My Millis Experience -

Hey and welcome aboard! No worries on the referrence. I am just glad what I have posted as my experience may have helped in some small way.

Listen - listen and listen even more and you'll be just fine. Bill is an awesome trainer. Every time I have been through there he takes the time to talk to me.

Not sure if you have facebook or not - if so add me and you can pm me there. Read back in the thread the the link is there.

Good Luck and let me know how it goes. If I am through there I will try to find you.

 

Dont be so quick to judge others when you have no idea what they are made of.

I left corporate america after 24+ years and money wasnt the issue. It was getting on with the company I wanted to work for after I did all my research. So my choice is just that "my choice"! If you have a different way then that wonderful and I applaud you for doing so.

Best of luck and be safe!

 

Hey everyone - thought I would take a few minutes and update things.........

After my short home time last weekend was first dispatched to get a load out of Knoxville, TN going to WI. Then - just as I finished all my paperwork and trip routing - I get a "hot" load request. So I take that one and run over to Knoxville and grab a beer load going to Eden, NC. It wasnt due until Tuesday afternoon - but ran it up on Monday so I could get the miles in for the week.

Dropped that load and just slept there for the night. Grabbed a shower and then as soon as I hit "ready for dispatch" got a load from Eden, NC to Pine City, NY which was due on Wednesday. Very small town - right next to Elmira NY. Ran hard and got it there that night. The directions said there was overnight parking - so I just backed into the dock and slept there till they opened in the morning. Got unloaded bright and early and before I even finished my unloaded message - I got a pre-plan.

DH over to Auburn, NY and grabbed a load going to La Crosse, WI with a 4am delivery time on Friday. Well - didnt want to deliver at 4am but oh well. I got to the receiver at about 6pm Thursday evening and checked in just in case. The guy say's No problem I can get you in early - just not right now. I was ok with that and gave him my cell number to call me when they were ready. Got a call about 11PM - backed in and was unloaded in a short period of time. Pulled back over to the parking area and crashed for the night.

I hit ready for dispatch about 6am and "boom" got a load. Wasnt to be ready until 1PM and was going to Lake Dallas, TX with a Tuesday delivery. I was like "crap" that's 4 days to run 992 miles. But was happy to run out there since I was dying in the NE for the last month and a half.

I DH over to the warehouse at 8am thinking maybe I'll get lucky and they can load me early. I check in and let them know I am really early - he say's "No problem" your load is ready and it's a drop and hook! SWEET!!!!!!!!!!! Run and drop my empty and grab my loaded trailer and hit the scale. Off I go to TX.

Friday was an easy run - well that is until I hit Iowa. I was just running along not bothering anyone and hit the first scale in Iowa. There are three other trucks ahead of me waiting to cross the scales.........as I set my tandems on the scale - I hear across the speaker - pull around and bring in your registration, paperwork and logs! I was like "what did I do". Well needless to say I am nervous as hell since this is my first time having to do this. Grab all my paperwork and walk inside the scale house. The first thing he say's is......"not to worry, you didnt do anything wrong. I just picked out one truck to inspect and it's your lucky day"! YEA RIGHT!

I know most of you have been through this before - but I havent so I was about to die. He looked at everything, registrations for truck/trailer, all the licenses and then my logs for the last 7 days. I'm thinking - great - 45 days solo and I am going to get hung out to dry. I know I log legal so I am just hopeful I didnt miss anything that he catches. All the while he is trying to make small talk while digging deep into my logs. Asking me what used to do before driving and stuff like that. He even checked mileage between cites I had listed to ensure I wasnt lying. Well after an hour later he say's and I quote...."Your logs are in great shape and you have done a good job"! Only thing he listed was I didnt have the name of the city for a few places - just the exit or MM number listed. SHEWWWW. I was so relieved. So off I went!

I made it too Kearny MO and stopped fpr the night. I am an early riser so I was off and running as soon as my hours would allow. For some reason my GPS routed me via 169 and over to 40 which is a toll road, then back to 35. So as I do often - reached out to my trainer (who I talk to almost daily for advice and such) to ask if our Ipass and Ezpass would work on those tolls and he said they dont. But as usual offered me a few options to get around or I could have just paid the tolls myself and would be reimbursed for them. He also mentioned a great T/S at 40 and 69 and that their food was really good.

As I was running I35S met up with a driver from another carrier and we ran most of the way together. He had the same issues with the tolls. We had said he was going to run 60 east around the tolls and then to 40 back to 35. I thought (without checking my map) well "why not". So I did and man was that a mistake. Added about 100 miles extra to my run. Great views along the way but didnt want the extra time or miles. Did take the suggestion and stopped at the TS he suggested - he was right. The food was really good. Filled my belly and headed out.

I called the receiver to see if they could take this early - he said sure - we're open Monday 1/2 day so if you get here at 7am we will unload you. COOL! I wanted to get all the way to Denton, TX today but due to the "bad judgement" on my part I only got to Ardmore, OK and hit the Flying J for fuel and decided to just call it a day. Only had about 1 hr left and still had about 75 miles to go.

I'll head down the rest of the way in the morning. Find a TS close to my delivery and get some laundry done and just relax Sunday. Was hoping I could get a reset in but doesnt look like it will happen. I want the miles for this weeks settlement so I will deliver on Monday. I just hope since Monday is a holiday - I can get something out of TX but I bet I spend Monday sitting also. We will see..........

Learned a few really good lessons this week - 1. always ensure your logs are perfect and 2. alway check the map no matter what someone tells you.

Have a great holiday and be safe!

 

I only requested the day my son came home from Iraq and that worked out well. The last time I was home was due to the load going right by my house.

So I cant really speak of home time other than that. Maybe Spanky or someone else can.