAY WITH YOUR CAR!.Unless you can clearly see that there is an occupied structure that is within 100 yards or so, you are better off where you are at. Get out your camping shovel and kitty litter and see if you can get the car freed up. If you can't get the car moving again get on your cell phone and get help on the way.

No cell signal or help is more than a few hours away? Roll down a down-wind window a crack (1 to 1 ½ inches is enough) leave the engine running and the heater going. Get out and make sure that your exhaust is not obstructed by snow. If you have an external antenna on the car tie some brightly colored cloth to it, and then get back in and warm up.

The reason that you need to crack your window is to avoid carbon monoxide buildup in the car. As stated earlier you should have your car in good running order, even so if your exhaust becomes obstructed and cannot leave from behind your car it will go underneath and seep up through any cracks it can find. That is why you need to clear the exhaust every few hours and keep that window cracked so you get some fresh air.

If help is going to be a day or 2 you should still be alright if you packed well and did not run yourself out of fuel getting to where you are now. You are going to want to conserve fuel as much as possible and this means turning the your car off for a while. I would suggest running the car for 15 minutes on 45 minutes off. Use your candle for heat when the car is turned off, making sure that is is on a level surface and YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EVEN THINK ABOUT SLEEPING WITH A LIT CANDLE!!!!!!!! (was I clear on that?) I am not going to go into every make and model of car, but it generally takes about 1/3 to ½ of a gallon of gas to idle a 6 cylinder car for an hour. If you have a 16 gallon tank that is half full that leaves you 8 gallons of gas. At ½ gallon per hour that is 16 hours, at running 15 minutes per hour that is 64 hours of heat.

Use your energy bars sparingly for sustenance. In an emergency you can live on 900 calories a day for quite a while. Use water a little more liberally as you have all kinds of snow outside to melt should you need more .

Why did I tell you to pack those blasted road flares and then not mention them at all?!?! Well the fact is that you should not use them unless you see or hear something that can help you, such as a snow plow, a helicopter or airplane, a snowmobile or anything else that can get word out that that you need help. A flag can be missed, a flashlight works better than a flag, but in my experience nothing grabs your eye in low light conditions quite like a road flare (except maybe a muzzle flash from a gun, and if you are seeing these we have a whole other set of problems to deal with). Also this is the time to use your whistle, even Michael Buffer cannot get louder than a good loud whistle.

One more thing to bring up is abandonment. Should the worst of the worst happen and you have been stuck for several days and you run out of fuel so no more heat from the car, you are almost out of energy bars and you have not been able to get anyone on the cell phone and no one knows where you are. At this point ONLY would I think about abandoning the vehicle to get help, and ONLY if I knew where to go to get that help. You are about to leave your windbreak, your bed, your protection from wild animals, and a really big sore thumb sticking out saying that you need help. Leave a note on the steering wheel stating where you are going and how you plan to get there. Put on as much clothing as you can get on and still walk,bring your matches or lighters and any remaining food and your cup for water. If you have a weapon for God's sake bring that and spare ammo!Get a GPS fix and direction and move at a steady pace. Most GPS and cell phone batteries last only for about 5 to 6 hours constant use so use them sparingly, and always be looking for shelter as you move.

As mentioned in the beginning of this now rater lengthy discussion I drive truck for a living, and as such have a few more advantages than almost anyone in a car does. However if you have a vehicle that has multiple batteries (some diesel pickups and cars and many RV's) there are a few more things that can help you be more comfortable. Please be aware that these things all take power from your alternator or batteries and as such ARE NOT FREE, you will have to burn more fuel to recharge your batteries or turn the alternator when you use them.

1. A 12 volt electric blanket. These cost about $20 to $30 and can be found in the winter months at most truck stops. I can stay warm in my truck under one of these blankets down to an outdoor temperature of about 5 degrees.
2. A 12 volt crock pot, while a little messy for cleanup, a can of beef stew and an hour or so in the crock pot is a great lunch!
3. A portable jump start pack with a 12 volt receptacle. I have seen these at most department stores and will power your 12 volt accessories for a while without draining your battery, so that you have the best chance of starting your car.

Keeping your head about you and staying with your vehicle are by far the 2 things that are more likely to get you out of this than anything else. I cannot stress enough that you should not drive in any conditions that you are not prepared for.

That is it for now, thanks for reading and safe motoring!