Yeah, right pick up the load Saturday morning and deliver by 6pm that afternoon. Well I pulled into the shipper at 50 minutes before my appointment time of noon. There are 4 more of our trucks sitting there, they all had the same appointment time as I did and all going to the same place in Solon, OH, and no one was getting loaded. Turns out the machine broke down that night and they didn't get it up and running again until that morning. So all these rolls of paper hadn't been made yet. The rolls are 6' in diameter and about 4' of depth. They weigh approximately 4,500# each and they load 9 rolls on each truck. But no rolls no load. They took down all our cell phone numbers and then sent us down the street to their drop yard to wait. It was 7pm that night before I got loaded.
Once I pulled out of the dock I had to stop to help one of our drivers close the door on his trailer. He had loaded just ahead of me and when he pulled out from the dock he had to squeeze between a truck in a dock beside him and a railroad tanker sitting on the left side of him. His doors were open and latched to the side of the trailer and he caught his driver side trailer door on the rail car. The door is held on by 5 hinges, and he broke all of them but the very top one, and it was hanging by the one hinge. We had to gently lift and pull around in place to get it latched shut. He was supposed to go by a shop in Ft Wayne, IN to get it fixed.
I didn't deliver my load until 10am this morning and they gave me a load that picks up late tonight and I deliver part of load in West Virginia on Tuesday morning and the other half of load in Lexington, KY on Wednesday morning. At least get out of Ohio even if it is a short load.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
August Pictures
Finally got my pictures downloaded that I have been taking last couple of weeks. Have taken some pictures of old barns in the midwest. Starting in Kentucky and up through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio. The beautiful sunset at the end was along I-80 west bound around Morris, Ill. This is west of Chicago area. The peak that looks like a nipple is of Pilot Mountain near Mt. Airy, NC. If you remember the Andy Griffith show and them talking about Mount Pilot all of the time. That is the peak that they used to name the fictional town.
I went from Cedar Falls, IA back down to Des Moines to pick up a load going over to Cedar Rapids, IA for the next morning. Then down to Oskaloosa, IA to get a load from Church & Dwight going to Church & Dwight in Old Fort, OH. Running through some good hard rains along I-80 most of the way. After delivering in Old Fort Thursday morning I picked up a load in Fostoria, OH about 20 miles away that was from a Church & Dwight warehouse that went over to Pendleton, IN. This is on the outskirts of Indianapolis. Leaving Ohio this morning going that way I had to travel over some 2 lane back roads working my way over to I-69 in Indiana.
I got within 10 miles of the interstate and the highway ahead was closed. The detour went up toward Ft. Wayne which was 20 miles in the wrong direction. So I turned south to go down to the next highway west to the interstate. I got about 8 miles south and that road was closed ahead. The only option was to turn back east toward Ohio again for 8 miles to pick up a main highway that ran toward Indianapolis. Only problem was this road wasn't much better than a pig trail. The trailer I had picked up on this load tracked so far to the right I could see the red stripe all the way down the right side of the trailer. Someone had obviously hit a curb pretty hard on the right and pulled the trailer tandems out of line. I had to drive down the center of the road to stay out of the ditch. Finally made it but was a good half hour behind when I wanted to be there.
Once I dropped that load at Tractor Supply they gave a load to pick up in Columbus, IN that was 75 miles away. The appointment was at 10am only 1 hour and 25 mins from that moment, and had to go through Indianapolis to get there. Since I have a 62 mph truck it was a chore to make the appointment. I made it one minute before 10am. It was a live load that took one hour to complete and I had a delivery appointment at 1pm in Fairfield, OH. I had 2 hours to go 95 miles, and the first 38 miles was 2 lane road and through downtown Columbus. I made it to the customer at exactly 1 minute before appointment time. Finally got to pee. Geez! Hate those loads. I will pick up another load just south of Dayton, OH tomorrow that I have to run up near Cleveland, OH and deliver by 6pm tomorrow night. Another rush job.
