Superior Carriers 2011

You see tank wash guys using pressure washers wands to clean out hoses all the time. That's how that inner lining gets damaged. Still pretty rare though. Also you usually don't have that much pressure build up unless you pumping into the bottom of a tank, its a real long uphill run, there is a blockage somewhere, or a valve is closed. Glad you are OK.

 

I have never slept there. If I couldn't make it to the terminal I would probably just camp out at PSC Tankwash. They have showers and right around the corner is Rays barbecue.

 

Had a screwy sort of breakdown getting home yesterday. I was heading down US 19 in West Virginia between I-79 and Beckley yesterday. As I was coming through all those stop lights in the middle of it I stopped at one. When I hit the splitter button to get into low gear it broke off and hit the floor.

Here I was sitting at the stop light in 6th gear and no way to get to the bottom of the range. Fortunately I was on a slight downgrade so I was able to ride the clutch enough to get the truck moving enough to get onto the shoulder.

Luckily it was right across from an Autozone. I put out my reflectors, headed over there and bought some 2 part plastic epoxy 3200lb tinsel strength that supposedly sets up in 15 minutes. I glued the splitter button back on waited a while. This glue is supposed to set up for 24 hours to reach full strength. After about 2 lights it came off again.

While working on it I came up with a back up plan. I found that I could move the splitter with a paper clip held like a guitar pick and that's how I got it back to the yard.

 

2006 International with 630K on her.

Doesn't stink too bad. I had to go to the Dr today and the truck was due a PM service anyway.

They had to order the part and I almost got taken off of the dedicated run to Plaquemine for tomorrow. They pushed back my load time to noon instead of 8 AM so I get to sleep in a little tomorrow. I have Achilles tendonitis and that load is a good one to rest it. All customer load and dropped at delivery.

 

Most of the other drivers have been here a lot longer than me. Also this truck was a trainers truck who transferred in from Kankakee. He left to go flat bedding and they put me in this truck at about 350K. It has the Eagle package and was nicer than a lot of the other company trucks. We have a very good shop in High Point and run the trucks longer than other terminals. My turn will come. I am comfortable as long as it runs and the heat and AC work.

 

7/25-7/30

Plaquemine Load went off without a hitch. It was tighter than normal with the later loading time and no change with the delivery appointment. Got it dropped in Friday morning and was on my way home by 8:00 AM.

I was expecting this week to be below average but that changed with my load for next week.

I load in Hugenot NY at 8 AM Monday morning. that will put another 5-600 empty miles on this weeks check since I will have to run Sunday. This is the same dry bulk out and back load that I did 2 weeks ago.

I will be home Tuesday if they don't keep me running like last time.

 

8/1-8/4

Got loaded Monday in Hugenot in the usual 5 hours. Ran that load back in to Brown Summit Tuesday and found a preloaded trailer with my name on it sitting at the terminal. It delivered in Dalton Ga Wednesday.

This was a 2 compartment load that delivered to 2 Shaw Industries plant across the street from each other. It took 4 hours to air off those 2 loads and I was tankwashed back to High Point. I had to stop short due to e logs and got back into the terminal this morning(Thursday).

I was told that it's "slow" and that it would be next week before I get out unless they get a phone call. Not wanting to be "on call" I changed some Dr appointments I had scheduled for the 12th to tomorrow, called dispatch and told them I could go back out next week and run a full week. I am taking my personal day tomorrow rather than next Friday.

Hopefully this is a short term one week deal and that we are not beginning to feel the pain of losing the west coast snot loads to rail.
I can't really complain though. I am still running about $1,000 ahead of last year YTD but I was running west coast freight this time last year.