Everyone has a constitutional right to jump to conclusions. For truck drivers, I think it's a regulatory requirement that we jump to conclusions. This requirement ranks right up there with traffic laws and hours of service rules, it seems. Generally speaking, I'm more of a wait and see kinda guy. To hell with it though. I've been on my new fleet for a day and a half. I'm sure that's plenty of time. Let's jump...
I pulled my trailer back across the street this morning and checked in with the security guard. He told me to wait in the staging area and he would call me on the CB when I had a door assignment. After a while I got my call. My particular door was a pretty tricky one to hit, but I nailed it on the first try. (Blind squirrels and nuts and so forth...) The lumper told me that the unloading would cost $40 and that he would come out and get me when he was finished.
I had plenty of time to walk over to Wendy's and get some breakfast while I was waiting. Unfortunately, this particular Wendy's doesn't serve breakfast. Therefore they didn't open until 10am. It was only 9:30am. Bummer. I continued down the street and placed a carryout order at Shoney's instead. I don't think I had eaten anything from Shoney's since my family moved from Georgia back to Michigan, many many years ago. Pretty decent omelet. I guess it's hard to screw up an omelet, but the ham had a nice flavor to it and the bacon was good and crispy. I was pleased.
After my breakfast was done the lumper came out and gave me my paperwork, then sent me on my way. There was a big sign saying that empty trucks had to leave the property (leaving room in the staging area for arriving trucks, ostensibly), so I drove back over to the drop yard where I spent last night. I'm not sure if I technically had permission to do so, but you know how it is. Don't ask, don't tell.
My empty call was sent at 9:55am. I was #1 on the board at the time. My next assignment came through at 11:22am. We'll get to the details of the assignment shortly here, but just let that hour and a half percolate in the analytical side of your brain.
I got a call from an LTL trucking company close to home as soon as I got parked in the drop yard. Offering me a job? I'm in one of those moods today where I just might accept it. No, not this time. They were calling to ask when would be a good time to deliver my fireworks. Dude. I just ordered them yesterday and I specified that I would pick them up at the distribution center in Lansing. FedEx and UPS won't deliver fireworks, so they have to be sent by other LTL carriers. And I don't have a loading dock at my apartment. Oh well, they're in Brownstown now. I called my mother and gave her the rundown. My youngest brother has been laid off from his construction job and my other brother is off all week, so they'll have plenty of time to pick up the goodies today or tomorrow. Good deal.
Now let's get to that hour and a half that I spent on the board this morning. My next assignment was a Con-way load leaving Decatur, Alabama at 10pm tonight. For the uninitiated among you, we receive the same specific instructions every time we are assigned to a Con-way load. We are to arrive at the shipper, drop our empty trailer, and complete a ten hour break before our appointment time. 10pm appointment time, right? So back out ten hours and what do you have? Noon. I needed to be off duty by noon. I received the assignment at 11:22am. Check my directions, drive to Decatur, and drop my trailer within 38 minutes. Yeah, okay.
The drive to Decatur, dispatched as 61 miles, turned out to be 78 miles. It took just over an hour and forty-five minutes, complete with plenty of traffic and red lights. (I did get to see rocket ships though.) I arrived at the Con-way yard and dropped my trailer, then drove down the street to a little fast food place with truck parking. Brakes set, off duty time begins - 1:30pm. If only there had been a way for me to get here an hour and a half sooner. Hmm... If only there had been a way... As it stands, I'll have to go the split break route and head out after eight hours here in Decatur. There had better not be any traffic jams between here and that shithole truck stop in Troutville, since I can only drive 9.25 hours before I'll be required to take a two hour break. If only I had been able to get here an hour and a half sooner...
Setting aside the hours of service requirements, I still was pretty much screwed by this assignment, given that I slept last night and got up to start work this morning. Now I'm supposed to sleep magically on command before pulling an overnight run to Virginia. 175 paid miles for yesterday. 61 paid miles for today. We're really knockin' 'em dead here, eh? Tomorrow's run will tack on almost 500 miles, which isn't bad in and of itself, but my hours will be burned up by the time I pass off the load to the next driver in the morning. I can't imagine there's anything magical up the load planners' sleeves for me in that case. I'll probably have to sit around all day and then get another damned load of paper or something. (Of course I have no way of knowing this, but remember - I'm jumping to conclusions today.)
Guess it's time to try and get some rest or something.
Hey Mate! It's good to see you back in Alabama! Have you seen what I've done with the beaches there? If you like that, wait 'til you see what I'm gonna do the gulf coast beaches in Florida. Good times, good times....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Your journey to and through Virginia (Do try and avoid the Flying J at the 24/75 junction in Knoxville. Oh, and the TA. And the Petro, as well.) will be a safe one as you will be watched over by Lord Nick Saban. I promise.
Just in case you don't know about it, there's a stealth parking area at I81x321. East side of 81, junction of rt 672 and hwy 11. It's called Old Stone Restaurant. I can't speak to the food, but there is ALWAYS a parking spot there.
Please, if you haven't seen this, watch it now (or soon). This place is very real, this commercial is real and Cullman is not too far from Decatur(which is why I thought of it. I dunno how my mind works either. It's ok, though, I'm not a threat to public safety or anything)
Their website can be found here. You can even buy a t-shirt.
Roll Tide
It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Hayward. I would like to invite you to review my post from this past Saturday. After you've adopted the approach recommended by my engineers, I would suggest that you make a generous contribution to the Fenian Godfather Institute. I can't vouch for President Kickass, but I can assure you that the folks at the institute are more than willing to forgive and forget.
ReplyDeleteI don't stay in the Knoxville area unless I am forced to do so. My benevolent employer has been known to set up a relay at that Godforsaken Petro from time to time. Crowded as hell and 90% nose-in parking - brilliant.
I do, however, stay in Northern Virginia from time to time. Exit 321 is duly noted (at least until I forget).
I wonder if that mobile home fella could have been of any use to me the last time I was in Cullman. My guess, based on what I've seen of my colleagues through the years, is that the faulty trailer is probably still sitting there. A hole in a trailer is a hole in a trailer, right? I'm sure he could have fixed it. If not, then that lovely sales lady smoking the cigarette would have been welcome to offer some comforting hospitality.