Hey everybody, I've finally managed to get back online. Ever since I picked up my trainee I've been too busy to catch up. For the most part it was 14hrs on and 10 off. Then it was time for paperwork and the like and I just didn't have the energy to get online.

I missed Christmas hometime, but Crete made up for it in miles. I basically drove around delivering Tcalled loads that other drivers had dropped on their way to the house. I never sat still and had a number of loads to select from.

I eventually found myself empty in AR during the weekend following Christmas and ran into the no freight thing. As an option to sitting around I was sent over to the Bentonville Wal-Mart DC to run on the pop-up fleet for the weekend. Guaranteed $175/day. I figured, "what the heck" and headed on over. I had expected the usual night running with numerous live unloads (therefore, low miles), but it was guaranteed money. It helped to know that there was a preplan waiting for me Monday morning that would finally get me to PHX. When I arrived I was thrilled to find out I would be running days and to top it off it was nothing but drop/hook dry loads. I was only there for 2 days and I put in over 1200 miles.

After my fun little weekend and I picked up my preplan on Monday and finnally made it to Phoenix on Wednesday morning, New Years Eve.

Because I have a trainee on the truck I was only allowed to take 4 days off, which I did. Upon arriving at the yard at 6am this morning I was promptly told that there is no freight available and I should check back this afternoon for tomorrows freight. Well, its 3pm and still no freight. The yard had a number of drivers that have been here since Friday and Saturday who where still looking for loads, but it looks like most of them have finally pulled out. I can only hope that I will get a load out tomorrow.

I haven't kept up on updates, but my miles for the last month or so are:

Week 48..............................3053 Miles
Week 49..............................3234 Miles
Week 50..............................2516 Miles
Week 51..............................2253 Miles
Week 52..............................3745 Miles
Last few days of 08...............1325 Miles

For all the frustration that went on over the last couple of months I still managed to turn 26,622 miles during November and December. That included 4 or 5 layover days and a breakdown day.

Preliminary Numbers for 2008

Total Paid Miles for 2008 = 150,110
Actual Miles = 153,848

Unpaid Miles = 3,738 (2.4%)

Gross pay will be around $68K+

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"I REJECT YOUR REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN" Mythbusters

other drop yards that I know of can be found in Ontario ,CA (about 10 miles from the Fontana lot); Memphis, TN; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; El Paso, TX. There may be others, but I can't think of them right now.

You can send a open message to dispatch to get directions when ever you are in one of these areas. They don't all know that we have two yards in the LA area, you have to specifically ask for the Fontana yard or the Ontario yard, and even that doesn't guarantee you'll get the right directions the first time around.

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"I REJECT YOUR REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN" Mythbusters

Good to know you are ok. I was begining to get a little worried about you.

Looks like I'm stuck in Gulfport,MS till tomorrow. "No Freight"

HOW 'BOUT THEM LONGHORNS!!!

Keep the sunny side up, and the greasy side. Be safe.

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Thank you Christ & Veterans for the blood you shed for my freedom! Hope is knowing that Christ will not let failure be your final resutl.

Welcome Back ET...Glad to know that you're trainee didn't make that early right turn coming out of MI the other day and try his hand at Ice Road Trucking across Lake Michigan.

Looks like the Snackbar Curse is back where it belongs. I had to wait for my Newyears load, Bowater in Catawba, SC. They had plenty of M/T's and my load was suppose to be loaded before Christmas. Had to drop my trailer, and have it live loaded on Friday. Doesn't deliver until Monday in Dallas and my truck is over due for a B, my APU belt was squealing when I had to use the A/C(I was in FL and needed the A/C) and I had 2 drive tire that needed replaced. I was filling them up 2 times a day with this heavy load. I got to Wilmer early Saturday afternoon. Had to hunt for a parking space. Then the shop said 'maybe' Sunday evening at the earliest. I informed them of my 10 a.m. Monday delivery and was told that they would do their best...How reassuring . Sunday night came and went, nope...Monday morning I was no.1 in line. The shop foreman said that they would have me out in time. At 830 I started into the office to get a spare empty truck to get the load delivered because my truck was just being moved to the 3rd different bay, and still hadn't had tires changed. The office gave me a number for a truck, so I waddled off to the shop to get the key, got to the truck and the stupid thing would only crank, wouldn't start. Called dispatch informed them of my situation, and assured them I would get the load delivered as early as I could, but it was going to be late. They said they'd call and warn them. 2nd truck(I assumed it was actually on the yard because they checked the GPS location before giving me the number), no keys. Shop cuts me a new key, from a chart that told them which setting to use on a hand held key cutter...which isn't reassuring in the least. Can't find the truck... Ahhh, It's in the repair line instead of the ready line. Guess the driver that had quit and turned in the truck was closer to the employee parking lot where his 4wheeler was on that side of the shop. Unlock the door, there are the keys, but the keys for the air brake lock aren't the right ones. No matter which way you stuck the keys in and jiggled, wouldn't unlock. Back to the shop. Finally the foreman came out with the master key and unlocked it. Now it's 5 minutes before my appointment, and I haven't even left Wilmer. Oh, and did I mention the freezing rain that was pouring down the whole time?.?.? Got to the receiver 1.25 hrs late (the company actually called and warned them....I guess this is the silver lining) No big deal to the Consignee, I was the 2nd of 2 trucks delivering, so they weren't too busy. Back to the yard to see if ole' Betsy was done(Yes, my truck is named Betsy...Keeping with my tradition of naming my trucks with names that start with B...most of them were the same name, which I can't say here...but my previous trucks names and my favorite past time on this forum are one in the same...) Wow, she's done with 2 new steer tires, and fresh recaps on the drives. But like I expected, no freight. They were giving drivers Monday loads back on Saturday morning...I didn't expect anything until sometime Tuesday anyway. So here I sit all broken hearted, tried to...oh wait...this isn't the place for that poem. Sorry

