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

Redtwin did you know I'm a fortune teller. I'm looking into the crystal ball right now (Your Qualcomm) and I see many big miles for you! Where???? I see, I see, I see.... California!!!!! LOL! Sorry buddy .... LOL....

 

I worked for a company years ago, that hauled corrugated boxes in bales. They didn't want us working in the trailers, had a driver file an insurance claim. OK, fine with me.
But then the company goes out and finds every mom and pop outfit, working out of their garage, or a storefront, without a dock, or even a forklift, as customers. Pull up, open the doors, and the seventy year old owner, who ordered the biggest boxes they made, looks in there, and says "how we supposed to get those outta there"? "Well, ya should of thought of that about 2 weeks ago, when you talked to the salesman...."

 

I'll be doing a 34 up at Frazier Park after delivering near Oxnard tomorrow morning...

If you were on I-40 we probably passed each other somewhere in the night...

 

Just finished my second Canada trip in one week. They always call me to ask me if I'm willing to go, like I've got the option to say "Nah, don't feel very Canadian today". I told 'em I don't mind running into Canada and I don't see what the big deal is, so they don't have to ask. We'll see what the future holds.

Thing I noticed, though: My GPS route is 624 miles just to get to the door of the first receiver, and then another 28 miles after that to the second receiver. But the load assignment is only paying a total of 580 miles. So now I'm curious as to how the route calculators in HQ are calculating this particular route.

My GPS routes me down the PA Turnpike to Pittsburgh, up 79 to Erie, then back over to Buffalo. Interstate the whole way. I fiddled around with the GPS for a bit, and found a route cutting up through central PA that knocked 64 miles off my GPS route -- but only knocked off about 2 minutes of estimated travel time.

So now I'm curious: For you folks who run from Richmond to Toronto on the regular, what route do you use?

 

Quite possible, I saw a few Abilene trucks heading West. I shut down in Kingman last night. I'm running right up against my 70 so only made it as far as Albuquerque today.

 

Our load mileage info only shows the US miles for some reason, I have always been paid for the full trip miles though. Of course that allows for the usual zip code vs odometer difference.

I stick to the interstate as you mentioned. I took that other route through central PA once and didn't care for it. It's not a bad route in good weather, but it isn't a whack on the cruise and kick back kind of road like the interstate/highway.

I never get asked if want to go to Canada, I just get dispatched same as any other destination. As long as paperwork is in order it isn't a bad run, especially when you get familiar with the usual destinations so you know the way in and know which ones you can sleep at etc. There is only one PITA lumber drop in Toronto. You have to back in off a fairly busy street so its a matter of hanging back and trying to time traffic coming from both directions before you make your move and block both lanes of traffic. You have to back through the strip mall parking lot to hit the dock so there are also shoppers driving around the lot you have to dodge also.

I have had a couple screwy Canada loads where I had to go to LL in Sandston then bring the load back to the yard and sit there waiting for the customs stuff to be done. Those I didn't like so much. Not only does that eat up your 14, I didn't get paid for the miles to Sandston and back. Why the customs paperwork cant be done and provided to me before i go get the load is beyond me.

 

Oh, cool. I'll have to double check that come next payday. Ordinarily I don't care about the paid miles vs. odometer miles being off by a few percentage points. But this was off by 72 miles, which is pretty substantial.

The two times that's happened to me, I just rolled down the road and had 'em fax the customs paperwork to me at the PFJ in Porterville.