My Mercer Experience 8-31-15

Ya see my schedule is a little different. I'm usually unloading in the morning, loading again, then go to where I'm going. Then do the same thing the next day. So I'm always racing the clock. I usually only average 300-400 miles a day. But I'm making good money doing it.

Anyone going to be in Louisville tonight? Heading that way now

 

Had a few minutes on my 30 and thought I would update.

Got down to Dothan AL and unloaded my steel plates. Then deadheaded about 80 miles to bristol FL to pick up my next one. Waited about an hour in line to get loaded. They loaded me in under 10 minutes and put the straps on. I looked at the bills and they said no tarp. I asked the guy and he said no tarp. The info on our board said 6ft tarp so I called the customer. The customer said "we prefer it to be tarped". I said well that doesn't tell me if it's required. He repeated the same thing so I figured I better tarp. Here is where it gets interesting.

The wood yard wants you to use a harness and hook to a cable so you don't fall off of the load. There were 3 people in line for it so I pulled outside the gate to just tarp out there. There were 2 guys out there tarping. Someone from the yard pulled up and banned one of the guys for not using the harness. So I decided to go on down the road and tarp elsewhere. Guess what is not in Florida where I was? A truck stop. I got about 30 miles down the road and found a gas station I could fit in. I rolled the tarps out and it started to pour. When all was said and done, I was soaking wet from head to toe and I was covered in gritty sand/dirt compliments of Florida. Got on up to a truck stop an hour down the road and took a nice long shower and hit the bed.

Delivering this is Louisville today and staying at mercertown tonight. Then bouncing to Indianapolis and getting a loaf going to mobile AL. Tarping in the rain wasn't fun but the money made it all better.

 

Speaking of which, has anyone ever heard of a 4ft tarp being included in every rate? I'm not sure if I ever put it in here or not but one load said no tarp on the board and I get to the shipper and it said tarp. Called the agent and he said "4ft tarp is included in every rate whether you have to tarp or not".

 

That's what I was thinking. I told them I wanted more money if I was going to tarp. He said we'll get you more money. I never heard from him again.