The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you & watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 NIV
Have you ever chosen a road, certain it’s the right one, only to discover you’re headed in the wrong direction? The same goes for our lives. When we are lost or encounter detours we need to consult God’s GPS.
After cruising three oceans in a 36-foot sailboat, Jerry and I faced the challenge of adjusting back into normal life and jobs. While in the boatyard two cruising couples painted an alluring picture of adventure while getting paid to travel across the United States. Work six months/cruise six months sounded right up our unconventional alley! All we had to do was learn to drive a truck—a downwind sail after the rigors of gales and broken rudders.
Our winter quest to Utah began with a leisurely two-day journey by train, crossing America’s heartland and Colorado’s snow-capped mountains. Magnificent vistas of frothy rivers, ice-shrouded pines, and misty valleys provided my last peaceful moments. The accelerated trucking program we were destined for morphed into a sanity survival course. Faith and prayer became constant companions.
Day 1 Swimming through a murky swirl of paperwork and an open book test of CDL material, we were unaware of powerful undercurrents lying ahead. But the odors of greasy food and mildew that permeated the corridor leading to our nine by nine-foot monastic cell was obvious. Exploring the “Yard” brought apprehension gazing at modern tractors hooked to 53-foot trailers glistening in the twilight. I shivered. Was it fear or excitement? That night I dreamt of semis and exotic ports.
Day 2 Orientation with a diversified group of forty was followed with an introduction to 9/10, 13, and 18-speed transmissions. Double-clutching sounded fascinating and so simple…in theory! By the end of physicals, eye exams, drug tests, and a stomach-clenching background interrogation by The Proctologist, possibly former gestapo, we were squirming. A third of the class had been disposed of.
Day 3 A kaleidoscope of videos included “The Many Ways to Have an Accident and Survive!” Then the joy of a 100-question test on the general knowledge section of the CDL. Pride for passing gave way to a churning stomach when reminded we had several chapters to memorize for tomorrow’s exam. Who needs sleep?
Day 4 Scrambled brains were served with components of airbrakes, coupling a trailer, transporting hazardous material, and more. Time out…! Am I crazy enough to pull a trailer loaded with potential explosives or poisonous gases? That afternoon we struggled through two hours of written tests at the Licensing Department and emerged victorious.
Day 5 Another tortuous day learning 185 items for the pre-trip check of the tractor-trailer including a SALE test. Are we becoming mechanics or drivers? I don’t care what’s under the hood, I just want to ride the highways…I think. We also plot a course through the treacherous waters of convex/concave mirrors,; opening/closing the gap; parking maneuvers; coupling/uncoupling; and shifting techniques.
This vessel designated as my brain heels precariously as we begin daily trucking logs, accounting for every fifteen minutes of our lives. That free, on-the-road-again dream is being replaced by big-brother-is-watching nightmares. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! We climb into the big rig and pretend like we know what we are doing. Tonight I double up on prayers.
Set up road signs, put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take… Jeremiah 31:21
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