I stayed in Newark last night, but couldn't sleep to save my life. I was tired when I got there, tired when I got rid of my loaded trailer, tired after the hassle with my empty trailer, but wide awake when I tried to go to bed. I was still tired physically, but I just couldn't shut my brain off. Eventually I managed to doze off around 5am. Since I was scheduled to pick up at 6pm, I had plenty of time to sleep. When I woke up this afternoon I felt nice and rested.
The run up to our customer in Meshoppen, Pennsylvania was a pretty easy one. It's 143 miles from Newark, with the last twenty miles or so on US 6. Since I go up there with an empty, the hills aren't bad and on a weekend the traffic was light. Once I grabbed my loaded trailer and realized it was only 16,000 pounds my day got even better.
The Tigers had a day game on the left coast, so the 4pm start time worked out perfectly for me. I had something worthwhile to listen to while I rolled along, or so I thought. After last night's debacle, I had high hopes for today's game. Then, the call to the bullpen. I swear to God I would just send all of the relief pitchers to the minors and call up a bunch of kids. Then at least when they blew a game there would be an excuse. It's getting ridiculous.
I pulled into the Pilot in Lamar to top off the tanks again and grab a quick shower. A nice shave, a bite to eat, and catch up on some e-mails, then back on the road. That was the plan. After I came back out here though, I really didn't feel like driving any more. There wasn't really a reason. I'm not tired or anything, I just felt like calling it a day, so I did. What a novel concept. I can imagine the results in my last job... "Sorry Mr. Johnson, I know we were planning to discuss your retirement investments today, but I'm not in the mood. Come back tomorrow." As a result, I'll have a long day of running tomorrow. I'll be able to get past Indianapolis, then finish off the run early Monday. I'm scheduled at 9am Monday and I know the nearest truck stop to my customer gets full very quickly, so this way I'll be able to make sure I have a place to spend the night.
On a positive note, the Twins just beat the Indians so the Tigers get to stay in first place, at least for another day.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
07/27/07
Today was one of those days. As the day went on, I was thoroughly pissed at various points along the way. Looking back, it was fairly productive.
I dropped off my load in Canton, Michigan, then headed back to the terminal in Taylor. I took the opportunity to hop in my car and run to the cell phone store. My charger stopped working a couple of days ago. I was fortunate to be passing through my hometown. In typical fashion, I went in for an A/C charger and walked out with an A/C charger, a car charger, and a USB cable.
Shortly after I got back to the yard I received my load assignment. I had to head down to Toledo and take a Conway relay from another driver. The relay was scheduled for 3pm, so I headed down at 1:30. The other driver showed up at 2, so it was a good thing I didn't wait. My run took me back to Newark. Just like the last time, I had a pre-plan for a load picking up in Pennsylvania tacked on. That run will provide me with some pretty good miles for the weekend.
When I picked up my empty in Taylor, it was full of garbage. If I ever become king, people who drop off dirty trailers will get a mandatory kick in the nuts. The cardboard had some kind of black soot all over it, so as I cleaned out the trailer I wound up with some kind of black soot all over me. Pissed.
The relay went off without a hitch and I headed east. Since I made the delivery this morning and wanted to get out of Jersey tonight, I needed to make good time. The traffic was cooperative in this respect, other than a JB Hunt driver playing the pass uphill, fall behind downhill game. He nearly caused an accident when one car started to pass another and the JBH driver cut between them. If I ever become king, people who are not aware that their trucks are governed at 65mph will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
I stopped in Lamar, Pennsylvania to top off the fuel tanks and use the pisser. The guy in front of me at the fuel island was there for over twenty minutes, after I finished fueling. That's bullshit. There is no excuse for making another driver wait that long to be able to pull forward and finish his business. If I ever become king, people who block the fuel island will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
It started to rain as I approached the New Jersey line. That section of I-80 has some steep hills and tight curves, so the glare caused by headlights and rain presents a significant challenge. That challenge is compounded ten-fold by the assholes who drive with their high beams on. If I ever become king, people who drive with their high beams on will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
Heading into Jersey, people were predictably scared by the rain. It wasn't raining hard, but it was enough to affect visibility. If you need to drive slowly, then drive slowly. Do it in the right lane! If I ever become king, people who drive 35mph in the center lane will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
I remembered the fiasco the last time I tried to find this Conway service center, so this time I made the correct turns and had no issues getting there. When I arrived and dropped my load, I headed out the the corner where the empties are kept. The only empty CFI trailer that I could access had a note taped to it. "Left door won't close, looks like hinge is bent."
