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

I am wytheville bound (from richmond), no doubt destined for the loop as I was told they need help out there. I actually don't mind it though, yeah I'm weird like that.

 

Yeah, I didn't find the Gatorade runs to Indy particularly troublesome, since everything is drop and hook. Take an empty to Gatorade, drop it, hook a loaded trailer, take the loaded trailer to Indy, drop it, hook an empty. Easy peasy, miles ain't bad, and sometimes I get a deadhead back to Gatorade to do it all over again.

 

For those drop-and-hook runs, the appointment times are essentially placeholders and don't actually map to any real appointment time. I've gotten there a day early and dropped no problem, and I've gotten there hours late and dropped no problem.

 

Volvo 1615 anyone here at Costco Monroe Township NJ

 

While that's true about the place holders, I have been contacted about not getting there soon enough on a load that had plenty of time on it and since then been turned away for being too early too...

While I don't mind the loop at all and it is fairly easy, it's sometimes hard to read others minds between loads... and then sometimes left sitting when you know they will just route you to the next place on the loop... LOL

But yes, most of the time it's easy miles except for hauling up some of those mountains with those extra heavy loads.


Stay Safe,
MD

 

This thread is great. Def made me feel like i had a good idea of what i might be getting into.

I think as a whole our company drivers are a helpful bunch. 5 of us in queens delivering monday. Helping each other get in and out of the mini obstacle course that was the construction site. And that seems to be the norm for me.

My weeks been good. Lotsa spilt breaks running back and forth from rva to the northeast.

Dispatch pulled a fast one on me and assigned me a load while i was at the house taking 10. Normally have to go to window to get load. Tracy made it seem as if it was an apt time but actually open window. Apt time was gonna be tight to squeeze in a break but my trip planning was pretty accurate this time.

Thankful to be at home for this messy weather tomorrow. Yall b safe. Gonna be back in rva tonight

 

That's my take on it also, even better when it's going to wintersville. Sure it's a pain dragging gross over the mountains, but knowing exactly what you are doing on either end makes up for it.

 

LOL ....

 

After recent events, I want/need to update this part of my post. My lady suffered a very bad re-injury to her wrist and arm a couple weeks ago. The initial injury happend years ago and required several surgeries involving bones, tendons and muscle as well as steel plates and screws. Never quite right but mostly functional. A couple weeks ago she slipped on a wet floor landing on it and tore it up very badly again. As you might imagine, I've been very worried and concerned for her while out running the roads.

She needs a lot of help doing everyday things and I'm simply not there. She's in intense pain but tough and independant. So much so I worry she'll do more damage before more surgery can be done. So, I've tried to get back as much as possible to help with shopping, laundry etc ... etc .. (mostly my 10 hour breaks and the rare reset when in the area)

She has children and grandchildren and being Christmas is so close, needs to get her place setup for it. We have another appointment with the surgen on the 19th to determine the time and extent of what's needed to repair the damage.

I've been working to save up for at least two weeks (14 days or more) hometime because after the surgery, she'll need me there full time at least that long. Being the dedicated parent/grandmother she is, it's really important to her to have her place ready for all the kids. (And I'd really like to be with her for the appointment as well)

Since last week I've been asking to get to Richmond this weekend to .... help her with everything, get a lot of work done on my truck and get a reset while not costing the company any breakdown or layover. Coming back out Tuesday or Wednesday ready to roll.

It was all looking impossible to guarantee me that without putting in for 2 days hometime. As we all know, since accumulated days off are not tracked or "banked", taking 2 now would lose the seven I have saved towards that 2 weeks we'll need. So that wasn't an option for us.

(Sorry, long post)

After more than a week of figuring and suggesting about everything I could think of with no luck, I wound up in Groveport Thursday morning feeling pretty bad and hopeless indeed.

Well, Between me, my DM and a load planner (I'd really love to name them to give credit and sincere thanks), at the last minute they pulled it off for us!! It took some creative planning and driving but I type this from her apartment with my truck in the shop.

I've been pretty hard on this company because pretty much nothing has turned out the way I wanted or was told it would. But I have to say, this is the first time I really feel like a part of this team with others going all out to help me in a difficult situation. For me, that's HUGE!!

Now I don't know if everything (or anything) on my truck will get fixed but, I'm here to help my love and I'll get a reset without blowing any of my saved hometime days and .... 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

 

And that, my friend, is why I have stayed here, despite all the other crappola. Kudos to your DM and the planner for helping you out in this situation.

I hope your lady's appointment goes well and that you can get (most) everything done to get things ready for Christmas while you are here so she won't stress too badly while you are not.