Manufacturers seem to be picking up since all inventories are drained, so I am doing a lot more running and there are fewer trucks now to pull the loads. A lot of them have gone under in the last year. Keeps me busy which is a good thing.
I went from Cedar Falls, IA back down to Des Moines to pick up a load going over to Cedar Rapids, IA for the next morning. Then down to Oskaloosa, IA to get a load from Church & Dwight going to Church & Dwight in Old Fort, OH. Running through some good hard rains along I-80 most of the way. After delivering in Old Fort Thursday morning I picked up a load in Fostoria, OH about 20 miles away that was from a Church & Dwight warehouse that went over to Pendleton, IN. This is on the outskirts of Indianapolis. Leaving Ohio this morning going that way I had to travel over some 2 lane back roads working my way over to I-69 in Indiana.
I got within 10 miles of the interstate and the highway ahead was closed. The detour went up toward Ft. Wayne which was 20 miles in the wrong direction. So I turned south to go down to the next highway west to the interstate. I got about 8 miles south and that road was closed ahead. The only option was to turn back east toward Ohio again for 8 miles to pick up a main highway that ran toward Indianapolis. Only problem was this road wasn't much better than a pig trail. The trailer I had picked up on this load tracked so far to the right I could see the red stripe all the way down the right side of the trailer. Someone had obviously hit a curb pretty hard on the right and pulled the trailer tandems out of line. I had to drive down the center of the road to stay out of the ditch. Finally made it but was a good half hour behind when I wanted to be there.
Once I dropped that load at Tractor Supply they gave a load to pick up in Columbus, IN that was 75 miles away. The appointment was at 10am only 1 hour and 25 mins from that moment, and had to go through Indianapolis to get there. Since I have a 62 mph truck it was a chore to make the appointment. I made it one minute before 10am. It was a live load that took one hour to complete and I had a delivery appointment at 1pm in Fairfield, OH. I had 2 hours to go 95 miles, and the first 38 miles was 2 lane road and through downtown Columbus. I made it to the customer at exactly 1 minute before appointment time. Finally got to pee. Geez! Hate those loads. I will pick up another load just south of Dayton, OH tomorrow that I have to run up near Cleveland, OH and deliver by 6pm tomorrow night. Another rush job.
Manufacturers seem to be picking up since all inventories are drained, so I am doing a lot more running and there are fewer trucks now to pull the loads. A lot of them have gone under in the last year. Keeps me busy which is a good thing.
Monday, August 24, 2009
moving on
Well from North Carolina I went up to New Jersey with a load of toilet paper for the Yankees. I then picked up a load in Edison, NJ going to Cleveland, OH area but they let me drop the load in Allentown, PA drop yard because this was Friday and it did not deliver until Monday.
So I dropped that load at the drop yard, and was given a load of dog food in Allentown going to Crete, NE. The load was not supposed to be ready until 10pm that night, but I went on in there and they had just finished loading it. I was able to get the load and move over to Lamar, PA for then night. I made it to Peru, IL Saturday night and to Council Bluffs, IA on Sunday night.
I got up early this morning and delivered the load to Friskies/Nestle Purina in Crete at 6:30am and let dispatch know that I needed to get my truck serviced. So they let me drive back up to the Lincoln, NE shop and have been here through the morning. They told me may be tonight before they get to it, but actually took the truck into the shop at 11am.
Crete Carrier is a debt free company. They are busy buying new trucks like crazy because no one else can afford to right now. They are getting great deals because the truck manufacturing companies are needing to keep their people busy building them. Same with new trailers. Reason they thought would be late getting me in the shop because everyone here is working on the trade in trucks. Peeling off decals and servicing them to be sold. Also they are moving the new ones in to be decaled and serviced etc.
Shop manager asked me this morning if I did not get them memo not to come to Lincoln for truck service. Duh!! No!! I don't get memos.