Someone, either a CFI driver or a Conway yard dog, banged this trailer into something and then just left it for the next guy (me) to deal with. I tried to figure out how I could get the door at least secured, if not completely closed, so that I could take it somewhere to get the hinges fixed. That wasn't happening. There are steel alignment pins on these new trailers. The steel pins, when the door swings shut, fit into holes in the frame of the trailer. The upper alignment pin on that left door was missing the hole by a good inch and a half. I tried using a crowbar to bend the hinge outward and try to align the pin. Nope.
Then another CFI driver offered some assistance. He has an air-powered grinder, basically a Dremel on steroids. He suggested that I might be able to cut the pin off and then the door would be able to swing shut. So we tried it, and it worked! Beauty. The door is still a bitch to shut, but at least it shuts. I'll try to find a place on the way to tomorrow's pickup and see if they can make any improvements. If I ever become king, people who damage trailers and don't get them repaired will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
I had wanted to get back into Pennsylvania tonight, but with all of the aggravation and the fact that it's raining so I would only be heading for more aggravation, I've decided to call it a night here in Newark.
I covered a lot of miles today. I will be at around 5,800 miles by the time I deliver this next load, with two days left in the pay period. That will give me an outside shot at 7,000 but 6,500 should be reasonable. All in all, the day was productive, but I won't hesitate to kick some people in the nuts if they keep pushing me.
I dropped off my load in Canton, Michigan, then headed back to the terminal in Taylor. I took the opportunity to hop in my car and run to the cell phone store. My charger stopped working a couple of days ago. I was fortunate to be passing through my hometown. In typical fashion, I went in for an A/C charger and walked out with an A/C charger, a car charger, and a USB cable.
Shortly after I got back to the yard I received my load assignment. I had to head down to Toledo and take a Conway relay from another driver. The relay was scheduled for 3pm, so I headed down at 1:30. The other driver showed up at 2, so it was a good thing I didn't wait. My run took me back to Newark. Just like the last time, I had a pre-plan for a load picking up in Pennsylvania tacked on. That run will provide me with some pretty good miles for the weekend.
When I picked up my empty in Taylor, it was full of garbage. If I ever become king, people who drop off dirty trailers will get a mandatory kick in the nuts. The cardboard had some kind of black soot all over it, so as I cleaned out the trailer I wound up with some kind of black soot all over me. Pissed.
The relay went off without a hitch and I headed east. Since I made the delivery this morning and wanted to get out of Jersey tonight, I needed to make good time. The traffic was cooperative in this respect, other than a JB Hunt driver playing the pass uphill, fall behind downhill game. He nearly caused an accident when one car started to pass another and the JBH driver cut between them. If I ever become king, people who are not aware that their trucks are governed at 65mph will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
I stopped in Lamar, Pennsylvania to top off the fuel tanks and use the pisser. The guy in front of me at the fuel island was there for over twenty minutes, after I finished fueling. That's bullshit. There is no excuse for making another driver wait that long to be able to pull forward and finish his business. If I ever become king, people who block the fuel island will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
It started to rain as I approached the New Jersey line. That section of I-80 has some steep hills and tight curves, so the glare caused by headlights and rain presents a significant challenge. That challenge is compounded ten-fold by the assholes who drive with their high beams on. If I ever become king, people who drive with their high beams on will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
Heading into Jersey, people were predictably scared by the rain. It wasn't raining hard, but it was enough to affect visibility. If you need to drive slowly, then drive slowly. Do it in the right lane! If I ever become king, people who drive 35mph in the center lane will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
I remembered the fiasco the last time I tried to find this Conway service center, so this time I made the correct turns and had no issues getting there. When I arrived and dropped my load, I headed out the the corner where the empties are kept. The only empty CFI trailer that I could access had a note taped to it. "Left door won't close, looks like hinge is bent."
