Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Hello and Welcome @holly123

Feel free to jump write in.
No need to catch up on the 400/800 pages.

 

I see what you did there.

 

Goldie Hawn's buns of steel! Yes?

 

I can understand that and of course, I would never refuse a load they need done. Out there we're a team and have to work together. That said however, I feel there's nothing wrong with asking if I can have the type of run's I like best for the most part. It's not even about the miles as much as I just really love running out west. Having been raised in the east, I like the "newness" of scenery out there.

Had to chuckle when I read this as it brought back a rather funny (yet sore) memory for me. About 2 months into driving I delivered a full live unload to Salt Lake City on a Friday. I asked dispatch to keep me rolling for the weekend so they had me drop the MT at our terminal in SLC (right across the street from Sapp Bros. TS) and grab a loaded box going to Butte, MT. Our terminal was closed when I got there but the box and paperwork were there. A sealed beverage load (so I couldn't peak inside it) that only weighed 22.5k. So I said the same thing. Cool! No need to scale this box, just grab and run. It was an old, heavy Great Dane trailer with no sliding tandems.

So off I go and I got tagged at the first weigh station on 15N in Idaho. 4,675 on the drives! I'm like ... What?? That's not possible! (I even had them reweigh it). Sure enough it was over. I get a ticket of course and nobody home at the office. So I head to Dad's TS up the way a spell hoping I can get hold of someone for a solution. No such luck.

At this point I knew the load would have to be adjusted anyway so I decided to break the seal and have a look. Sure enough it was just 4 full pallets of Crush soda pushed right up against the front that heavy box and strapped in with "our straps"!! So I KNEW the previous driver saw the way it was loaded. Nice of him ... eh? lol

Still no word from the office, I go inside for a bite to eat and also browse the TS (never there before) and I see they sold heavy duty crank straps. The old carpenter brain in me started turning ... Hmmmm ... bet I could pull them pallets back some. Plenty strong enough at 5500 lbs. but only 30 feet long so I had to get two of them. Cost me about $100.

Not wanting to "crank" for hours I dropped the box, pulled the bobtail around the back, hooked the straps together and pulled 2 of them puppies (1 at a time) to the back of the trailer. Good to go! By the time the office got back to me I was almost to my destination. I explained everything to them and asked if they would reimburse me for saving them the trouble of sending someone to re-adjust the load. I got an attaboy! and they paid for the ticket but not the straps. I still have them and they come in handy.

From that point forward, no matter what the weight, If I couldn't see the load myself? I scaled it. lol

Couple pictures of the operation.

 

In Covington, Ga for a live load going to Manassas, but must drop it at the yard. Passed another Abilene driver on Ga 11 earlier. Looked to be just coming off of home time as he was bobtailing. He tried to raise me on the CB, but my CB hears great, but won't get out. I must find a good CB shop soon to get this thing talking. #### amateur radio operator and can't get my CB to talk. LOL

 

Yes!

 

Well, I got another load of sugar heading north... My first time here so it was a bit awkward to get to the right place... Finally spoke to someone at receiving (after they finished their lunch of course) and now parked waiting for my call. Was hoping to jump the gun a but and get out of here quick, but nope.

Next time here will be smoother for sure.

 

Still in Covington, Ga. No rush at this place. Beginning to look like I'm going to have to make this a 2 day trip. Running out of 14 time just sitting. I was noticing last week on the safety board that I had a 7mpg with a very high idle %. And I have to ask, is there still land west of the Mississippi river? I asked for west and Texas runs, but they are running me like a east regional/local driver. I asked for long runs, and they give me one day, 400 to 500 mile runs and keep bringing me back to AME-R. I don't mind short runs as long as they keep me rolling. Am I asking too much?

 

All that hassle for the sake of a crude map and instructions scribbled on an a4 sheet and handed to drivers at first guard shack.

 

Take them as they come... We all would like those long hauls... But those other runs will add up too.