Got my truck out and now waiting for a loaded trailer that is in the shop to come out. I have to deliver that load over in Cedar Falls, IA tomorrow.
I have some pictures of a beautiful sunset in northern Illinois and will post soon.
So I dropped that load at the drop yard, and was given a load of dog food in Allentown going to Crete, NE. The load was not supposed to be ready until 10pm that night, but I went on in there and they had just finished loading it. I was able to get the load and move over to Lamar, PA for then night. I made it to Peru, IL Saturday night and to Council Bluffs, IA on Sunday night.
I got up early this morning and delivered the load to Friskies/Nestle Purina in Crete at 6:30am and let dispatch know that I needed to get my truck serviced. So they let me drive back up to the Lincoln, NE shop and have been here through the morning. They told me may be tonight before they get to it, but actually took the truck into the shop at 11am.
Crete Carrier is a debt free company. They are busy buying new trucks like crazy because no one else can afford to right now. They are getting great deals because the truck manufacturing companies are needing to keep their people busy building them. Same with new trailers. Reason they thought would be late getting me in the shop because everyone here is working on the trade in trucks. Peeling off decals and servicing them to be sold. Also they are moving the new ones in to be decaled and serviced etc.
Shop manager asked me this morning if I did not get them memo not to come to Lincoln for truck service. Duh!! No!! I don't get memos.
Got my truck out and now waiting for a loaded trailer that is in the shop to come out. I have to deliver that load over in Cedar Falls, IA tomorrow.
I have some pictures of a beautiful sunset in northern Illinois and will post soon.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Long Week
Well, I am finally back on the road again. Went to Houston to have CT Scan of right ear and found out that it has closed off again. No surgery this time, will have to live with it. Since it keeps growing back, not much sense in drilling it out again.
I left home on Sunday and picked up a load in Kilgore, TX going to Lexington, KY. Same load I got last month when I left home. Load of jar lids going to J M Smucker.
Unloaded Monday afternoon and picked up a load of scrap paper Tuesday morning going to Middletown, OH, but it had an appointment at noon the next day. Was only 135 miles up the road. Went in and delivered the load of scrap paper and when they finally got me unloaded 3 hours later I was dispatched on a load out of the same plant going to North Carolina. Took in scrap paper and taking out finished rolls of paper.
I will deliver about noon tomorrow, and then off another direction.
I left home on Sunday and picked up a load in Kilgore, TX going to Lexington, KY. Same load I got last month when I left home. Load of jar lids going to J M Smucker.
Unloaded Monday afternoon and picked up a load of scrap paper Tuesday morning going to Middletown, OH, but it had an appointment at noon the next day. Was only 135 miles up the road. Went in and delivered the load of scrap paper and when they finally got me unloaded 3 hours later I was dispatched on a load out of the same plant going to North Carolina. Took in scrap paper and taking out finished rolls of paper.
I will deliver about noon tomorrow, and then off another direction.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Finally
It took some doing, but I finally got a load to the house.
After dropping my load at Scottsville, KY, they gave me two load offers to pick up in Bowling Green, KY. The first went to Richmond, IN, and the second went to South Carolina. Since this was only Friday morning, I figured they would have me something from Indiana to go home with. It was a shorter load and since it was a drop and hook I figured I could get it off Friday night, take my break and have a load home to be there Monday or no later than Tuesday. My CT scan in Houston is on Wednesday morning.
Well nay, nay kemo sabe. (I don't spell in Indian). I dropped at 10pm Friday and they shot me a load offer to pick up Saturday going to Georgia that didn't deliver until Monday. Then the monthly fight began on the qualcom satellite hookup on why I could not do that. It was on my driver screen for dispatch to look at "I have to be home", I send a message leading up to unloading a load to dispatch that I need to go home. I had done all of these things and they ignore it. I guess they keep you running under the premise that you aren't going to complain for fear of being accused of refusing a load. When it comes to going home, I complain. I do my time on the road of 24 to 28 days, time to go home, get me home.