Someone, either a CFI driver or a Conway yard dog, banged this trailer into something and then just left it for the next guy (me) to deal with. I tried to figure out how I could get the door at least secured, if not completely closed, so that I could take it somewhere to get the hinges fixed. That wasn't happening. There are steel alignment pins on these new trailers. The steel pins, when the door swings shut, fit into holes in the frame of the trailer. The upper alignment pin on that left door was missing the hole by a good inch and a half. I tried using a crowbar to bend the hinge outward and try to align the pin. Nope.
Then another CFI driver offered some assistance. He has an air-powered grinder, basically a Dremel on steroids. He suggested that I might be able to cut the pin off and then the door would be able to swing shut. So we tried it, and it worked! Beauty. The door is still a bitch to shut, but at least it shuts. I'll try to find a place on the way to tomorrow's pickup and see if they can make any improvements. If I ever become king, people who damage trailers and don't get them repaired will get a mandatory kick in the nuts.
I had wanted to get back into Pennsylvania tonight, but with all of the aggravation and the fact that it's raining so I would only be heading for more aggravation, I've decided to call it a night here in Newark.
I covered a lot of miles today. I will be at around 5,800 miles by the time I deliver this next load, with two days left in the pay period. That will give me an outside shot at 7,000 but 6,500 should be reasonable. All in all, the day was productive, but I won't hesitate to kick some people in the nuts if they keep pushing me.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
7/26/07
Of course, since I had to try to sleep on command yesterday, it just wasn't happening. I tossed and turned until I was finally ready to head over and grab my load at midnight. On the one hand, it worked out well to hit Philly in the middle of the night. On the other hand, there were nighttime lane closures that pretty much sucked the big one.
As I crossed into Pennsylvania on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, I was reminded of one of the overriding themes that has developed over my first year on the road. I always tend to picture what these cities looked like before modern engineering took over. The way these bridges and tunnels and highways are laid out is pretty amazing sometimes. I would have just said, "No, take the ferry," but that's just me.
Since I couldn't leave Jersey until midnight I hoped I could just make the overnight run and get home in the morning, but around 5am that just wasn't going to happen. I pulled in and went to bed. The 14 hour rule limited my sleep to four hours, but that was enough.
The overnight runs are occasionally good for some radio variety. Last night, George Noory was scheduled to do a session with a Ouija board. Since I catch this show on occasion and it usually convinces me that I'm not nearly as insane as his listeners, I was curious to see what the results would be. He had a few "experts" on the show leading up to the event. The fact that these people earn a living by peddling pure bullshit makes me a little disappointed in my fellow citizens, but what the hell. I thought it might provide a laugh. Then, ole George pussed out and didn't do the session, for fear of causing disastrous consequences for those of us in the listening audience. Yeah, whatever.
I felt pretty good when I woke up and still managed to find time for lunch. The folks at Samuel Mancino's on the Ohio Turnpike deserve some credit for a sweet Italian grinder.
The Tigers were on this afternoon and Verlander was dealing. Then the bullpen... oh, I don't have to say it. You know what the bullpen did.
On to sports radio. Michael Vick... yawn. On to politics. Democrats are investigating... yawn. And so, as usual, XM Comedy carried me home.
I got in tonight and, since my delivery is for 7am (not the 4am reflected in my plan summary), it was off to the pub for me. Bedtime now. Cheers.
As I crossed into Pennsylvania on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, I was reminded of one of the overriding themes that has developed over my first year on the road. I always tend to picture what these cities looked like before modern engineering took over. The way these bridges and tunnels and highways are laid out is pretty amazing sometimes. I would have just said, "No, take the ferry," but that's just me.
Since I couldn't leave Jersey until midnight I hoped I could just make the overnight run and get home in the morning, but around 5am that just wasn't going to happen. I pulled in and went to bed. The 14 hour rule limited my sleep to four hours, but that was enough.
