The adventures of 'Team Klingon'

Thank you! I guess we didn't get up in time, and no-one called on our posted truck... But we got one heading north tomorrow. We are going to touch base with a couple folks that put their hand out when we went north last time. Then head east for a few weeks... Try to catch some of the great paying freight although we got van rates heading north, it's still more than we made as lease ops! Hours are for solo though... Going to need to work on that part - LOL!

 

Oh and another fun part of having your own authority is to get an audit done from the FMCSA... Usually in a couple months after you start up... Well we got a letter in the mail requesting documents for our AUDIT!! Haven't even been in business two months! Well at least that limits some of the documentation amount... LOL! And the adventure continues!!

 

View attachment 68589 View attachment 68590 This was an interesting load... Raspberries!! Each barrel weighs about 340-360 lbs... Two rows right in the middle were double stacked! We used SIX (6) load locks on this load!! Not one berry spilled

 

Well we've now been out for almost four weeks... Visited almost every black hole for freight there is... Finally broke down and hired a dispatch service (OK another carrier/driver that is having to be off the road for surgery, and needing to make some side money)... So far on this first load with him, he did better than we were doing... Too much time on the load though... IMHO... He's use to running solo, and it seems like most of the loads on the boards are geared for solos... So we are still afloat, and still out here, and still have a BUNCH to learn!!

 

Yep ... Home more often before ... And we have to get the fleet up and running for us first

 

Well we are still running... Tried chasing the 'spot' market and not doing the best at it. Missing family and friends... Got spoiled with that loop we had, seeing them weekly... So we are going to try to stay in the west, so we can swing by the house occasionally. Do shorter hops... Frequently! Deliver one in the AM, pick up one in the PM, run at night and repeat... At least that's our thoughts right now... Get to visit with some of the receivers more frequently and maybe make some customers out of them... Can't with the shippers, because those are the brokers clients. So after sitting another day while on a load, we are on our way to a delivery, then rolling up to Portland, OR... West Coast!!

 

This having your own business is not always fun! On our way to Portland our check engine lights and the EEC 61 code came up... DEF/DPF stuff... So we were able to deliver, but then instead of risking having a load on (since a repower is now out of the options we have) we deadheaded from OR to French Camp, CA... Truck worked on thought all was good. Got a load, but thankfully hadn't picked it up yet!! Lights came on again! This time they said it just might be the 'black box' that will need to be replaced!! OMG! They quoted $7000-$7500 as a worst case, and at this point, that would put us out of business!! Thanking God and any other powers people sent our way it didn't turn out to be the worst case... But you never know!

So we are on our next load... Nervously checking the light almost more frequently than our mirrors!

Ah... The joys of trucking AND being your own company!!