Heading For Little Rock! Maverick

Well I am not home. I am in Haw River NC at the flying J. My Brother in Law lives about 15 miles from here and they are going to come down and take me to dinner tomorrow...which will be nice.
Well we last left our driver....me....getting ready to head down to Logan Aluminum.
It was a 6 hr drive and I rolled in there at 0100. I got sent all the way around back and got unloaded right away. Took about 45 minutes total and then I was parked for sleep. I got up around 6 and by 0700 I had a load picking up at precision strip heading to Oklahoma City. I could not roll until 1000.
I got over there in about 30 minutes and there was another Mav driver ahead of me.
We spoke briefly, but he was not what I would call friendly.
He got loaded first and was finished tarping. I was still working on mine as he looked at me and pulled out. No good bye...see you later...just a blank stare.
My goal from that point was to beat him to the consignee in Oklahoma City.
I made it all the way to Ft Smith to spend the night. The place was packed and I had to double park in the front.
As I was getting ready to leave, Terry comes up to me and says "Is that your load?"
I said yes. He said he did not have a chance to look it up yet. He says are those coils? I say yes...aluminum skidded coils. He says OH...ALUMINUM...I saw the straps and got concerned! You are OK (Which I knew of course....lol)
So I headed out and and made it to the street before the consignee and could not wait any longer....I needed to use the bottle. While i was in the back another Mav truck passed me but missed the driveway and was up the street, so I got in before he did. I thought it might be my friendly helper, but It turned out to be Mike, who I went through orientation with. Had not seen him since then.
Got unloaded right away and was waiting for my next call when mr friendly rolls in.
I ended up sitting there for 3 hours before I finally got my next call to pick up a load of drywall in fletcher OK.

When I got to Fletcher there were not too many trucks. I was the second to last truck in and the last truck loaded as it was a mixed load going to a supply house.
Everytime the loader looked at his list he shook his head....so I knew it would take a while. Oh, backing in was a real joy. If you have never been there , they are the tightest docks I have ever backed into.
Once loaded I pulled out to the tarping lot and pulled in next to another MAV driver who was finishing up. We spoke and he complained about the crummy tarps he got in a swap...so he was not in the best of moods.
I was secured and getting to roll my tarps out when he hops in his truck and leaves with out say good bye and least of not helping me at least roll my tarps out.
It was getting dark, and it looked like it could rain....but I really did not care as I had decided that I would spend the night and get an early start.
At the other end of the lot were a few owner ops and one of them came walking down to me. He said they had all noticed how my fellow Maverick had left me and not at least helped me roll my tarps out. So he helped me and we shook hands and I thanked him.
This load of dry wall was going to Brownwood Texas. It is the geographical center of Texas...or at least very close to it.
The directions were not correct and my gps seemed to think I could turn off of an overpass and I passed over the place. I got turned around and made it no problem.
After I put in my mt I got a message right away from Pam the CSR for texas.
She said that I was a long way from anything and that it was going to take awhile.
We communicated back and forth and was working on finding me a load to go on this week, but she did have one picking up in spicewood tx going to Raleigh NC 1466 miles.
After a few hours I asked her to just give me the Raleigh run. I already had 2000 for the week and did not want to sit all day and then still not make it home.
I went over to the shipper...AGM. They will let Maverick drivers park inside the gate if you get there before it closes. They have a shower(cold water) and toilet.
The crane was broke so they loaded me with fork lifts. I also had two pallets that I had to tarp. Not a lot of room between the granite.
I stopped in New Carney at the flying J for the night and headed out early.
I made it to Tyson AL last night...650 miles and I made it to Haw River NC today 536 miles.
I just have 65 miles to go on Monday Morning.
I almost forgot. After I left the shipper on Thursday I got a message asking if I would be able to stop in LR and take the course so I could get on electronic logs.
I sent back that I was not going that way. Response-What way are you going.
So I called my FM and asked if it was him asking me the questions.
I told him that I had that qualcom on my truck for over 6 months and no one had said a thing. I just went by LR this week. I told him I was taking I10 across and then up I65.
He said they were beating on him to get me in. ( I have only been on his board a short time)
He said he would get me through LR sometime next week. So the leash is about to be tightened...lol
So hope you all have a great day and a great week. I paid for a day of internet today so I could watch the Buckeyes on espn3.com...So I will be able to post until tomorrow afternoon!
Later!

 

I have no problem doing them by myself and no one has any obligation to help anyone. Having said that though, it just helps to build the camaraderie and it only takes a couple of minutes. I will go through the class whenever they have a load taking me that way.
I knew it was going to happen eventually.

 

You are sociable enough, I found out who you were when we met!