From Day One - Abilene Motor Express (Richmond, Wytheville, VA)

Wow, I guess I'm in your head because I thought that was funny.

 

yeah the holiday screws things up. Yesterday afternoon there was an Elkton Sabra load but it delivered at 2100 and I couldn't make it so I took a South Plainfield Sabra load. Yay me, what an armpit. My appologies to anyone that likes that area.

 

Got the same call as well bout 7am was sitting in Buford, ga waiting to get loaded something bout a driver hit something. Ended up getting loaded couple hrs later waited a little while for, ATL traffic to die down, dropped my load in Murray, ky went to over to shipping checked out the outbound loads just to take a sneak peek of a possible load, guessing all loads were assigned I recieved a dh move 801mls to bobtail to Orlando, Fl to recover a empty van from Publix

 

I thought I was the only one that had tire issues! Had a flat on my last two loads into FL. I got a pick up out of Suffolk to West Palm Beach. Was supposed to be a live load, so I picked out a beautiful new empty off the yard to take. Nope. Turns out mine was the only one on a preloaded trailer. Yep, trailer had a flat. So much so that it was just flopping around on the rim. Don't they check them before loading them? And it was pretty obvious that the darn thing had been flat for some time. Anyway, got into a little place in Suffolk just before they closed for the weekend. No TA or Petro anywhere near, haha. Got it fixed in record time and headed on down south. This 79500 load & all the other stuff pretty much sucked the life out of me, so stopped at exit 68 in SC. Circle C truckstop or whatever it's called. OK, sign says buffet so I'm thinking I will have dinner. NOPE! Closes at 5 pm and didn't look like much of anything anyway. Cross that one off my list. On the positive side, the restrooms were recently redone and clean and the parking was plentiful and looked "safe" so I decided to just stay. Got a sub from the Subway and called it a night.

Got up this morning and in doing my pre-trip, found I had a couple extra "passengers". Got to the front of the tandems on the drivers side and saw an awesome spider web complete with a grey looking spider with a body about the size of a nickel. Was going to try to get him off, but thought the wind would probably do it when I got going so left him. Walked around to the other side and behind the tandems was an even bigger web with an even bigger spider of the same variety. This one scooted as soon as I put my flashlight on it and it looked HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I really hate spiders and other creepy crawlies, so all day long whenever I have felt something on my arm or leg while driving, I have had little freak outs!!!!! UGH!!!!! (Don't y'all laugh too hard at that!!!)

Deliver this load to Costco in the morning. Sitting at the J here at exit 131 paying bills (darn it) and then going in to have a shower and then getting dinner to go and come back to the truck for a movie. Y'all be safe!

 

Wow not feeling so lonely now. Picked up a 2 stop HP load Sat and the trailer had a flat. Laying my head at the TS in North Kingston, RI. I haven't stopped here since about 2000, ya know always want to get in and out of the northeast. I see TA bought them out, used to be a mom and pop place. Took the dog out for her nightly walk and remembered what I forgot. My dang sweatshirt, I love the cold but love to have my hoodie on at least.

Deliver in Hanover, MA at 1300 then Pawtucket, RI at 2000. Sucks having 7 hour gap in between deliveries and an hour distance. Runs the clock down.

 

Ugh! Cold weather. Why can't it be sunny and 75 everywhere, everyday? I grew up in a drafty old farmhouse with no heating except in the kitchen, den, and bathroom (and even then it was always a fight to get close to the wood stove). I try not to be cold, if it can be helped. Makes my bones hurt.

 

I guess I'll add to the "Flat tire" stories.

Dropped a load in Colton, CA. Was told to hook to an empty reefer and go 7 miles down the road to a Walmart DC. Got there and was told that the load that matched my pickup# didn't exist and they would find it. So I was directed to the overflow lot. 4 hours later I get a knock on the door and am told that the load was cancelled. Head back to the Colton US Express yard because I can't sit in the overflow lot because its literally starting to... Overflow. Shortly after getting to the yard a message arrives from dispatch saying to hook to a preloaded trailer back at Walmart. All's good and dandy, almost in and out of the Walmart DC. Nope flat trl tire... call breakdown and am told ,since tire service in the area is sparse, to go to the nearest truck stop. My route is set for a TA in Ontario, CA. On my way out the door I'm held up again because a drivers truck rolled out the gate and hit another truck. With enough excitement for the morning I arrive and wait for the tires to be serviced. 3 hours later the tech come up to say that both rear left tires were bad and ask what to do with them. Of course with the fifth being so close and the trailer being a reefer I couldn't put both on the back of the tractor. So a call is made to Abilene to inform them that only one tire will be coming back. To kill a quick 10 mins the shop guys joke around asking if I could put one inside the cab or on the front of the truck. Out the door and on the road at 55mph through CA headed back to VA for a 0530 appt Tuesday in Gordonville. Dispatch had the appt as 0030 initially but with time being ran down like that they worked in a couple of extra hours for us.