Calex Express....My New Home!

That's exit 119 for the industrial park. When I'm short on hours I usually go to the little bar/restaurant down the street. It's got great parking for about 6 trucks, is very quiet and has good food.

 

I saw you the other day in passing at the terminal. I wanted to say high but I was given a new truck and had moving on my mind.

 

Well I'm getting ready to leave the house. I have a 2pm appt. in Orlando. It doesn't pay to get there any earlier because this drop always winds up with detention. I rather stay home longer than sit at this consignee any longer than I have to. I don't know what Louie has in store for me after I empty out, I'll give him a call on my way up. Be safe all, God Bless.

 

You got it. I enjoy a good bucket of wings. I just found out I'm going to the west coast so I'm quite sure I'll be at Wegmans next week so I'll try them when I get back.

 

Well I got up to Orlando at 1:45 pm for a 2 pm appointment. This place really should be the poster child for how not to receive freight. I checked in and was told to back up to the fence and wait for the phone call for my door assignment. I was told there was one truck ahead of me and as soon as he was finished they would call. Well as I got situated the truck ahead of me was trying to back in to the dock, without any luck I might say. I saw something I never have in all my years, this guy hit one truck and one empty trailer trying to back in, all with the help of a spotter. It was 2 hours before I was given a door, probably because of all the paper work he had to fill out.

I finally got finished at 8pm. At least I got 4 hours of detention out of it. Louie had sent me my reload information earlier and I had to pick up at the port in Jacksonville for a load going to Spartanburgh SC. I got to the port at 10am for my pickup. I'm glad I have my TWIC card. Anyone that shows up without one has to be staged in a dirt lot and wait on an escort. Those that have a TWIC card are given a door immediately. I was loaded and on my way by 11am.

I drove the 390 miles and delivered my load at 6pm. On my way up I was given my reload info for a load that was a drop and hook in Greenville SC going to Mountain Top PA for Thursday morning. Louie called later in the afternoon and told me he was taking me off that particular load and that there was one already loaded that had to be at Mountain Top by 5pm Wednesday and could I make it. I told him yes I could and he sent me the new load info. I drove the 40 miles to Greenville and drop and hooked at the shipper and headed north. I made it to the NC state line, took my 10, got up early this morning and dropped my load at the consignee at 4pm this afternoon.

Here's how nice it is working at Calex, around 11:30 Louie called, I must have had the stereo on a little loud so I missed his call. The message was to call him back which I did about 20 minutes later while he was having lunch. When he picked up the phone all that was said was, "Are you planning on going to the west coast this week?" I told him yes and he said to see him in the morning. End of conversation. I'll know more tomorrow.

Let me tell you about my new truck. It rides great, has a bigger motor, and is clean as all get out. The only issue I have with it is because of the added weight of the APU, they put smaller fuel tanks on the truck. So instead of 300 gallons of fuel, I now only have 200 gallons. This isn't to bad going back and forth to Florida, but going out west and back will be more of a challenge. I will get a service tomorrow and find out where I'm headed. Talk soon all.