The overnight runs are occasionally good for some radio variety. Last night, George Noory was scheduled to do a session with a Ouija board. Since I catch this show on occasion and it usually convinces me that I'm not nearly as insane as his listeners, I was curious to see what the results would be. He had a few "experts" on the show leading up to the event. The fact that these people earn a living by peddling pure bullshit makes me a little disappointed in my fellow citizens, but what the hell. I thought it might provide a laugh. Then, ole George pussed out and didn't do the session, for fear of causing disastrous consequences for those of us in the listening audience. Yeah, whatever.
I felt pretty good when I woke up and still managed to find time for lunch. The folks at Samuel Mancino's on the Ohio Turnpike deserve some credit for a sweet Italian grinder.
The Tigers were on this afternoon and Verlander was dealing. Then the bullpen... oh, I don't have to say it. You know what the bullpen did.
On to sports radio. Michael Vick... yawn. On to politics. Democrats are investigating... yawn. And so, as usual, XM Comedy carried me home.
I got in tonight and, since my delivery is for 7am (not the 4am reflected in my plan summary), it was off to the pub for me. Bedtime now. Cheers.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
7/25/07
Early morning traffic in Jersey... gotta love it. All things considered, today's ride on 78 and 287 wasn't too terrible. I've seen far worse on my previous trips into the Garden State. I got to the customer around 7am and tried to check in.
Habla Ingles? I used to run a restaurant in which 90% of my cooks were (legal) Mexican immigrants, so I picked up enough Spanish to make the kitchen run. Since I've been on the road, I've occasionally tried to use my time to better myself. One way was to order some Spanish lessons and pop in a CD while I'm rolling along. The program is actually quite effective, but here's the rub. I haven't yet gotten to the level where I can say, "I have twenty pallets of stuff in metal drums. Where do I take it?" So, one Spanish speaker sent me to another who sent me to another. Eventually I ran into a guy who was not a native English speaker, but he did have a better command of the language. Finally I got the info I needed and backed into the dock. The twenty pallets didn't take long to unload, so I headed inside to get my signed bills. The forklift driver had disappeared, and I am also apparently not able to say, "Where the hell did he put my bills?" So it took a while, but the guy who helped me the first time finally tracked them down and sent me on my way.
I pulled off to the side and sent in my empty call. Within five minutes I had my next assignment. I was to make a drop/hook in Westampton, New Jersey at 11pm and head toward Michigan. Since the all-knowing feds have their 14 hour rule that hamstrings us, I headed straight to the shipper in hopes that my trailer was already loaded. That way I could get halfway across Pennsylvania before my hours ran out and then get home tomorrow morning. I have to deliver at 4am Thursday around twenty miles from there. I arrived at 11am, dropped my empty, and was told to come back after 3pm when my load would be ready. Yeah, okay. At 3pm I was told that the trailer was scheduled for midnight. So I have to take my full ten hour break here. Then, assuming I can get some sleep before I go, I'll run overnight and get home tomorrow morning. I've ducked my bobtail into the corner of a local fuel stop in hopes that I won't get caught violating New Jersey's anti-idling law in the 95 degree heat. Mandatory rest with no air conditioning, right? Who makes these laws anyway?
The feds are going to find a new way to screw with our rest in the near future. At least that's what it sounds like after the federal courts have declared that the FMCSA violated the law when they adopted new rules for drivers in 2005. The driving day was extended from 10 hours to 11 hours and the mandatory rest was extended from 8 hours to 10 hours. Additionally, drivers could reset their 70 hour clocks with 34 consecutive hours off duty. The 34-hour restarts come in particularly handy when the 70 hour rule starts screwing us over. Now, who knows? I doubt that they'll go back to what they had before, so I guess we'll wait and see. In a typical twist, the rationale used for throwing out the aforementioned changes was denied as a rationale for throwing out the 14 hour rule and the split-sleeper provisions. Pick and choose is apparently the way they do business. If it screws drivers, keep it. If it helps drivers, toss it. In typical jackass fashion, they make the rules such that we have to drive tired, and claim that they're keeping tired drivers off the road.
