Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Got my stops off early at Lumber Liquidators in Braintree and Woburn MA. Now waiting on dispatch to send me my next move. Probably to Kanzaki in Ware MA and then back to Richmond where Higgins can send me back up here again. I think (and just my 2.cents here) that if you are OTR, after every NE run, you should get a good long one out west. Just to balance it out. No offense to all the folks who run strictly NE, but y'all are nuts! LOL

 

Now RC why do you dislike the North East so much? I have been up that way a few times delivering and the people are so nice to you and the cities are so truck friendly with plenty of parking. LOL had to say it. I am like you I hate it.

 

You get paid vacation after one year. It's figured out at 1/52 of your weekly average, hence, weekly average of $1100 will be vacation pay of the same. Of course safety will tell you to shut it down if not safe. Remember, as I tell everyone that ever gets in the truck with me, you control this ship, you will say when to or not to shut it down. These people are real good working with the driver, for hometime, medical issues, deaths in the family, and I'm quite sure marriage. I'll have a weeks vacation after April, my wife and i are going on a two week cruise to the Mediteranean (sp?) in August, I will take the time off but only get paid for one week of vacation. Just need to keep them in the loop.

 

We left Richmond Sunday at 11am after finally locating our trailer. It was in the computer as being at the HP d/c. We drove there twice from the yard looking for it. Finally we decided to go to the manufacturing plant and low and behold there it was. I spent part of Saturday night checking on the weather, road conditions and timing of this cold spell and snow storm. I decided to not get up onto 80 until Lincoln Ne. We made it to Mt Stering Ky at 9pm in 52 degree, pouring down rain weather. We woke up 9 hours later to the high of the day at 4 degrees and snow. My reset was up at 5am so we left. By the time I got to the pilot at exit 25 in Indiana, it was -4, 30 mile an hour winds and ice/snow covered roads. I needed to top off my tanks, that type of cold plays hell on a truck. We saw a boat load of big trucks froze up on the side of the highway.

I topped off my tanks, added a gallon of Howes in my fuel, froze my backside off then left. The road all the way to the west of St Louis looked like a junk yard. It got to -8 but the one thing I was worried about was not freezing up. We stopped in Oak Grove Mo to eat then left. About the rest area just north of platte city mo my clock ran out. George took over then we made it to the Petro in York Ne. I kept feeling the right side of the truck hitting the rumble strips on the shoulder so I got up and asked him if he was tired, which I already knew the answer to. He said yes, I told him to get to the petro then we went to sleep. We woke up, had breakfast then I asked him what he seemed upset about. He told me he was p'od about only driving 3 hours. I explained to him that I don't expect the same stamina from him as I have, and that if you get tired to pull it over and go to sleep. We left York with just enough time on his clock to get to North Platte then I'll take over and get to play in the typical Wyoming winter day across elk mtn.

 

have a safe trip

 

This may come as a surprise to you, but they're calling for rain all week in the greater Portland area haha. Be safe out there, maybe I'll run into you guys. I'll be running around those parts around that time.

 

I heard. I'm just concerned with the weather through Ladd Canyon and Cabbage. I hope to be at Jubitz tomorrow evening. If you are in the area stop by, coffee will be on me.

 

Where getting hit big time here with Off the lake snow squalls , high winds and cold temps I81 closed from Syracuse to Canadian Border , 100 mile stretch of NY THRUWAY Closed from Buffalo to PA Border

 

Nothing beats walking across a cold ### parking lot at 5:30 in the morning while its 12 degrees and snowing like it is here in Montpelier Idaho, what a way to start a day....right. My wife said it was 68 at the house with a high of 75. Thanks for the weather update honey.

We are 750 miles to Vancouver. I need to stop in Boise to get chains for the truck. They had none left at the yard so I was told to get them up here. At least my brand new truck wil have brand new chains in bags to keep in my side box. As soon as it gets light out I'll be leaving. Right now I left Grorge in the truck playing solitaire on his phone.

 

It was a little messy through Spokane and over Snoqualmie last night, but Washington did a great job with the roads (can't believe I just said that). I would say it should be the same down that way, but Oregon does nothing to the roads so I don't know.

I'll miss ya this time, doing a favor and running to Calgary for Friday morning. Be safe you two.