Calex Express....My New Home!

They require 1 year recent OTR, clean driving record and no job hopping. They don't hire students and your initial conversation with Jim or Mort will be your selling point.

 

Well I'm sitting here at the Petro in Scranton waiting to get my final drop off at 6am in Mountaintop. I Left Griffin Ga around 5pm Monday and had enough time to make it to Cartersville Ga for my 10 hour break.

It's been a very long time since I wasn't able to get a reset at home, so now I have to play with the clock to make sure I don't run out of hours. I left Cartersville with less than 500 miles to my first drop in Fairborn Oh. I made it as far as my fuel stop in Florence KY, just outside of Cincinnati Oh and went to sleep. I woke up 5am this morning and had 77 miles to go for my 7am appt. I got there about 6:15 and checked in. They gave me a door and asked me if I wanted to unload it or hire a lumper. Needless to say, playing with shrink wrap at 6:15 in the morning isn't exactly on my list of things to do. I told them that I wanted a lumper, they told me $75 and I said I'll be right back with the check. By the time I got my express code from Eddie, filled out the check and walked back to the office they had my partial load off the trailer. I got my paperwork, noticed I was there for a total of 25 minutes, and hit the gate on my way to Mountaintop, PA. I had 510 miles to go to my last drop.

Louie called me and let me know that I had to live unload the last 15 pallets because this particular trailer was promised to a customer and I needed to get it back to the yard for inspection. I hung up with him scratching my head saying to myself that this trailer looks exactly like every one else I have pulled this past year. What can be so special about this trailer? This last drop is the main warehouse for the product I picked up in Griffin. We have many dropped trailers there and I knew that they would unload me if I got there before 6pm......Wrong! I pulled into the consignee at 4:55 pm and was told to drop the trailer at the dock and to take an empty back. I told them that I was told to bring this particular trailer back and they told me they couldn't live unload me until 6am.So my long driving day with just one stop got me nothing. I did encounter a problem on my way across PA today. About the 123 mm my low water light/buzzer came on. I pulled off on to an off ramp, pulled open the hood and saw Antifreeze coming out of the water pump. Not good. I called the shop, told them what was going on and waited for their response. They asked me if I had enough Antifreeze in my side box, I told them yes. We carry 3 gallons of oil, antifreeze and washer fluid so I was confident I could make it.

I got to the Petro and had to put in another gallon of antifreeze in so I'm quite sure I'll make it the 30 miles to my delivery and then to the yard. I also had my oil pressure gauge start bouncing from 30lbs to 90lbs, the shop said that's just a sensor and that while I'm getting my new water pump installed tomorrow they would go ahead and replace the sensor.

This has been a great running truck, Calex has fixed and replaced everything I have written up about this truck since I got it last August 4th, including my arm rests and mattress, but now I'm thinking it's time for a new one. I've put 141,000 miles on it and was told that it's days are numbered. I was told that I will be getting a brand new one when they arrive in September, I just hope my old girl doesn't poop out on me out west some place before then. Garylobo will be in tomorrow afternoon so I'm sure I'll see him. I get the feeling I'll be in a motel until Friday afternoon waiting on my new water pump. Talk soon, Be safe and God Bless.

 

Hello everyone, got home around 3am this morning. Got to deliver 10am Monday in Orlando. Left the terminal around 2pm Thursday with a new water pump and new oil pressure sensor, at this rate this truck will be brand new soon. With everything that has been fixed lately, the good thing is it was taken care of in our shop and not on the road.

 

Hello all, I'm sitting here in Kenly NC getting ready to leave. I had a great weekend at home with the wife and dogs. Too bad people can't take after these 2 Labs I have, if they could this would be a pretty good world! I left the house yesterday around 6am and headed up to Orlando to unload. I loaded everything into my truck Sunday night so all I had to do is get in and leave.

My wife dropped me off at the truck and we said our goodbyes. I had a cup of coffee I took from home and set it on top of my dash and took off. Oops, not a good move, on my first turn the coffee wound up all over me and the floor. So I made it a total of 500 feet and had to stop to change clothes and clean up the mess, not really a good way to start my trip.

I made it up to Orlando on time for my 10am appt. and got backed in next to 2 other Calex trucks. I guess the detention time we get paid every week at Walgreens finally turned on a light in someones head, I was done in an hour and a half this week. While getting unloaded Louie sent over my reload info. I had to deadhead up to Jesup Ga. and pick up a load of paper going to South Lee Ma. for Wednesday with an open delivery window from 7-2.

I got to the shipper at 5pm and was done by 6:30. After scaling out the truck and having dinner I was on my way north. I made it to Kenly around 1am this morning for fuel and my 10 hour break. Getting ready to leave. I plan on hitting a service plaza on the NY State Thruway, take my break and head over the last 70 miles to my delivery in the morning. Be safe all, God Bless!

 

After a short but busy week I'm back home. I left the house Monday morning, got empty in Orlando, loaded in Jesup Ga, unloaded in South Lee Ma on Wednesday, reloaded Wednesday in Rotterdam NY and dropped and hook in Pottsville Pa Thursday at 5am. I was at the yard long enough for a grease job and to get my dispatch. I drop and hooked in Williamsport PA at 11am and was headed back to Orlando for Monday at 9am. I got back home last night about 9pm and am now enjoying my hometime.

I was in Safety talking to Mort and Jim and asked if they need any drivers, they said that all the trucks are full and that the only thing they need to cover right now is local drivers. If anyone wants a local job give them a call, but let me warn you, our local guys work, I've seen these guys get 2500-3000 miles per week and really bust tail.

I left the house Monday at 6am and got back home Friday at 9pm, got my 2800 miles and am real happy with this. I must say though, I look forward to taking a load out west every 4-6 weeks, I found it to be a lot less work and somewhat relaxing. I asked Louie about going west next week when I get back to Pittston and he said most likely yes now that it's picked up with westbound freight. We'll see. See you all later!

 

Sorry, but they don't. They are very unique in the way they hire, you must live at either end of their freight lanes, this makes it much easier for you to get home and far less headaches for dispatch. Good luck in your search.