Doomed From the Start: Chapter Five

So once again Tristan had returned home from a failed driving job with his tail between his legs. He was so frustrated and angry. He was angry at the world, the economy, the entire trucking industry and God. “What am I supposed to be doing? … Where am I supposed to be at this point in my life? … God, just show me the way! … Show me what you want me to do and I'll do it!” He pleaded silently to the air above. But his response was an ear shattering silence accompanied with a very bad feeling that nothing was going to improve any time soon. “I just don't know what to do anymore… it used to be so easy to make good money in trucking…and that wasn't all that long ago, either…now it seems as though the bottom has dropped out of the entire industry…what are we going to do? …God help me, I don't know what to do!” Tears began to well up in his sorrowful blue eyes and his heart ached deep inside his chest. “I've always been able to figure out a way to survive and make a good living…to take care of my family…now it seems like everything I touch turns to dust.” He was sobbing now and begging his creator for help and guidance. As he sat at the desk in the office of their Victorian home he heard Maura enter the room from behind. He quickly wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt before she could see him crying. Although she had seen him wipe his eyes and knew, she didn't say anything rather, she let him keep his dignity in tact.

“Sweetie, what about Grass Trucking? Have you ever heard anything bad about them?”

Tristan considered her question before answering.

“No, I don't think I have, honey, why?”

“Well, they have an ad in this trucking magazine that you brought home for lease operators…I was just thinking that maybe you'd be happier if you became an owner-operator again…”

Now that was an idea… yeah, maybe he should give that some serious thought!

Maura watched his whole demeanor change from dark despair to joyful hope in a matter of a few seconds.

“Yeah! Let me check to see if they have a website! I'll check them out! Thanks, babe!”

“You're welcome, sweetie!” She giggled, as she left the small room.

Tristan's fingers flew as he typed in the company's name on their keyboard with a newfound hope for finding a home in the industry that he'd loved for so many years.

“Maybe Maura's right…maybe I've just been looking at this whole thing wrong. Maybe I need to buy or lease another truck and be my own boss again. I've never made a good employee. No one has the right to tell me what to wear, when I can eat, sleep; go home, what to haul or where to go! I've been so unhappy ever since we sold our last truck and left the van lines.” His mind went over the possibilities as his eyes now focused on the company's website. He poured over each page and devoured every word printed for the drivers. Now he hesitated. “I don't know about all this…things are so different today… it's a different industry from just a few years ago and with the ever climbing cost of fuel…how in the world can an owner-op make it today? This isn't something that I can just run with. I need to give this some serious thought before acting on it.

Maura decided to give the company a call on Tristan's behalf. “The worst that'll happen is that they'll take him…” She decided.

As the twosome talked over the possibility of his becoming an owner-operator again, Tristan voiced his concerns. “How can drivers make any money today with the high cost of fuel? It's almost $5.00 a gallon out there now!”

“I don't know, honey but they've got to be making money somehow or else there wouldn't be any owner-ops out there!” Maura replied.

“Well, I don't know…maybe they can't get out… maybe they're in too deep to get out!”

Maura thought over his last statement.

“I don't think so, Tristan. I can't explain it but I just don't think that's right.”