Oh, I almost forgot... I had the weirdest thing happen... I normally get a birthday card at home from the gang at my terminal. But Saturday morning, Deland sent me a Q/comm msg as well as a card to the house wishing me a happy birthday....Weird. 1st time in 5 yrs here I have had that happen. I'm not complaining, but just curious. Anyone else get beeped when it's your birthday?? Or am I just special? (positive special, not special-special)

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I use to think the greatest thing that ever happened in my life was when I became a father, that was until I became a Grand Father... Grandpa's rule

I'm a little nervous too. I'll be dropping my load in AR Wednesday afternoon and if it's anything like my last two trips into that state I will probably be looking at the infamous "no freight" message again. Time will tell.

Immediately after posting my "no freight" situation in Phoenix yesterday I got a load offer going to AR with an anytime delivery on Thursday (I'll be there Wen so that I can be as close to the top of the load list as possible). The very annoying part. It was an appointment load in Tucson and I was suppose to be there by 5pm. It was now a little after 3pm and I had a 2 1/2 hr drive ahead of me. Would have been nice if they would have giving me the load offer a little sooner. All I can figure is that someone dropped the ball and wasn't able to make their pickup and it was then offered to me. It ended up being a preloaded trailer so the late pickup wasn't a big deal.

It's now a turn and burn run of 1300+ miles.

Hell of a game back home. Wish I could have been there to see that one. I had tickets available to me, but it was back to the big road. At least I was able to catch it on XM.

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"I REJECT YOUR REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN" Mythbusters

I just got a preplan on a K/C load out of Mobile,AL going to K/C in Coppell,TX. No load info., just a pp. Shows to p/u 01/07 1000-2369, del. 01/08 0001/2359. Once I get load info I'll check load status with shipper.

I got 3148 miles this past week!

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Thank you Christ & Veterans for the blood you shed for my freedom! Hope is knowing that Christ will not let failure be your final resutl.

..sorry my other 2 posts got deleted becuz there were too many links to the CRETE web site so i will just tell you to go there, click the 'DRIVERS' link & u will see some tabs to other links; click the 'TERMINAL LOCATIONS' link & that will show you all the main terminals with info like directions to the terminal, phone nrs., hrs of service for that terminal & services offered, i.e. fuel, showers, maintenance shop, lounge, cafeteria, laundry, vending, etc. .. wonder why some of the terminals ET mentioned aren't listed there though, maybe they are the Schaffer, Hunt terminals?

here is a sample of what it will look like, this is for Lincoln terminal..
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
Lincoln, NE
68528

Phone
1-800-998-xxxx .. 1-402-479-xxxx (not allowed to post phone nrs.?)

Directions
I-80 Exit 395 (NW 48th Street): Go south to West "O" Street. Turn right onto West "O" Street.

Services
Fuel, showers, maintenance shop, lounge, cafeteria, laundry, vending, ATM, physicals, company store

Hours of Operation
Office M-F: 8am - 5 pm SAT: 8am - 12pm
Shop M-SUN: 7am - 11:30pm
Fuel 24 hours/7 days
Dispatch 24 hours/7 days

The original question was concerning drop lots not shown on web site info.

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Thank you Christ & Veterans for the blood you shed for my freedom! Hope is knowing that Christ will not let failure be your final resutl.

Thanks for your effort. The terminals you are referring to are common knowledge to all fleet drivers. The ones we are referring to are just "drop lots", usually nothing more than a dirt lot or a back lot of another trucking company that is leasing out unused parking to make a few extra bucks. These locations also offer no amenities to the drivers and these locations are not given out freely to the fleet.

You basically find out about them on a need to know basis from the company because they are often charge on a per unit basis whenever we pull into one of these lots or they are so limited on space that they don't want them filled up with stationary trucks. So they only want you using them when dropping or picking up a trailer (usually Tcall situations) as opposed to an alternative for overnight parking. Just my assumption here, but I'm guessing it hits close to home.

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"I REJECT YOUR REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN" Mythbusters

Salt Lake sent me a B Day over the qlcomm also, but I dont remember a card to the house.