I was just about ready to give up the fight and go park in the lot when the Dart driver ahead of me pulled out of the dock. I angled my way back into the driveway and then got out to take a good look at the task ahead. Upon closer inspection, it was even tougher than I thought it would be. I knew from watching the previous guy that I would have some tricky maneuvering to do. What I couldn't see from the road was the row of shipping containers lining the right side of the back-in approach. There were no lights and it was wicked tight, so I had to get out and check my position at least half a dozen times along the way. Firmly squared away in the dock, I went to bed.
The bouncing of the forklift woke me up whenever the guys got started. I have no idea what time it was. My first thought was that I was in a hurricane or something, as the truck was moving side-to-side like it does in high winds. Then I came to my senses and realized what was going on. Surprisingly, I was able to fall back asleep and rest while they pulled the pallets off of my truck. There was a pretty long delay between pallets, so they must have been cruising the freight to a different part of the warehouse. Once they were done, a guy came out and knocked to wake me up.
Then, as I pulled away, I saw that there was a flatbed driver blocking my exit. I knocked on his door. No answer. I knocked on the side of his sleeper. No answer. I headed inside, used the restroom at the warehouse, and asked if anyone knew where the flatbed driver had gone. Nobody knew anything, so I headed back out. This time I gave his sleeper a thorough and steady pounding until I saw a light come on. Dickhead was giving me attitude for waking him up before the receiving hours started at 7am. Yeah well, don't block the driveway then. Prick. I drove down the street to the nearest truck stop and went back to bed.
A few hours of deep sleep later, I got my beep. Since I wanted to get to the west coast by the weekend, of course I'll be doing the exact opposite. I picked up in Birmingham and headed east, toward Delaware. My 70 hour clock was down to 2 hours by the time I got to Birmingham and got loaded, so I ran up I-59 until I was out of time. The drive today was a pretty ho-hum affair. There was pretty heavy traffic on the surface streets around Birmingham, made worse by truck drivers with no common sense, but nothing to write home about. I was talking with another CFI driver while I waited at the shipper and we both planned to spend the night in Georgia at the Pilot on I-59. Oops, I was looking at my hours wrong. I was down to 15 minutes by the time I got to the Petro in Gadsden, Alabama so I couldn't make it to Georgia. Sorry dude. Guess we'll continue that conversation another time.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
10/3/07
I wasn't sure what to expect as the wee hours of the morning rolled along. As seems to be the case all too often lately, I was driving overnight after being awake all day. I just drove along and figured I would stop whenever I got tired. I was hoping to, at the very least, get through Ohio. That way Auburn would be within reach in one driving shift and I could make my appointment. I was surprised when I got all the way past Knoxville before the eyelids started to get heavy. I had my eye on the rest area at mile marker 45, but it was closed. Rather than cruise along tired and hope to find something else, I pulled off and backed my way onto the side of the ramp leading out of the rest area and went to bed.
I woke up this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to see that I had broadband internet speed on my Sprint card. It clocked in at over 600kbps, which ain't too shabby. I hung out and watched the latest videos from und.com and then did a few crossword puzzles before my ten hour break was up and I could get rolling again. The drive through the hills and mountains isn't nearly as tedious when you only have a few thousand pounds in the wagon, like I do right now.
I've made the trip down I-75 from Detroit to Atlanta numerous times in my life, but not so many times when I was actually driving. Two or three times a year, we'd pile into Dad's car and go down to visit my Mom's family in Georgia. You know how people play the little games - count the out of state license plates, look for signs starting with each letter of the alphabet, stuff like that? I think my favorite was always counting the number of times Dad threatened to pull over and beat the shit out of us. Good times, good times. Anyway, with me at the wheel, it's a pretty simple trip. Given the schedule that I ran, even the usual rough spots had pretty light traffic so all was well.
I pulled up to the customer a little before midnight local time and turned into their driveway. As I turned in, a Dart driver started to back up. I had my steering wheel in the turned position, so by holding it steady and backing up I went back out to the road from which I came. I backed a little ways down the street to make room for this guy to get out of the driveway, then sat and watched as it became clear what was going on.
The docks are situated in a screwy spot. To get a trailer to them, he had to leave the driveway, turn around, back into the driveway at a slight blindside angle, back over a grassy area, and jack the trailer back around a corner to his left. Always nice to know what I can look forward to. I went inside to let them know I was here and see where they wanted me to park. The fella inside said I could park at the other end of the building and go to sleep until morning or I could wait for the Dart guy to leave and assume the position at the dock. That would mean I was first to get unloaded in the morning. I don't really give a shit about getting unloaded first, as my hours are dwindling quickly, but the thought of doing what he just did while there is other traffic around sounds pretty lousy. I'd rather try it in the middle of the night, so I guess I'm staying awake for a while. My connection here is a hearty 1200kbps, so I guess I'll download some stuff.
