Explanations, Excuses, and Exhortations: Several Trucks, One Driver, and a Multitude of Experiences

Before I became a truck driver, I never imagined the immensity of the job and the number of duties involved in being an over-the-road truck driver; in fact, many of the things a driver is expected to do and even required to do are unpaid tasks since a driver's pay comes mainly from miles driven plus extra pay for extra pickups or drops on individual loads and other guarantees for time lost due to no fault of the driver.

To begin describing the experiences, the trials, and the tribulations of the driver or drivers of these monsters of the road which we variously know as semis, eighteen-wheelers, big rigs, or even tractor-trailers one might look at the events of an individual driver's experiences. A good starting point might be to remind ourselves that without these mechanical beasts of burden which roam our highways and byways every hour of the day and night, we would all lead quite meager lives, since everything we eat, wear, entertain ourselves with, and transport ourselves by is at some point or even many points along the line transported by a truck or trucks. You name it, and trucks delivered it...

Explanations, Excuses, and Exhortations presents a non-fiction account of the author's experiences as a truck driver in which he handled various problems and serious mistakes while making deliveries to his customers over a nine-year period. He encountered numerous challenges and difficulties trying to get home for time-off or emergency situations. Join him on the road and experience the events and problems of some of his actual trips, including: problems locating customers, with law enforcement officials, with his companies, with his trucks, and with routes that were impassible for trucks.

The situations he encountered were often mind-boggling and overcome only by strategically manipulating through a maze of unknown and seemingly hard to surmount obstacles and difficulties. Sometimes, he felt as if there were no solutions to the problems facing him, while at other times he felt like they would only be resolved through extreme effort to achieve the desired end. The side trips were the best, exciting and adventure-filled, during which they saw beautiful, often awesome sights, including trips to New York City and other top tourist attraction areas. His wife accompanied him on most of these trips, taking pictures to chronicle the amazing sights that they enjoyed

Robert A. Amundrud was born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, where he graduated from high school in 1961; in December 1989 he graduated from Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas, with an MA in English. His subsequent jobs include truck, bus, and cab driver, high school and college English teacher.