A friend of mine e-mailed a link to a YouTube video earlier today. Most of these are not all that amusing to me, but this one was pretty clever, so enjoy...
Habla Ingles? I used to run a restaurant in which 90% of my cooks were (legal) Mexican immigrants, so I picked up enough Spanish to make the kitchen run. Since I've been on the road, I've occasionally tried to use my time to better myself. One way was to order some Spanish lessons and pop in a CD while I'm rolling along. The program is actually quite effective, but here's the rub. I haven't yet gotten to the level where I can say, "I have twenty pallets of stuff in metal drums. Where do I take it?" So, one Spanish speaker sent me to another who sent me to another. Eventually I ran into a guy who was not a native English speaker, but he did have a better command of the language. Finally I got the info I needed and backed into the dock. The twenty pallets didn't take long to unload, so I headed inside to get my signed bills. The forklift driver had disappeared, and I am also apparently not able to say, "Where the hell did he put my bills?" So it took a while, but the guy who helped me the first time finally tracked them down and sent me on my way.
I pulled off to the side and sent in my empty call. Within five minutes I had my next assignment. I was to make a drop/hook in Westampton, New Jersey at 11pm and head toward Michigan. Since the all-knowing feds have their 14 hour rule that hamstrings us, I headed straight to the shipper in hopes that my trailer was already loaded. That way I could get halfway across Pennsylvania before my hours ran out and then get home tomorrow morning. I have to deliver at 4am Thursday around twenty miles from there. I arrived at 11am, dropped my empty, and was told to come back after 3pm when my load would be ready. Yeah, okay. At 3pm I was told that the trailer was scheduled for midnight. So I have to take my full ten hour break here. Then, assuming I can get some sleep before I go, I'll run overnight and get home tomorrow morning. I've ducked my bobtail into the corner of a local fuel stop in hopes that I won't get caught violating New Jersey's anti-idling law in the 95 degree heat. Mandatory rest with no air conditioning, right? Who makes these laws anyway?
The feds are going to find a new way to screw with our rest in the near future. At least that's what it sounds like after the federal courts have declared that the FMCSA violated the law when they adopted new rules for drivers in 2005. The driving day was extended from 10 hours to 11 hours and the mandatory rest was extended from 8 hours to 10 hours. Additionally, drivers could reset their 70 hour clocks with 34 consecutive hours off duty. The 34-hour restarts come in particularly handy when the 70 hour rule starts screwing us over. Now, who knows? I doubt that they'll go back to what they had before, so I guess we'll wait and see. In a typical twist, the rationale used for throwing out the aforementioned changes was denied as a rationale for throwing out the 14 hour rule and the split-sleeper provisions. Pick and choose is apparently the way they do business. If it screws drivers, keep it. If it helps drivers, toss it. In typical jackass fashion, they make the rules such that we have to drive tired, and claim that they're keeping tired drivers off the road.
A friend of mine e-mailed a link to a YouTube video earlier today. Most of these are not all that amusing to me, but this one was pretty clever, so enjoy...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
7/24/07
Mountains, construction, and rain, oh my! Long day on I-80 folks. I don't know what is worse though... that drive or the fact that this Tigers bullpen is giving me heartburn. The kid from AAA gives up two runs, then the pen blows another lead. After a loss in the first game of the doubleheader, it looked like the Tigers were cruising to a split. Since Cleveland lost earlier, the day would have been an acceptable one. Now?
Anyhow, I'll have an hour or so to go in the morning, so not too bad I guess. I was pretty much zoning my way through PA this afternoon when my brother called to see what was new. He mentioned that my mother found a new car, since the insurance was paying off her old one after the accident. Accident? I really must be losing touch. I never even knew she had an accident. I think life out here makes you lose track of time after a while. It occurred to me that I can't remember the last time I called to see how my parents are doing. I saw them while I was home, but out here one day just runs into the next. Mom called a little while later. She's feeling a little sore, but otherwise everything's fine.
