After delivering the load in Newport, TN they sent me down the road to Chestnut Hill, TN to pick up a load of Bush beans going to Sam's DC in New Braunfels, TX. Was another good run, this has been a pretty good month for me in miles. Thanks to WalMart loads mostly.
I delivered there this morning and they sent me over to Pasadena, TX on SE side of Houston to pick up a load going back to Kansas City. Most I have seen that city in one month that I know of. I will deliver there Friday morning. Time I got the load picked up this afternoon I was caught up in rush hour traffic and on the wrong end of town. Since I only pickup 2 hours at midnight tonight on my logs, I shut it down. I need every hour to make my delivery at 7am Friday. Will only have 9 hours to work tomorrow as it is.
I am feeling some better. Seems the drainage in my head is still there but no sore throat or other pains. Just some coughing now and then. Guess it is going to hang on for 2 or 3 weeks. Supposed to be headed back home by Monday for 4 days off.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Week gone by
Well this whole week has been rough. I have been working and working through a cold/flu whatever. Unlike anyone else I can't stop when I get sick, unless I am about dead. I can't take meds anyone else can take for colds either. It is illegal to even have them on the truck. If you get in an accident and you have anything on the truck for colds that even cause drowsiness in a field mouse you are toast and off to jail. I get to take something akin to Claritin D non drowsy formula and hope for the best. It is 24 hr deal and ain't near enough. Rarely get a good nights sleep for all the drainage etc.
Plus it has gotten cold up here dog gone it. Went from Texas up to Indianapolis with a load of insulation. Then picked up there waiting 6 hours for them to get the load ready. Then when it was ready found the pin on the trailer tandems was broken so had to take it to our shop in Indy. That took the rest of the day into the night. Had to leave there first thing in the morning to make the delivery appointment over in NW Illinois at a Wal Mart DC in Sterling by 3:30pm. Once that was off they gave me a load to pick up that night at another Wal Mart DC in Spring Valley, IL. The heavy rains had set in and had to go 65 miles on 2 lane roads in northern Illinois in a driving rain and make it in one hour with a 61 mph truck. I fudged it but made it. Got the load and went to bed. Feeling super miserable now with the cold wet weather.
This load was going to another Wal Mart DC in Ottawa, KS just outside Kansas City. Made that delivery Friday afternoon and then got a load out of Kansas City, KS this morning going to northeast corner of Tennessee for Monday. Starting to feel some better and the drainage is slowing down. A little time to recuperate I hope.
Listened to the Vols almost beat Bama today, oh so close. Don't believe they could have blocked that without being off side. Must be them baseball umps reffing college football too. Texas is whupping Missouri. I came through Columbia, MO where they played the game tonight this afternoon about 3pm. Traffic was bad and real bad accident right at the exit for the stadium. Had the whole freeway shut down, glad it was on the other side of the road.
Plus it has gotten cold up here dog gone it. Went from Texas up to Indianapolis with a load of insulation. Then picked up there waiting 6 hours for them to get the load ready. Then when it was ready found the pin on the trailer tandems was broken so had to take it to our shop in Indy. That took the rest of the day into the night. Had to leave there first thing in the morning to make the delivery appointment over in NW Illinois at a Wal Mart DC in Sterling by 3:30pm. Once that was off they gave me a load to pick up that night at another Wal Mart DC in Spring Valley, IL. The heavy rains had set in and had to go 65 miles on 2 lane roads in northern Illinois in a driving rain and make it in one hour with a 61 mph truck. I fudged it but made it. Got the load and went to bed. Feeling super miserable now with the cold wet weather.
This load was going to another Wal Mart DC in Ottawa, KS just outside Kansas City. Made that delivery Friday afternoon and then got a load out of Kansas City, KS this morning going to northeast corner of Tennessee for Monday. Starting to feel some better and the drainage is slowing down. A little time to recuperate I hope.
Listened to the Vols almost beat Bama today, oh so close. Don't believe they could have blocked that without being off side. Must be them baseball umps reffing college football too. Texas is whupping Missouri. I came through Columbia, MO where they played the game tonight this afternoon about 3pm. Traffic was bad and real bad accident right at the exit for the stadium. Had the whole freeway shut down, glad it was on the other side of the road.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Iowa
Keep getting behind here.
