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

ITS ALMOST MAY!!!!! Somebody has to let Wyoming know....

 

You still here at the pilot? I just arrived.

 

Stay away from the hotdogs! TMonkey is saving those to melt the ice under his trailer tandems!!!

 

I shouldnt poke fun at others misery. I may br carried off in a twister or flash flood where Im at!!
Columbiana, AL

 

I"m still here. Truck 1415. I'd love to meet up with you. I'm headed inside to the restroom right now. I always wear an Abilene hat.

 

Well today didn't turn out so good. More on that in a little while. Right now I'm shut down in Cheyenne Wyoming at the Pilot.

I reloaded down in Pompano Beach Thursday evening. I met my wife where I park my truck after I got loaded, had dinner with her then left. I had to be in Richmond Friday night, I had a preplan sitting on the yard going to Riverside Ca for Monday morning, a good team run. I called Tim twice during the day Friday with no response. I texted him twice to let him know to meet me at the terminal at 6am Saturday morning so we can head west. I finally heard back from him at 3pm Friday. As soon as I heard his voice I knew something was not right. I'm not going into a long discussion about it, lets just say he wasn't ready to go on Saturday and that he wasn't sure truck driving was going to work for him. I cut him short and told him that right now my only priority was to call my dispatcher to tell him to take me off the load because my trainee was bugging out and to give the load to another team. Meanwhile, I explained to Tim what was going on, then I called down to Sally to tell her. Tim the dispatcher called Tim the trainee, Sally called Tim the trainee, I called Tim the trainee and Finally at 5:30 Friday evening Tim the dispatcher called me to tell me that the trainee will come back out on Tuesday and that they will keep me around local until then. I said fine and that I'll be in the yard about 10pm.

I did some serious thinking about what was going on an decided that, because I just came off of 6 days worth of hometime and I had a fresh set of hours, why should I have to be penalized by waiting around while he made a decision, one that might end up on Tuesday as he deciding that trucking wasn't for him. I woke up about 9am Saturday and sent a message into dispatch that I was ready to go. Jonathan told me to come to the office. I walked in and explained to him and Don that it isn't fair to me to sit around Richmond doing local work while Tim the trainee figures out his future. They both agreed 100%. They asked me how many hours I had and told them 14 for the day and 56 on my 70. They both said great and gave me a load that was just about done being put on a trailer at our dock. 5 drops, North Platte Nebraska for Monday. Pleasant Grove Utah Tuesday, SLC Tuesday, Sparks Nevada, Wednesday, and Reno Wednesday. I did the north Platte Nebraska this morning, then made it to the Pilot in Cheyenne where I am shut down with 5 other Abilene trucks because we all have less than 10K pounds in our trailers and they have the high wind (55+) warning up. Trucknmonkey has been here along with another of our trucks since yesterday. As soon as I got here I went into sleeper berth, sent a message into dispatch that I have now joined the ranks of the other Abilene trucks here in Cheyenne and that when they lift the ban I will roll.

Meanwhile, back to my trainee, and this goes to every one thinking about a career change, or that driving one of these trucks will give you an opportunity to sightsee, this is a demanding, unforgiving profession. It's not a bed of roses, I have never, in 33 years looked at this job with a pair of rose colored glasses on. Early on back in 1982 it cost me my first marriage. You are at the mercy of the people that own the truck you drive, it's not 9-5, or anywhere close to that. You get to miss holidays, birthdays, anniversaries. The company I drive for has forced dispatch, I go where they tell me to, Brooklyn? yep, Long island? yep. Wyoming the last 6 weeks in blizzards, treacherous weather/ road conditions? yep. Love your significant other? Then be willing to be separated from that person for weeks on end.

These companies need drivers, I fault them to a degree for glamourizing this profession. Abilene had a job fair this past Saturday while I was in the yard. You know what they did? They put a brand new, never been driven Volvo 780 with the new chrome deer killer, chrome wheels and all washed and shiny right by the new drivers lounge for all the new prospective drivers to see as they walk in. What a job, I'll get a brand new truck, I was told I'll be home every week, oh, we do hardly any night driving. Please, give me a break. This is a demanding job, one little mistake and this 80,000 pound truck and trailer now becomes a guided missile. Can you tell I'm a little miffed? I am. I love this job, I'm proud of what I've accomplished over the years, but make no mistake, this is a very demanding job, more ways than one.

I'm done ranting. My sleeper time is up at 1:30am. If they lift the high wind band then I'm headed out. I''ll drive the night shift the next 2 nights and make my deliveries on time, if not, then getting empty Wednesday and Thursday will have to do instead of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Well, just found out there's a heavy snow warning for tonight with blizzard conditions and whiteouts between Cheyenne and Laramie. I'll try this again tomorrow.

 

Great post John, I love it when friends of mine that work a 9 to 5 job complain about there long 8 hr. days. Really? My days are consistently 14 to 16 hours long. Trucking is a hard life and profession, and there are days when I hate it, but I couldn't think of doing anything else.

One thing that dove me nuts about training at another company, is that I would poor my heart and soul into training a driver, and he would decide trucking wasn't for them. And I would feel like that was complete waste of my time. Be safe out West guys.

 

Thanks Jason. I got your message the other day, but I was tied up trying to figure out what was going to happen when my trainee bailed. Be safe, talk soon.

 

Johnboy and other drivers be safe out there in this weather. My hubby is shut down in Iowa tonight. He on a load to Illinois and am keeping a eye on the weather. When he gets backs to Richmond he gotta put 1155 in shop . No big horn