Another job offer today, another "no thanks" from me. These people must have some kind of learning disability. I don't want another OTR job. I have a good one. I'm not even sure I want a day cab job, but at least there might be a conversation there. Anyhow, time to hit the sack. Early day tomorrow.
Anyhow, I'll have an hour or so to go in the morning, so not too bad I guess. I was pretty much zoning my way through PA this afternoon when my brother called to see what was new. He mentioned that my mother found a new car, since the insurance was paying off her old one after the accident. Accident? I really must be losing touch. I never even knew she had an accident. I think life out here makes you lose track of time after a while. It occurred to me that I can't remember the last time I called to see how my parents are doing. I saw them while I was home, but out here one day just runs into the next. Mom called a little while later. She's feeling a little sore, but otherwise everything's fine.
Another job offer today, another "no thanks" from me. These people must have some kind of learning disability. I don't want another OTR job. I have a good one. I'm not even sure I want a day cab job, but at least there might be a conversation there. Anyhow, time to hit the sack. Early day tomorrow.
Monday, July 23, 2007
7/23/07
I got off to a good start today. I showed up at 9am to my customer for a 10am pickup, but there were two trucks ahead of me so I expected a wait. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me to go ahead of the other trucks and back in. Twenty minutes later I was on my way. This seems to happen on a semi-regular basis, so I assume that something about the way the folks at CFI write their contracts is in play. I don't know, but it was nice not to wait.
My original plan summary said that I was to pick up today and deliver in New Jersey on the 26th. Since the run is 1205 miles, I could get there sometime on the 25th, so I was hoping the customer would accept an early delivery. When the dispatch came through I was surprised to learn that I am scheduled for 8am on the 25th. While this is definitely good news vis a vis my paycheck (one less day wasted) it presented me with an extra obstacle today. Without the extra wiggle room in my trip planning, I would have to drive a full day today and a full day tomorrow, starting as soon as I was loaded.
I remember the times when I would piss my mother off and she would tell me, "You just wait until your Dad gets home." Then I knew I was screwed. Today, Chicago was my Dad. I knew I would get there during rush hour, so there was never a question of 'if' the drive was going to suck, only 'when' it would begin. The last few times I've run 294 down to 80 and then across have been a total clusterfuck, so I decided to take 90 right through the belly of the beast and see if that was any better. I think, in terms of time, it wound up being about the same. It was a little better to me though, because at least there was some semblance of movement for most of the ride.
I'll have another long day of running tomorrow, hopefully finding somewhere to park that is close to my customer. New Jersey isn't exactly the roomiest state in the country, so I guess we'll see.
My original plan summary said that I was to pick up today and deliver in New Jersey on the 26th. Since the run is 1205 miles, I could get there sometime on the 25th, so I was hoping the customer would accept an early delivery. When the dispatch came through I was surprised to learn that I am scheduled for 8am on the 25th. While this is definitely good news vis a vis my paycheck (one less day wasted) it presented me with an extra obstacle today. Without the extra wiggle room in my trip planning, I would have to drive a full day today and a full day tomorrow, starting as soon as I was loaded.
I remember the times when I would piss my mother off and she would tell me, "You just wait until your Dad gets home." Then I knew I was screwed. Today, Chicago was my Dad. I knew I would get there during rush hour, so there was never a question of 'if' the drive was going to suck, only 'when' it would begin. The last few times I've run 294 down to 80 and then across have been a total clusterfuck, so I decided to take 90 right through the belly of the beast and see if that was any better. I think, in terms of time, it wound up being about the same. It was a little better to me though, because at least there was some semblance of movement for most of the ride.
I'll have another long day of running tomorrow, hopefully finding somewhere to park that is close to my customer. New Jersey isn't exactly the roomiest state in the country, so I guess we'll see.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
7/22/07
I think we all have something that we really don't like, but we don't completely remember why we don't like it. Take brussels sprouts for example. I hate them, I think, but I haven't had one since I was a kid so I really don't remember what they taste like. Well, auto racing no longer fits that category. I now remember exactly why I don't like it. That is about the most boring way to spend a few hours that I can imagine. I wish Eric and Dan in Racine (great guys by the way) had invited me to watch the grass grow. I think it would have been more interesting. Of course, I wasn't able to paticipate in the night's true entertainment, beer. Since I had to drive this morning and we can't have any alcohol in our systems out here, I had to decline. Those of you who enjoy racing, good for you man. I don't get it. I really don't.
