Good night from...

Flagstaff AZ... Enjoying the cooler weather. Going to Tracy CA deliver 0100 on tuesday...

 

Sitting in a hotel in Florence, KY after I delivered just up the road. I tried 2 Mac 30s with the same results, no loads. Not too suprised, it is a holiday weekend. It was in the 90s here today, wasn't in the mood to even try to spend the night in the truck. May be here 2 nights. On a different note, inked the contract for my truck May 17th and my first settlement is already in the bank. Gotta love direct deposit.

 

I didn't see a flatbed Ford driving through Winzlow earlier today. Maybe next time...

 

Toomsuba, MS at a Love's, I-20, exit 165 just across the Alabama-bama-bama line. Rough ride and I think my kidneys are bleeding but they actually got some of the construction done or at least driveable. I hope Mississippi followed the Alabama (Roll, Tide!) example. I got my preventable accident flat tire/bent rim on I-20 in a construction zone in Ole Miss my first week solo. My fuel stop, and planned shutdown for the night, is at the TA in Meridian a few miles west but that place is a complete hole so I stopped short.

It seems like most folks got where they were going for the weekend early because traffic was really light today. I've been through Atlanta and Birmingham on the bypasses a few times and today was the first time I cruised through without doing the accordian traffic jam fun. The truck stops I passed looked mostly empty and there were hardly any on the road.

Mystic warned me awhile ago about the fair weather do-it-yourself movers pulling car trailers behind rented box trucks and I hugely appreciate it because I had an encounter with one today that could have turned out really bad but I was watching for it. I was coming off one of the bypasses back onto I-20 and had a Budget truck pulling a trailer with the car loaded backwards, probably really tail heavy, push out into my lane going by. I was already slow (loaded heavy) and was already on the brakes when he yanked it back into his lane and the trailer cracked the whip. He did a complete 360, went off down the bank in the grass and launched back up onto the road in front of me without hitting a thing. I was almost completely at a crawl when he stopped and when I chugged past him I rolled down the window and yelled, "That was cool driving dude. Let's do it again sometime." I'm betting the next time he moves he will hire someone or burn his stuff.

Back home in the Great State of Texas tomorrow! Cannot wait to get some good bbq.

Frank

 

Out in the middle of nowhere in Dixon IL I think that's the name. Hope I'm not stuck here, Well if I am I gonna go talk to the nice brunette behind the counter and see where I can have some fun

 

Well I got my JIT load from NY down here to Laredo, TX on time, just had my trlr inspected and tried to tcall this and snag a load out.. nope.broker closed today and Monday, too.. so im stuck under this load till Tuesday, not cool. If I would have know this JIT load was a hurry up n wait, I would have detoured in TN and go see this chick I know and gotten one for the cause.. /wink
At least truck payment is taken care of this week, but take home will depend on load out and if it delivers by wed..
If yer in Laredo or coming here look me up.

 

brokers are not open on weekends or holidays and with no freight coming out no wonder they wont tcall

 

That's what's happening to me now. I screwed up accepting this load ahead of the holiday but upon further reflection it didn't matter; would likely be sitting anyway, just a matter of 'where'.

My first inbound Canada load bills of lading had PARS stickers already on the paperwork so I didn't think I needed to call the broker to check it out, plus it was late at night and I wasn't completely clear on the procedure yet. So I just grabbed the load and made for the border. Got across with no problems and second load was the same way, no problems.

The load I have now, I picked it up, again the PARS stickers were already in place (I didn't think it was my responsibility to call it in unless I applied the PARS stickers myself from my own supply to register the paperwork with the broker), so I just jammed for the border again. This time I was turned around and had to backtrack 27 miles to the nearest fax location which was closed til the early morning. So now the delivery time was going to be after the consignee had sent their crews home for the holiday weekend.

But even if I had delivered on time, chances are pretty good I'd be sitting til after the holiday anyway, just under an empty trailer vice a loaded one....I got a scanner for Christmas, guess I should install it and get it running, I have the ability to scan and fax paperwork right from the truck for a small tax deductible fee using the internet, I can also sign up for PARS tracker which would send me email confirmations that my load is ready to cross the border. All of this I learned too late for this load like I say. I would not even be surprised if I get kicked off this account for this screw up.

Looking at it from another perspective that might not be the worst thing in the world either given the price of fuel and the fuel taxes up here in Canada. British Columbia charges the highest fuel taxes in North America at $0.79 cents per gallon. I generally pick up in Washington state, roll through Idaho, BC and deliver in Alberta. I'm seeing the owner operators' fuel prices in the lower 48 Swift terminals hovering just below $3.50 a gallon and wince when I'm paying $1.27 a litre for it up here which works out to about $4.80 a gallon. That is a tough gig for the leased owner operator for Swift given our low fixed rate pay package.

So anyway that's where I'm at, by the time this is all over will have been under this little 439 mile run for 7 total days-- ouch. I just came off 12 days of home time two weeks before and two weeks before that the truck was broke down in the shop for 5 days 3 of which I had to put out money for a hotel room. I feel like 1 step forward, 10 steps back right now lol.

Calgary Alberta Canada

 

Here in North Las Vegas. Dropped my load now wait until morning to pu next one at the yard. Sent a pplan last night, opened if and then left it alone. Was hoping that it would die on the vine, but no, it was there again this morning with a back up. Well, accpted the first one, del in SLC on Tuesday. The next one was 46k of water going to billings for wednesday. Declined it. Yes, it was 500 miles, but after expenses, I would have been lucky to clear .20/mi. Just was not worth it. I know that can get better out of SLC on Tuesday.

 

Terrell, TX at a TA, I-20, exit 503. Delivered to Autozone and there were no mt's so I got permission to bobtail to pick up my next load, Miller/beer going to Mexico, in Ft. Worth in the morning. I deliver in Laredo Tuesday morning and then the truck goes in the shop for B-service and list of dis 'n dat. I'll probably lose 2 days but I'll have about 2500 for the week by the time I get to North Mexico.

Zukimart, I'm sending you a PM in a moment. If you're still there by the time I get unloaded I'll look you up.

Frank