An old man's career goes flat, Snackbar moves to open deck

Had an interesting day yesterday. Got rolling at a time that would ordinarily allow me to avoid some of the worst of the morning traffic headed towards LAX. I still hit the typical hot spots, and it still took just under 6 hours. Got to the receiver, staged where I did before when I had a small load and a conestoga. I proceeded to untarp and unstrap before checking in. I still had some straps to wind, but everything else was done and put away. Checked in and headed back out to wind straps. The receiving guy comes out and says I need to go around to the side of the next building over to unload because they don't have room for my stuff where I am at now. No big deal. I finish wrapping straps and proceed to the other spot. As I turn down the alley to where he told me to go, I see a half dozen local cop cars, a couple SWAT cars, a SWAT armored vehicle and numerous officers in full tactical gear (including their semi-auto rifles) just standing in an area next to a smaller building. Nobody is in any kind of "alert" mode, they're just kind of standing in a group just shooting the breeze. Trying not to look threatening or suspicious, I ease thru and get to my unload area and check in there. A COTC had just unloaded some similar looking crates and now it was my turn, but the big forklift was being charged, so the guy was gonna try to unload my stuff with a smaller lift, which almost did a nose-over header when he went to lower the 1st crate after clearing my trailer. He decided that he needed the bigger lift. They got it charged enough to unload me, but it was a crowded area and it was another one of those "take one crate, move my truck forward, take another crate, move forward" loads. I don't mind doing that, especially for customers who are cool to deal with, which Northrup Grumman has always been for me. I asked the guys there that were unloading me what the deal was with all the Police and SWAT on property, they said they were there this morning when they came in, and none of the security or supervisors told them anything unusual, and they weren't in any kind of security lock-down so they said it is probably some onsite field training. I got out of there and headed to Rancho to pick up my preloaded trailer going to SC. It took me 2.5 hrs, in the middle of the day to go 52 miles. Now, because of the extra traffic time, it means I was gonna have to do a 34 enroute. I get to Rancho and my load isn't there...in fact, the local guy picking it up was still at the shipper waiting to be loaded, so I guess they're running behind again. At least they didn't cancel the entire load. So now I am doing a 34 at Rancho and leaving out Saturday. I will still make the delivery by Tuesday, but won't have as much time after delivery as I was originally planned, but starting out September with almost 2500 miles by the 3rd should give me a head start to having an acceptable miles month, even with hometime.

 

I am hearing rumors from more than one person that they're pulling these Volvo's early and sticking drivers in the new trucks. I hope it's just that, a rumor. I honestly don't want one of those polished primer (gawd awful gray) nanny-mobiles.

 

Harbor Freight clearance item $4.99 ea. Cold weather work gloves, I bought all they had left on the rack.

 

About the only thing Robert says to me is "what are you still doing here". Randy is usually the one who gives OTR drivers static about parking there. I often head him off at the pass before he gets wound up and ask where he would prefer me to park so I am out of everybody's way..

One of the people I talked to about them trading these trucks early mentioned that they are doing it partially because they have a better resale value, especially if they're not high mileage. And I am sure the cost of parts being higher, plus their weight may also be a factor in pulling them ahead of schedule. I don't particularly like my Volvo, but given a choice between the new nanny KWs and this Volvo, the Volvo wins hands down.