Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

Looks like I'll be in Ocala, FL until at least Monday. My clutch slave cylinder went, or that's what they think it is. They said its a common problem with the 2014 Prostar. I was told this morning that the couple of rock chips in the windshield require the windshield to be replaced so I have to wait at least until Monday for the replacement.

I'm debating finding a cheaper local hotel and grabbing a cab out of here for at least the night. I don't want the expense but I also don't feel like sitting here uninterrupted for a few days.

They won't do the B service now as I'm not within the 2000 miles of it being due. I'm just under 38000 miles and the B service isn't due until about 41000. I'm not going to sit at another terminal a week and a half from now waiting on a B service though. So Monday I'm going to tell my DM to send me back to Richmond as I get closer to the service being due so I don't have to sit at some other terminal for more days doing nothing.

This terminal doesn't have vending machines that take a debit or credit card either so I'm stuck with what I have in the truck. I wasn't planning on being here so long.

For entertainment there are little lizards running up and down these trees. They have a little pinkish pouch that they extend under their mouth/chin. Kind of cool.

Gonna go check on that hotel room now and see if I can get out of here...

 

Thanks.

Definitely. Just trying to go with it and see what happens. I know it probably won't go anywhere, its a very real possibility judging from experience. But even if it doesn't I'm happy that something is happening to begin with. Its a confidence booster if anything. I'm letting her lead as she wants and trying not to over think it too much - easier said than done. Haven't heard from her from since yesterday but that's fine. Let her enjoy her weekend and when she is ready she can make the contact.

I'm thinking somewhere down the road I may have to drive local or regional but I won't do that prematurely and I won't do it for the wrong person. I love my life as it is with the exception of this lack of companionship. It will take someone special to get me to stop.

 

Good deal. That's not a bad shop. I probably get most of my work done there as well due to home times out there. They crew is always pleasant over there, pretty laid back.

I bet you're looking forward to getting that A/C up and working with this heat. I see that it is in the mid 90s today up in Virginia.

Those lizards are everywhere out here. Lots of small wildlife around here for sure.

 

Will do Frank. I"m still here at Ocala waiting on my windshield. Not sure if they fixed the clutch issue yet, I'm going to go check here in a few minutes. Looks like I'll be here at least through Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

My DM stated today that I wouldn't be able to get breakdown pay because they have an old Volvo here I could take to replace my truck in the shop. I understand that but I explained to him that I can't move my truck from the shop area because of the bad clutch so I can't get it alongside that safety ramp to move stuff from one truck to the other. And I'm not going to try and move the contents of my truck including my tv and pillowtop mattress (heavy and cumbersome!) into another truck without that ramp. If I could move my truck I would run off property to get some supplies. As it is, I have to take a cab to Walmart to go get stuff and that's going to cost me at least $15 each way.

So after explaining this to him that I am unable to switch trucks, he is trying to resubmit the breakdown pay. I also explained to him that I was told my Onroad to bring my truck to the International dealership but I opted to go a little further to the terminal. I thought that was a better move as they would have had to put me up in a hotel if I had brought the truck to the dealership. I really probably should have had the truck towed to the terminal or dealership instead of driving it.

When I drove it to the terminal I stopped at a scalehouse here in Florida and I couldn't even keep the truck from moving forward with the clutch fully depressed. My mistake and error in judgement in driving it up here.

So i"m stuck until at least Tuesday or Wednesday here. I told my DM that my B Service, which they wont do here yet because I'm not within the 2000 mile window, is going to be due in another week. I'm not going to sit at another terminal hanging around a week or so from now when that service is due. I want to go to WAshington or Richmond and at least get out of the terminal. I'm getting restless and I don't want to repeat this again so soon.

Otherwise it's been ok here at the terminal. I've been hanging out until the wee hours of the morning with the same group of stranded drivers. One is waiting on a load, a Central waiting on a load back to Cali and another that is waiting on a repair. So we stay up late into the night watching lizards and toads hunt and general bs'ng outside.

I texted the North Carolina girl on Sunday after not hearing from her all weekend. I played it cool and just asked how her weekend was going. She seemed fine. Said she had a good weekend and that was about it. I've definitely noticed a trailing off in communication on her end even though she hasn't mentioned anything. So, again, I plan for the worst and mark it up as "one of those things". She said she wanted me to come down and meet up when I'm out in Virginia again so I will most likely do that. But, again, I know it might now go anywhere and I am probably setting myself up for failure to a degree. But that's what I do best and what I"ve always done best. In the meantime I have been superficially communicating with some other females from this site although none of them move me like Miss North Carolina. But maybe that's what it's meant to be. Honestly I would be happy just to have someone to meet up with, sit down and have a conversation with when i go out to WAshington. Nothing big. Something simple.