Good night from...

Denver at the Terminal. Or on the road in front of the terminal with 8 other swift trucks.

 

Yer safer out there, that's for sure. I had a driver back into my trailer while sleeping when I was parked inside the terminal.

 

In Hopkinsville, KY not MO. Glad I copy/paste addresses into the QC GPS; it would have been a bizarre day if there is a Hopkinsville, MO. I'm at a Marathon gas station with parking for a dozen trucks a half mile from two Pilots. Nice. Quiet. One other truck. Drove through some beautiful country today; the Great Smoky Mountains of west NC and TN are well named. Came up I-26 through NC to I-40; is that the famous Gorge?

I got a pplan today to pick up a tcall at a Southeastern Freight/Swift dropyard in TN and take it 200 miles to AL. It was a driver unload, 43k pounds, since P&G won't pay for lumpers at that site. I declined it with the explanation, "Driver doesn't unload. Ever. Had 5 shorties, how about a hi-miler west." I was hugely surprised when I got a message from the Memphis planner apologizing because there isn't much freight in my area going west. Now I have a pplan to take my mt 85 miles to Gap in Gallatin, TN, drop it and bobtail 37 miles to the drop yard and pick up an 8900 pound tcall going to Dayton, NJ. That's sorta west, right?

Had an interesting conversation about how screwed up Plus 1 can be today with my DM. I had accepted a load picking up this afternoon 208 miles west in MO going to AL that I had to mac9 and decline due to being delayed by a big truck wreck on yesterday's load and three more car wrecks on today's. Didn't get a load removed message so I called her to verify it was gone. She said Plus 1 is being re-examined due to the major accident rate (not including minor backing accidents) through the first five months this year already exceeding the entire number last year. The majority of the accidents are drivers with almost six years of experience and Swift has noticed the pattern of drivers with 400-500 mile loads who are hustling while underway to leave enough live unload time and still be able to get to a safe shut down place. Almost 85% of the worst accidents (rear enders, roll overs, major injury or fatality) have been the one day 550 mile loads with a live unload at one end and delivering to places remote from areas where truck stops are commonly located.

Frank

 

Wow, good read. Maybe our new dispatch of loads will be called
plus 1 and some.

I always knew that plus 1 wasn't the best idea. I always used to get a reply to
just accept the load and mac 22 it, with a good eta and pta.

Love that run thru the smokeys.

 

Pluse 1 is a pain. Those 400-500 mile with a live load are the hardest to deal with. I try to find the true window for deliver.... Or the worse is picking up a load after you've been sitting waiting half a day and they want it ran for 500 miles before shutting down... Wtf?

 

You were in my neck of the woods again Frank. It is pretty here. If any of you ever stop in this area and need something pm me and we will try and help you out. Hubby sat thru the storms in Nebraska last night.

 

Stockmans truck stop. St. Paul Mn. I am not a big fan of plus one either. Although it has weaknesses I believe it has benefits. My problem with it are the goal times we need to arrive. I realize that people sit on loads and take their sweet time. However as previously stated by frank it could be a contributor in exceeding crash rates. I want the system to stay and help keep me moving. but I want to see the Windows for arrival and delivery. that could be a good start.

 

Fred was in Nebraska last night too. They finally got him headed in the right direction. He'll be in Denver tonight. Maybe tomorrow they'll get the safety hold taken care of.

 

Arcadia, WI @ quick trip.
little 6 spot parking behind the local store here. Made Ashley delivery a day early, now waiting for a load out. Only thin on mac 30 p/u in 2 days and del on 23rd 575mi away in Warren, MI.
Yucko, I need 1000+ miles before wednesday, or ima go into the red..

Purdy country up here, wouldn't mind a 34 reset if I had the miles under me already, but...
You know its a small lil town when you call in for directions to the consignee and they say go back to the light, which light ma'am, uhh the only light in town, lol..

Going to go light some candles for a decent load and chow some chicken dinner.

 

Little America, WY. Thought about little farther, but thought that the wife would like to see this place, that and just before the exit, overhead sign says gusting winds up to 35mph. Received a pplan already today. pu there in Boise and deliver to McMillian Piper in Tacoma. I think recycled paper. Hope that I did not make a mistake accepting too early. Del noon on tuesday. Will finish the week with 2500mi, and not bad with the first two days of the week on hometime.