Good night from...

At the flying j in wells, NV shutting it down for the night. Load delivers on Saturday at 15: 00 in Fairfield, CA. Nothing but time. I'm just happy to have my truck out of the shop in salt lake after 5 days.

 

Fred had one that was that he borrowed from my brother-in-law for a while. He gave it back to him the last time he came home. He said that he hasn't had too much of a problem getting them to call him on the phone. Although, it did keep him out of trouble once when another driver let him know that his trailer lights were out, he says that there's just too much trash talk going on and one day it will cause him more trouble than it saves him.

 

Wow I was only gone about 12 days and Fr8monkey is goin to the chapel and he's gonna get married!

OK 12 days is a long time to be off the truck. Difficult to get back into the groove. Hometime wasn't all fun and games either though, my dad was in and out of the hospital twice in a week with major heart problems. They couldn't do the angio thing or open heart surgery due to thick calcium deposits in the heart, worried about it breaking away and causing stroke. So now he takes 14 different pills a day to stay alive.
In between all that I was on baby duty the whole time, everytime my wife came home from work I though she might take over so I could go to the truck and help a guy out who was trying to get some seat time before his roadtest, but she took full advantage of me being home to take care of my son.

Anyway, live loading in Tracy CA bound for Seattle area, drop for tomorrow.

 

Im at my favorite TS with a full sized stuffed Elk...Heading to kent to drop at Sears... Then hometime for a few days... This job is very much a love hate relationship...

 

In Ganado, TX on 59 at the TA. Picked up 44k of smashed aluminum can bales in a scrap yard. Was really worried driving in there and, sure enough, I have three tires leaking which is why I shut down early. The rh steer worries me the most but the lro drive and one of the trailer tires don't have me thrilled either. I also developed a severe tire balance front end shake today. So here I sit waiting for OnRoad to call me back.

I'm pulling a refurbished T trailer with a new number, SWFZ991..., a new door, all new door hardware and several new lights. Of course they ignored the bent tandem release rod.

If anyone comes northeast out of the McAllen area toward Houston and points east on 281 ignore the QC GPS directions to go cross country at Alice and stay on 281. It crosses 59 about 20 miles further on. Coming north on 59, ignore the directions to go on business 59 through Victoria; the bypass around Victoria is smooth and a lot faster than a gazillion stop lights.

Frank

 

Swift Terminal, El Paso TX

 

Back in CA ... will be home tomorrow for a week.

 

Must have been tough getting that stuffed elk into the truck! Not much room left for you now either!

 

Wonderful start to the day. Coming north from Weed on 97 got pulled into the point of entry right there at Klamath Falls Oregon. As I'm approaching the scale really slow, at the last moment before I get on I usually drop down to Lo gear so it can creep across at 3 mph. At that moment one of my drive tires blew out on the scale side lol. They sent me around for a full inspection and out of service til the tire was fixed.
So it didn't take but an hour or so, sent mac 22, got a reply back that the load window is 35 hours after Plus 1 deliver time- gee thanks. Had a few preplans and load offers coming in but all were predicated on making the current delivery on Plus 1 time. Anyway only did 350 some miles today, way stressed out, coming off hometime and getting hit with an expensive new tire is like a triple whammy to my $0 paycheck next week from hometime and cutting into the next next paycheck yay.
I5x278

 

Scottie, the tire problems seem to be contagious. My steer was a bad Schrader valve, the drive had a duplex nail (pulled and plugged) and I have three new/used trailer tires. The out of balance is due to a steer with a dense (heavy) spot that, as it wears, will continue to go unbalanced. My DM worked today (rare) and I sent her a message that I was now tire nervous and would like new shoes even though tread depth is still legal. She handed it off to the fleet manager who messaged to call him when I get to a terminal and he would authorize a full set. I really like my terminal in the Great State of Texas!

I'm at a TA a few miles east of Meridian, MS. After I drive in the last 400 miles tomorrow and get unloaded and get out to a truck stop, I will be down to about 10 hours with nothing coming back for a few days. So I will be doing another 34 in Knoxville a week after the last time. I like driving west because I can stretch a 70 for 2-3 weeks but I was told Comfort Zones are "not available at this time."

Frank