Dropped my load at 6am Wednesday in Topeka and they gave me a load to pick up out of the same plant going back to Petsmart in Ennis, TX to deliver Thursday morning at 6am.
After unloaded I went by the terminal in Wilmer, TX again to pick up a new log book for November/December. Was going to get some fuel additive to keep my fuel from gelling, but they didn't have any in yet. That's nice, since it is well below freezing already in the upper midwest. And guess where my next load went.
Well, not quite that far north. Picked up a load from Wal Mart in De Soto, TX going to the Wal Mart DC in Mt. Pleasant, IA. They had it to drop on Saturday, but with Wal Mart you can drop anytime at most of the DC's, so I got in there Friday morning.
After dropping the load they gave me a load out of Oskaloosa, IA going to Texas out southwest of Ft Worth. I got the load because it was very heavy. The driver that got into Wal Mart ahead of me was still waiting for a load and they had to pass him over. He had a new International tractor which is almost 2000# heavier than the Freightliner I drive. He was too heavy to pick up the load so I got it instead. Good for me.
I am in Weatherford, TX until Monday morning. I will leave here early Monday and go deliver. Maybe it will allow me time to feel better. I have a sinus infection or cold and feel pretty miserable. I never get sick this time of year. Oh well...
Dropped my load at 6am Wednesday in Topeka and they gave me a load to pick up out of the same plant going back to Petsmart in Ennis, TX to deliver Thursday morning at 6am.
After unloaded I went by the terminal in Wilmer, TX again to pick up a new log book for November/December. Was going to get some fuel additive to keep my fuel from gelling, but they didn't have any in yet. That's nice, since it is well below freezing already in the upper midwest. And guess where my next load went.
Well, not quite that far north. Picked up a load from Wal Mart in De Soto, TX going to the Wal Mart DC in Mt. Pleasant, IA. They had it to drop on Saturday, but with Wal Mart you can drop anytime at most of the DC's, so I got in there Friday morning.
After dropping the load they gave me a load out of Oskaloosa, IA going to Texas out southwest of Ft Worth. I got the load because it was very heavy. The driver that got into Wal Mart ahead of me was still waiting for a load and they had to pass him over. He had a new International tractor which is almost 2000# heavier than the Freightliner I drive. He was too heavy to pick up the load so I got it instead. Good for me.
I am in Weatherford, TX until Monday morning. I will leave here early Monday and go deliver. Maybe it will allow me time to feel better. I have a sinus infection or cold and feel pretty miserable. I never get sick this time of year. Oh well...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
On the Road Again
Went into Wilmer terminal south of Dallas on Wednesday after delivering in Ennis about 20 miles south of there. I had to get my annual DOT physical and get my truck serviced before heading home. I had to start out at midnight on the south side of Little Rock, AR to make it to my delivery by 7am. So I had a long day.
My physical went OK. Just had to list my right ear closing up again since I had been to the ENT last July. The fibrous displasia has returned and closed up the ear canal. I have lost my hearing in my right ear now and have to report that. Although regulations say you have to hear a forced whisper from behind you in your best ear, a lot of doctors who give physicals think it reads in both ears. I have come across that before. So it stresses me out every time I have to go through this with one not knowing how he reads the regs. So I argued with him awhile and got through it. Still took 7 hours by the time I got the physical, got back to the terminal, they faxed it to home office in Lincoln, NE to safety. Then they have to review it and call back and say it is OK for me to work. Well, every year safety never calls back. So a half hour wait stretches into 2 1/2 hours. Finally was released by 4pm, truck was serviced and had to go to bed and take a break before I went home since my 14 hour clock had run out at 2pm.
Won our case in court against the roofer on Thursday.
Left home Monday and went to Hawkins, TX north of Tyler to pick up load of water going to Ochelata, OK which is north of Tulsa. Delivered that this morning early and now have a load I picked up in Pryor, OK going to Topeka, KS. I will deliver that in the morning early.
