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

Sitting at the Loves in Troutdale Oregon. I got my first 2 drops off this morning without a hitch. On my way over to Tacoma I got a message to call another truck and switch trailers with them. We decided to meet here, they are picking up in Albany Oregon, meeting me, taking my 2 drops and I am taking theirs, going to Nampa for a second pick up in the morning and bringing that load back to Richmond. This works out just fine with me. even though I loose out on 280 miles and 2 extra drops, this will have me back Friday night in time to hand this load in on this pay period. This will put me at 7400 miles for the pay period.

The trip out was long but painless, 705, 715, and 721 in mileage for 3 straight days, then I had to wake up early this morning to finish the leftover mileage to my deliveries. I'm sitting with 17 hours left on my 70 and don't pick up anything until midnight Wednesday night, but then I gain back strong hours, enough so that I will ask for another west coast turn when I get back in and won't worry about hours as I run my recap.

 

This is what happens when you aren't paying attention to your driving and are texting. This truck and I were at the Loves about 6am Saturday morning getting fuel. I took a shower and I guess he left. 4 miles before the construction zone at the westbound 212mm the electric Indian was blinking away telling people the left lane was closed 4 miles ahead, same thing at the 2 mile mark. Traffic was at a dead stop a mile from the construction zone. The Cowboy here in the picture, the one that was next to me at the fuel island at the Loves, was doing what ever he was doing, other then paying attention, realized traffic was stopped, too late I might add, and swerved from the right lane to the left in order to not run into the back of the big truck that was at the end of the line. He avoided a rearend collision but ripped open his trailer as he sideswipped the truck in front of him. No injuries, but I sure would like to have been in the cop car with him listening to him trying to explain that deal. When I went by he didn't look to happy sitting in the front seat of the cop car.




Here is whats left of a White Volvo from Elk Grove Village Illinois. The truck was in basically one piece, but got a little toasted. From what was being said, he got his brakes so hot that he couldn't stop, by the time he hit the bottom of Cabbage the flames were shooting out from under the trailer. From what I heard his fire extinguisher was useless. The good thing for both these drivers is they walked away from both accidents, this time.

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