KLLM drivers

Yep....I live

I've just been on a series of "Mission Impossible" runs....scheduling tighter than a Chihuahua's.....umm...well....you know....
90%+ of the time, I have a preplan right about the time I get within 100 miles of the receiver.

I spent New Year's Eve/Day at the Jackson yard. Since I FINALLY had some time to breathe, I decided it was prime time for me to, at last, go get me a real fridge for my truck. I went to WalMart and got the biggest dorm fridge they had. I then spent NYE taking the nightstand out of my truck to make room for the new fridge, installing the fridge, and putting in some carpeting...and just generally cleaning my truck (WAY overdue!)
So, while I'm merrily tinkering away in my truck, trying to remove the six bolts holding my nightstand in with a pair of pliers (since, silly me, I forgot to put my wrenches back in my toolbox after my last trip home...), there is a heck of a storm raging outside that I'm only very dimly aware of (somewhere around the very last row in a very large amphitheater....waaaayyy back in some dark, forgotten corner of my awareness). It was only later that I discovered that I came the hair off a mouse's butt from delivering a whole mess of McGriddles to the Wonderful Land of Oz as a tornado went through nearby.
BUT! I now have an honest-to-god fridge in my truck!! I also got an electric skillet and a new coffee pot. I'm utterly blissed out! I have yogurt, fresh veggies, hot pockets, strawberry-banana milk, boudin, salad, mayo, lunchmeat, fresh fruit....geeze...it's freakin' awesome! I need to get some eggs though. I have my hot tea in the morning, hot cocoa, I cooked boudin and green beans....ahhhhh!

Right now, I'm just north of Indianapolis, headed to McAlester, OK to deliver on Friday.

RT

 

Wow, glad to here about your new fridge. That has to be great for the road. Now, If I can just figure out how to squeeze one in a Columbia Day Cab, I'll have it made. LOL
As far as the tornado...... I hear ya. Been there and done that. I had one pass by me near Ardmore, Oklahoma. The truck was rockin and swayin' in the parking lot of the truck stop, and I heard someone yell Tornado, Tornado on the CB. As the pucker factor reached about 95, all of a sudden it was gone. I stood on the step on the drivers side with the door open, watching it drift off and then up and away it went. I had never seen a tornado until that day. Louisiana doesn't specialize in them, and they are rare here. I really don't want to see another one. Needless to say, my rear end was biting button holes in my undershorts.

Stay safe. Look me up if you get to Associated Grocers in B.R. We have KLLM trucks in the terminal, (sometimes 3 or 4) backed in to a door every morning when I get to work.

 

glad to hear you are still trucking about...

learning alot with KLLM and still think the world of the company.

made quite a bit more $$$ in the last month, (at least compared to what I am used to) lol. Truck is in the shop right now though... air, oil, and exhaust leaks....

 

Romans, glad KLLM is working out for you and hope your lease is a success. Yeah, I still drive everyday. Our company covers La, Miss, and East Texas. Sometimes I drive 100 miles and go home after a few hours. Sometimes I barely make it back in my 11 hour drive time. Sometimes I have to do a layover on the way back and stay at a hotel, but those are pretty rare. I usually sleep at home every night. I'm kinda getting spoiled. But I still enjoy shifting through 10 or 13 gears and looking in my mirror at a 53' reefer. Stay safe.

 

Don't you just love Jackson? LOL
Seriously If you but a fridge from Wal Mart also pay the $20 for the extended service plan. My experience with dorm fridges is they usually last about a year on an inverter. Then the next thing you know is the compressor slowly gives up the ghost. After that sour milk and melted ice cream.
The larger capacity compressors do not seem to have this problem. At least the fridge I've got now has out lasted the previous 4.(yes I bought extended service plans for from Wal Mart)
I called Haier after their 2nd one gave up the ghost. The rep I spoke to said they do not warranty products that have been in a mobile setting(ie a truck) or run off an inverter.

 

By the by, A few years back ran into a tornado. Hard part sitting in the drivers seat with the truck on its side trying to figure out how do I get down from hear (6 feet in the air strapped into the drivers seat)
Next laugh was a few weeks later when I called back to safety bout the damage. The shipper, when duly notified, that the damage was a result of an act of nature, god, ie KLLM would not be entertaining a cargo claim (company is not responsible for acts of god) discovered that they could recover the cargo. The trailer was several hundred dollars to repaint the side(towing company dragged it off the freeway to get out of traffic).
The tractor was another story 10's of thousands of dollars to replace the cab. The structure of the cab was pretty well wrecked. It did one job well it protected the driver from injury(ME).

 

If this fridge lasts a year then it will have beat out the truck stop variety 12v fridges by about 8 months. Not a single one of those that I bought lasted over 4 months before biting the dust. And this fridge only cost about $30 more.
I got the 4.3 cubic foot one....

Speaking of trucks on their sides....
Not long into my driving adventure, I came upon a traffic backup. Turned out to be a Crete truck on it's side (in broad daylight, dry, flat, straight road...go figure...). I had turned on my CB to see what the tieup was about and realized after a few minutes that one of the people on the radio was the Crete driver. He's still in his truck, on it's side, chatting with drivers on the CB, waiting for someone to come get him out as his seatbelt was jammed and he couldn't wiggle out of it.
I thought he was nuts at first...but then thought "Well...he's OK...so, yeah, what else are you going to do to kill the time while waiting to be extracted?" It struck me as quite humorous....

RT

 

I have tought about the L/P program at KLLM for some time now. The only problem, can never get anyone to return phone calls or emails. The other day was looking at 6 different trucking mags, and not one KLLM ad. Found that strange.

I have been interested in what trucks that we have to choose from. I for one am not getting into one that has lots of miles and out of warranty. I feel that if I am paying, then it better let me make money, not spend.

Been noticing some new volvos on the road lately. What is with this. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Road toad did anyone stop to help that crete driver?

Blsqueak re volvo's The last time KLLM bought volvos they were some of the heaviest company trucks KLLM bought at 23000 lbs. Eventually they were shuffled off to pulling dry vans in the old Vernon Sawyer operation. There are also some comments in Romans thread

 

Looking for informatin on KLLM in the seattle, Wa. area. Where is orientation, starting CPM,do they have Apu's, benefits, home time, what is western regional (states), etc. Looking for information from those in the know-drivers. Any help would be great.