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Be prepared to be flooded with pictures. The pin up contest at the KKOA lead sled spectacular was a blast. So many pretty girls!! I got to hang out with some great people, made some new friends, and the cars.. ladies and gentlemen..the cars. 💕❤💕 . . #leadsledspectacular #pinupmodel #pinuphair #thatpinuplife #vintagestyle #beautyqueen #themlipstho #kkoa #salinakansas #mybestlife #beyoutiful #bebrave #loveyourself #sunflowerpinups (at Oakdale Park)
Fast Wheels and City Lights
The run started in San Francisco, California, with a simple assignment: head south to Los Angeles and pick up a high-paying load.
There was one thing that made this trip different from most.
I wasn't pulling a trailer.
Any truck driver will tell you there's something almost magical about driving a tractor without a load behind it. The truck accelerates quicker, climbs grades easier, and feels lighter in every turn. The miles seem to disappear beneath the tires. Rolling down Interstate 5, the truck felt eager and responsive, making the trip to Los Angeles feel shorter than expected.
By late afternoon, I reached the shipper in Los Angeles and backed into the dock. The load was ready and waiting.
After the paperwork was signed and the trailer was loaded, dispatch sent me on a 402-mile delivery run. The freight wasn't glamorous, but it paid well. The route carried me through Southern California and beyond, with the truck once again settling into the familiar rhythm of hauling a loaded trailer.
The delivery went smoothly. No delays. No accidents. No surprises.
When the final paperwork was signed, the job paid $1,757.00.
Not a bad payday.
That evening, with the truck parked and the logbook closed, I found myself thinking about one of the hardest parts of trucking: the loneliness. Days and sometimes weeks can pass with little more than radio chatter and truck-stop conversations.
At a truck stop outside Los Angeles, I met a woman who was friendly, funny, and willing to spend the evening talking with a road-weary driver. We shared stories, laughed about life on the highway, and enjoyed each other's company for a few hours.
For a trucker who spends most nights alone in a sleeper cab, that kind of connection can mean a lot.
The next morning, it was back to business. The engine fired to life, the coffee was hot, and another load was waiting somewhere down the road. Sometimes the best part of a trucking run isn't the money or the miles. Sometimes it's the unexpected people you meet along the way and the stories that stay with you long after the delivery is complete.
Empty Trailer, Open Road
Every truck driver knows there's something special about rolling down the highway with an empty trailer.
The run started in Salina, Kansas, with dispatch sending me all the way to Los Angeles, California to pick up a high-priority load. There wasn't a pound of freight behind me, just a tractor and an empty trailer.
The difference was noticeable immediately.
Without a heavy load to pull, the truck felt lighter, more responsive, and eager to climb hills that would normally require dropping a gear or two. The steering felt sharper, acceleration came easier, and the miles seemed to disappear beneath the tires. Every trucker knows the feeling—when you're empty, the truck just wants to run.
After crossing several states and watching the scenery change from the plains of Kansas to the deserts of the Southwest and finally the sprawling freeways of Southern California, I arrived in Los Angeles.
The pickup was waiting.
Once the paperwork was signed and the trailer was loaded, I received a short-haul assignment within the city limits. The freight only needed to travel 51 miles, but anyone who has driven in Los Angeles knows that 51 miles can feel much longer when you're navigating traffic.
Still, the delivery went smoothly.
The customer was happy, the paperwork was completed without a hitch, and the load paid an impressive $4,722.
Not a bad day's work.
With the truck parked for the evening and the logbook closed, I headed to a truck stop to relax after the long journey from Kansas. Life on the road can be lonely, and many drivers look for a little conversation after spending days alone in the cab.
That evening I met a friendly woman who spent time talking, sharing stories, and keeping a lonely trucker company. Truck-stop veterans sometimes jokingly refer to such women as "lot lizards," a term that's been part of trucking folklore for decades. Whether the stories are true or exaggerated, every driver has heard them.
As the sun set over Los Angeles and the day's work was finished, I reflected on another successful run. From the wide-open plains of Kansas to the busy streets of Southern California, the job had delivered exactly what every trucker hopes for: safe miles, a good-paying load, and another memorable story from life on the road. Sometimes the best part of trucking isn't the destination—it's the stories collected along the way.
Salina, Kansas
The Shortest Haul of the Week
Most people imagine truck drivers spending days crossing deserts, climbing mountain passes, and chasing sunsets across multiple states. But sometimes the road tells a different story.
This particular run began and ended in Salina, Kansas. No state lines. No overnight stop. No dramatic scenery. Just a truck, a load, and a job that needed to get done.
The morning started quietly. The truck sat idling at the shipper's dock while the driver finished his coffee and looked over the paperwork. It had been one of those lonely weeks where most of the conversations happened over the CB radio and the only company came from the hum of the diesel engine.
The assignment wasn't glamorous: move a load across town and back through the industrial side of Salina. The route covered just 38 miles, but freight doesn't move itself. Every pallet, every box, and every delivery matters to the businesses depending on it.
Traffic was light, and the Kansas sky stretched endlessly overhead. The driver rolled through familiar streets, passing warehouses, grain elevators, and truck stops he'd seen hundreds of times before. There were no exciting detours and no roadside attractions. Just the steady rhythm of the road and the quiet solitude that comes with life behind the wheel.
The trip took 1 hour and 4 minutes from pickup to final delivery. Along the way, the truck used 5.3 gallons of fuel, proving once again that even a short run comes with real operating costs.
By early afternoon, the paperwork was signed, the trailer was empty, and the job was complete.
For all its simplicity, the run paid $494.00.
Not bad for a route that never left town.
As the trucker parked for the day, he reflected on an important lesson learned over years on the road: sometimes the biggest miles aren't the most profitable. Sometimes a short haul, completed safely and on time, is exactly the kind of job that keeps the wheels turning and the bills paid.
The road may have been short, but another successful delivery was added to the logbook. For one lonely trucker rolling through Kansas, that was enough.
Thank you to Salina Crossroads Marathon @salina_crossroads_marathon, Half Marathon & 5k for all the free entry give aways for our 50 States Half Marathon Club members for your November 2nd, 2024 event in Salina, Kansas! We appreciate your support!
I'll be at Kansas Hempire Salina today until 7! Michelle is running the floor today, she needs to see some people! Make sure to check us out. #cbd #comeseeus #comeseeme #salina #salinakansas #essentialoils #kansashempiresalina #kansashempire (at Salina, Kansas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpMerDHLLPmRzmsvOIRIqjQMiiAPw_UD0TByg0/?igshid=h900pxgixgts
🤔⠀ ⠀ #simple #challengegroup #Accountability #dreamjob #iamheretohelp #workout #TeamNourish #ResilienceNation #fitness #fitspiration #fitfluential #instafitness #realfitnessgirl #fitnessjourney #salinakansas #befit #getfit #trainhard #fitlife #getstrong #fitgirl #girlswholift #sweat (at Salina, Kansas)
Fitness + Nutrition + Support = a Healthier YOU! You'll get all three in my next Challenge Group so you can get the results you've always wanted, just in time for summer!⛱⠀ ⠀ #challengegroup #Accountability #dreamjob #iamheretohelp #workout #TeamNourish #ResilienceNation #fitness #fitspiration #fitfluential #instafitness #realfitnessgirl #fitnessjourney #salinakansas #befit #getfit #trainhard #fitlife #getstrong #fitgirl #girlswholift #sweat (at Salina, Kansas)
