How’s the summer treating you? I’m really enjoying the long, hot days. I’m sure if you live in one of those areas where the heat gets extreme, your opinion may differ from mine, understandably. So far, I have been able to take a fun road trip with my wife out to the Midwest to deliver an old 362 Peterbilt to my uncle and got to spend a couple days with him and my aunt. Then, we took a wide swing up north to the Dakotas to drag another ‘89 Freightliner FLD home to the Pacific Northwest. I also had a great time rolling to the Reno ATHS truck show in June. That was pretty awesome! We hung out with some great friends and met a bunch of new ones, as well. The turnout was huge. And the vast array of different trucks was immeasurable. I ran south to the show in my new green 389, running with my good friends, Gus Hulstein and Matt Neyens. My Wife, sister-in-law, and niece were already there a couple days before I arrived, and then the familiar faces just kept rolling in all weekend. At one point during the show, I had the honor of reciting some of my previous poems to a couple of guys who stopped by to say hello and shoot the breeze for a bit. At one point in our conversation, one of the gentlemen mentioned that their 94-year-old mom is a big fan of this-here magazine you’re reading. That’s right… this woman has seen so much in her ride on this rock, and she eagerly awaits her next issue of 10-4 Magazine each month! So, I just want to give a big shout-out to Mrs. Ricki Kressley from California. I was honored to share a few poems with your son, and I wish you had been at the show, so I could’ve met you in person. So far, if you had to rate this summer on a scale of one to ten (with ten being best), what rating would you give it? I’m giving it an 8… only because there is always room for improvement, but the summer ain’t over yet! In this poem, I decided to randomly rate a few of the other things we encounter in this line of work. And that’s a big 10-4!
SOME RANDOM RATINGS
By Trevor Hardwick
On a scale of one to ten,
With ten being the best.
I’d like to take a moment here,
To put some things to test.
To start, I’d give a “one”,
To the roads we travel down
Even with the potholes filled,
We’re still just bouncin’ around.
And maybe just a “two”,
For the way we interact.
Lord knows that it’s about time,
We start cleaning up our act.
The fantasy of driving trucks,
To be footloose and free.
Is a quickly fading memory,
So, I give that a “three”.
I would give a “four”,
To the big fleets at the top.
Sure, they’re truckin’ too,
But they’re killin’ mom and pop.
And here’s some recognition,
To the way some people drive.
They ain’t all bad… they ain’t all good,
So, I’ll give them a “five”.
A “six” to all those drivers,
Who use their signal lights.
But some don’t blink them off and on,
Instead, they use their brights.
A “seven” out of ten goes out,
To all-night restaurants.
A decent place, and friendly face,
Are what a driver wants.
The service shops are pricey,
When you have to pay their rate.
But they save us when we need them,
So, I’m giving them an “eight”.
I’m giving you a “nine”,
If you idle through the lot.
Then shut that diesel down,
When you find a parking spot.
A big “ten” for this magazine,
Now that’s a perfect score!
You may say I’m biased…
I’d say, “That’s a big 10-4!”