I don't know what they have in store for me tomorrow, but for the first time I'm actually hoping I go west. I saw the coverage map for Saturday night's football game and 80% of the country is getting Ohio State and Purdue. Being 0-5 does have its disadvantages. As bad as Notre Dame sucks this year, I find it hard to believe that most of the country would rather see two Big Ten teams. Oh well, what can you do?
I woke up this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to see that I had broadband internet speed on my Sprint card. It clocked in at over 600kbps, which ain't too shabby. I hung out and watched the latest videos from und.com and then did a few crossword puzzles before my ten hour break was up and I could get rolling again. The drive through the hills and mountains isn't nearly as tedious when you only have a few thousand pounds in the wagon, like I do right now.
I've made the trip down I-75 from Detroit to Atlanta numerous times in my life, but not so many times when I was actually driving. Two or three times a year, we'd pile into Dad's car and go down to visit my Mom's family in Georgia. You know how people play the little games - count the out of state license plates, look for signs starting with each letter of the alphabet, stuff like that? I think my favorite was always counting the number of times Dad threatened to pull over and beat the shit out of us. Good times, good times. Anyway, with me at the wheel, it's a pretty simple trip. Given the schedule that I ran, even the usual rough spots had pretty light traffic so all was well.
I pulled up to the customer a little before midnight local time and turned into their driveway. As I turned in, a Dart driver started to back up. I had my steering wheel in the turned position, so by holding it steady and backing up I went back out to the road from which I came. I backed a little ways down the street to make room for this guy to get out of the driveway, then sat and watched as it became clear what was going on.
The docks are situated in a screwy spot. To get a trailer to them, he had to leave the driveway, turn around, back into the driveway at a slight blindside angle, back over a grassy area, and jack the trailer back around a corner to his left. Always nice to know what I can look forward to. I went inside to let them know I was here and see where they wanted me to park. The fella inside said I could park at the other end of the building and go to sleep until morning or I could wait for the Dart guy to leave and assume the position at the dock. That would mean I was first to get unloaded in the morning. I don't really give a shit about getting unloaded first, as my hours are dwindling quickly, but the thought of doing what he just did while there is other traffic around sounds pretty lousy. I'd rather try it in the middle of the night, so I guess I'm staying awake for a while. My connection here is a hearty 1200kbps, so I guess I'll download some stuff.
I don't know what they have in store for me tomorrow, but for the first time I'm actually hoping I go west. I saw the coverage map for Saturday night's football game and 80% of the country is getting Ohio State and Purdue. Being 0-5 does have its disadvantages. As bad as Notre Dame sucks this year, I find it hard to believe that most of the country would rather see two Big Ten teams. Oh well, what can you do?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
10/2/07
I was up late listening to an absolutely riveting one game playoff between the Padres and Rockies. I didn't care who won, one way or the other, but the drama was pretty intense anyway. Then I spent some time expanding my empire on Civilization III and watched a movie. I had hoped to catch a wi-fi network somewhere along the ride, but I never did. My broadband card works up there, but I get charged for roaming in Canada so I leave it off.
I drove over to the customer this morning, arriving around 10:30am for my 12:00 appointment. They started loading me around 11:30 and sent me off around 12:30. This was my first (loaded) trip out of Canada since the whole E-manifest thing started, so I was a little unsure about the process. Essentially it's the same as before, with one added step. I had to go to a truck stop and call the Taylor terminal to give them a fax number. Then they had to send me a copy of the E-manifest before I could proceed to the bridge. I called and they told me that the computers were down and they would let me know when they were able to send the fax. Eight hours later, the fax came through. So much for my planned trip. I had to hang out there for another two hours, completing a ten hour break, and take it from there. Just when it seems like things are on track, something always seems to come up.
I got to the bridge and there was a huge line of trucks. Most of them were in the F.A.S.T. line, so I cruised right on by. Then, those of us in the regular line were divided into two lines. The one on the left had one booth open and the one on the right had two. Luckily, I was on the right. Beauty. At the booth, I had no idea what paperwork the lady needed so I just gave it all to her. She looked it over and said, "Have a good trip." I've been a party to message board conversations indicating that the customs people charge a $10.75 fee to bring a load back into the U.S. I've never paid it. I was talking with a guy at the Canadian truck stop and he too said it was $10.75. When I got the paperwork back from the lady tonight, she closed her window. I didn't pay shit. So, if any of you ever come back over with a load from Canada, don't offer them any money. Apparently that's the trick. At least ten trips now, I've never paid the customs fee. Never.
I popped in to top off the tanks and catch up on some e-mails here before I get rolling again. It looks like it's going to be a long night, but that seems to be the routine these days. I've had a couple days to sit around and do nothing, so I won't complain.
