Stevens Transport aviary

Well, supposedly they need this load so bad they will take it when it gets there. So I am 72 miles from delivery and I get my first flat. Did I mention I would have about thirty minutes left on my 11 when I got there? So now I sit waiting for roadside service at a rest area that came up right after the left rear outside drive lost most of it's tread except for a three inch strip around the outer edge. So I'll be taking a break here and delivering after that. They want me to do an eight but who will know if I oversleep?

 

Well started off as a good day, got to denver early to unload at Safeway and they took me early and had me done 20 mins after my appt time was set. Get the usuall message head to garden city (meat patch) Every time I go to Colorado this is where I go. Bad part is meat patch = sit and wait. They had all day to plan a load for me and nothing yet. I am a lease operator and have a truck payment on top of my living expenses. Think it may be time to reconsider this whole lease thing if every two weeks I am gonna sit 2-3 days in the F*^&H meat patch. 48 on my 70 no need for a reset. Sighs

 

Thats where communicating with the DM the day before the unload comes in. Especially in the meat patch, where downtime is the norm.

 

yes but how does one weed through the standard DM response as reliable as canned messages

 

The last reset I had that was not at home or in the yard was in Oct and that was because I had a delivery at Hunts Point the day Hurricane Sandy hit. I guess I have just been lucky, even meat loads have been ready and waiting lately. I just keep juggling the recap hrs and they keep keep me rolling. I am company side, but that should not have anything to do with it.

 

You have to build a reputation with meat, that you will roll and roll legally and hard on a meat load. No wasted time. And you really want to get out of the meat patch quick, request a 4 or 5 stop meat load going to Los Angeles, or New York city. Then run hard, and only take 10 hour breaks and get ahead of the load. Then make the deliveries on time.
After doing that, I rarely sat in the meat patch.
also, any delivery to Denver, or Cheyenne, you will ALWAYS go to the meat patch. Learning the freight lanes is critical to making it as an alliance driver.

 

Its bitter sweet cuz I live in Colorado springs so yeah i got to o by the house. THey sent me a DLD of Friday at 1500 I was like WTF, got right on the horn and called the planner that sent it out. Now I have a better load, earlier DLD but its gonna be a challenging load to run time wise. But alas I will prove myself as I have in the past. Hows that new gig going TLea?

 

I live in Casper WY, talk about long deadheads to even get to the meat patch. Coming off hometime, I would call the meat planner, two days before coming off home time, to set up a load. Always had to get them to understand that I had a minimum 8 hour drive just to reach the plant.
Now you have been given a challenging load time wise... now is the time to set that reputation. Make the delivery on time legally and safely. Try to drive out your 11 hours in 12 hours of working time, then take a 10 hour break, and do it again. You will be amazed at the time you will gain. Also plan on 600+ miles in that 11 hours. A small cost in fuel mileage, to NOT set for 2 or 3 days pays off.

Oh and hauling crude oil is going good. But like all commodities, it is feast, run hard for a week, and then work for 5 hours a day hauling one load a day.

 

So I get to the delivery at 4:45 and I was told it was 24 hours. Nope they open at 6. No waiting on site. So I'm sitting down the street and around a corner waiting.

 

Can I go to Stevens with a CDL temps or no? And if I can, do I take the Texas CDL test or do I come back to my home state for the test? Can someoe help me please?