Starting up Tommorow with my first trucks For Truckmovers

Got the call from Chuck and he arranged for me to start for TruckMovers
tomorrow morning.

However, since my Explorer is not set up for Toading yet, (finances along with parts scavenging) left me without transport. However, Chuck pulled a few strings for me to get a co-drive with another Driveaway driver. We have a job between the two of us, 4 trucks from Erie to Philadelphia.

I will have my plate, placard, all DOT forms and paperwork that morning when the other driver picks me up just outside Philly at my home.

Since I don't know the exact address in Erie I will be, I can guestimate how much I will be paid. Delivering 2 trucks at roughly .80 a mile (Chuck said he will try to include a lil bit for tolls...) from Erie to South Philly would be approx... 430 miles one way.
What I am hoping is Chuck can have trucks going back to Erie again for us, but if not, we will rent a car and split the cost (If the other driver doesn't have a Toad already.)

Figuring everything in, I will make $672 for both Erie to Philly truck trips. Now if I can get 2 trucks from Philly BACK to Erie for the other direction (I can hope...) I will double that amount to $1354.
I unfortunately do not know the fuel surcharge that we get, so I will figure that in, and I will post it when I get back from delivering.

And Chuck said that he is still getting all the parts for my Explorer together, might be sometime next week at earliest, and he will try to get the whole deal together for me to start. Including the Base Plate, Tow Bars, Safety chains, etc...

I will then have to get a local welder installation or RV shop to get the components installed or welded to my Explorer so I can get that started as my Toad.

As with any driving expense I will log and get receipts for EVERYTHING, including miles paid, parts, fuel for the trucks, motels (if needed) and anything else I forgot.

Will be back in a day or 3... God Bless
Kimmyskunk

 

I am back from my first 4 deliveries for TM. I will post them in a 'New Posting'

Kimmyskunk

 

Ok I am back from delivering my first 4 trucks with Truckmovers, and I am a bit dissapointed, but hopeful everything will turn around.

First 2 trucks were International ProStars with sleepers, and automatics. Deliver these 2 repo's from Erie to Philadelphia. on March 26th weekend. Picked up one on Friday, and other on Sunday.

Drove 372 miles each, paid at .80 cpm (increased from .70 to pay for the tolls...) for $597.20 for both trucks.

Had to use 135 gallons of fuel to get the trucks to delivery. (about $212.00 used for fuel). First truck averaged 7-8 miles a gallon, as the 2nd one, ran absolutely horrible and averaged a dismal 4mpg in the driving rain.

Now this is where it gets confusing for me.

I had to pay $405 for 175 gallons between both trucks to get them both delivered, as one truck was left with 1/8 a tank of fuel, as the other was left bone dry. Now I thought I was going to get trucks with fuel in tanks, boy was I wrong. TM pays you per gallon you use, (thats the surcharge, I think this week it was $1.53 a gallon, paying me back $267.75. I still lost roughly $130 bucks total, due to a screwup on my part, where I did not get the right receipt for additional fuel I needed to deliver the 2nd truck.

Now how I was paid, was an 'advance' on my Comdata card.

However TM did an additional advance of $334 because I used EVERYTHING for fuel on the Comdata card to deliver the 2nd truck to delivery, (Roughly 100 gallons at only 4 MPG because the truck ran so horrible.) So I basically drove for free I think. I even tried to stick the tanks to measure the gallons in tank, but they had these strainer things on the necks, so that made accurate measures impossible.

Any advances for fuel, or Loads I signed for, or Truckmovers puts on my card, gets removed from my settlement. And deductions, like Occupational Accident ins, at $80.00 a month, and $52.00 for a statement deposit. This is where I screwed myself.

Besides, the guy TM had me ride with, was an absolute Bonehead of a driver. He had a junker minivan with a tow-dolly. A frankenstein'ed tow-bar setup that took him 7 HOURS Friday, and 6 HOURS on Sunday to set up properly. He INSISTED on driving back BOTH trucks together, therefor forcing me to wait LONGER, as he was my ride back to Erie from Philadelphia. I think in total I wasted nearly 15 hours waiting and waiting for him to get his minivan setup as a toad.

And for the other thing, this other driver almost had his truck, mini-van, along with me in my semi, creamed along 2 lanes of I-80 when he turned off an exit lane, then changed his mind and re-merged onto the highway and STOPPED in the slow lane, causing me to stop as well. Behind me, was 2 other loaded semi's, one had to do an emergency lane change within 150 feet, or he would've killed us both, as I was unable to go around Mr Numb-nuts without cutting the other 2 semi's off in the passing lanes.

Lets just say it took a VERY harsh talking to Mr Numbnuts about his horrible driving at the next gas stop, to finally get me calmed down. I pointed out to him that he was VERY mistaken in stopping on the highway, in the driving rain, and that had almost got me killed. I asked him, if he did get me killed in that accident, if he would have been able to call my wife and tell her what happened. He of course, had nothing to say.

He even did not realize he had done anything wrong. All he said was he stopped on the side of the highway, but I told him, 'You should NEVER STOP in the slow lane on the highway, blocking the lane with his Toad Minivan blocking the lane.

I just hope the next pay for my next 2 trucks go better.

The next 2 trucks were from Penske, (that I had to find my own way to each shop, and adding to my persoanal expenses.) One was from Binghamton, NY to Philadelphia, and the other was Farmington, NY to Linden, NJ. First was a International day-cab box-truck, with a standard 6 speed synchro'ed trans, two 50 gallon tanks, and 1/8 of fuel. 165 miles to dropoff, so I added 20 gallons to see how well the truck drove. Drove fairly well going downhill in the Poconos, avg about 12 miles a gallon. Only paid 12 bucks for fuel to make delivery in Philly, for the required 1/8th tank.

The second was an International day-cab with a wood flat-bed, same setup with the 6 speed, but this one came with FULL Tanks. Woo-Hoo. 200 Miles to Linden, NJ.

Nothing at all happened during the drives, logged my logbook correctly, and delivered both on time.

Returned home last friday from a greyhound bus from Linden NJ to King of Prussia, PA, and then local bus to 1 mile from my home.

I spent weekend recooping my mind from the trips, took family to Hershey park, (Great time with family, no coasters for me, but wife loved the 4 she was on, and won her and daughter 2 stuffed animals on the games.)

I then departed Monday evening in my Explorer, to Ohio to pick up my towbar, and truck hitch so I can get my explorer setup done. Chuck paid for the Tow bars and truck hitch, (which looked like a huge lego set, with the #8 bolts of different lenths, to somehow get this concoction together.) I still have to buy the tow cables, the lightbar, and the wrenches to get everything together. I still also need the drive shaft disconnect from Remco, that's another $1000 I gotta pay.

I met the guy at White Mule towing when he opened on tuesday morning April 6th, and picked up the equipment, and headed back home, arriving 8 hours later.

My Sincere Apologies on the HUGE post, but I needed to tell everyone what happened.

Still waiting on the pay from the 2 trucks from NY, will post the monies, or lack thereof.

Kimmyskunk