Old Mother Nature was a cranky bitch today. The wind in Wyoming was the strongest I've ever seen. There was a day last winter when I saw four or five trucks blown over on their sides on my way to Denver. The winds tonight were far worse, although the only accidents appeared to involve people driving off the road. It could have been even more wicked, but fortunately I don't think the temperature ever got above freezing today. That kept the blowing snow from melting and re-freezing. There were icy patches here and there, but they were few and far between.
I don't know if there's a general rule for deciding when a trailer is heavy enough to pull through winds at a given speed. About all I could conclude was that people were passing me going up hills, so they must have been lighter than I was. If they weren't getting blown over, I might as well keep rolling. It got a little scary once or twice, but my 37,000 pound load seemed to keep me anchored to the road pretty well. By the time I finished the audiobook of Wuthering Heights, I had worked a full day. I ducked into the major cosmopolitan center known as Wamsutter, Wyoming for the night.
I'll have around four hours to drive tomorrow. I have to be there by midnight, but I'll head on in to Salt Lake City whenever I wake up. I'm not sure what to expect after this run. With Christmas falling on a Tuesday, I would speculate that several of our regular customers will be closed Monday. Maybe I'll get a long ConWay run to keep me going for a few days. Since they are expecting this load on Monday I have to guess that they're working that day. As always, time will tell soon enough.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
12/21/07
There's an old running joke among Notre Dame fans. Every week during football season, without fail, a handful of people would ask what time the game starts. For half the season, Notre Dame was on Central Time. Then, when we would "fall back," they stayed the same so they joined those of us on Eastern Time. So, when the game time said 2:30pm EST, sometimes it meant 2:30pm and sometimes it meant 3:30pm. Indiana joined most of the country in adopting daylight savings time a few years back, so the people asking "what time is the game" just sound silly. Most of Indiana, that is. Apparently Gary, aka the Paris of the midwest, is on Central Time. I did not know that.
I checked in this morning at 4am (Eastern), was told that I was an hour early, and went back to bed for a little while. There was a CFI trailer sitting on the lot. I suspected that it was mine, but the broad behind the counter was having none of it. An hour later I got my trailer assigned and grabbed my paperwork. Yep, that trailer.
This run has to be delivered by 4am Monday (according to ConWay), but my dispatch says 11:59pm Sunday. No big deal there, as I have no desire to get up at 4am Monday anyhow. Since I can drop and hook any time, this schedule is a pretty favorable one. I can run hard, limit my breaks, and get there very early Sunday. Or I can take it a little easy and get there Sunday night. My guess is that the weather is going to have a say in things before all is said and done. Today's only issue was wicked heavy fog all the way across Iowa. The local radio here in Nebraska says that snow and sleet are coming overnight, so we'll see how things look in the morning. I'm hoping whatever comes through tonight is cleaned up a little before I get further west tomorrow. The forecast for Cheyenne looks pretty decent, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I'm still holding out hope that one of these economic think tanks will offer to throw some money my way. Since they're never right anyway, what could be the harm in giving me a shot? Remember my less than eloquent summary of consumer attitudes the day after Thanksgiving? It looks like even I manage to get one right every now and then. Send those offers for employment at your local D.C. think tank to the feedback link below.
And I know some of you will get a chuckle out of this one. What's the point in having a sense of humor if you can't laugh at yourself, right?
I checked in this morning at 4am (Eastern), was told that I was an hour early, and went back to bed for a little while. There was a CFI trailer sitting on the lot. I suspected that it was mine, but the broad behind the counter was having none of it. An hour later I got my trailer assigned and grabbed my paperwork. Yep, that trailer.
This run has to be delivered by 4am Monday (according to ConWay), but my dispatch says 11:59pm Sunday. No big deal there, as I have no desire to get up at 4am Monday anyhow. Since I can drop and hook any time, this schedule is a pretty favorable one. I can run hard, limit my breaks, and get there very early Sunday. Or I can take it a little easy and get there Sunday night. My guess is that the weather is going to have a say in things before all is said and done. Today's only issue was wicked heavy fog all the way across Iowa. The local radio here in Nebraska says that snow and sleet are coming overnight, so we'll see how things look in the morning. I'm hoping whatever comes through tonight is cleaned up a little before I get further west tomorrow. The forecast for Cheyenne looks pretty decent, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I'm still holding out hope that one of these economic think tanks will offer to throw some money my way. Since they're never right anyway, what could be the harm in giving me a shot? Remember my less than eloquent summary of consumer attitudes the day after Thanksgiving? It looks like even I manage to get one right every now and then. Send those offers for employment at your local D.C. think tank to the feedback link below.