The drive into Fridley this morning was shorter than I had expected. I knew I had 110 miles or so, but I expected US52 to be a little slower than it was. Most of the trip was 65mph and I made it in less than two hours. The distribution center to which I delivered today had a policy that I couldn't wait in the truck while they were working. I had to either stay on the dock or wait in the lounge. The shipper's instructions indicated that I was supposed to verify the pallet count, but my company didn't provide such instructions to me. Generally speaking, if I open the doors to the trailer and the freight comes all the way to the back, everything is there. So normally verifying the pallet count isn't something I worry about. Today though, the girl working the forklift was adorable and the driver's lounge had the Home Shopping Network on TV. So I stayed at the dock. It took her about an hour to get me unloaded, and I was on my way.
My choices of locations to park were somewhat limited, being in a fairly urban area. I could go 18 miles to the southeast or 20 miles to the northwest. It's pretty much a coin toss when you try to guess where the next load will pick up. So I headed northwest to a T/A in Rogers. Shortly after I got here I got my next load assignment. It picks up tomorrow... in Fridley. Story of my life. If I had known this ahead of time, I may have tried to find a warehouse or something that had room for me to hang out down there. Minnesota isn't a bad place to grab a few drinks, so if I didn't have to drive anywhere for 24 hours or so I could have found a local pub within walking distance. As it is, I'll hang out here and head back into Fridley tomorrow morning. The run has decent miles on it, taking me to New Jersey, but today is pretty much a lost day. For the first full week of this pay period, I'm at 2300 miles. That's not too great, but it usually straightens out by the end of the pay period, so I'm not hanging my head just yet.
I was a little tired from my early morning wake-up call, so I dozed off for a bit this afternoon. When I woke up, I found that the Tigers were trailing Kansas City, eventually losing 5-2. What the hell is the story here? Sweep Boston, sweep Minnesota, drop two of three to the Royals? That's bullshit.
The drive into Fridley this morning was shorter than I had expected. I knew I had 110 miles or so, but I expected US52 to be a little slower than it was. Most of the trip was 65mph and I made it in less than two hours. The distribution center to which I delivered today had a policy that I couldn't wait in the truck while they were working. I had to either stay on the dock or wait in the lounge. The shipper's instructions indicated that I was supposed to verify the pallet count, but my company didn't provide such instructions to me. Generally speaking, if I open the doors to the trailer and the freight comes all the way to the back, everything is there. So normally verifying the pallet count isn't something I worry about. Today though, the girl working the forklift was adorable and the driver's lounge had the Home Shopping Network on TV. So I stayed at the dock. It took her about an hour to get me unloaded, and I was on my way.
My choices of locations to park were somewhat limited, being in a fairly urban area. I could go 18 miles to the southeast or 20 miles to the northwest. It's pretty much a coin toss when you try to guess where the next load will pick up. So I headed northwest to a T/A in Rogers. Shortly after I got here I got my next load assignment. It picks up tomorrow... in Fridley. Story of my life. If I had known this ahead of time, I may have tried to find a warehouse or something that had room for me to hang out down there. Minnesota isn't a bad place to grab a few drinks, so if I didn't have to drive anywhere for 24 hours or so I could have found a local pub within walking distance. As it is, I'll hang out here and head back into Fridley tomorrow morning. The run has decent miles on it, taking me to New Jersey, but today is pretty much a lost day. For the first full week of this pay period, I'm at 2300 miles. That's not too great, but it usually straightens out by the end of the pay period, so I'm not hanging my head just yet.
I was a little tired from my early morning wake-up call, so I dozed off for a bit this afternoon. When I woke up, I found that the Tigers were trailing Kansas City, eventually losing 5-2. What the hell is the story here? Sweep Boston, sweep Minnesota, drop two of three to the Royals? That's bullshit.
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