Post Gordon ~ Thoughts, Commentary & Reflections

Wayne-O-Wayne-O!!

Wayne and I just pulled into the yard and dropped our trailers. He's off and bobtailing home. Supposed to drop below zero again tonight, so running water's a question mark. Last night, when the water started to run again, had myself a nice Epsom salt soak and this morning an early shower.

Life's little luxuries, you know.

My assigned truck this morning had a red tag and it was downright painful to see Reed the Mechanic on hands and knees in the snow swapping out mud flaps on the tractor I had yesterday. On pretrip I noticed the passenger side missing and the support bar bent. How'd that happen? Wayne knew, oh, yeah, driver dropped his air and backed up, tore it off. Well, if so, he didn't write it up and I chose to run with it that way to Dayton rather than change trucks.

"Bring it over," Reed the Mechanic said, once he stood up, referring to today's assigned truck with the air line issue. It was 5 degrees but with the wind had the bite of 10 below. When I fired the truck up it wouldn't move. Nope, not going anywhere. Bags dropped, differential locked, ATC on, nada. Reed the Mechanic brought a shovel and I scraped with my pin puller all to no avail. Not going anywhere. Tires spun, truck did not move.

"Take something else," he barked. So I took the tractor I had yesterday. Cool! And I know it's full of fuel because I-I-I-I fueled it!!

I ran to St. Louis, Wayne's regular run and he ran Kentucky, Trainer Frank and Sunday Driver's regular that I often get when they're off. I ran out I-70, topped off in Effingham, and came back on I-64, cutting north on I-69. Somehow, Wayne caught up to me on the way back from Kentucky and slowed down so we could run together, my truck being buttoned at 62.

We had a good talk and some good laughs. When he came by I looked over and saw a red truck and a big-eared guy waving at me (fresh haircut), leaning full over his dash. After that it was just his tail lights and his dirty rear end--well, the trailer. The trailer's kinda dirty.

Would a driver who watches Jeopardy with his wife, both in their underwear, intentionally moon a fellow driver? Hope not. Dunno and probably don't want to find out. Told him that as far as I'm concerned, watching Jeopardy constitutes mental cruelty... whether in underwear or out. Saw enough of his rear end today... rear end of his trailer, of course!


//12 loaded trailers on the yard tonight!!

 

Pecking Order Adjustments

Pipes frozen again last night, no surprise, since was down around 13 below. Supposed to heat up fast, though, to 28 or so and it's 12 now according to radio. Accuweather hasn't updated since 0 temp a little earlier. Good chance I'll have running water if does hit 28...

Tika, my English black lab, flapped her ears a lot last night, means I've got to clean them again. Have been feeding the dogs a little scrambled egg with their kibble and maybe she's allergic at least a little bit despite liking the egg a lot. For a while I cooked them chicken scraped off chicken quarters and brown rice. She did really well on that. Haven't looked at her ears yet, at least the one's probably red and swollen inside. Poor Tika!

Freddy, Brittany mix, never has an ear problem. Ears always look good, nicely pink and dry inside. No run today so I've got time to tend the dogs and everyone else. Have not opened up the two coops and may not until gets a little warmer outside.

New waterer--well, old waterer--I put in with the 10 Golden Comet chicks works well. It fit nicely on top of a feed bowl turned upside down. Holds about a gallon. They're getting pretty rough and tumble.

The girls, egg-layers of tomorrow (oh, 4-5 months from now), look surprisingly fully feathered and when picked up feel like a pretty full handful. Was on the cell with the guy I bought them from and he was talking about his feathering out and putting them out in an outbuilding. Seemed premature to me just then since mine weren't ready and his could not be ready either, came out of same ship box from Mt. Healthy Farms. But maybe he's right.

Their roosting instinct has kicked in and pushes their roughness to each other to sort out pecking order. The only 'roost' available was the top of plastic chick feeder and there's not room for all 10 side-by-side with each other. Some are satisfied to roost on the floor of the box, accepting their 'lower' status in the hierarchy. Not all appreciate being left out of the 'top.'

I'll hear flutter of wings, a small chick screech or two and then a lot of feather flutter and screeching as one launches from the floor of the box the couple inches up to the top of the feeder to knock some sister off her perch, disrupting the girls on either side, too. Went on like that for a long time.

Just try, try sleeping to THAT, along with Tika's ear flapping. Ugh!!


//Accuweather just refreshed from 0 degrees to 16 degrees, just like that!! The 'Real Feel' is still only 5 degrees due to 14 mph wind but my chickens are out of the wind. Guess I'll put the monkey suit on and get their day started...

//Yesterday's run 479 miles, Bloomington-St. Louis and turn.

 

Another Curve Ball

Louisville this afternoon, 1430 start. Ugh! Boss emailed that a driver's hospitalized for chest pains and sent 2 drivers to recover truck and trailer, one to continue route and other to bring tractor back.

Well, phooey!! Had just been thinking about construction of an inside chick coop they could grow into with roosts, feed and water area, sorta divisible, expandable. Easy clean. Roosts would be helpful right now. Not today, I guess.

Tika's right ear's very tender, put a capful (roughly one teaspoon) into left and 2 into hurting right ear and massaged both. That'll loosen things up some for further cleaning tomorrow.

Might as well start car up. China Wok soup for lunch, I guess. Sunday the DVIR (Daily Vehicle Inspection Report) book was used up in the truck with the missing mud flap. Meant I had to go into office for another, pass by the Keurig coffee maker there. Had forgotten about that and it's there for our use as well as for the office. Not difficult to figure out and I tried the Breakfast Blend.

