From School to Superior Carriers

My load got canceled and they didn't have anything short enough to get me home this weekend so I opted to take some time off. I will be home from Wed thru Saturday going back out Sunday PM or Monday morning. This weeks check will be small but I haven't had more than 2 days off in a row since Christmas so the home time is worth it.

 

This was one of those 4 foot wide barriers like what they have at the back and it was of the space to keep you from pulling forward too much. It was also right next to the Idleair office so I thought it might be a handicap spot. I usually don't even get out of the truck for a cone. I just park right on top of it.

Bigger questions is can our new O line generate a consistent running attack. Looked good against Indy not so much against you guys. If we can run Delhome will be fine.

Peppers will be a beast this year. His contract depends on it. The guy looks bigger and stronger this year. He has always been able to get by on talent without working as hard.

Smith is a wild man. He will just slap a little tiger balm on his jock come game day and be pisssed off and ready to go. Hopefully he won't have to carry the team if we can get the run game going.

The Eagles will be good but thats a tough conference.

 

8/24-8/26

Looks like this will be a good mileage week. Got another load of wood sealer up to a Wood Mode plant in Kreamer Pa. I really like this load. Its 454 miles and you can sleep at the plant. The customer does all the unloading. This was the second time I have done this load. I left Sunday afternoon and got backed into the unloading spot at 11:00PM. My unloading appointment was 7:00 AM the next morning. I didn't even have to get out of the truck. The guy knocked on my window and I handed him the paperwork and product sample out the window. I went back to bed and was unloaded by 10:00 AM. It was great having 2 hours of my 10 hour break during unloading. I got back to the yard by 6:15 PM and slept in my own bed Monday night with 900 miles to finish up last week and start this one.

Got the same load for the rest of the week that I had week before last. I loaded this morning at 10:00 AM in Richmond Va headed to Houston Tx delivering Thursday. If it turns like the last one I should be able to get home by Saturday evening. This run alone is 2500 miles.

 

8/27-29

Things were going great. I called dispatch and got my delivery time in Houston moved up to 1500. Got there at 1400 and they took me right in. Sat there for 4 hours and not one pound of product came off. There was another truck waiting behind me for the rack so they sent me over to our terminal in Pasadena TX 20 miles away to steam the product. Only problem is it was 250 degrees when I got here yesterday at 1830 and its 230 degrees now. I don't think the problem is product temp. Someone here told me they have had this problem before, the load was refused and sent back where it was thinned. The product is plastic in a hot ethylene glycol solution. They add more hot glycol to thin it. I was going to pull the empty back since its a dedicated trailer so getting loaded miles both ways is cool with me.

Nice thing is this is all detention pay so I am going to be paid hourly until they either get me unloaded, put me on another load, or send me back with this load if refused. Its been 20 hours so far and I am still waiting for a delivery appointment to go back. Should make for a good check this week.

Pretty much shoots down a holiday weekend though. I was sitting in Memphis for July 4. There is a Russian hurricane (Gustav) sitting in the gulf that could become a pain if I have to sit here too long.

 

Finally got a delivery time on the 29th..... 1800. I decided to head on over at 1400 to avoid rush hour traffic. They checked the product and it had thinned enough that they could get it off. The bay was open so I figured they would take me early. There was a Miller Transport truck unloading that they said would be done soon. This place is tight and they wanted him to be out of the way before bringing me in. I pulled over to the side.

An hour or so later I see a Miller service truck show up. Another 30 minutes later I get out and go in to see what is taking so long. They told me the Miller truck was leaking product all over the ground. I saw a couple of guys working on it wearing respirators. I hurried back to my truck. About an hour later they come out and told me they were going to move some cars so I could get in. 4 or 5 plant workers pulled their cars out and parked them on the street. That allowed me to pull in around the Miller truck. An hour later I was unloaded.

Dispatch had told me earlier that I would be dropping the trailer overnight. I had gotten a hotel room and had to go back and get my stuff. I decided to just go to sleep and drive back the next day. It would take 2 days anyway.

I got up the next morning had a waffle and headed out. I was making great time until I got to Hammond La. Then I ran into the 1,000,000 people that evacuated New Orleans. It was bumper to bumper at 45 MPH all the way to Mobile on I-10. Used up a lot of my hours on my 70. I have just enough left that if I can average 62 mph I can get home Sunday. Otherwise I will have to wait for midnight to pick up enough to get home.