This is the time of year that we remember our veterans and those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice. PFC Hollis A. Cloyd was one and if you haven't read his story you can access here: http://76thdivision.com/indexhac.html
The load I was on coming out of Port Allen, LA they let me drop on the yard in Memphis, TN. I had thought would get a load that could run more, but I ended up picking up a load that delivered only 50 miles from where the Port Allen load was going and only 5 hours earlier at Minooka, IL. Didn't gain much. They gave it to me because it was a Kelloggs load and they didn't have it covered. Big account.
I delivered that load at 11pm Monday night and had to drive 80 miles south to pick up load that needed to be in Memphis the next morning so I ended up running all night. I delivered that load at 10am Tuesday morning and was given another Kelloggs load to pick up when I got off my break that was going to Bethlehem, PA near Allentown. I delivered that one on Friday at noon and picked up a load of bottled water 10 miles away going to Wintersville, Ohio Walmart DC. Delivering that Saturday morning, I crossed back over the river into West Virginia to Wierton and picked up a load of metal going to De Forest, WI near Madison. I delivered that this morning. Going south 20 miles I picked up a load of tomato sauce going to Nashville to deliver on Tuesday morning.
That is my week. Been moving good. Company announced this week that the 500 trucks they have sitting without drivers that they are going to start hiring again. As drivers quit or were let go for various reasons over the last 1 1/2 years they have not been hiring anyone to replace them. After freight has been picking up and after talking to their customers to make sure they were going to be still shipping freight, they decided to get the trucks moving again. Maybe that is a good omen and at least freight is picking up or staying steady.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Still in the South
After delivering in Irving Monday morning I was given a load out of Wilmer, TX on the south side of Dallas that went to Brookhaven, MS. They asked me if I could get it there in the same day. After checking my hours I told dispatch that I could if I didn't get an abnormal delay in loading. I rushed over to the customer and it took 2 hours to get loaded. By my calculations that was all I could give up and still make the 420 miles to Brookhaven before my hours ran out for the day.
I had to drive non stop to Brookhaven, stopping only for 15 minutes in Greenwood, LA to get fuel. I made it to the customer with 15 minutes left on my 14 hours for the day. From there I picked up a load from Georgia Pacific in Monticello, MS 20 miles from Brookhaven the next morning going back to GP in Waxahachie, TX. Seems they can't find me a load to Texas when I need to get home. Here I got 2 in 4 days.
The load didn't deliver until Wednesday night at 10pm and I picked the load up Tuesday morning. So the drive back was slower. After making the delivery my next load was over in Mineola, TX the next morning going to a WalMart DC in Robert, LA. I made it to Port Allen, LA that afternoon and stopped there because there was a truck wreck over on I-12 that had traffic backed up, and I had to go that way to get to my drop the next morning.
The next morning I got up and started out for my 1 hour drive to Robert, LA and found out that the accident the day before was a hazmat load and the freeway was still shut down. I made the decision to make a u-turn from I-12 and go back to I-10 east toward New Orleans where I picked up I-55 north to Hammond and over to my delivery appointment at 10:30am. Going that way was 30 miles further but turned out to be a good decision. The back up was over 10 miles long and was taking 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get through it. I made my appointment with 30 minutes to spare.
After unloading I was given a load out of Port Allen, LA where I had spent the night going to northern Illinois. I had 1 1/2 hours to get back over there before they closed. They had given me a fuel stop in Hammond on the way so I had to stop to get that done. I was supposed to fuel at the same truck stop on the way to deliver in Robert, but I passed it up because it would have made me late. As it was it almost made me late to pick up the next load. I did make it though. Problem was I was supposed to go right back out I-12 to get to I-55 north, right back through the accident. Didn't do it this time either. From Port Allen I took off north through the sticks into southern Mississippi. It was all 2 lane road up to McComb, MS, but wasn't much traffic. Except for several trucks that had the same idea I did. Go figure. It was actually about 15 miles or so shorter going this way, but a much slower pace.
I had to drive non stop to Brookhaven, stopping only for 15 minutes in Greenwood, LA to get fuel. I made it to the customer with 15 minutes left on my 14 hours for the day. From there I picked up a load from Georgia Pacific in Monticello, MS 20 miles from Brookhaven the next morning going back to GP in Waxahachie, TX. Seems they can't find me a load to Texas when I need to get home. Here I got 2 in 4 days.
