life at Roehl ...grc

hey all ..... I am at home for my hometime (stayed out just 12 days this time) .... getting home this time was a better experiance than last time ..... I have made my 90 day anniversary on the 23rd, with Roehl. I believe that means I get a pay increase which will help on the financial front. My miles seem to be down a bit but not every week is gonna be great. I had my first Kroger load into Va and it was alot of wasted time (I ended up putting in for layover and detention). Needless to say, I hope I don't get stuck with too many of these runs. Opti route seems to be getting better as well as my dispatcher seems to be receptive to looking at (and sometimes) approving taking alternate route when suggested. The route going down KY9 from Cincy to I64, I hope they do away with. The 4 lane part isn't bad but then it goes down to 2 lanes thru the hills. My truck slowed down to 30 to 35 mph on most of these hills and I had alot of pissed 4 wheelers behind me (as well as my fuel mileage was terrible). An alternate to that route is taking OH32 east out of Cincy to US35 south to I64. It is mostly 4 lane and the hills are not near as bad. I am having problem getting my fifth wheel to release when I drop a trailer. I usually end up taking my hammer and hitting the pin on the opposite side of the handle. When I stopped at Gary, their response was for me to get a fifth wheel puller so I could get more muscle behind it. I have included checking the fifth wheel handle as part of my trailer inspection for now. Before I came home, I noticed the handle wouldn't release (even after hitting the pin) so I called breakdown to see if I could get it looked at somewhere close to home here before I go out on saturday. I told them I'd be willing to break up my hometime to take the truck to Chillicothe to have the authorized person look at it. They told me that maybe the drive to the shipper in Ky will 'loosen' the pin up and if it still doesn't release while at the shipper call in then. Any suggestions would be greatly appreaciated. I hate to have to waste time at the shipper (it's a drop/hook load) waiting for road service. My load on saturday is a Proctor & Gamble load (my first P&G load) from KY to PA. I've heard P&G is an important account and I'd like for everything to go smooth. I pick up at noon and deliver at 1800 on sunday nite. I figure I'll be waiting until monday morning for my next load. I hope P&G in Pa allows overnite parking as they are in the middle of no where and I'd hate to have to try to find a truck stop on a sunday nite. Plus knowing my luck, I'd go one way to a truck stop only to find my next load is the oppostie direction. Well enough rambling for now. Hope everything for y'all is going well. Be safe.

 

I agree on what should be the pre-trip minimum, but if I know I've been having a problem with something, I'll include it in the inspection until I'm sure it's no longer an issue. I went to the truck today to see if I could get the trailer to release. I tried as suggested and no luck. Breakdown wants me to wait until I'm at the shipper on saturday to have road service work on it if needed. I called dispatch to see if I could get it taken care of tomorrow instead even if I have to drive somewhere. Still waiting on an answer.

 

I finally got the fifth wheel release working .... not sure how but it's working ...... a couple of other truck drivers stepped in to offer assistance ..... after a whole can of WD40 and 5 minutes of a hand sledge whacking at the release pin, it's working ..... thanks again to all for the suggestions given ...... now I can rest for today, I head out 1000 tomorrow