My move to Bruce Oakley (Oakley trucking inc)

Delivered the load of stone at a garden center just down the street from my house Monday. After delivery I only had 1.5 available on my 70, so I went back home and loaded Tuesday out of Alabama going to Seguin, Texas.

As I was getting loaded I smelled a faint coolant leak. Thought I tightened the clamp that was leaking. About 200 miles out I got a low coolant warning, pulled over and added a gallon of coolant. Made it to the nearest Loves, and found the issue. International uses these cheap plastic T connectors where different coolant lines intersect towards the firewall for the heater core etc. It was cracked, the mechanic was going to fabricate a new T with brass fittings but didn’t have the right size. He generously let me use his personal vehicle to run up to an auto parts store to get what we needed to get me back on the road. Four hours after pulling in, I was back up and headed to Seguin.

The next morning, I got pulled in for a DOT inspection in Texas. No violations found.

After I got empty in Seguin I bounced to a scrap yard in San Antonio to pick up a load of Zorba going to Corsicana.

From Corsicana I bounced to Jewitt, Texas to pick up a load of Millscale. Second time picking up Millscale, and both times it was a PIA to get my weights right. Finally got legal, and headed to Foreman. Ar. For a same day delivery.

The next morning I loaded fertilizer at the Oakley facility in Shreveport, La. going to Dothan, Alabama for Monday.

I got home Friday about 1700, my daughter that’s in the Navy flew in from San Diego for Easter.

 

Another week in the books, Loaded Monday in Loxley, Alabama (deox briquettes) going to Butler, Indiana. From there I bounced up to Lavonia, Michigan and loaded (aluminum chips) going to Wabash, Indiana. After that, my week went off the rails.

I loaded in Indianapolis, but my dispatcher sent me to the wrong address, after getting that corrected I loaded about 10 miles away (brake rotors) yep, a trailer load of
brake rotors going to some specialized facility in Muncie, Indiana. Delivery the same day, but this turned into a 3.5 hour unload.

I scale in, the guard asks “do you have a respirator?” Uh “no”. Oh well here’s a N35 mask. Now mind you, everyone in this facility are running around with fresh air respirators on. Special rubber boots, Tyvex suits, etc. I get a knock off Tyvex suit, boot condoms, and some Home Depot mask. The guy comes out explaining the unload procedure, “ you will back into the building, I will immediately shut the door, you back down this corridor, dump, then drive through a decontamination wash, then I will power wash, the truck and trailer. This is some toxic stuff, we gotta get your equipment clean” signs everywhere that this enclosure is known to have cancer causing contaminants. WTF? Screw the truck driver, you’ll be fine. Don’t mind us wearing full blown hazmat suits and respirators.

From there I loaded in Markle, Indiana late in the day 1630 with a load of “furnace ready aluminum scrap” going 33 miles away to New Haven, Indiana. This was supposed to be a same day delivery, but they quit receiving at 1530.

I’m the second truck to check in the morning, they start receiving at 0700, I sit, and I sit, and 20 trucks check in, and go around me. Finally after 2.5 hours I walk back up to inquire what’s going on. The guard says, “well this load was supposed to be here yesterday, so they will unload whenever they get to you.” Excuse me, kinda hard to deliver yesterday when I picked up the load after you quit receiving. I went back out to the truck and let my dispatcher
( I use the term loosely, this is a young college graduate that isn’t a very good communicator, who’s never probably seen the inside of a truck cab) and let him know I am not happy with these last three BS loads, and now I’m being screwed at this receiver for the load planner/dispatcher’s incompetence. “well your get paid percentage on these shorter runs.” IDGAF, all I know is that it’s Friday morning and I’m sitting at 1625 miles for the week.

I eventually get unloaded, and from there I bounced to Claypool, Indiana to pick up a load of (soy pellets) going to a farm/ranch just outside of Dublin, Virginia. Delivered that Saturday about noon. Beautiful place, nice folks, quick and easy unload.

I get what will be a nice load to start the week, I will load Monday in Buxton, NC near the Cape Hatteras light house going up to Ontario, Canada. Contaminated sand and soil from an EPA clean up project.

I don’t go to Canada, don’t have a passport, not going to get a passport. So I will meet another driver at the border, he will take my trailer across and deliver it, and bring me my trailer back.

 

So I ran my first full month through my P&L program. My first full month here my RPM for all miles was $2.92 vs $1.59 at FCC the last full month I ran there. (This RPM number is slightly skewed because I did some barge work 4 days only running 100-125 miles a day at the end of the month that inflated that number slightly)

Average profit per all miles is $1.37 vs $.93 at FCC. I had $3785.16 in repairs and parts last month that lowered my average a bit. Plus the spike in fuel last month cut into my average.

I came over here to make more money, it’s headed in the right direction, not where it will be, but definitely looking better.