Good night from...

I'm parked in Coeur d'Alene. Hanging with a buddy oof mine. PU at the Spocompton drop yard in the Morning heading to Seattle.

 

I bet that's the load I brought down from Calgary; it was headed for Seattle, June 7th delivery?

Anyway, I'm still camped out at the drop yard here in 'Spocompton' lol. Supposed to pick up my next load in Usk WA but evidently the load has not arrived in Usk yet. If I don't hear anything by morning, I will just bobtail over to Post Falls for breakfast and coffee, shower and shave.

It was very nice to meet both Squeaks and Susan today. Abby thanks Susan for the goldfish too.

 

Lost my DOT Level 1 inspection virginity today at the Utah Port of Entry near Kanab on US89. Bad part was no sticker; found brake problems on the tractor and reflective tape problems on the trailer. This trailer's reflective tape is in better condition than most but I guess I'll be carrying around a package with me.

I had the truck in the shop for a B-Service a few days ago and one of the problems I asked them to look for was an air leak. The inspector found it sliding around on a creeper on a concrete pad out in the open, 50 feet from a busy, noisy highway with dust and sand blowing like stink. I also asked them to check an odd noise from the rr drive area on light braking. They didn't notice the brake shoe hung up so it was worn to 1/4" on one end and untouched on the other. They also didn't notice the brake air hoses rubbing together with one almost chafed through.

After I unload in the morning I'll be headed for the SLC terminal shop to see if they suck as bad as the other two shops that have touched the truck. I also found the rro drive tire leak they couldn't find when I did my usual walk around after I parked tonight but I won't complain since it's so easy to miss the head of a 1/4" bolt dead center in the tread.

Had a long talk with my TM this morning who turns out to be a really reasonable guy who seems like he wants to make things better for his drivers. Long story short, (yeah, I know!) he said he would have a chat with Phoenix to find out why I wasn't tcalled and dispatched on another load Saturday morning. I'm shocked I got a QC message from someone in Phoenix who apologized profusely and a follow up message from my TM. Cool! Now pay me.

At the TA on I-80 just west of Salt Lake City (x99??) about 20 miles from my delivery in the morning.

Frank

 

Toule (sp) ... that's where I took the catheter out when I had kidney stones.

Petro Racine, WI ... the Iron Skillet here is better than most. They have some local off menu items. P/U tomorrow for a quick hop to MN.

 

Butte, MT. Picked up a load of mulch, mostly wet and what a fun place to load outta of, Naples, ID. grossed out at 79,580, mulch weighed 45,800, and that was full of fuel. Heading to Golden with this. Right now, mpg is at 5.4. I do not think that I am going to see much better by the time I get to Golden. Lookout just about killed my fuel.

 

MN .. deliver tomorrow AM. BP t/s on 90 ... $1.00 for laundry, $.75 to dry.

 

Sumner,wa.... Tried to deliver early but was told to come back at apt time... Bummer... Got to meet Scottie and Abby today at the Spokane Valley Drop Yard.... Gonna deliver load in the morning then head to the house for some time with the wife.

 

MCClenney, FL.

Got a load to the Walmart DC, where there is also a Swift, and had been asked to help out for a few days as they were short drivers.
I said OK.

Mistake?

Got here yesterday afternoon and dropped my load. I waited around until I could fill my DEF tank, then headed to the Pilot.
I started my 10 at 1700 - local time.

I was sent a pplan that picked up at 0010, and turned it down with the reason that my 10 began at 1700.
Sent another pplan with a pickup of 0200, again turned it down and told them I didn't get off my 10 until 0300.
Get a call from a gal. She said my logs showed that I started my 10 at 1400.
Sure, I said... PACIFIC TIME!!! 1700 here.
Oh, she says... so you can pick up a load at 0300?
??? NO! I have to have time for a pre-trip and to drive there.
I tell her that if I just do a minimal pre-trip I can be there at 0330.
Sent another pplan picking up at 0330, and delivering at the first stop at 0500 - 135 miles away.

I had also talked to a planner in Ocala during all of this.
I called the planner back and explained to him something about speed limits and distance, and time to actually hook a load.
He said to just get it there as I could, blah.

And to top it off, I get a phone call at 0030 to tell me the load is ready and to pick it up as soon as I could.
I explain to this jerk that he woke me up and that my 10 was not finished until 0300, and he proceeded to try and re-calculate when my 10 was finished for me.
I yelled at him and hung up.
So my 10 was actually more like a 7, and I got less than 4 hours sleep.

I am going to have a few choice words when I pick up this load.
And if I am treated this way again I will be refusing any and all Walmart plans until I am out of here.


Edit:

Oh, here's the real topper...
I get a QC at 0300 telling me my load was canceled, but I am welcome to come to Mcclenney and wait to see if another load turns up.


Right... so I should start my 14 hour clock this early to sit and wait for a load?
I'd rather sit at the TS than at that place.

 

Planners... Ugh. Sometimes I wonder where they find these people.

 

What an adventure its been. Had to do a 34 in Gary yard, which sucked. Let's see.
first day I was doing laundry, clothes in dryer, next load washing and some
mullet head mechanic said no more laundry as the dryer sounded like a broken
fan belt and un plugged it put a sign up. Wtf. So I plugged it in and tossed the sign
and finished my chores.
later that night there was about 4 of us driversss outside smokeing, dark as hell out
And I hear this man yell out "call 911" I look over towards him and he's covered in
blood, I mean soaked as if he jumped in a pool of blood... holy #### !
He sliced a nasty chunk in the palm of his hand and blood was pouring out of him
like a hose on full.. interesting. Go over to his truck to lock it for him and omg...
it looked like a murder scene wow..

Day 2 34 up, csr sending me to run 125mi drive 12mi and sit 37hrs to run up in to
the north east.. lol that sat for 4 hours, dm called me asked me to look at load and
if I could accept it, I said no thanks. Im not sitting 37hrs.
send 3 more loads worth crap. Then p/u a tcall in yard (bush beans) take it up in M(.
get there and the kid wants $75 to make 18 pallets into 20, so I said ##, ill do it.
turns out I stacked 8 boxes ontop of another pallet, that's it. Literaly took me 3 mins.
hmm. Went to shipper window and complained about prices and ripping drivers off.

So I drove 95mi dh to next load that said weight is 00000, which ment 490000lbs right lol
get there, no one around. I did find my loaded trlr, had to call night zombies and see wtf
is up, was sent special instructions that were saposed to come w/ pp. Hooked up and got
the ## out. What suck the most off all this.. I have to tcall in memphis.. so get ready for a
good post in the next few days.

Be safe and reroute them chicken houses !