Well, dispatch says I can wait until morning dispatch comes in because they have no Texas freight. I said I would wait. At 1 am they send me another offer, waking me up, that picked up near Dayton, OH going to Chicago. Can deliver on Sunday. I protest again. They say we are just trying to keep you moving until we find something. Yeah right!!
I said I would accept the load but I protested the fact they were sending me further away from the house not closer and restated the fact I had medical tests coming up, and couldn't pick up this load until Saturday night according to the info they sent me. "Then" he tells me "well it is already loaded", I told him fine I would take the load and would get it off Saturday night and try again.
I picked the load up in Brookville, OH and headed out toward Indianapolis and would go from there up to Chicago. I saw the clock ticking on being able to stop this steamroll. This was Saturday and the staff at my home terminal only worked until noon on Saturday. It was 10am. I had sent 3 messages to dispatch that morning telling them I needed to get home and why. I had not received one single reply from them.
I called home terminal. After being on hold for 30 minutes I finally spoke with the fleet manager. I explained the situation, and with 10 minutes I was told to drop my load at the Indianapolis terminal, pick up an empty trailer and then they gave me a load going to Texas to pick up at 8 am on Sunday.
I wonder why I have to go through all that.
After dropping my load at Scottsville, KY, they gave me two load offers to pick up in Bowling Green, KY. The first went to Richmond, IN, and the second went to South Carolina. Since this was only Friday morning, I figured they would have me something from Indiana to go home with. It was a shorter load and since it was a drop and hook I figured I could get it off Friday night, take my break and have a load home to be there Monday or no later than Tuesday. My CT scan in Houston is on Wednesday morning.
Well nay, nay kemo sabe. (I don't spell in Indian). I dropped at 10pm Friday and they shot me a load offer to pick up Saturday going to Georgia that didn't deliver until Monday. Then the monthly fight began on the qualcom satellite hookup on why I could not do that. It was on my driver screen for dispatch to look at "I have to be home", I send a message leading up to unloading a load to dispatch that I need to go home. I had done all of these things and they ignore it. I guess they keep you running under the premise that you aren't going to complain for fear of being accused of refusing a load. When it comes to going home, I complain. I do my time on the road of 24 to 28 days, time to go home, get me home.
Well, dispatch says I can wait until morning dispatch comes in because they have no Texas freight. I said I would wait. At 1 am they send me another offer, waking me up, that picked up near Dayton, OH going to Chicago. Can deliver on Sunday. I protest again. They say we are just trying to keep you moving until we find something. Yeah right!!
I said I would accept the load but I protested the fact they were sending me further away from the house not closer and restated the fact I had medical tests coming up, and couldn't pick up this load until Saturday night according to the info they sent me. "Then" he tells me "well it is already loaded", I told him fine I would take the load and would get it off Saturday night and try again.
I picked the load up in Brookville, OH and headed out toward Indianapolis and would go from there up to Chicago. I saw the clock ticking on being able to stop this steamroll. This was Saturday and the staff at my home terminal only worked until noon on Saturday. It was 10am. I had sent 3 messages to dispatch that morning telling them I needed to get home and why. I had not received one single reply from them.
I called home terminal. After being on hold for 30 minutes I finally spoke with the fleet manager. I explained the situation, and with 10 minutes I was told to drop my load at the Indianapolis terminal, pick up an empty trailer and then they gave me a load going to Texas to pick up at 8 am on Sunday.
I wonder why I have to go through all that.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Kentucky Next
I delivered my first drop to a Big Lots store. The entire trailer is stacked on the floor front to back top to bottom. They run conveyors into the trailer and roll the cartons out one at a time with about 4 to 5 people working on it. The first half of the trailer came off in a little less that 2 hours. Once they resealed the trailer I drove to the second store about 12 miles away.