My physical went OK. Just had to list my right ear closing up again since I had been to the ENT last July. The fibrous displasia has returned and closed up the ear canal. I have lost my hearing in my right ear now and have to report that. Although regulations say you have to hear a forced whisper from behind you in your best ear, a lot of doctors who give physicals think it reads in both ears. I have come across that before. So it stresses me out every time I have to go through this with one not knowing how he reads the regs. So I argued with him awhile and got through it. Still took 7 hours by the time I got the physical, got back to the terminal, they faxed it to home office in Lincoln, NE to safety. Then they have to review it and call back and say it is OK for me to work. Well, every year safety never calls back. So a half hour wait stretches into 2 1/2 hours. Finally was released by 4pm, truck was serviced and had to go to bed and take a break before I went home since my 14 hour clock had run out at 2pm.
Won our case in court against the roofer on Thursday.
Left home Monday and went to Hawkins, TX north of Tyler to pick up load of water going to Ochelata, OK which is north of Tulsa. Delivered that this morning early and now have a load I picked up in Pryor, OK going to Topeka, KS. I will deliver that in the morning early.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Visit to Mom and Dad
After getting loaded in south Georgia I got to stop off at Charlie and Jewel's to visit for a bit on Saturday. Charlie was off with scouts but got to visit couple of hours with Mom,Dad and Jewel. Also got a free lunch. Took a few pics posted here of the new bedroom addition with basement.
I made it up to London, KY for the night. My delivery tonight is at 6pm and I still have about a 5 1/2 hour drive. I have to wait as long as I can before leaving here so that I will still have time on my 14 hours to pick up a preload they have for me in Columbus, OH at 10pm tonight. The preload takes me to Dallas area where I will get my physical on Wednesday, get truck serviced and then head home for 3 days.
I made it up to London, KY for the night. My delivery tonight is at 6pm and I still have about a 5 1/2 hour drive. I have to wait as long as I can before leaving here so that I will still have time on my 14 hours to pick up a preload they have for me in Columbus, OH at 10pm tonight. The preload takes me to Dallas area where I will get my physical on Wednesday, get truck serviced and then head home for 3 days.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Amarillo, Alabama, Florida
After unloading in Denver I got a load of Budweiser out of Ft. Collins, CO going to Amarillo. Since I had been sitting all day and had the hours they gave me that load and it had to be delivered the next morning. So I had to drive all night to make it and then once delivered had to take my break in the day time. I was up 26 hours and only got 2 hours sleep. Just can not sleep in the daytime no matter how tired.
I picked up a load of copper that afternoon in Amarillo going to near Huntsville, AL to deliver Thursday morning. Unloading it I ran on into Huntsville and picked up a load of empty beer kegs from a Budweiser distributor going back to the brewery in Jacksonville, FL. I delivered that at 10am today and was given my next load to pick up over west of Valdosta, GA.
This is a load of cat litter and was real lucky. 90% of the trucks sitting there were waiting on a shipment to come in that had product they needed for their loads. My particular load was a straight load and they had mine ready to go. I got to go ahead of 12 trucks to the front of the line and was loaded and gone in one hour. The truck came in with their product as I was getting loaded, so that saved me at least 4 or 5 hours.
I will deliver this load in Zanesville, OH Sunday night and they have me preplanned on a load out of Columbus, OH that night going to Ennis, TX just south of Dallas. From there I will get my DOT physical done at home terminal, truck serviced and be home Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
I picked up a load of copper that afternoon in Amarillo going to near Huntsville, AL to deliver Thursday morning. Unloading it I ran on into Huntsville and picked up a load of empty beer kegs from a Budweiser distributor going back to the brewery in Jacksonville, FL. I delivered that at 10am today and was given my next load to pick up over west of Valdosta, GA.
This is a load of cat litter and was real lucky. 90% of the trucks sitting there were waiting on a shipment to come in that had product they needed for their loads. My particular load was a straight load and they had mine ready to go. I got to go ahead of 12 trucks to the front of the line and was loaded and gone in one hour. The truck came in with their product as I was getting loaded, so that saved me at least 4 or 5 hours.
I will deliver this load in Zanesville, OH Sunday night and they have me preplanned on a load out of Columbus, OH that night going to Ennis, TX just south of Dallas. From there I will get my DOT physical done at home terminal, truck serviced and be home Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
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