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

I’ve shut down three times due to “ain’t gonna do it” since starting here ...

Once in a very high wind storm... shut down until morning and then saw like 7 trucks on their sides...

Once when I avoided a hurricane dropping in Jax only to be asked to run up the coast, pass said hurricane in an empty Reefer, then drop said empty Reefef at a Walmart for emergency freezer space should they loose power... I verified twice, “you want me to intentionally chase down, and pass, a hurricane?” Yes... “did you hear me? A hurricane? And I’m hauling air?” Well, try your best... so ya, I “tried” but as soon as I did catch it and my hiney was dancing around, I said “ok, I tried... but ain’t gonna ruin my day on my side... I’m slow not stupid”

and last winter got caught in that Snow Storm that hit SoCal... They finally opened the road to Barstow and I got into AZ only to hit deep snow... I thought about continuing but my puckered hiney advised me differently... the next morning there were two trucks blocking the exit... and like three more on the road in the ditch... one was ours and they were pulling him out at the time.

just ain’t worth laying it over if you have options.

when I first started the Orientation Guy told me two things that stuck ... “if chains are required, stop” and “ain’t nothing in that box worth risking it, so don’t”

 

Well, not sure how everyone else is doing but Richmond to Southern Florida to Jax to Memphis to San Antonio to Larado to Southern California... Got here a half day early but they refused to unload early so taking a few hours of down time before LUL in the morning.

hoping this continues... {knock on wood}

 

Must be nice.

The list of cities I've encountered the past 2 weeks include: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Detroit, Joliet, Minneapolis, Eau Claire, Des Moines, Kansas City and the warm weather metropolis of Wichita Falls Tx.

 

Well, grabbing some Pet Food and heading back to Columbia, SC... it was nice seeing SoCal again... it’s been awhile and might be again...

Be Safe!!!

 

Finally got a call from Jackie at XPO today saying she was able to get my appt moved to tonight at 2330. Ill be able to make my first VA doc appt tomorrow afternoon thankfully. Knowing Winco Ill prob be there 5 hours being a grocery load which is fine because the truckstop oughta be somewhat clear by the time I get to Yakima if they take forever to unload. Hopefully lumper fee won't be astronomical again and Ill have to wait for management to get in the office to approve it again like last time. Apparently night dispatch can only approve a certain amount.Parked at flying j 7 miles away so Ill have a ten in by tonight and be good to get up to Yakima.

 

Victorville... and boy are they sticky with their safety protocols... oh the standard vest etc... drop trailer here, park there, go into office with papers, etc

I was told to walk in the crosswalk... but when I parked the truck, the crosswalk went from truck to guard shack then turned right to go to the office... so I took the shortcut and went straight to the office... (think of a triangle) ... guard stepped out and got my attention to tell me to walk in the cross walks... lol

Then we must completely leave the property too.

 

Ok... just had another first...

Got a call from Dispatch... not my DM... wanting to know when I left... I was thinking he was talking about my LUL this morning... I told him I wasn’t sure, maybe an hour after arrival, but he could check my log or my macro... he said he had my arrival but not when I left... again, said “check my log it will show when I drove there from truck stop and went I left to return to Truck Stop.

turns out he was not calling about my LUL but my next LLD... {was a bit confused} ... Uh, the load I’m on now??? Well, I just arrived and waiting to get loaded, so I have not yet left... lol

funny thing, I was here like 45 minutes early and he called some 5-10minutes before scheduled LLD.... which is now at 3P/6E

Was a strange call.