Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

Well I am no longer working for Werner. I fell into a sweet driving gig. I pick up one mile from my house, then go to New Jersey for 2 stops, back to my home, then I am off Thursday, Friday, Saturday and most of the day on Sunday then leave out and do it again.

Working for an owner op, $750 a week and I don't even break a sweat.

 

Geeze!!!! Only 10 hrs???? Wish I could spend that little time at some of these meat plants. I've had them all the way from being rdy when I showed up, to sitting for 3 days. All depends on that "vital" window and how good your planners really are.

Welcome to trucking 101 Smurfette. Some days can really suck bad, then the next day.... something wonderful happens.

 

When I had a meat load and the trl was ready, they let me take it. Before the drop dead time. Only once I had to wait and that was because the cows didn't arrive yet.

 

Never did like the wait at one of the beef plants down in dodge city kansas, but the carlisle meat plant down there is a different story, picked up 3 times there and every time the trailer was ready to go, just dropped the trailer at the washout bay and go get the loaded, scale it out right there and away I went.

 

For the record, next time you have to go out and set up again, and it will take a bit, go partway, then stop. Set your brake, and turn the truck off. Let it shut off totally, then start it up again. It will put you on line 4.

Also, if you have to circle the wagons, if you can do it in under 5 minutes, it will usually revert you to line 4, which you can edit to sleepwe or line as necessary.

 

You're not going to be able to go to school, get your CDL, and then immediately go to work driving local to be home every night. I won't say it's impossible, but it's very, very unlikely, especially in this economy.

If you want to be home every night, I'd suggest a different line of work, or see if a package delivery, or chip vendor, or something like that will hire you.

 

that's one thing about bud and coors, if it's ready, it's great. It's like pre-loaded americold, which can also be great. If you're over weight though, it's hell.

I have a load picking up in MO in a few days that's a beer load, and I'm worried we're going to be over gross with it. It's our load home too, so I'm doubly worried.

That's if we get out of being red tagged at the WVDC. The red tag is a minor issue, but we're also losing oil in a big way, and I don't know if they'll let us take the truck out and home and then back. I'll put oil in her, but I want to go home.

 

I've had a number of people tell me to put my tandems all the way back. If you're in a tight space, putting them back just lengthens you out, and won't help. However, if you slam your tandems forward, keep in mind your trailer has overhang, and had the chance of scraping up the trailers on either side if you're not fairly straight by the time you back in. I've been nailed by a couple people in the past because they forgot about trailer overswing. I've also seen someone knock into a reefer and nearly knock it off in the Henderson yard because they weren't paying attention.

 

good thing to remember

 

It depends on how tight the space in between the door and the outside edge is, the 40 foot mark is my sweet spot between being too long and having too much overhang. It really depends on the situation and what you feel comfortable with. Get out and look...if you can't make it, you can't make it. It's much better to give up and request another door than to take that nice, shiny Pete's hood off.