Every once in a while, life hands you a brand-new map.

This month, mine came with a Veho logo.

After years of trucking, countless miles behind the wheel, and more recently learning the ins and outs of Spark, Lyft, and Grubhub, I decided it was time to add another chapter to the journey.

As with most first days...

...it started with me being in the wrong place.

I arrived early, parked where the GPS told me to, and noticed another driver waiting nearby.

"You doin' Veho today?"

"Yeah," he replied. "First day."

"Me too."

Together we confidently waited on the wrong side of the warehouse until the app politely instructed us to "Drive Around."

Around what?

Eventually I discovered the actual Veho entrance hidden around the other side of the building, complete with smiling employees, rolling package racks, and—ironically—a stack of freshly printed signs that would have been incredibly useful if they had been outside.

When I jokingly pointed that out, everyone laughed.

It's always a good sign when your first day begins with laughter instead of frustration.

One thing I immediately appreciated was how organized the loading process was.

Each package is scanned before loading, and I quickly realized my collapsible totes would make sorting much easier. The warehouse staff thought it was a great idea, and before long my first route was neatly organized by stop number.

Sometimes the smallest ideas make the biggest difference.

The route itself introduced me to a little bit of everything.

Mostly quiet neighborhoods.

A couple of apartment complexes.

Some surprisingly scenic roads.

And a street named Valhalla.

At one point I looked around and quietly muttered,

"Toto... we're not in Kansas anymore."

Of course, every delivery route has its stories.

One customer appeared to live inside what can best be described as Fort Knox.

Locked gates.

Heavy chains.

"No Trespassing" signs.

"Beware of Dog" signs.

The app kindly offered a button labeled "Can't Deliver."

I happily accepted its suggestion.

Another stop featured a beautiful wall that stretched forever...

...without a single entrance.

Apparently pedestrians were not part of the architectural vision.

Then came my favorite stop of the day.

Two beautiful pit bulls wandered over to investigate the stranger standing outside their fence.

We had a pleasant conversation.

They tilted their heads.

I complimented them on being good boys.

Then they suddenly remembered they were supposed to be guarding the property.

Conversation over.

Package returned.

Mission accomplished.

One thing that impressed me was Veho's technology.

The app doesn't simply ask for a delivery photo.

It verifies that the package is actually visible.

It confirms the delivery location.

It asks for a photo of the address.

On repeat deliveries, it even shows the previous delivery photo so you can place the package in the same safe location.

It's obvious a lot of thought went into helping both customers and drivers.

By the end of the afternoon, I'd climbed in and out of my vehicle seventy times, walked thousands of steps, discovered parts of Tucson I'd never seen before, and returned a few undeliverable packages to the warehouse.

Even that ended with a laugh after I accidentally found an open "after-hours" entrance and was greeted by two surprised warehouse employees asking,

"HOW'D YOU GET IN HERE?!"

Apparently leaving a door open is an invitation.

Who knew?

As I drove home, tired but smiling, I realized something.

Every new adventure begins with uncertainty.

Every new job has its first day.

Every new road eventually becomes familiar.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this one leads.

Well… see you next time.

— Steve
The Wayward Trucker

Your Turn

What's the funniest first-day-on-the-job story you've ever had?

Just hit reply and tell me about it.

Coming Up

• Book Block Party 2026 – September 26th at 4pm Free at 13105 E. Colossal Cave Rd, Vail, AZ 85741

Join us for a FREE evening celebrating books, literacy, and community! Children can choose free books, enjoy live storytime with local authors and community partners, explore hands-on activities, meet incredible local organizations, and take home a free tote bag.

Families can also enjoy a community book swap, face painting, food trucks, giveaways, a car show, and so much more!

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