I Start With Averitt in January 2012

My miles have been off the last two weeks. I averaged 1800 the last two weeks but also had a couple local deliveries at $25 bucks a pop so that helps. Did two local pick ups at Coca Cola in Chattanooga on Friday afternoon and dropped the loaded trailers at our Chattanooga yard. They were loads getting other drivers home for the weekend.

I ended up finishing off an LTL load that originated in Charlotte. I took it from Chattanooga to Jackson, MS. Sunday night and I am just under 400 miles. Here is hoping they have something to get me moving from here tomorrow morning.

All in all no complaints. I got to spend three nights in a row in my own bed and didn't have to leave out until about 2pm today. Watching football in my truck getting ready to bed down for the night.

 

Oh, btw...if you ever have to deliver at Synthetic Turf Solutions in Dalton GA get ready for some backing fun. It's a blind side into tight docks off of a 2 lane residential type road with NO room to pull up. It took me 45 minutes to bump the dock well enough that they could lock me in. I apologized about it taking so long and they told me 30-45 minutes is the average for anyone in a sleeper truck.

 

Picked up in Epes, AL and dropped the load at our Fulton yard. Some other lucky driver gets to carry it on to High Point, NC tonight. Time from pick up to delivery didn't allow me to finish it off, not to mention that it was dispatched about an hour before pick up and I was two hours away. While I was getting loaded in Epes I got a load assignment from Fulton to our Miami yard. I was happy to see that come my way. FM said he'll be looking for a load to get me out of there Wednesday after I deliver. This is gonna be a good week for miles as long as I don't sit in Miami.

 

It was a long day but I made the Fulton to Miami LTL run with 17 minutes left on my 11. My fleet manager said that it looks good to get a load out of here to Alabama tomorrow so a fresh 11 and 14 will be handy for sure.

Time to get some sleep.

 

I slept like a rock last night. Got a load assignment picking up at 1500 in South Bay, FL and headed to Columbus, GA. Doesn't deliver until tomorrow at 0900 but the fellow I talked to in the receiving department said it was okay to park at the customer and to talk to Randy when I get there and he my just put me on a dock when I arrive. That would be GREAT. Get unloaded early and then get my 10 hour break. I'll be looking at over 2000 miles by Thursday morning.

Keep it safe out there.

 

I am glad you are finding this to be helpful. If you decide to go with Averitt use me as a referral if you don't mind. My legal name is Matt Haase. It throws a few bucks my way and that always helps put food on the table. Whatever you decide I wish you well.

Yesterday was "one of those days." I picked up a load in South Bay, FL and it was going to be tight getting it to the customer in Columbus, GA. Took US 27 to avoid the toll roads (Averitt doesn't have SunPass and they don't reimburse out of pocket tolls in Florida as I understand it) so it took several hours to get to the big road. I will find out how much the tolls are and eat the cost myself next time just to save the time. In certain areas you fly at 65 and then every 5 or 6 miles there is a town with 50 traffic lights. UGH. After I got onto I-75 I was pulling into a rest area for one of my bathroom stops when two of my back passenger side trailer tires blew.

Averitt's breakdown is great. They are very quick to respond and I was fixed up in about 90 minutes, however that left me with not enough hours to get to the customer without a 10 hour break. Night dispatch decides to repower the load in Jacksonville. They tell me to head that way. I told them to send me a load change so I could drop the trailer when I got to Jacksonville yard. I am cruising along and just 30 miles out from the yard and no load change yet so I call night dispatch to have them send the load change. The girl tells me they haven't found a driver to take the load so they may have me finish it off after my break.

Now mind you, I was almost 2 hours into a break at the rest area. I could have rolled at 8:30 in the morning and had it at the customer by 1330. It was due at 0900. Now it would be more like 1700 before I could get it there doing a 10 at Jacksonville.
I rolled my eyes and kept on rolling. Night dispatch is the ONLY thing about Averitt that reminds me of Swift. They tend to lack common sense at times. However, they are very nice and talk to you with dignity and respect. I rarely got that from anyone at Swift.

As I got onto 295 about 3 miles from the yard the load change showed up. I dropped the trailer and another driver was there shortly to get the load to the customer on time. It worked out well, but it was stressful none the less.

Tonight I will run an LTL from Jacksonville to Greenville, SC. Good little run that adds to my miles and gets me closer to home. Only problem is all the time in the truck until pick up. I am going to put on civilian clothes and take me a walk and get away from the service center for awhile. That does a body good and my body needs all the good it can get.