#imagine being so dedicated to being a wife guy that you stay unemployed to give her all ur attention

[bittersweetyrn]

I think one of the best songs in steven universe is the one his dad sings abt trying to be a full-time wife guy but uh oh, that doesn’t make any money and oh god he can’t even afford food

#imagine being so dedicated to being a wife guy that you stay unemployed to give her all ur attention #the dream honestly #steven universe

[beardedexecutivetrucker-blog]

A New Opportunity

I am now the anomaly, who used to be the norm.

The winds of change started a few years ago when my wife and I were sitting on a beautiful beach in Hawaii.  I knew it then, and we even discussed it, the fact that change was coming.  I didn't have any idea what was really about to happen. At the time, I was a Sr. Vice President of an oil company.  Today is a different story.  Politics, business, corruption and systemic failure of...well...everything, have led me to do what my head warns  me not to do, but my heart screams  - it is the right thing to do!

Here’s how it all started...On a typically windy day in North Dakota, on 20 May 2016, I found myself cleaning out my office after being ‘reduced in force’ following almost 8 years of insanely difficult and complete dedication to the company.  After working 14 fatalities, numerous injuries and maiming's, convincing many large customers to work with us because of our safety program, fighting legal battles with DOT and OSHA to stay in business, and building a world-class safety team (not my words, those of many others), it was over.  I was given until the end of the day to clean out my office.  Thank you very much, our new underqualified president doesn’t like you, so your outta here!  (By the way, he is no longer employed there either...hmmm.)  The person taking my place was a yes man, a company guy, a good old boy who would do their bidding and step on the little people to ‘get it done’.  I wouldn’t do that, so I was now counted among the unemployed of America.

Exactly 9 months later, I am sitting in a motel room in Springfield, Missouri.  I am more than 1,000 miles from my wife and my other favorite girl 'Lilly' (she's a mini-schnauzer and we're usually tied at the hip), and I have just finished my second day of training to become an over the road truck driver for a large, private organization.  I have no idea when I will see my girls again, and this road has already been full of twists and turns.

I will be writing often with updates, pictures and events.  Be patient and give me a week or so on either side of any day, and I'll be sure to show up.

Imagine it...for years I sat on the Safety Committee of the American Trucking Association, Washington, D.C.  I rubbed elbows with some of Trucking’s elite CEO’s and a few politicians who affect changes at the highest levels.  Now, I will be comparing those expensive discussions made after private jet flights, $600 per night hotel suites, and you don’t even want to know how expensive the dinners and entertainment was...to the reality of life on the road.  The reality of life.  Real life.  Good people who have bills to pay and can’t pay them, who have families and can’t see them...all to ensure our nation’s shelves remain full of widgets and edibles.

This blog is dedicated to my loving, perfect wife, my amazing parents - my father who recently retired from trucking full time - and the rest of the men and women of the trucking industry who are THE reason Americans are able to put gas in their autos, buy groceries at the store and clothes at the mall.  I am diving in, head first to the underworld of truckers and will bring it all to you live, well, almost.

In my next post, my sleeves will have been rolled up, and I will describe what it took to get here, literally.  Stay tuned for the 2 day bus ride from hell. 'til next time... TB