Stevens Transport aviary

I understand that, you understand that, and other successful drivers understand that. Just based my questions on what he, himself had said. And the downtime was what I tried to express in my other post. Unfortunately you can't take your 4-5 days every 5 weeks when you are tryng to get your accounts built up or trying to get back on your feet.

It's always easy to try and blame someone else for our own mistakes and failures.

 

Well, I haven't fully made a decision as to what I am going to do yet. I am going to take a few days to really weigh my options. My wife is really pushing me to give up Alliance. She hates the Alliance program and Stevens...mostly because she doesn't fully understand everything that goes into the trucking business.

Anyways....Sitting in Twin Falls, ID tonight. P/U in Boise in the am and then headed to Keller, TX for a Tues am delivery. I got a POS trailer (8520) that won't crank. Battery is good, and now they want me to have it at TK in Boise at 7am tomorrow to get fixed. Somehow I have a feeling that it is going to take a lot longer to fix than what they think and what I have time for (p.u at 0930.) Oh well, not my fault.

Just FYI: Before I went Alliance, I had it setup to stay out for 2 months and go home for 1 week. It was the Alliance business managers who said to stay out for 5-6 weeks, and go home for 4-5 days. Even today, John Thompson told me that I should continue on that regimen.

I had a lot more written, but it was counterproductive. I will say that you sure do have a way with words sometimes.

 

Flight, I don't doubt that you were told that. Usually it is better to go with your own 'instincts' than to rely on what the so-called 'experts' tell you. I have also spoken to drivers that have been out 2 months, are seriously 'burnt out' and the business manager argues for them to stay out longer. I don't know how they decide which side of the fence to be on from day to day.
My earlier point was simply that before taking time off, an Alliance driver should look at where his/her finances stand, i.e. time-off acct, current pay statement, plus whether it is a good time of year for freight.
As I said before, best wishes in whatever you decide.

 

If it were me I would leave the xbox at home for 2 reasons.

1) You need to be studying instead of playing games. I know that you cant study all of the time and need time to wind down but personally I feel the xbox spells trouble. Once you get there you will be amazed at how many students fail the tests time after time. Too many times and you will be held back into the next class. Had a couple of those guys in my class.

2) What are you going to do with the xbox when school is over and its time to go onto your trainers truck? More than likely there isnt room on the trainers truck for it. You need to be ready to get on a truck as soon as school is over. One guy in my class was on a truck within 4 hours of school being out. I was at the airport at 4am the next morning. What Im getting at is if you live locally you may not have time to go home after school.

Good luck and study!

 

i agree with chuck I am out with a trainer on a truck now theres no way id have room for my xbox now plus im not seeing time to play it anyways the laptops enough until get into my own truck

 

Well flight when momma aint happy at no home no one is happy.

The business advisors are just that, advise. Same as you get here.

Get the trailer fixed, and don't worry about the load. You said it fails to crank. TK is usually quick. Just call the shipper yourself after you get to TK and inform them you will be late and why. Try and get a time estimate from TK to pass on to the shipper. Don't depend on stevens to do this.

 

Ight. Thanks for the heads up about the Xbox.

 

Well I woke up at the hook in Jerome at 0430 so that I could get up to Boise to get the trailer fixed. The truck was rocking pretty bad, and I open the curtain to white out conditions. I check the weatherbug on my computer...winds steady at 43 gusting to 67 at the Jerome airport. Wx shutdown. I called the shipper, and let them know what's going on. They are fine with it as they are open 24 hours. The wind is still gusting to 55+, but at least it's not snowing anymore...at least not right now. The winds are supposed to die down after 1500...we'll see.

Thanks everybody that gave me advice.

 

Been swapping loads like a stock trader these last couple days.
Originally was given a MA load when leaving the yard. (Pick up in Amarillo), and grabbed a T5 who needed the NE and one mountain.
No sooner get ready to go than load is put off a few days, so they give me a PA load. (told them I needed NE load).
Where is Mt Pleasant anyway? Turns out it's just below the 70/76, south of Pittsburg, so it doesn't count.
Finally able to trade for load in Nashville heading to Portland/Seattle. I hated to give that one up...2300 miles...but traded it in Walcott for a Porky's load and now headed east.
Hope my student appreciates all the chits I used up on this one!
Just west of Toledo right now and it's right on the edge of snowing...a random flake here and there.
Hope to make it all the way. Delivers at 0600 tomorrow.
Have a Giorgios Fresh hading to DeKalb as a preplan, but last I looked that doesn't give me a mountain.
So now I'm out playing 'lets make a deal' again. I even offered my Tenderloin Marsala recipe to sweeten the deal.
Looking for something I can drag down 81 and run over to Fancy Gap for the mountain.
Afterwards, hope to go home.
Again...we'll see.

Everyone at the yard is in a tizzy. No sooner does Clay bounce a baseball bat off a few heads over the accidents and 'incidents' (I plead guilty), than someone in a new 700 rear ends another truck...following too close.
Everyone is laying low around the offices and sweating bullets.

Flight. TK Boise is usually pretty quick. The roads thru Mt Home can be a bit tricky when the weather is bad in Twin. Be careful.

Watch for some more excitement in the industry as fuel prices creep higher.
Already hearing some rumblings about solvency at a couple carriers.
This is when the deep pockets at Stevens is a benefit to us all.

Well, stay warm everyone.

 

500 pages!!!!!

Great thread Smokr, TLH, Emul, Clegg & others...