Abilene Experience

Typical HP experience yesterday. I went to my truck Sunday night so I could get an early start and square everything away. My TV had started wobbling bad. Had to resort to duct tape. The metal bracket brace had snapped. I love 100mph tape! Went to the Pilot slept woke up went to plant1. No Edisto Island load. Went to the HP DC, nope. 30 min later dispatch says its on the yard. Great. 2 circles of the yard and its not there either. Went to the shack and looked through the yard logs...nope. CJ called and 7117 was sitting at plant2. Had been ready since 2pm Sunday. Awesome. So at 0945 after a 2hr search I have lost my time cushion and have to hall butt. Sent in a qc message to Tim to tell Harvey if I am late why. I take ownership and pride in being professional and being on time to me is being there at least 30min early.
Edisto Island, SC... 420 miles of I95 South...45mi of country 2 laners and I was at the ocean. Nice breeze and view. It gave me a break to clean all the spanish moss off of my cb aerials. 45 mi of dodging tree limbs! It was like driving through a tree tunnel!
Tim got me preplanned. 2pm p/u in Pine Hall NC. 360 mi dhd for 195 loaded run back to Richmond.

 

3400 miles in six days. Whirlwind. Ran up to Chicago and delivered HP load downtown. Switchback turns under the El train trestles. Oh what joy. Sent pics of where we had to back in to Tim he was shocked. Told him it was typical of the new construction deliveries. Monsoon rains. Back to Dublin with a backhaul and went up to mtn top. Dhd back to Richmond. On the yard now. I have 12 hrs left on my 70 and recap starts mon/tues midnight. Sent qc messages to see if they want to run me or 34 reset. No response. I am supposed to get a special project trainee tomorrow. Allegedly. I could just get a rolling reset while he drives.

 

George- if you can hold out a week i will let you have my CB for whatever you feel is fair if your interested. I bought a new one. I was thinking like $40?? Its less than a year old Cobra 29LX LCD. In case you want to look it up. I think new its like $110-130 depending on rebates. And no, I do not accept your Diner's Club card!! Just let me know.

 

Well I ended up getting a 34 in Richmond. Terry 1446 was in and we goofed off together. We teamed together before both of us started training. New trainee didn't answer Sally's call yesterday morning so off solo I went. HP load to Columbus OH. Drove straight here 497 mi. Delivering to a warehouse. Looks like another Abilene is parked on the street behind me. I will pick up this trainee who by all of the powers that be say is green...real green. Comically he is referred to as " the Jones Project". He married into the family. Lord help me. I am going to need it.
Funny story...Terry has a great 2nd seat driver with him. He's from NYC and lives in Fredericksburg now. Great guy. The 2 are polar opposites. They had to team a load last night to IN. Terry left his gps on "avoid tolls" and they went up 17, then up thru Berkeley Springs. BUT Terry took a nap and yep! Woke up on 68 in Cumberland MD. Better him than me or us!

 

Heres a couple of fun pics. This was delivering in downtown Chicago Thursday in a monsoon. Typical HP load, new construction. On top of that wall was the El Train. No one can accuse AMX of being "steering wheel holders"!!