I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Captain Zoom · Feb 5, 2015

Well, made it with no issues, feels weird driving a truck that can actually move. I told dispatch that after my time at Gordon and a couple years at Celadon that I'd have to get used to driving hard again. 578 miles today with 1.5 hours left to run but next job picks up tomorrow afternoon and I can't get an empty til morning so bobtailed around the corner to truck stop for sleep.

Had two preplans but one cancelled and the other didn't make sense after the first one cancelled so they gave me another one altogether. Allentown to Baltimore by 1300 (live load appt) drops in Chicago by Saturday lunchtime. Okay, no problem. They have me dropping Saturday to get the load completed so I can get the miles on this week's pay.

Short update tonight. Just popped a couple of benadryl (allergies) and I'm conking out.

G'nite.

mnmover · Feb 5, 2015

Hey ZOOOOMY check out the thread on Dart in the next catagory.

keebler13579 · Feb 6, 2015

Captain Zoom said: ↑

Well, that about wraps it up for Day 1. I passed my physical with flying colors.

Here's a recap of the day:

Nice deluxe continental breakfast. The usual fluff (muffins, toast, coffee) but they also had scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, and gravy so there's a hot breakfast available that isn't just carbs and sugar.

Shuttle left 0730 sharp. When we got to Gordon, they got us into a room, talked a little about drugs (DON'T DO 'EM, WE'LL CATCH YOU) and alcohol (8HRS MINIMUM BOTTLE TO THROTTLE, ZERO TOLERANCE), neither of which concerns me that much since I don't do either. I didn't know I could get in trouble for having Listerine or Nyquil in the truck though, so I learned something. Did the standard newbie paperwork. Brief overview of benefits but we got packets to go over tonight and tomorrow night; they need signed and turned in by Wed. We watched a short video about sexual harassment (KEEP 'EM TO YOURSELVES, LADIES; I'M SPOKEN FOR) and a Subway box lunch arrived around 1130 (they took our orders first).

Got to the clinic for drug screening/DOT physicals. (It should be noted we had to lift a 75-lb weight before we left the terminal. It is set up like a barbell with the bar about a foot and a half off the floor. No sweat, just deadlift and set it back down.) Medical history paperwork, sit and wait. Eye tests, height/weight, pee in cup, go to exam room, shave a little hair off chest, strip down to skivvies and put on these adorable little blue shorts, wait for doctor. He was fairly thorough but quite efficient. They shaved a two inch square of my (ample) chest hair for drug testing and I should be okay. Some blood in my pee but with my pet rock (kidney stone) that's to be expected.

I checked out and waited for the other two guys riding the shuttle, got back to the hotel, and now I'm chillin' but not before scooting over to Culver's and ordering a bacon butterburger deluxe, small fries, and medium diet Root Beer (ambrosia).

All in all, I think we spent more time at the clinic than the terminal today.

It looks like we're losing one guy but only for a little while--his CPAP is too old to give a readout and Gordon wants 70% compliance over 30 days. With no way to verify, he can't start yet but he's going to get a new machine and use it for a month then come back--which should tell you a little something about how we are being treated here, as it would be much simpler for him to accept a local job he has already been approved to drive on. I think he said Gordon even offered to pay for the new machine.

I'm looking forward to getting started as these guys seem to be a straightforward bunch who are on the driver's side when it comes to matters of safety. (As long as the driver has been doing his job--I have no problem with that)

Tomorrow is supposed to be another short day. Then Wed everything comes together and we're supposed to get our truck assignments and first dispatches. Assuming nothing holds us up. I'm hoping to run Thursday through Saturday and turn in those miles; I could really use the money. Really really hoping to at least get a truck assignment so my wife can join me. We'll see.

Well, that's it in a nutshell--not a bad Monday as Mondays go. I'll update you again tomorrow evening unless the muse strikes tonight sometime (or I want to climb back on my soap box).

I am Captain Zoom.
I have spoken.
Click to expand...

If if you look you can find NyQuil and DayQuil without alcohol in it that you can have in the truck.

DenaliDad · Feb 6, 2015

Captain Zoom said: ↑

Leasing. Most Risinger trucks are leased.
Click to expand...

But no APU, right?

Captain Zoom · Feb 6, 2015

Right. There is a Webasto bunk heater but no apu or inverter. Fly in the ointment, I know, but so far everything else has been great. Gonna have to use alternative means to keep cool in the summer. I hate idling, but I may have no choice sometimes.

DenaliDad · Feb 6, 2015

Back in my no-APU days, I used one of those fans for sale at truckstops. It worked for me though it certainly didn't make it 'cool' inside. I did have to use a sheet, though.

Captain Zoom · Feb 6, 2015

fan (făn), noun: A hot and humid air relocation device made obsolete by the invention of air conditioning.

Captain Zoom · Feb 6, 2015

Got lost in Baltimore thanks to some clueless desk jockey at a broker giving me bad directions from Mapquest and telling me they came from the shipper (went to the wrong company). Found the actual shipper -- the broker had the name and address wrong. Thanks to the confusion I burned enough daylight to dump me squarely into the worst of Baltimore rush hour on a Friday. Went to the TA to scale the load and stayed for dinner. Got back on the road at the tail end of amateur hour and made good time but the damage had been done -- shut down at the Sapp Bros on I80 (X120, can't remember the town) with 15 minutes on my 14 and all of 400 miles on the clock. I'm on schedule for tomorrow but won't be able to complete the preplan til Sunday (200 miles delivers Monday) so won't get the 34 I was hoping to get with that short load.

Some days you gotta be the bug.

25(2)+2 · Feb 7, 2015

Sapp Brothers is located at Clearfield, PA, if I remember right.

They have shore power hookups there.

double yellow · Feb 7, 2015

DenaliDad said: ↑

Back in my no-APU days, I used one of those fans for sale at truckstops. It worked for me though it certainly didn't make it 'cool' inside. I did have to use a sheet, though.
Click to expand...

I went through 3 "Tornado" fans and 2 of the more traditional clip-on oscillating round fans before just running a household fan off my inverter. Works ok if under 80° and dry...

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