The second store was difficult to get into. When you pull into the drive you are facing the dock and very little room to get a 72' rig turned around. I had to turn a sharp corner to the left with posts set up to make sure they damage the trucks coming in before the trucks damage the grass. Once you make the corner, of course they park vehicles in the lot so you will have one more thing to concentrate on besides the posts. Once around the corner, I can back up behind the building and then turn back the way I came so I can get backed into the dock.
While they unloaded the last of the product I walked next door and bought a few groceries for the truck. Once unloaded dispatch gave me a load to pick up in Crete, NE going to Scottsville, KY. Before going down to get the load I stopped by the main terminal in Lincoln, NE and got fuel and had the trailer inspected.
After getting the truck and trailer taken care of I drove the 20 miles to Crete to pick up the load of dog food. I will deliver the load Friday after lunch to a Dollar General DC. Once unloaded I will be looking for that load to the house over the weekend.
The second store was difficult to get into. When you pull into the drive you are facing the dock and very little room to get a 72' rig turned around. I had to turn a sharp corner to the left with posts set up to make sure they damage the trucks coming in before the trucks damage the grass. Once you make the corner, of course they park vehicles in the lot so you will have one more thing to concentrate on besides the posts. Once around the corner, I can back up behind the building and then turn back the way I came so I can get backed into the dock.
While they unloaded the last of the product I walked next door and bought a few groceries for the truck. Once unloaded dispatch gave me a load to pick up in Crete, NE going to Scottsville, KY. Before going down to get the load I stopped by the main terminal in Lincoln, NE and got fuel and had the trailer inspected.
After getting the truck and trailer taken care of I drove the 20 miles to Crete to pick up the load of dog food. I will deliver the load Friday after lunch to a Dollar General DC. Once unloaded I will be looking for that load to the house over the weekend.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
North to Nebraska
I was able to drop the load on Monday instead of waiting until Tuesday, so I got an extra day of work in. They gave me a load out of Durant, OK going up to Omaha, NE. It is a load from Big Lots delivering to a couple of their stores there.
I got into Kansas and made it about halfway through before looking for a place to stop for the night. I had my trip planned to stop in a small town with a truck stop that showed in my truck stop directory to have parking for up to 85 trucks. I had just enough hours to get there and when I rolled into this little farming town the truck stop had room for exactly 5 trucks, and since there were 5 bull haulers setting there already and parked crooked to boot, I had no place to park.
This was running through Kansas on a two lane highway, and I wasn't familiar with it so I got in a bad deal. There were only 3 truck stops on the route at all, and had now passed the second one. I had no choice but to continue north to where there was a larger truck stop that I was familiar with, but it was going to stretch my hours razor thin getting there. Luckily about 7 miles north of this small town I came to a small rest area with enough room for about 3 trucks, so I got a parking place for the night without running my hours out.
I got up this morning and made it up to Council Bluffs, IA, which is across the river from Omaha. Got a shower and a meal and now waiting until morning to go into town to make my drops.
I got into Kansas and made it about halfway through before looking for a place to stop for the night. I had my trip planned to stop in a small town with a truck stop that showed in my truck stop directory to have parking for up to 85 trucks. I had just enough hours to get there and when I rolled into this little farming town the truck stop had room for exactly 5 trucks, and since there were 5 bull haulers setting there already and parked crooked to boot, I had no place to park.
This was running through Kansas on a two lane highway, and I wasn't familiar with it so I got in a bad deal. There were only 3 truck stops on the route at all, and had now passed the second one. I had no choice but to continue north to where there was a larger truck stop that I was familiar with, but it was going to stretch my hours razor thin getting there. Luckily about 7 miles north of this small town I came to a small rest area with enough room for about 3 trucks, so I got a parking place for the night without running my hours out.
