Good Night From II

I've also noticed that most truck parking lots are wide open this weekend, running from Otay Mesa to Memphis.

Great news about I-40 in Arkansas. Is that the section east of Little Rock that is finished now? I'll be running through there in a couple days.

Has anyone noticed a particularly high rate of trucks getting pulled over in Arizona or Texas in the last couple of days? Ran through Arizona yesterday and saw over a dozen trucks pulled over. Today, running from Las Cruzes, NM to Sweetwater, TX on I-10 and I-20 we easily saw at least thirty trucks pulled over and had one pulled over right behind us...

... I'm wondering if there's some sort of unannounced Operation Proctologist going on?

 

What I don't understand is why they put such a slope on the dirt part of the shoulders. If a truck loaded tall heavy breaks down or blows out a steer or a popandstop they will have to stop at least partially in the travel lane. When I went through today there was a CA Freightliner chugging along with a dieing Detroit Diesel blowing black smoke and barely making enough power to move. The smoke cloud helped warn everyone but that wouldn't work at night. I would hate being faced with the choice of taking a chance on laying truck and trailer over or hoping no one hit me if I was forced to stop there at night.

 

Yes, that is he section. Also noticed lots of parking yesterday and today. Still can not believe how some drivers just still have to create a space. Last night at the J in Effingham and that back section of the lot was wide open and there was still those that would circle just looking for something up close, and tonight here at the T/A, most of the whole back area is still open and watching some of these drivers just trying to get close. Just have to have that tight spot to get in, and the ones that I can see from where I sit, straight in backs.

 

I was a company driver the first time I picked up there. Got the same bs and immediately called my DM who told me to look at my tires and if tandems and drives had the same sidewall squash look I was probably okay. Turns out he was right since it scaled out five miles down I-35 within 500 pounds. However, there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to be difficult so I told the rent-a-cop I couldn't take a potentially unsafe load to the street and started the drop process in the out gate. I got axle weights and left.

 

this has been a good week to bounce me back from the time off last week, yesterday went to Paso Robles then to that dreaded Van Nuys store where you have a alley to blind back from, today went to Pacoima then up to Riverbank Modesto, shut down at the rest area just past Tulare and this place is almost completely deserted, tomorrow heading to Dublin again to end a nice week unless they need me on Tuesday.

 

At the Love's in Rhome, TX. This is AFTER I drove past here in hopes of getting an IdleAir spot at the Pilot in Ft. Worth. No such luck, EVERY SINGLE IdleAir spot was full, more than 1/2 with non-paying trucks. So rather than chance the Love's just south of the Miller brewery (in Ft. Worth) I doubled back here as I knew they had parking.

Still no luck with Mac 30 for tomorrow. I fully expect to field some of Lancaster's CRAP loads, however at my lovely wife's suggestion I put in for home time this Friday which guarantees which way I'll be headed when I escape.

 

twin falls id at the flying j. had stopped for fuel in ogalla ne yesterday for fuel decided to take my ten there and get a much needed shower. went inside to get receipt(dont have loyalty card) for free shower. lady asked for the loyalty card. i said dont have one since i rarely fuel here(2nd in 1.5.yrs). she said pok its 13 dollars. said no its not. i just put 100 gal of fuel in. she went and got the manager who gave me a free shower shower receipt. was on planning on stopping in rawlings for the nite, but got to cheyenne and winds were picking up. saw a electronic sign saying 45+ winds. so ended up at the petro in laramie wy last nite. got up to calm winds and drove here for my ten. 555 miles to final with 58 min left on 70 and pickup 9.53 tomorrow. gonna run into troutdale terminal and see if i can tcall it. call my dl when i take my 30 break and see what he can do.if not, i'll just end up doing a 34 reset weds. was a beautiful drive today with no rain.

 

Pilot just south of San Antonio. This has been a day of messed up pplans. Had one sent for pu today, and I am not mt and go to Davenport for Thursday, 1330 miles. Not happening. Before had a chance to decline, they decide to send another one, again Davenport with a stop in the same town. now for 1500 Friday. Turn it down, way too much time and not a chance of finding any decent load out of that area on a Friday. Glad that I did. They were CH Robinson loads. Then another pplan and see loaded miles 1880 to NC. Looked at my hours and said no way. Then looked again and it was only 1330 miles. The pplan was showing also the miles coming from Mexico. Now Gastonia, NC for 0700 on Friday. Works with my hours since after tonight I am picking up 0"s for 3 days.

 

What's the deal with C H Robinson loads?

 

Sulphur Springs, TX at the Pilot. Taking an extended 10. I'm running on negative recap hours, sitting in the passenger's seat On Duty. My trainee only had 2:58 to start today, so we ran here from Weatherford to get ourselves in position to deliver near Memphis tomorrow. Got here at 09:00 and will get underway at 02:00 tomorrow, when he gets back 10 hours.

Today was a clean day of driving for my student, without any glitches, grinding gears, or brain farts. I made sure to point out that fact to him at the end of the day. Felt good to have a good day under the belt for him.

Since we haven't had a lot of chances at customers or terminals for my trainee to get backing experience I took an hour at the back of a truck stop yesterday to get him a few backs. What I did was ask him to set up how he thinks it should go, then I would critique him afterward. That turned out to be quite a session, as he was taught a totally different way by Swift Academy than anything I'd seen. Although the method was effective, it required an absolutely perfect setup to do a back "by the numbers".

Today I used up half a tablet, drawing scenarios and discussing real world back and how to make adjustments when your setup isn't perfect. I also discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the Academy method, versus the "Memphis method", versus the "slide" method I was originally taught. After that we sat and watched and critiqued other drivers as they setup to get into parking spots in the truck stop.

A good teacher should learn something every day....