I drove over to the customer this morning, arriving around 10:30am for my 12:00 appointment. They started loading me around 11:30 and sent me off around 12:30. This was my first (loaded) trip out of Canada since the whole E-manifest thing started, so I was a little unsure about the process. Essentially it's the same as before, with one added step. I had to go to a truck stop and call the Taylor terminal to give them a fax number. Then they had to send me a copy of the E-manifest before I could proceed to the bridge. I called and they told me that the computers were down and they would let me know when they were able to send the fax. Eight hours later, the fax came through. So much for my planned trip. I had to hang out there for another two hours, completing a ten hour break, and take it from there. Just when it seems like things are on track, something always seems to come up.
I got to the bridge and there was a huge line of trucks. Most of them were in the F.A.S.T. line, so I cruised right on by. Then, those of us in the regular line were divided into two lines. The one on the left had one booth open and the one on the right had two. Luckily, I was on the right. Beauty. At the booth, I had no idea what paperwork the lady needed so I just gave it all to her. She looked it over and said, "Have a good trip." I've been a party to message board conversations indicating that the customs people charge a $10.75 fee to bring a load back into the U.S. I've never paid it. I was talking with a guy at the Canadian truck stop and he too said it was $10.75. When I got the paperwork back from the lady tonight, she closed her window. I didn't pay shit. So, if any of you ever come back over with a load from Canada, don't offer them any money. Apparently that's the trick. At least ten trips now, I've never paid the customs fee. Never.
I popped in to top off the tanks and catch up on some e-mails here before I get rolling again. It looks like it's going to be a long night, but that seems to be the routine these days. I've had a couple days to sit around and do nothing, so I won't complain.
Monday, October 1, 2007
10/1/07
I got up and flipped on the radio while I was in the shower this morning. The traffic report said that I-75 had lane closures at Clark, backing things up for a couple of miles. So I stayed home for a couple of hours while the morning traffic cleared up, then hit the road.
No lines at all going over the bridge, nice. The drive up to the customer was a nice and easy three hour trip. The first time I delivered to this customer, I got in late at night. There was a huge empty parking lot and plenty of room to set up and park. Today, I showed up during business hours. The lot was jam-packed with cars and a little more tricky to navigate. They took around an hour to get me unloaded, but it was a nice day so I went for a walk.
As I drove back to the 401 to pull into a service plaza, I got a beep. I was hoping it would say deadhead to work, but instead I got an assignment picking up tomorrow, only 35 miles away. From there I'll go to Auburn, Alabama but today is a pretty unproductive day. Being stuck up here with no internet access and my cell phone shut off is a pretty cool change of pace though. Looks like I'll have time to watch some movies.
I was talking with another CFI driver at the service plaza and I actually learned something today. At some point during the conversation, the subject of trucks and fuel tanks came up. I mentioned that mine doesn't seem to be pulling fuel from the tank on the right. He said he has owned a few Kenworths and all three of them, at some point, had one of the tanks twist around. I observed that one of my tanks has the fuel cap straight on top and one is at an angle. Apparently they're both supposed to ba angled a little, so my right tank has rotated within the mounts somehow. Hmm, learn something every day.
These damn Canadians wouldn't take my American Express card, just as I feared, so I had to dip into the cash. I don't trust 'em. Anyhow, tomorrow's pickup is slated for noon so I should sleep pretty well at some point tonight. The weather is cool enough to leave the truck off and, at least so far, there are no loud trucks around me.
No lines at all going over the bridge, nice. The drive up to the customer was a nice and easy three hour trip. The first time I delivered to this customer, I got in late at night. There was a huge empty parking lot and plenty of room to set up and park. Today, I showed up during business hours. The lot was jam-packed with cars and a little more tricky to navigate. They took around an hour to get me unloaded, but it was a nice day so I went for a walk.
As I drove back to the 401 to pull into a service plaza, I got a beep. I was hoping it would say deadhead to work, but instead I got an assignment picking up tomorrow, only 35 miles away. From there I'll go to Auburn, Alabama but today is a pretty unproductive day. Being stuck up here with no internet access and my cell phone shut off is a pretty cool change of pace though. Looks like I'll have time to watch some movies.
I was talking with another CFI driver at the service plaza and I actually learned something today. At some point during the conversation, the subject of trucks and fuel tanks came up. I mentioned that mine doesn't seem to be pulling fuel from the tank on the right. He said he has owned a few Kenworths and all three of them, at some point, had one of the tanks twist around. I observed that one of my tanks has the fuel cap straight on top and one is at an angle. Apparently they're both supposed to ba angled a little, so my right tank has rotated within the mounts somehow. Hmm, learn something every day.
These damn Canadians wouldn't take my American Express card, just as I feared, so I had to dip into the cash. I don't trust 'em. Anyhow, tomorrow's pickup is slated for noon so I should sleep pretty well at some point tonight. The weather is cool enough to leave the truck off and, at least so far, there are no loud trucks around me.
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