Christmas Tree loads

Supposedly this is no touch -- though I may have to stand outside and count units at each stop. Getting to the tree farm was fun; the address was for the "dispatch" office -- the actual loading area was 15 miles away on narrow and sometimes unpaved logging roads (and it required a special "Christmas Tree" permit from the Oregon DOT to exceed the county roads' length limit). Hard to complain from the comfort of my sleeper though -- its 33°F and raining and these hardy Oregon folks don't seem to be bothered as they man handle muddy trees onto a conveyor belt...

 

Ok so once they load you at the tree farm they send you to get ice 30 miles out of the way. So plan on an extra 100 miles and at least 6 hours of your day -- still a decent rate, but not fantastic like I was thinking...

 

I forgot to mention that you may not want to use a tractor and trailer with aerodynamic side skirting. The pickup point was off a smooth dirt road (by logging road standards) that did have some low ground clearance drainage bars.

Mine was 32,000 lbs (6 stops + 2,000lb of ice).

$5700 on 2200 miles that turned into 2500 miles after the deadhead, running around to the various pickup sites, & detouring around the worst of the artic blast. Aside from the 6 stops where I'll have to stand in the rain counting 500+ trees, I have to mail the original paperwork to the shipper, & I'll be left with a muddy, sappy, soggy trailer that will have to be washed out and then dried before getting another load. That's assuming my aging wood floor doesn't need any repairs. And that I didn't pick up a bug infestation. Considering that there were 50 loads/truck in Portland, I should have been able to get a load paying that same rate without all the BS.

 

At least unloading was a breeze. 6 stops in 6 hours (including 150 miles on i35 between Dallas & Austin). Trailer isn't a complete mess either -- probably can get away with just sweeping it twice (once when wet, once again after it dries).