Ready, Set,,,,Here I go.....

Sorry it has been a while, been busy and just nothing to say really. Spent time with family and haven't been doing too well with the business but, I guess everyone is in the same boat,,,at least those that are Independent anyway. I am in the red $2200 and I will stay out on the road to get caught up. The truth is, I need to stay out until I pay off this truck/trlr, and get my escrow up to where it needs to be... Someone told me a while ago; "when your a company driver, the company runs you', when your an O/O, the business runs you' They were correct..... Until I can set up some direct freight, on a regular basis,,,I am a slave to the truck.

 

Picked up my first load of utility trailers today and it took 7hrs to get loaded. Met a couple decent drivers, one I/C and one O/O with authority. Headed to New Castle, PA than final in Greenville, PA both Tractor Supply stores. Was hoping to get to see son and daughter today but, didn't work out. My life is nothing but a pile of ----- and I am going to work till I either die, or life gets better. Pray all have a good night, I will be back here eventually..

 

After delivering the trailer load, from above, I ran two more loads and made $5,050.00 for the week, $2.07RPM If I can get weeks like that on avg,,,,I am good to go. My bunk heater went out a few days after I left the house. On the 3rd I got it fixed along with My APU, (was starting while truck was running). Spent some time trying to find a load out of Knoxville but, slim pickens.. Finally got a load that picked up Thursday and was on target to be delivered, 100 miles south of where my son and daughter in-law live, in Savannah, GA Picking up the load took 5 hrs to get loaded, strapped and tarped. The tarping took the longest because I was tough to tarp. Plus, I had to find a place to store my spare trk tire but, that turned out to be challenging, to say the least. After multiple times, I now have it standing up on the edge of the front of my step deck. It has road 350 miles with no problem. On my was south yesterday, a brake chamber locked up and caused me to hit the shoulder quickly... Took 3.5 hrs to get that fixed, no bad in my book and only cost me $475 for road service to replace my chamber. That little break down caused enough time to make it impossible to deliver before 14:30 so, I go to Savannah and hand with the family for the weekend. Oh, got my way over due PM done' while I was at it. Also found out that I need to replace some brake pads asap on the trailer rear axle. All in all, it is has been a fine month so far....

 

Sitting in Hammond, LA for the weekend. Been a rough year so far but, decided to revive myself and start fresh. I will go at it Monday with a renewed vigor... I have to make money and I am not going to quit until my goals have been reached, regardless of what happens. Hauled a few nice loads; a Military load, some pumps and a boom truck. I like equipment loads the most and wish I hook up with a broker/agent to haul them all the time...

 

Sitting in Bloomington, IL for the weekend. Started off Monday with a load that had two picks and two drops, 3 PODS containers,,,,I am just not going to haul them again,,they don't pay worth a darn. Completed delivery on that load, Wednesday morning then I picked up two 20' containers from Chicago and delivered them back to Kansas city. Once I delivered those Thursday morning, I picked up a load of stone, going to Des Moines, IA, delivered those Friday morning. I then had a line on my first OD load, and 4300 lb 1973 Bronco. I make my deliver Friday morning and head to pick up the Bronco, it is going on the top deck. Loading that little puppy was a bear, to say the least. First thing I did when I arrived is make sure the Bronco will start/run, to drive it up the ramps. Sure enough it starts and once warmed up, it runs just fine. So, I get the trailer ready to receive this little puppy. As I drive the Bronco to the trailer, I notice it has no brakes,,,or barely any at all,,,really none at all. I drive it up the 1st set of ramps and that went well... Then, I drive it up the 2nd set and that didn't go well at all... If I had the patience I would post the pic but, I don't. I had a 4x4 strapped at the front of the top deck to stop the Bronco from driving off the front deck but, it drove right over that little 4x4 and off the front it goes! The front drove off that is, and wedged itself between my storage box (headache rack) and the trailer itself. Then to top things off, it ran out of gas! It took 2.5 hrs, some help from the neighbor's and good ole American know how to get that little puppy back up on the deck and strapped down. All in all, the damage was minimal and nothing needs repair on my truck. The damage done to the Bronco was just a bent hood. It was a learning experience for me and I ensured the owner that I have no idea how we are going to get it off...lol It won't start, even though I put 2.5 gals of gas in it and it has no brakes! Can't wait to see what happens... Looking back at it now, I should have took the Bronco out of gear once I got up on the top deck. Once it hit the 4x4 it jolted me enough to let out on the clutch, which is a hair clutch, and then it powered right over the 4x4. Ok, so the OD load broker never called me back or sent the Rate Confirmation sheet to me so, I called him. He tells me that the customer gave the load to someone else that didn't care if it was ready now or Monday... I was like; "thanks for the update" and hung up,,,what an ###... Not professional at all in my opinion... So, by this time it was 14:30 on Friday afternoon.... I drove 20 miles back to the Flying J and started looking for a load, go lucky and found a short one that was going to the same place I was suppose to go to pick up OD load,,go figure. It was 4 Blades and one shear head. I delivered that load Saturday morning in Peoria, IL and then drove 50 miles to Bloomington, IL to the TA I am now. So, for the week I had 2483 miles and $4350 in revenue, to the truck. Of course my pay week ends Tuesday at Midnight so, I still have two working days to go but, if I find a load tomorrow that doesn't deliver until Wednesday, that is fine with me.

 

I do my best to write as I was taught in school....