Heading For Little Rock! Maverick

I just was up starting my truck and that message has dropped off!

Thanks so much!

 

Took the survey! Some of the questions I would not have trusted them to be anonymous

 

Well my first winter run was extremely challenging in my opinion. I left out around 08:30 on Sunday morning. It was snowing at a pretty good clip but they were not calling for much accumulation...only a couple of inches. By the time I was on the west side of Columbus near Hilliard on 270, it was white out conditions. Was only able to go about 35 mph. It was like that all the way across I 70 towards Madison Il where I was heading.
My wipers kept getting full of Ice so I had to stop at every rest area and clean them off. Just outside of Dayton, a car pickup truck decides to stop in the right hand lane instead of pulling off the freeway to see what was wrong with the car that had pulled off the freeway. I had plenty of distance but I still could not believe the stupidity.
Once I found out that they had closed down west bound I 70 into Il, I decided to stop in Terra Haute (sp). They were also calling for 50 mph winds.
There is a website that you can go to in Il and check out the roads. It is www.http://gettingaroundillinois.com It will show you the road conditions for the entire state. I was able to check and see that the road was open.
I headed out and the roads were still very icy in alot of spots. All the drivers that were out at the same time were looking out for each other. I saw about 10 to 15 semi's off the road. Some on their side. Some that had come all the way across the median and crossed west bound and went into a field.
There was produce all over the median. It looked like a war zone.
I made it to the consignee and dealt with my ice clad tarps with out too much problem. I watched my step on my icy trailer.
Got my next load to go to ozark metals. I drive down there and when I get there they say, we already sent away two Maverick trucks this morning because the job site is closed in Chicago. So some CSR screwed this one up.
So I get told to go to the Madison yard and drop my trailer and then head West on 70 and do a repower for a guy whose truck had broken down. I am just given the exit number. I spoke with one of the fleet managers since I do not have one right now.
I ask, does it matter which way I am coming for getting off this exit...silence...let me get the driver on the phone. We ask him and he says the truck is at a quick stop and to turn left when I get off the exit.
So I bob tail over there which was my first time. It was fun, but freaky not seeing the trailer.
I get off the exit and turn left.....he should have told me to turn right. So I drive down through a Shopping mall area. Heavy traffic since it is rush hour. Finally get turned around and get to the trailer. He had lowered it so low that I could not back completely under it as the king pin was catching. So I raised it and got in there. Then because of all the snow and ice, the bar did not want to go in. Finally got that worked out. Spent the night there and it was 3 degrees.
This load was going to Jefferson Cty lumber. It says you have to turn right and then turn right again into the gate. Sharp turns. That was an understatement. I swung wide and made it on both. But there was another flatbed in there and there was not very much room. So I had to stop on the slope on the ice. When I went to pull forward, the tires just spun. So I locked in the differential and put it in 1st and pulled right up. When I get in there, the other driver says "I wish you had not pulled in behind me". I say, there was no where else to go. He says that is cool. He then tells me that the way out is down a hill and a solid sheet of ice. The only way out is a very hard right turn that can not be made.
So the consignee picked up the back of both of our trailers so that we could get out of there. Everyone was very cool. The consignee even came out and helped me get the lumber tarps off and fold them up!
While I am sitting there waiting for my next load, I notice that I have to make a hard left turn out of the driveway. I then notice a cop directing traffic because the railroad crossing bar was stuck in the down position. With it down on the right side of the road, I would not be able to make the hard left to get out of there.
Fortunately it got corrected before I got my next load.
Next load is to go to Heidtman Steel in Granite city with a load going to Royal Oak Mi.
I get there and another Mav driver pulls in behind me with the same load. After about an hour, he gets called in to pick up his load. Another hour goes by and I have received nothing. I finally call them on the radio and ask what the status is.
Wait about 10 minutes and they come back and tell me that they can not get my load ready today...Great Thanks for telling me I thought...but did not say anything. I contact Mav and they send me back to the terminal to do a repower for a load going to Elmira Ny. So I get repowered and head out.
I stop at a rest area for the night head out the next morning for an all day driving affair.
As soon as I crossed the NY line, the roads turned bad on I86. There was a car on its top and it was 20 miles to the nearest rest area. I asked a driver on the radio and he told me that the roads were really bad ahead. The plows were just starting to plow.
So I just took my time and made it to the rest area. They were calling for up to 7 inches of lake effect snow. I got up the next morning and decided I would head out at first light. I was told on the radio that the roads were passable...what you see is what you get is what they said. I had about 175 miles to go.
After about 50 miles the roads got great and eventually there was no snow at all.
Got to the consignee and there were three other mt mav trucks there. They had been there since last night. Not a good sign.
Got unloaded. Two of the trucks take off. Two more mav trucks eventually showed up. After about 3 hours ( i think) we all got a load to go to Mittal Steel in Steelton PA about 170 miles away loading in the morning.
John and I ran together and found a pilot about 13 miles from the shipper.
WE got there first thing in the morning and I got in and got loaded right away.
This load is going to West Allis WI. There is a Pilot about 15 miles from the consignee in Oak Creek. JD from this site lives near there.
I will be heading out early so I can get there in plenty of time.
So I learned this week to just slow down and use all of your training and good common sense and you will be ok!
Have a great week eveyone! Especially Sewerman!

 

Well then we were at the same spot. I was in one of the first two spots on the left as you come in. There were only a couple left when I got there.
It is amazing how well you can back when you know what the terrible options are!
BTC is a good company! Good Job!

 

They said the gusts were up to 50 mph!