Good night from...

Wolfy, sounds like you are doing real well with the dedicated. The new Vegas gig sounds great.

I'm looking forward to getting into the TJ Maxx coast to coast dedicated, but found out today it won't start until next week.

Meanwhile I'm under a load I picked up in Denver, now about 1.5 hours away from Mira Loma, but with a delivery Friday. Right now the planners say there aren't a lot of loads and may not take me off this one, which would mean almost 3 days down time waiting for an appointment. Not real happy with that prospect, but freight is what it is at this time of year. I'll make some calls and maybe go talk face to face with my DM in Fontana if I need to.

 

yeah its going well and the office guys seem to like me, I try to pop in the office and chat with the guys from time to time when I go in to fax my trip sheets. Last night there was a driver who has been on the fleet for awhile sitting there and the planner/dispatcher introduced me telling the driver I was cool in his books but scare him at times with my start times but have proven him wrong every time not being late.

I told him I know how to trip plan and calc how many hours I need to do all the loads and I only start late when I know I have a live unload to deal with and want enough hours to get back. I will have to trip plan a little better once the vegas ones begin, once I get a routine down and figure out all my stopping places then it shouldnt be too bad

 

... yeah, and stay away from the slots, that will make you late every time....

 

lepton....see if they"ll give you some local runs the three days you're waiting

 

I dont plan to do gambling very often if at all, I prefer not to take a truck around Vegas more than needed. I also dont think its really worth gambling at the truck stops with those mini casinos.

 

A bit west of Green Bay, WI, at a little casino truck stop.
Lost $60, oh well.

I'm under threat of safety hold because I need a 90-day bit inspection, but I got this load anyway.
I went to the Menasha, WI terminal to get it on the way to my load in Green Bay, but was told it wouldn't happen until at least Friday and probably Monday.

Talked to my DM and he agreed to let me pick up the load and divert to Inver Grove Heights terminal for the inspection.
So I'm headed to SD by way of Omaha for a couple Costco stores - by way of MN.
I'm hoping Inver Grove is not so short handed and can do it quickly.
I've had pretty good luck with them.

This load was rescheduled to deliver on the 4th, so I have way too much time.
But it does allow me time to get that inspection done, and hopefully I can deliver early to both stores.

It never ceases to amaze me.
I get a message that something is due, but then my loads don't get me near a terminal to get it done.
One would think that if I needed something done the planners would route me with loads that would accomplish the requirement.

 

The good news is I'm plenty early with this load.... the bad news is that so far there aren't any other loads and they can't remove me from this load until another becomes available. I'm planning to just sit here in ML for the night and call in the morning, hopefully they will have a load. If not I may just mosey on home until Friday morning, but I'll likely make that call sometime in the evening as I really want to book this 1000 mile load on Wednesday for next week's check.

The good news is they opened up the new yard at Mira Loma... the bad news is they haven't yet painted any parking spots, so it's a total cluster. Folks have dropped trailers in rows that are waaaayyyyy too tight, and half the lot is taken up with daycab bobtails.

To top it off the guards at the gate were slllooowwww as usual, creating a real hazard out in the street. Up to a dozen trucks waiting to get into the drive were out in the street, sometimes blocking all lanes of traffic, cars were trying to weave through it all and I saw two near misses. By the time I got up to the shack it took a good 10 seconds to even be recognized by the woman at the shack, "Loaded or empty?" "Loaded".... then she took her sweet time moseying on back to the trailer doors to apply a lock. It took almost a minute to process a loaded trailer? Really? ML needs to address this issue as one of the highest priorities IMHO. My only service failure was due to not trip planning with those little hitlers in mind, not having any clue that they would create almost an hour delay getting out of the ML yard... that was last summer. It isn't getting any better, and I fear that with more traffic from the new yard it will only get worse.

 

Shippers, receivers, or terminal people - they are in no hurry to get us through the gate.
They are paid by the hour, not by the mile or footstep.
They also have the 'I control you' attitude, instead of an 'I work with you' attitude.

I ran into that today at our WI terminal.
I went in for a simple and quick bit inspection. It has been done in 15 minutes while in prequal at Denver.
He told me it would not be done until Friday, if not Monday - and today is Tuesday!
Then he just walked away mumbling about how they only had two people working and the broken trucks were first. Get in line.
And that was after I waited for 15 minutes while this guy was having a personal conversation on his phone.

 

Yep ... Mensosha(sp) is about the worst shop in the system. If you're an o/o they don't even want to see you. Tell you to take your truck someplace else.

 

It's nowhere near my fuel route, but I diverted to Inver Grove Heights, MN.
With the OK of my DM of course.
It adds about 100 miles to my trip, but I have until 01/04 0400 to deliver in Omaha. I've got lots of time.
I was told to come back tomorrow at 1100 and they should be able to squeeze me in for the inspection.