Pastures new @ Gordon

That's all I do, too. And occasionally man the up/down switch at the dock. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

 

Denali, apparently when you get to be a big, mucky-muck driver like tow, you forget about Staples loads. Ah-h-hem!! Staples loads require 'assist' because Terre Haute loads them high and tippy. The driver kind of guides the pallets out, sometimes pushing to one side or other. As a matter of fact, I'm still on a Terre Haute run back there at the narrative, which I will get back to... I will. Still thinking about departure of Intimidator and Fleet Manager.

chowick went 20 over on his clock (don't remember, could have been his 11), and he screwed up his Staples load. The back door opens @ 7:00 or 8:00 am and the front door to the public opens @ 10:00. Gordon doesn't like HOS violations and Staples/Terre Haute is always a Service Watch load. The first load HAS to be on-time. chowick says Customer Service told him they open at 10:00. They do. If ya wanna buy a stapler.

Hopefully we'll hear from chowick but it won't be because he's been too busy at Gordon, I think.


/The girls are back in my shower for the night, tow614. Their monochrome poop has consistency of vomit without all the pretty colors. My, but they are good girls. A little flappy when I first pick them up. But they like to be petted. One fancies herself an escape artist and dropped down right in front of my Brittany-mix, Freddy. Bird dog. She ran straight up the porch to... Tika, English black lab. Then wisely decided to wait for me on my dog grooming table. Thoroughly enjoying this.

One scratched up a big crawler and promptly ignored it. ??? It got away.

 

Too funny victor.. now i know what rainmanx was talking about...i do staples a lot. Usually what i have to get home. Just did a 4 stopper last week to get home with. I was being funny about opening the doors tho'. Usually just help push a pallet out if needed but that is about it.
Dont expect to hear from chowick again. Start out with a service failure and HOS violation aint good. Thought they might cut him some slack but since we havent heard from him this long i would say he is gone.. you would think he would have at least said something tho..

 

I've told every new driver I meet not to worry AT ALL about insurance coverage or APU's or miles per week, or the age and fancy-component of his assigned truck, but to spend the first 3 months working EVERY MINUTE on figuring out how to deliver on time and within HOS. Driving the truck is easy. Planning is anything but.

im struggling with a sticky wicket now. I have 2 hours on my 14, 4 hours before midnight when I gain a bunch, and a 3:00 a.m. delivery in Evanston. Fortunately, I gain an hour because I'm in Eastern and if the trucker gods are happy and well rested, I can make my pickup a bit early, I'll be right on time.

 

I always planned on 50 mph and then a 1 hour extra for any problems. In other words 500 miles would be 11 hours.

Just my .02

 

Another egg today. Two of the girls kept pushing each other out of a depression in a straw bale that one of them scratched. It took a long time, but finally when one girl got up there was another egg underneath her. I kicked back in a chair in the sun and watched. Nothing like how a dog starts to circle and you know he/she's gonna poop in a moment. This is work. And no 'I dropped an egg' celebration. Can't believe everything I read, I guess.

It's warmer tonight so I just tarped them (enclosed) into the end of the part of the dog run where I have them. They were up on a narrow board, side by side and didn't move while I covered around them on four sides. Pleased that the dogs left them alone. Been gone since 3 p.m. Dark when I got back. From the porch the dogs still have access to a small portion of the dog run to do their business, separated by a six-foot high divider.

So the girls are calm and the dogs can keep watch for any nocturnal visitors. I lost a wonderful black cat to either a coyote or bird of prey a while back. Probably a coyote. If it stood still, she probably walked right up. She would traipse after us when I took the dogs for a little hike around the property.

 

Glad to hear it.. I am heading home this week also after 5 weeks out...

My dm starting complaining yesterday about the shortage of drivers...dont know if it is because so many are leaving or what..

 

Well, chowick, glad see you back... it was a real disappointment to have your trips end at Day 12. Stopped just short of unlucky 13, huh? Glad it wasn't that Gordon ban hammered you.