Despite that I detest drinking coffee, coffee's a driver's friend. Will miss the speaker tonight at the Y--Get Fit Challenge. Good news is 2x now I've reached my 15-pound goal when I weigh myself in morning, and not really dieting, just analyzing bad eating habits and choices, then eliminate.

Up a small tad this morning due to some eating on way back yesterday--not too much, hand-made deli chef's salad, then, later a chocolate attack, M&Ms and Snickers Peanut Butter, both LARGE.

With coffee. Right--M&Ms and coffee. Even I can like that!! Back at St. Louis, Showman (one of our O/O's like Wayne) was ordering pizza. He had just commented it'd be nice to lose 50 pounds and then orders this incredible Dominoes pizza to deliver there at the receiver. They made him wait while they unloaded bottled water from Texas that arrived AFTER he did.

Was there anything else I ate? I forget... Had my weekly Guinness at the Moose on the way home and some Slim Jims. Don't need those!

 

Lou-Ah-Vull All Wrapped Up!!

This run pays minimum ($145) and as Terminal Boss said about it, "runs the back roads." Yeah, sorta. I'd forgotten most of the run. Ran it with Tank one time. Most our receivers have more than one entrance to the facility and just the opposite of St. Louis where you go in on Sunday against 'No Trucks' signs, this one you DON'T go in where it directs trucks. 'Cause it's closed.

I did a big U-Turn and I know it (now). Then another U-Turn--can't have just one!! Receiver was quick, had me out in a half hour once I found the right dock. Passed it, went on to another, walked inside, someone was nice enough to basically take me by the hand... And there's only ONE bridge high enough to get under so don't get cute or inventive route-wise...

Also forgot where to fuel. When Tank called (with no admonition, "Vic, don't you remember... ") and mentioned 237 goes back to SR 37 a little bell went off. By then I'd called and/or left messages with Trainer Frank, Wayne, Sunday Driver and Terminal Boss. I think Terminal Boss called Tank and had him call me. Both Sunday Driver and Wayne called me back to see if I needed any further help. Didn't leave a msg with Frank...

Had Tank's number in my phone and forgot. Good group of guys here.

You know, I offered Wayne that for 24 hours I could edit out how he and the Mrs. watch Jeopardy. But n-o-o-o-o-o-o, not necessary!! Well, Jeopardy will never be the same will it, if you know they're watching in only underwear.

Go ahead, just try disconnect that almost-nude image from Jeopardy!!

You know, I called DURING Jeopardy and Wayne called me back AFTER Jeopardy. "Okay!! Gotta go, Vic. Glad you're okay. It's time for some serious nookie here, see ya!!" Sure, Wayne, fine. Don't let me slow ya up!!

Wayne has dogs, too. More Wayne stories for another day...

 

JBH Called (JB Hunt)

JB Hunt called this afternoon; I didn't take the call. They've called before and their call center folks have a pushy style where they try steer you where they want you, well-trained to divert you from what you want to know by asking questions to see if you're really a good CDL prospect for them.

Very focused. Skilled.

The call that came this afternoon, from 888-251-0355--if you Google it you'll see it's a JBH call center. I'm not interested in volunteering any information to JBH. One of their recruiters emails pretty regularly after I looked into a CraigsList item for a lease pulling containers out of the Chicago rail yards. That was back in September, right as I was pulling my gear out of the Prairie-run truck and departing for my Trip West. The lease sounded good--except you couldn't look at it.

Oh, maybe, I was told, if I drove up to Chicago and met with the folks there I might get a look at their lease, but no promises. "You know, Victor, our competitors would love to see, to get their hands on our agreements. We can't just pass these things out." Slick, very slick.

Expect me to believe that? Nah. Since I wanted to see a lease, the calls and emails I get are for company driver.

JBH claimed (in writing--advertising materials) 2010 or newer truck, 90-day opt-out, 5-day work week with 48-hours non-weekend hours off or 11 days and 72 off, $28K price, 5.9% interest, non-force dispatch, bonus if no refused loads or preventable at 5-cents/mile paid monthly, no minimum miles. Hell, just buying a 2010 truck for $28K would be a bargain if straight up!

No, no, no. Can't look at a lease, but we'll pay you $75/day to come to Orientation...

Yuppo, bet you would!

 

Ha ha. Yeah, that it is. When I commented that $28K was a great price for a JBH-maintained 2010 (or newer) truck and could I make prepayments or a large down to accelerate ownership, he replied, "Now listen here, we're not in the business of selling trucks! We want to move freight, not sell trucks!" Yeah, but you're offering to sell/lease trucks and I'd like to see your proposed contract! I'm wondering if any of this 'offer' had something to do with the West Coast slow down that should be starting to wrap up now. No minimum miles.

We've got a great offer for you but you can't see it!

Yeah, sure...

 

Slow down has been going on for some time as all 29 ports have been working without a contract for a long time. When I was out there this Fall, could see container ships on the near horizon at Long Beach. I'd bet slow down has affected and softened rates at railheads as well as overall as trucks compete for other replacement freight to haul. I've heard that Long Beach moves a $billion dollars in goods daily.

There'll be a lag as containers come off ships, move onto wheels and rails. Highlights the need for reserves if you're a one-truck operator. A lot of surge work coming off those ships for a while, which should raise rates out of and into ports.

A rate surge coming...

Timing for you, Bright One, pretty good. You got to miss some of the white stuff during stagnant rates and an opportunity for a profitable Spring.

(If it works out that way!)