Starting at Schneider

Thank you my friend. I’m going to Lumberton and Wallington, NJ. Yeah, I don’t want any special treatment for being a new driver. As a matter of fact, I’d rather do the hard loads nobody else wants to do. I’m kind of crazy like that. I love a good challenge, something that tests my skills and hones them at the same time. I’ve never felt like I had anything to prove to anyone else other than myself. I’ll deliver Monday to both places, if my navigation doesn’t get me lost. lol *Some* city drivers have grand delusions about pushing countryboys around and it never goes well for them. I’ll just remain calm and remember what that air horn is for… Haahaahaa!

 

I never trust electronics and have Always carried a trucker atlas and a good quality compass. I paid for TruckerPath and it sent me on a road yesterday that I got a very good challenge on. Sent me right downtown through Abingdon, Va only to make a very tight right hand turn that was about a 105° turn.(Tighter than 90°). I forced a guy to back up because he ran up on us at the intersection trying to stop us from making the turn. I forced his little pea brain to consider 74,000lbs vs his 3,000lb car. I stopped and refused to let him through because no way could I back up. I barely touched the curb with my passenger side tandems. When we came back through we avoided that road! I now am Very confident in mountains on DRY pavement! One hill at the top we hit an astounding 8-10mph from 45mph at the bottom. My wife said she couldn’t believe that I could make that turn and not hit more than I did. I told her that my trainers taught me how to do that and God helped me through that turn. Beautiful country but a beast to drive 18 wheels through!

 

Cool!! I’m looking forward to seeing all of it!

 

Ok Guys…
Lumberton was no issue at all. Wallington away a different story. I followed GPS AND MY WRITTEN directions- got off by 2 blocks. Oh my, what a mess. I rubbed some curbs but nothing really bad. Very tight quarters, Did I mention VERY TIGHT QUARTERS?? That said, I backed into a dock in one shot with the warehouse guys holding back traffic. We got the heck out of there as fast as we could! Then got dispatched down at the Jersey intermodal area. Yep, from bad to a whole lot worse. Sat there for 1/2 hour with no movement in the line. The line was the longest line I’ve ever seen. Not even close as a traffic jam being that bad! That line seemed 5 miles long and I was sitting there with 4 hours left on my 14 and 13 on my 70. No place there to do a 34, so I called my driver leader and as I was talking to him an armed guard at the Pilot down there told me to keep it moving because there was no place to park. We left there and the only place that had any spots left was where we bought a place last night. We reserved 2 nights there, (where we are now), and will be here for our 34 reset. I can tell you now that intermodal is Not for me, even at $100/mile! I’d rather take an old fashioned beating with a bull whip as ever do that every day. I’m not picky at all, I love to drive, but that intermodal yard can float off out in the river and I would never care. I’d go back and deliver to the drop in Wallington any time, if need be. My wife had never been on bridges like that before and I think it scared her a bit. I told her to hold my hand and we went across those tall bridges. She also saw the NY skyline and took lots of pictures. I’ll post some tomorrow sometime. All-in-all, was a great day, aggravating day, good day and one of the best days of my life with my wife.