And I know some of you will get a chuckle out of this one. What's the point in having a sense of humor if you can't laugh at yourself, right?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
12/20/07
Here's some shocking news: I didn't sleep worth a shit last night. Thus, I was a little tired along the drive to Illinois. I left early enough that I had time for a nap along the way, so that worked out okay for me.
I arrived at the customer and was delighted to see a wicked tight dock, on my right, facing a street. Beauty. I had no desire to tackle that thing from the blind side, so I cruised through a residential neighborhood and went around a couple of blocks to get set up facing the other direction. I don't imagine that this was completely legal, but it ain't a crime if you don't get caught. Even from the left, it took me a while to get settled in without hitting the truck next to me. He had arrived the night before and gone to sleep, so he got the easier of the two open docks. Of course, the largely deserted road turned into Fifth Avenue at rush hour as soon as I blocked it with my trailer. Story of life out here.
When the customer opened for business, I was unloaded quickly. I had noticed a few trucks parked at the local WalMart on my way into town, so I headed over there and hopped in bed for a spell. After a few hours of sleep I got my beep. I honestly didn't know what planet I was on when the thing went off. I was looking around, wondering if I had missed an appointment. The sense of relief when I realized that I was already empty and just waiting for work was quite immense.
My next run is a ConWay load, leaving Gary, Indiana tomorrow morning and heading for Salt Lake City. The directions say that SLC is a 24/7 drop/hook location, so I'll have some flexibility to get there whenever I want to this weekend. Now it's just a matter of killing time until morning. The deadhead over here was only 60 miles, so again my pay period is off to a slow start. I started on home time, then spent a day on the board, then got a couple of fairly short runs, then this short deadhead. The run to SLC is over 1,400 miles so that will hopefully get me kick-started. Last year I was on the road through Christmas and New Year. I got pretty huge miles during that time. Since I just got a restart at home a couple of days ago, I'll be poised to run a lot of miles over the next several days. We'll see how it goes.
I arrived at the customer and was delighted to see a wicked tight dock, on my right, facing a street. Beauty. I had no desire to tackle that thing from the blind side, so I cruised through a residential neighborhood and went around a couple of blocks to get set up facing the other direction. I don't imagine that this was completely legal, but it ain't a crime if you don't get caught. Even from the left, it took me a while to get settled in without hitting the truck next to me. He had arrived the night before and gone to sleep, so he got the easier of the two open docks. Of course, the largely deserted road turned into Fifth Avenue at rush hour as soon as I blocked it with my trailer. Story of life out here.
When the customer opened for business, I was unloaded quickly. I had noticed a few trucks parked at the local WalMart on my way into town, so I headed over there and hopped in bed for a spell. After a few hours of sleep I got my beep. I honestly didn't know what planet I was on when the thing went off. I was looking around, wondering if I had missed an appointment. The sense of relief when I realized that I was already empty and just waiting for work was quite immense.
My next run is a ConWay load, leaving Gary, Indiana tomorrow morning and heading for Salt Lake City. The directions say that SLC is a 24/7 drop/hook location, so I'll have some flexibility to get there whenever I want to this weekend. Now it's just a matter of killing time until morning. The deadhead over here was only 60 miles, so again my pay period is off to a slow start. I started on home time, then spent a day on the board, then got a couple of fairly short runs, then this short deadhead. The run to SLC is over 1,400 miles so that will hopefully get me kick-started. Last year I was on the road through Christmas and New Year. I got pretty huge miles during that time. Since I just got a restart at home a couple of days ago, I'll be poised to run a lot of miles over the next several days. We'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
12/19/07
Pretty slow going across the bridge after midnight, but otherwise it was a nice simple three hour trip to Canada. The customer was right off the highway, so I was checked in and docked before I knew it. The forklift guy pulled most of the freight from my trailer and then sent me to a different dock to get rid of the rest of it. I couldn't find anyone with whom to check in over there, so I taped the bills to a post and hopped in the bunk. Screw 'em. I was tired. The guy at the first dock told me it might be "a while" until they got to me at the second one, so I wasn't in the mood to stand around with my thumb up my ass.
