Superior Carriers 2011

4/11-4/15

After unloading Monday I managed to get tankwashed home. It was a close call and had my terminal manager not gone to bat for me I probably would have been heading north on I-95 from Richmond Va rather than south. They had me do one out and back run from High Point to Va Beach on Wednesday.

I will be heading back out on Monday with one of the Hopewell Va to Houston Tx out and back dedicated loads. It will be nice to know where I am going and not need a map for a change.

 

4/17-4/20

Had a very nice week on this out and back dedicated run. Left about 7:00 AM Monday. Swapped out my loaded trailer and was happy to see about 24,000 lbs. Very little surge on this one.

Ran it on down to Houston and they got me unloaded in about an hour on Wednesday.

Only thing out of the ordinary was another companies truck was back there and they were cleaning up a spill. I talked to the driver who was an O/O and he told me "the tankwash didn't tighten his external valve". When he went to load it leaked all over the place. I said something about always checking mine and he mumbled something about being in a hurry. When I went to the back of my trailer to talk to the loader I had to squeeze between my trailer and his. I put my hand on one of his trailer tires and it moved in inch to the side. Not only did he not check his valves but he obviously didn't pretrip his trailer either and was loading a tank with a flat tire. I told him about the tire and helped him air it up from his glad hands all the while listening to him tell me about running the skinny roads back in the 70's hauling stuff that will kill you quick in between ######## about the condition of the trailers he was forced to pull.

I got up early the next 2 mornings to avoid traffic around Baton Rouge and Atlanta arriving back at the terminal around noon. After about 2 hours getting my pump cleaned out from last weeks load to Va Beach I was off by 3:00PM.

I also bumped into one of the trainers at my terminal. He had a new trainee fresh out of driving school who was about to pull a loaded tank for the first time. If he makes it I will no longer be the only one from my terminal. It was good to see someone else avoid the big van company driver mills.

I head back out Sunday afternoon with a coal mine load. Sounds like fun pump unload with 80 feet of 2 inch hose. Hooked to my trailer yesterday and its real light..only about 8,000 lbs on the 5th wheel guage.

 

I haven't met him yet, just talked to the trainer. I was hooking up to my load at the same time he was hooking up to his. I recognized the deer in headlights look on his face from seeing myself in the mirror about 3.5 years ago.


edit

If you are talking about the guy in Texas I am not sure of the company but the trailer had a black star on it...no company name.

 

Pump unloading now. Been pumping 2 hours and less than 2,000 lbs has come off the 5th wheel. Picking up a loaded trailer in Louisville heading to Calhoun Ga for Wed AM after this.

 

I have generally gotten loads out of Memphis pretty fast. kentucky24 posts here and worked out of Memphis. He liked it as a company driver but had a falling out with them as an O/O.

If you can get hired on it is a good way to jump start a driving career. Lots of advantages. Training is done local or you will stay in hotels if OTR. No team driving with a trainer in the bunk. Everyone makes the same pay so once solo you will start at .43 loaded, .35 empty plus all the hourly stuff.

Good luck.