Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

Still at the Pilot on I-40 near Flagstaff.

Anyone ever get a message like this???

Here's what happened....I got an interesting message yesterday. I was already on my load delivering to here when I got a preplan going from AZ up to WA. I looked at just the delivery message on it and was thinking it over as I drove. I wasn't sure how to accept it since I didn't know exactly when I would be dropping the load I was on. A while later I received a couple of messages. One of them was the preplan load being removed and there was a note stating that since I read the preplan but did not respond via MAC 9 that the load was being removed. It went on to say that I would not be eligible to get another preplan for a minimum of 1 hour. I couldn't tell if this was a new automated message (what I was leaning towards) or whether it was someone that was privately messaging me.

So is that the new thing? If we look at a preplan, we are working it yet dont send our mac 9 in time we are punished by not receiving another preplan for an hour?!?!

When I get a preplan I try to work it somewhat accurately so I don't put myself in a position of not being able to deliver ontime, make Swift look bad because it is not on time or make the customer unhappy. Sometimes, especially when we are on recap hours, it takes time to work a 1500 mile load. That's the way it is.

Anyway, it was weird and a little bit unsettling. I'm going to call my DM(s) and see what this is all about.

Yesterday the sent me a preplan picking up from the same place nearby where I had dropped the load out of Iowa. The problem was that in the comments it stated that the fuel shouldn't be above 1/2 a tank. I had fueled that morning and, not paying attention as it was early in the morning and I was still waking up, I let the fuel run and nearly filled up. I never do that but I slipped this time. So I had to turn down the 45,200+ lb. load due to it being too heavy and too much fuel. They were not happy. I got sent a nastygram stating to never fill up. I knew that but I slipped up. My fault. I'll also say that in my last Prostar I believe the fuel capacity was something like 250 gallons total. This truck, I would swear, is about 150 total. So it fills up pretty easily compared to the old truck.

With less than 1.5 hours left on my 14 I was given a plan to pick up a preloaded trailer across the street from the Pilot. Load is going up to Kent, WA and is due in a couple of days, live unload, in the am. About a 1500 mile run and I am on recap hours.

I went over, dropped my empty and picked up the loaded. The trailer brakes were sticking so bad that I was kind of dragging the trailer. Plus there was a top, passenger marker light missing. Not out but completely gone. So I dragged (somewhat) the trailer across the street back to the Pilot, parked and sent my breakdown macro. Estimated time to wait was about 41 minutes but after 1.5 hours I decided to call them. I was exhausted and had been up since 0230 that morning. They said I could bring the trailer over to the Boss shop in the same parking lot. I was beat and not moving so I put the trailer in the shop this morning where it still resides.

Sounds like the slack adjuster is bad on one trailer wheel and the other ones need adjustment. They can replace the marker light easily. Don't know, with this trailer complication, whether I'm going to make the delivery on time.

So here I sit in McD's at the Pilot using the free wifi and picking at a small fry.

 

Oh man I hope I am eligible for mac 30!

I thought that was only available for platinum drivers. To the best of my knowledge in not platinum. Last I heard a while back I was bouncing between bronze and silver. I'll have to check.

Yeah I was surprised to get that message. Never saw that one before. Ive been running pretty hard lately and I love it. Bring it on Swift.

I've talked to a lot of drivers when I was out east that like driving out east. To each his own. But for me I love driving out west and second to that the midwest and south. When I run out here I make miles. Parking is less stressful. There's led bickering on the cb and other truckers give a friendly wave to each other when we pass going in opposite directions out in the middle of nowhere. I love it.

I miss it out here. I drove a new road today out west. I love when that happens. Remember your first time on a new road that you found yourself wishing that day wouldn't end? I had one today going north out of Flagstaff on US 89 thru Page, AZ into Utah. I drove over the Glen Canyon bridge, past Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, close to Zion and in view of Bryce Canyon Nat Park. The sun was setting to my left and I once again questioned "someone is paying me to do this job?!" Those people sitting in cubicles should be envious. If they only saw what I see.

Made it as far as Payson to the Wal-Mart. Easy access and plentiful truck parking. On my way up to Kent.

 

Yeah it was a Purina load from Iowa to Flagstaff. A great run. Heavy and kind of traveled on more back roads.

 

Good for you. Youre almost solo. Try to get everything you can from driving with your mentor. Focus on not only the driving aspects but also the administrative and non driving tasks like moving tandems to get your axles legal and Qualcomm duties. That stuff will help later. Things seem to go much smoother with an experienced trainer on board but once you go solo things will come up. So the more issues with a trainer sometimes will make it easier when you go solo.

I'm sure that the driver that had the trailer before me must have known about the problems but failed to address them. It happens. Theres an outside chance that the marker light issue occurred while on the lot art the shipper and that the brakes issue wasnt noticed. To give the benefit of the doubt. I hate picking up trailers with issues I can't fix but it happens. Part of the job I guess when we have a lot of trailers out there and a lot of drop and hooks.

Something to consider when you go solo. If there is a choice of trailers try to find the good ones.

 

Youre almost there! Almost time to go solo. It's an exciting time.
Try to learn everything you can with your mentor. Look at the administrative side of things as well as just the driving and backing. Learn to get your axle weights legal and pay attention to driving and truck stop etiquette. It will help later. The more issues to come up with a trainer the better it is for you later. I would rather have experienced issues with my trainers than having to deal with them for the first time solo.

Yeah the previous driver may have known about the trailer issues or might not have. It happens from time to time. Part of the job especially when we drive for a company with so many different trailers and so many drop and hooks. When giver the chance to choose from multiple empties find the best one.