The load didn't deliver until Wednesday night at 10pm and I picked the load up Tuesday morning. So the drive back was slower. After making the delivery my next load was over in Mineola, TX the next morning going to a WalMart DC in Robert, LA. I made it to Port Allen, LA that afternoon and stopped there because there was a truck wreck over on I-12 that had traffic backed up, and I had to go that way to get to my drop the next morning.
The next morning I got up and started out for my 1 hour drive to Robert, LA and found out that the accident the day before was a hazmat load and the freeway was still shut down. I made the decision to make a u-turn from I-12 and go back to I-10 east toward New Orleans where I picked up I-55 north to Hammond and over to my delivery appointment at 10:30am. Going that way was 30 miles further but turned out to be a good decision. The back up was over 10 miles long and was taking 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get through it. I made my appointment with 30 minutes to spare.
After unloading I was given a load out of Port Allen, LA where I had spent the night going to northern Illinois. I had 1 1/2 hours to get back over there before they closed. They had given me a fuel stop in Hammond on the way so I had to stop to get that done. I was supposed to fuel at the same truck stop on the way to deliver in Robert, but I passed it up because it would have made me late. As it was it almost made me late to pick up the next load. I did make it though. Problem was I was supposed to go right back out I-12 to get to I-55 north, right back through the accident. Didn't do it this time either. From Port Allen I took off north through the sticks into southern Mississippi. It was all 2 lane road up to McComb, MS, but wasn't much traffic. Except for several trucks that had the same idea I did. Go figure. It was actually about 15 miles or so shorter going this way, but a much slower pace.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Same Customer
This week I have gotten into interplant deliveries for Owens Corning. This doesn't happen often now a days. I picked up empty pallets/crates from their plant in Amarillo on Thursday evening and delivered to their plant in Jackson, TN Saturday morning. After unloading I was given a load out of the same dock going to their plant in Ft. Smith, AR that delivered Sunday morning. Once unloaded, I was given a preload from same plant going to Owens Corning's plant in Irving, TX that I deliver Monday morning.
Not a lot of miles really, but it saves on time from dead heading to some other town to get the next load. In the last two locations I was in the same plant and out fairly quickly with next load. I had empty crates first load, raw material on the second load, and finished product on this load.
Got to shut down in time this afternoon to catch the last half of NASCAR race, get a shower and a burger and now can rest the rest of the day.
Not a lot of miles really, but it saves on time from dead heading to some other town to get the next load. In the last two locations I was in the same plant and out fairly quickly with next load. I had empty crates first load, raw material on the second load, and finished product on this load.
Got to shut down in time this afternoon to catch the last half of NASCAR race, get a shower and a burger and now can rest the rest of the day.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Back to the Mines
Vacation's over...^&)*^
Tried to get a late start on Tuesday so I might not have to go to Hawkins to pick up another load of bottled water...not to be. The tornadoes in Oklahoma City area had a lot of shipments of water and I had to pick one up and deliver to Sam's Club in Oklahoma City the same night. With natural disasters water shipments pick up...a lot!
Once I was unloaded I picked up a load of dog food close by going to Family Dollar in Odessa, TX. I delivered this on Thursday morning. Wednesday night had a bad storm pass through with a bit of hail, kept me awake for at least 5 minutes. Temperature next morning was in low 40's...drag back out the long pants.
Once unloaded around noon Thursday they finally gave me a load to pick up in Amarillo, 260 miles away,that's a lot of deadhead miles, but guess they didn't have anything else close. Got there around 6pm and it was a load of empty plastic pallets that are used to transfer plastic fiber from one plant to another. They weigh 270 lbs. a piece and have 150 of them on the trailer. I am delivering the load to Jackson, TN.
Coming through Memphis I hit a large line of storms and traffic was moving at 20 mph for over 30 miles. The storm out in front of us was dropping golf ball size hail and no one wanted to catch up to it I guess.
Tomorrow another day...hopefully with more sun.
Tried to get a late start on Tuesday so I might not have to go to Hawkins to pick up another load of bottled water...not to be. The tornadoes in Oklahoma City area had a lot of shipments of water and I had to pick one up and deliver to Sam's Club in Oklahoma City the same night. With natural disasters water shipments pick up...a lot!
