From School to Superior Carriers

Next time I wind up in the black hole they call Markham I will check out Hog Wild. I did a DMT load from Columbia SC to Kingsport in training last year with Robert. Glad to hear its running again.

 

2/3-2/6

Well they have kept me pretty busy this week. After unloading in Glen Burnie Md., I got a tank wash to the Dana terminal in Baltimore. I called for directions and they told me to drop by the Baltimore yard first and they would leave me some with my paperwork for my next load. I found the terminal no problem. Finding the tank wash was a different story. The address was off the main road I turned from to get to the terminal. My directions had me go around several other back roads to get back to the road. It was dark, there were no street signs, I got turned around, and found out why they didn't have me go straight down the main road when I saw all the no truck signs. Then I drove by the tank wash twice because the sign wasn't lit up.

This place was a dump with truck swallowing mud holes everywhere. They had me back the trailer into a cleaning bay that was tight as hell. I will not ask where they want the trailer again at a non Superior tank wash but will just drop it in an empty hole. When I found my empty it was parked on a high spot with a mud hole right where my drives are. I had to crank the landing gear down to the point where the trailer nose was lower than the rear tandems to get it hooked. On top of that the landing gear was broken and only worked in low gear. I finally got back to the Baltimore about an hour later, took a shower and shut down for the night.

Mt next load was coming out of New Church Va loading at 9:00AM Wed delivering in Warwick RI at 9:00 AM Thursday. I did a split break and left about 9 hours after I got to Baltimore arriving at the shipper 15 minutes early. It snowed the whole way but the roads were fine. I enjoyed being out on the eastern shores of Maryland. It looked like a nice place to visit without a big truck some day. Got loaded in about 3 hours and headed North up to the NJ Turnpike. I decided to shut it down early at the Pilot in Boardentown NJ in order to navigate NY City early in the morning.

I left about 3:45 in the morning and had no major delays crossing the GW bridge. I got to the customer 15 minutes early again, checked in and promptly waited for an hour and a half for them to get to me. Finally got around back and in the unloading spot when they told me they would be drumming off a lot of the product into 55 gallon drums. They were pretty good at it and I got out of there with only 1.5 hours of demurage charges.

I called Springfield, then log Opps and was promptly sent a tank wash for High Point. As I was headed down the road I got a call from my dispatcher in High Point telling me to pull over and hang tight. They didn't want to deadhead me that far home. About 45 minutes later I got a tank wash to Springfield Mass.

I got here about 4:30PM Thursday and am waiting on a load going to Crawfordsville Fla delivering Monday 2/9. I asked to stay on it through delivery but they were talking about having me drop it in High Point. Either way I feel fortunate. I either get great miles over the weekend of I get home some time Saturday. Also I don't even have to load it. I am now sitting at the Springfield terminal getting my truck a PM service. They are supposed to bring my load here at around noon.

 

Thanks and good luck to you.

 

Thanks I will buy you a steak dinner if we cross paths out on the road if anything comes of it.

 

2/6-2/7

Finally got my load around 2:00. Got paid 7 hours of layover pay waiting for it and they are letting me deliver it to St Marks Fla instead of dropping it on our yard. I took the northern route back running I-84, I-81,and I-77S. Its longer but the scenery is nicer and you don't have to deal with NY, Philly, Balt, DC and Richmond like you do running I-95.

I even met my son and wife for dinner at the Brindles truck stop in Mt Airy NC at exit 100. First time I have been there. Its a cool old school place with good country style food and a great selection of pie. I could have spent the night at home but this being a hazmat load I need to stay with it or park it at a terminal per company policy. After dinner I ran another 120 miles and shut down just north of Columbia SC. It should be an easy run down there tomorrow and the load doesn't deliver until noon Monday. Should make for a pretty good week. 2300 miles all loaded, 6 PU/Del and about 15 hours of accessorial pay. I also have only logged between 6.5 and 9.75 hours per day this week so I have hours to run next week as I approach the 70. I really like running 8-9 hours a day with 12 hour breaks and not needing to reset. You don't get as burned out that way.

Hopefully there will be something good out of Garden City Ga for next week.