My blog with Melton Truck Lines

They call the trainer they match you up with and make sure they don't have home time scheduled. They want just a straight three weeks if possible. Stopping by the house during training is unlikely but is up to your trainer. Even though you have delivery appointments most places are first come first serve, so you won't have to many down days anyways.

 

Yes, good to meet you. I figured you were thinking what is this guy doing at first. Hope you got a load this wknd. I am hoping to turn and burn tomorrow also.

 

Don't worry there is paperwork all week. I drove through Bham today but couldn't stop. I have to start early for delivery and needed to get my 10hr break started.

 

Another week is over. I came out of the house on Monday and dead headed to Houston. I picked up a load of misc steel building supplies. It was a mess of stuff and had to be tarped. First load I had that took up the whole 53 ft of trailer.

I delivered in Atlanta Wednesday morning 6am. It was one of those trucking deals but it annoyed me because there was no overnight parking per customer. I get there and there is plenty of room to park and the place is only open during the day so I wouldn't be in anyone's way. Drop the load and get assigned a new load out of the same place at 11am. Drop at 6 pick up at 11 no detention and no miles just 14 hr clock burning. One of those trucking deals but still annoying.

New load is a two stop load. It had a third stop but that canceled so my load was 1100 lbs. Does help with the mpg bonus. Both stops are for the next day one in South Carolina the other in North Carolina. Both right on the coast.

I was determined to make it to the first stop Wednesday night and either sleep on the property or real close by. I get there and find room to park. The owner has his business and home on the same property. It was beautiful with a pond. He stops and asks what I have for him and I tell him one pallet. He says he'll take it and I can stay where I am at for the night. He also says the pick up has the keys in it if I want to go get something to eat. I thank him 100 times but I have food in the truck and I'm tired.

Thursday morning I head to Wilmington, NC with a 100 lbs window to final out. Find the place, got lazy and didn't double check the gps. It had me going down some tight back roads. I ended at my destination and immediately see it's right up against the state highway I turned off of five miles back.
Can never trust the gps even if it's the Qualcomm have to double check it.

Then the fun begins. I am picking up wood out of NC and taking it to PA. Get to the shipper and wait what seems like for ever but probably only an hr to 90 mins. The truck ahead of me goes to get turned around and his trailer brakes wouldn't release. I go to offer moral support lol because I don't know how to fix it and they have me back in.

They load me and I get it strapped and tarped. Nice square ld best tarp job to date. Of course I get to the scales to get my Bol and am informed I shouldn't of tarp before I get my bills. I'm sure the experienced drivers are saying yep get weighed first then tarp. Every other place I've been to won't give you the bills till they are happy with your securement/tarp. Either way I'm under 80k and I am on my way.

I read the forum and read how the Boyd guy got stuck at the scale all weekend over weight with a load of wood. Well not this guy. I weigh my load and sure enough I am over 40k on the trailer. Inform dispatch they say go back and get it fixed. I go back and of course the mill is closed. I sleep right in front of the scale to make sure I am first inline.

Friday morning comes and the ladies at the scale say what's up. I say I am over weight on the trailer. She says you're less then 80k. I tell her there is a few scales on the way to PA that wouldn't care about me being under gross. They take some weight off and the drive is on.

I have 503 miles to final and I don't want to be stuck this weekend. Well of course traffic started at 130 pm in Richmond, VA and continued to York, PA. It took 10 hrs and 15 mins of drive time. It was a long afternoon. My clutch leg doesn't get tired I guess because I float 95% of the time but my right leg gets tired in all the traffic lol.

Luck would have it I was delivering to an Amish business and they were still there at 630pm. They said your DM called and said you'd prob be out of hours once you got here. You're welcome to stay on the property. He says take everything off the load I have some things to do but I will have you unloaded by morning. Signs the bills and I head to the truck for some sleep.

Wake up in the morning thinking they didn't unload me. Look out the mirror and I am empty. Slept right through it. The bummer is I think my DM and planner thought I wouldn't get unloaded till Monday so no load as I sit here at the truck stop.

I do get layover pay and I got paid 122 miles for the back tracking of having my load fixed but 2204 miles sucks to me. It's no ones fault you can do everything well and it happens. I'll get a restart, I can call family in the area, if I felt rich I could go see the Phillies vs Marlins.

Decent week to much east coast but I'm going home for Easter it should be a decent week getting home. I did get weighed 2x on my way from NC to PA not saying I wouldn't of weighed my load but having read about the overweight deal this week it made sure I scaled this load. By the way Melton drivers I paid for the scale with my fuel card so I don't have to wait to get paid back.

Hopefully everyone is busier then me this wknd. Have a great week.