A few hours later, a dude came out and knocked on my door. I rolled down the window and he asked, "What can we do for you?" Umm, unload my trailer, maybe? He said it was all unloaded and he was just wondering what I was picking up. Nope, not picking up sir, just delivering. So I sent in my empty call and immediately got my next assignment.
Fucking 'need to know basis' bullshit. I was picking up at the same dock and heading to Illinois. Only, by this time, the guy had taken off because I told him I wasn't picking up anything. So it took a half hour to track him down and fill him in. He was visibly annoyed, since he was ready to load me when he came out in the first place. Yeah, take a number dude.
The shipper didn't have a fax for me to use, so I had to stop in at the Flying J in London. I sent in my customs paperwork and headed west. I let the Taylor terminal know that I would be stopping at the Pilot in Tilbury to pick up their return fax. What a convoluted bunch of bureaucratic bullshit that whole system is. If everything is electronic, why in the hell do we need to stop and pick up a fax? Is the barcode truly the be and end all of modern technology? Are the customs agents no longer capable of typing an entry number into their computers? Stupid. I sat at the Pilot for about an hour before I got my fax. This was a marked improvement over the eight hours I sat the first time I had to do this song and dance. Then on to the bridge... at shift change. Beauty.
By the time I got across, my 14 hour clock was toast. So I'm taking my break at the terminal. I thought about heading home, but sometimes a ten hour break at home is really more trouble than it's worth. I'm feeling pretty sluggish right now, so some sleep will hopefully find its way to me soon.
Today has me thinking that I am probably going to stick with my original decision to forego Canada loads in 2008. I have gone back and forth regarding whether or not I want to take Canada loads in the future, but I tend to think the answer is 'no.' The biggest downside to turning down the 'option' for Canada loads is that I'll miss out on a few chances to stop by home on the way up there. I get through home every couple of months or so, irrespective of actual home time, by virtue of Canada-bound freight. I don't know. Maybe I'll change my mind. For now though, I'm perfectly content to let someone else deal with that shit.
A few hours later, a dude came out and knocked on my door. I rolled down the window and he asked, "What can we do for you?" Umm, unload my trailer, maybe? He said it was all unloaded and he was just wondering what I was picking up. Nope, not picking up sir, just delivering. So I sent in my empty call and immediately got my next assignment.
Fucking 'need to know basis' bullshit. I was picking up at the same dock and heading to Illinois. Only, by this time, the guy had taken off because I told him I wasn't picking up anything. So it took a half hour to track him down and fill him in. He was visibly annoyed, since he was ready to load me when he came out in the first place. Yeah, take a number dude.
The shipper didn't have a fax for me to use, so I had to stop in at the Flying J in London. I sent in my customs paperwork and headed west. I let the Taylor terminal know that I would be stopping at the Pilot in Tilbury to pick up their return fax. What a convoluted bunch of bureaucratic bullshit that whole system is. If everything is electronic, why in the hell do we need to stop and pick up a fax? Is the barcode truly the be and end all of modern technology? Are the customs agents no longer capable of typing an entry number into their computers? Stupid. I sat at the Pilot for about an hour before I got my fax. This was a marked improvement over the eight hours I sat the first time I had to do this song and dance. Then on to the bridge... at shift change. Beauty.
By the time I got across, my 14 hour clock was toast. So I'm taking my break at the terminal. I thought about heading home, but sometimes a ten hour break at home is really more trouble than it's worth. I'm feeling pretty sluggish right now, so some sleep will hopefully find its way to me soon.