I got up this morning and made it up to Council Bluffs, IA, which is across the river from Omaha. Got a shower and a meal and now waiting until morning to go into town to make my drops.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Ok OKlahoma
Got into Ardmore, Oklahoma at 3pm on Sunday. Another small place so not much TV or anything else really. I will check with dispatch this morning and see if this customer will let me drop this load to day instead of tomorrow after midnight. Some customers want drops on the day they request them others will take them anytime up to the end of that day. If I get to drop it then I will be moving on today if they have some freight.
I am finding that Eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey area is the worst place to be right now for freight. When I unloaded up there 2 weeks ago on a Saturday, there was close to 200 of our trucks sitting there over the weekend. Took 3 days to get moving. Since then, I have not had to wait that long. Maine had me a load, then one out of Virginia, then out of St Louis, then South Georgia. Had the loads sent to me not long after being ready for dispatch. It is up and down and just depends on where you are. This company is very good about getting freight. Some places that is just not enough now a days.
Will be headed home by next Monday. Have a couple of doctor appointments in Houston during the week to check out problem with my ear. Going to do a CT scan to see if my head is about to explode yet or not.
I am finding that Eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey area is the worst place to be right now for freight. When I unloaded up there 2 weeks ago on a Saturday, there was close to 200 of our trucks sitting there over the weekend. Took 3 days to get moving. Since then, I have not had to wait that long. Maine had me a load, then one out of Virginia, then out of St Louis, then South Georgia. Had the loads sent to me not long after being ready for dispatch. It is up and down and just depends on where you are. This company is very good about getting freight. Some places that is just not enough now a days.
Will be headed home by next Monday. Have a couple of doctor appointments in Houston during the week to check out problem with my ear. Going to do a CT scan to see if my head is about to explode yet or not.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Moving South
I made my delivery to Cincinnati early in the morning and they gave me a load that was supposed to be ready at 5pm that evening. Was going to have all day to set so went to nearest truck stop about 15 miles north of town. At noon they sent me a message that the load was ready to go, so I headed into town to pick it up. Turns out it had been ready for about 12 hours and dispatch just found out about it.
The load went to Keebler in Brunswick, GA and delivered on Friday. I got there Thursday afternoon and had time to clean up and rest. I delivered the Keebler load at 8am and they gave me my next load to pick up in Jacksonville, FL later that afternoon going to Ardmore, OK. This load was ready early too so I got it picked up at 2pm. This gave me time to get most of the way across Florida before shutting down.
I woke up this morning with a flat tire on the trailer. Breakdown department sent me to a tire shop in Pensacola, FL and gave me the address and directions. Well I got there and there was a nice big new Church sitting at that address. So I have to call breakdown back, another 10 min wait on the hold. They looked it up on a cross reference and found they had a new place 4 miles back north. I got here a few minutes later and being Saturday morning, they are closed. So another call to breakdown, this time 20 min on hold. Said they would call someone out to fix tire and would send me a message when they would be here. I'm still waiting. Looks like another call coming up, probably be a 30 min wait now. Nice hot and HUMID here in Pensacola I'm telling ya!! Especially after the rain shower that just went over.
The load went to Keebler in Brunswick, GA and delivered on Friday. I got there Thursday afternoon and had time to clean up and rest. I delivered the Keebler load at 8am and they gave me my next load to pick up in Jacksonville, FL later that afternoon going to Ardmore, OK. This load was ready early too so I got it picked up at 2pm. This gave me time to get most of the way across Florida before shutting down.
I woke up this morning with a flat tire on the trailer. Breakdown department sent me to a tire shop in Pensacola, FL and gave me the address and directions. Well I got there and there was a nice big new Church sitting at that address. So I have to call breakdown back, another 10 min wait on the hold. They looked it up on a cross reference and found they had a new place 4 miles back north. I got here a few minutes later and being Saturday morning, they are closed. So another call to breakdown, this time 20 min on hold. Said they would call someone out to fix tire and would send me a message when they would be here. I'm still waiting. Looks like another call coming up, probably be a 30 min wait now. Nice hot and HUMID here in Pensacola I'm telling ya!! Especially after the rain shower that just went over.
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