Once I was unloaded I picked up a load of dog food close by going to Family Dollar in Odessa, TX. I delivered this on Thursday morning. Wednesday night had a bad storm pass through with a bit of hail, kept me awake for at least 5 minutes. Temperature next morning was in low 40's...drag back out the long pants.
Once unloaded around noon Thursday they finally gave me a load to pick up in Amarillo, 260 miles away,that's a lot of deadhead miles, but guess they didn't have anything else close. Got there around 6pm and it was a load of empty plastic pallets that are used to transfer plastic fiber from one plant to another. They weigh 270 lbs. a piece and have 150 of them on the trailer. I am delivering the load to Jackson, TN.
Coming through Memphis I hit a large line of storms and traffic was moving at 20 mph for over 30 miles. The storm out in front of us was dropping golf ball size hail and no one wanted to catch up to it I guess.
Tomorrow another day...hopefully with more sun.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Branson Vacation 1st Day
I finally got in on Monday the 3rd. I had wanted in on the 2nd, but they couldn't get me there, so when I got in at 3pm Monday we loaded up and left. I drove all night in order to get to Merna's in Ozark, MO. This is 30 miles north toward Springfield from Branson.
We rested a little on Tuesday morning, visited and got tickets for our first show on Wednesday. Not that active right now since is 3 weeks before Memorial Day, so it was easy to get front row seats for the outdoor drama "Shepherd of the Hills". This show is celebrating its 50th year this year. It is the longest running outdoor drama anywhere and is worth seeing.
We started the afternoon by attending the dinner show on the Shepherd of the Hills grounds at the pavilion. The "Sons of the Pioneers" show was simply great. Growing up watching Roy Rogers (who was one of the original artists when still known by the name of Leonard Slye), this was a real treat. There are 6 members of the group now and they celebrated their 75th anniversary as a group in 2007. We were served dinner at 4:15pm from the chuck wagon in the open pavilion. At 5pm the show began. At intermission I was able to get all of their autographs, finished the show and then we sat outside in the beautiful Missouri weather and waited to catch the jeep drawn tram down to the outside theater.
The show for "Shepherd of the Hills", based on a novel of the same name from 1907, began at 8:30pm. I got VIP seating on the front row and the tram delivered us right to our seats. It was a lot less walking for Pat, the stairs down from the top would have been difficult to say the least. There were up to 80 people involved in the production and plenty of mules, donkeys, horses, sheep and other varmints. Gunfights, socks blown out with a shotgun, cabin on fire to keep your mind going. We all recommend both shows highly.
I have included pictures of the night taken with my Canon digital. Flash photography was not allowed because of frightening the animals, but the settings I used worked well as long as could catch them fairly stationary.
We will rest today and will see the Titanic museum tomorrow and hopefully take in another show.
We rested a little on Tuesday morning, visited and got tickets for our first show on Wednesday. Not that active right now since is 3 weeks before Memorial Day, so it was easy to get front row seats for the outdoor drama "Shepherd of the Hills". This show is celebrating its 50th year this year. It is the longest running outdoor drama anywhere and is worth seeing.
We started the afternoon by attending the dinner show on the Shepherd of the Hills grounds at the pavilion. The "Sons of the Pioneers" show was simply great. Growing up watching Roy Rogers (who was one of the original artists when still known by the name of Leonard Slye), this was a real treat. There are 6 members of the group now and they celebrated their 75th anniversary as a group in 2007. We were served dinner at 4:15pm from the chuck wagon in the open pavilion. At 5pm the show began. At intermission I was able to get all of their autographs, finished the show and then we sat outside in the beautiful Missouri weather and waited to catch the jeep drawn tram down to the outside theater.
The show for "Shepherd of the Hills", based on a novel of the same name from 1907, began at 8:30pm. I got VIP seating on the front row and the tram delivered us right to our seats. It was a lot less walking for Pat, the stairs down from the top would have been difficult to say the least. There were up to 80 people involved in the production and plenty of mules, donkeys, horses, sheep and other varmints. Gunfights, socks blown out with a shotgun, cabin on fire to keep your mind going. We all recommend both shows highly.
I have included pictures of the night taken with my Canon digital. Flash photography was not allowed because of frightening the animals, but the settings I used worked well as long as could catch them fairly stationary.
We will rest today and will see the Titanic museum tomorrow and hopefully take in another show.
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