My journey at Landstar

Update. So I got an empty weight this morning, the difference was 46,740lbs. Hopefully this puts an end to this, it clearly show the shipper had no flipping clue what the load weighed.

 

So I’m coming out of Chesapeake, Virginia this morning, rolling up 58 just on the other side of Suffolk I start smelling burning brakes or a similar smell. I’m wondering if it’s me or someone in front of me.

Finally almost to Franklin I finally find the culprit, smokes just rolling from the trailer tires of a driver in front of me. I sped up to get next to him, the guys oblivious, he’s to busy scrolling on his phone to God forbid glance in his mirrors occasionally. I blow my horn and get his attention, point back at his POS trailer, he managed to pull himself away from his phone and pull over. SMDH

 

Thursday morning I woke up in Wytheville, Va, did my pre trip and noticed my coolant reservoir was drastically low, noticed some coolant on the ground. Couldn’t really pinpoint where the leak was coming from, but I had a sneaking suspicion it was the water pump.

I added some coolant, and crossed my fingers I could make my delivery, and then limp it back home, to get into the shop I use in Charlotte.

Sure enough it is the water pump, and after a few hours of searching they found the water pump (parts shortage). Hopefully by the end of business today I will back up and running.

 

Sorry to hear that. I had to cancel three loads I had booked for this week, that was going to give me a pretty good week. As the great philosopher Forrest Gump once said “it happens.”

 

Monday I had the water pump replaced by 1130. Lined up a load Tuesday loading 7/10 of a mile from my driveway going to York, Pa., reloaded in Reading going to the DFW area, reloaded in Dallas going right back to Harrisburg, Pa. for Monday morning. This whole week I just cruised along at 63mph, averaged 8.1mpg for the week. That will be $7861.43 to the truck for the week, but the sky is falling, and the end is near.

I had another Landstar driver holler at me on the radio, “why you running so slow?” “Uh because I’m in business to be as profitable as possible.” He replies “ you can’t get any miles in going that slow.” I ran 657, 628, 583, 591, miles the last four days. I keep the left door closed and just ride. So I asked him “what’s your cost per mile?” “My what?” he asks.