Today has me thinking that I am probably going to stick with my original decision to forego Canada loads in 2008. I have gone back and forth regarding whether or not I want to take Canada loads in the future, but I tend to think the answer is 'no.' The biggest downside to turning down the 'option' for Canada loads is that I'll miss out on a few chances to stop by home on the way up there. I get through home every couple of months or so, irrespective of actual home time, by virtue of Canada-bound freight. I don't know. Maybe I'll change my mind. For now though, I'm perfectly content to let someone else deal with that shit.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
12/18/07
Well, what will be today's cliche? How about 'beggars can't be choosers'? Yeah, that will work.
I got my truck back from Kenworth this afternoon and went on the board. #5. Okay, not so bad. Then 2pm turned into 10:30pm and here I sat. Just about the time I was about to write the day off as a complete loss, I got a call from the terminal. I have a load sitting on the yard, delivering to somewhere in Ontario between midnight and 4am. Awesome. 156 miles, middle of the night, short notice, freaking Canada... just awesome.
But hey, at least it will get me out of town for the time being. Better than nothing. Now you'll have to excuse me, as I have to go to work.
I got my truck back from Kenworth this afternoon and went on the board. #5. Okay, not so bad. Then 2pm turned into 10:30pm and here I sat. Just about the time I was about to write the day off as a complete loss, I got a call from the terminal. I have a load sitting on the yard, delivering to somewhere in Ontario between midnight and 4am. Awesome. 156 miles, middle of the night, short notice, freaking Canada... just awesome.
But hey, at least it will get me out of town for the time being. Better than nothing. Now you'll have to excuse me, as I have to go to work.
Monday, December 17, 2007
12/17/07
First things first - over to Kenworth. They told me that the truck should be ready some time tomorrow. Then I called for my ride home... and my buddy's phone was shut off. Try another person; working. Try another; no answer. Try another; working. Try another; car won't start. Finally my mother came and got me on her lunch break. Moms can always take care of everything, can't they?
Then I wrapped up a little personal shopping before taking a nice nap. I've been coughing incessantly at night lately, so I'm sleeping even less than normal. Back awake in the early evening, it was over to Mom's house for dinner.
Apparently she called everyone and put together an impromptu Christmas party. My sister brought the kids over. My brothers were there. Pretty cool. My niece is four years old, so any opportunity to open a few presents from Uncle Joe before Christmas is good news for her.
So that was that. Back to work tomorrow.
Then I wrapped up a little personal shopping before taking a nice nap. I've been coughing incessantly at night lately, so I'm sleeping even less than normal. Back awake in the early evening, it was over to Mom's house for dinner.
Apparently she called everyone and put together an impromptu Christmas party. My sister brought the kids over. My brothers were there. Pretty cool. My niece is four years old, so any opportunity to open a few presents from Uncle Joe before Christmas is good news for her.
So that was that. Back to work tomorrow.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
12/16/07
I think I have gremlins in my apartment. Before I went to bed last night, I wrote a list of stuff to do today. When I woke up this morning, the list had all kinds of shit on it. I could have sworn it was supposed to say, "Sit on ass and drink beer all day." Apparently not. I think the little green bastards rewrote it while I slept.
We got hit with around 6-8" of snow last night, so it was a little nasty out today. The good thing was that there was apparently enough snow to convince most people to stay home. Going to the mall around here, a week and a half before Christmas, forget about it. Today though it wasn't bad at all. I didn't knock out the whole list today, but I'll only have a couple of things to do tomorrow. Obviously the most important will be to get my truck over to Kenworth so I can get out of town by Tuesday.
Don't fret, good friends, I have now made my way to the couch and the frosty cold refreshment is flowing generously. Can the 'Skins pull off another miracle? One game at a time boys, one game at a time.
We got hit with around 6-8" of snow last night, so it was a little nasty out today. The good thing was that there was apparently enough snow to convince most people to stay home. Going to the mall around here, a week and a half before Christmas, forget about it. Today though it wasn't bad at all. I didn't knock out the whole list today, but I'll only have a couple of things to do tomorrow. Obviously the most important will be to get my truck over to Kenworth so I can get out of town by Tuesday.
Don't fret, good friends, I have now made my way to the couch and the frosty cold refreshment is flowing generously. Can the 'Skins pull off another miracle? One game at a time boys, one game at a time.
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