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

Typing in all-caps on the qualcomm is a pain.

 

Do Abilene’s trailers have air slides on the tandems and do the tractors have air slide fifth wheels and kingpin release?

 

Yes, and yes. Not sure about the 5th wheels on all trucks, but the Volvo's have had them since 18.

 

I have loaded and unloaded a bunch of times. The loading pickups were mainly old shopping carts going to that facility in VA. I've had others though, most notable was a multi pickup which included an engine on a pallet and an old tractor. I guess the tractor was driver assist. Big forklift shoved it from the back while I kicked the front wheels to steer it in

The unloads were mostly hill Phoenix were I wasn't in the mood to stand around while the various store employees scratched their heads. There was a 5 stop cooler load with those small square waist high coolers. First 2 stores knew nothing about it but after much deliberation accepted them. Of course no one had a pry bay etc so I had to do it all. By the time I hit 3rd store I stopped asking if they ordered anything. I just showed them the BOL asked them to confirm the address and delivery date then sign it whereupon I shoved the cooler on their dock and made tracks.

Most multi stops I have had were 8 drops.

 

8 drops is a lot. I think the most I have done is 4.

A 42" duckneck prybar is the way to go. Makes pulling nails easy.

I help unload fo free too, when I can. I pull pallets to the front with a pallet jack, and hook up the jaws thingy when they are dragging pallets to the rear with a forklift. Gets me some needed exercise, and back on the road faster.

 

Well, at least you will have heat for winter.
It’s probably still that “software” problem.

{sarcasm}

 

And BOLD is nearly impossible...

 

You are lucky nothing was damaged when moving/unloading those coolers. You would have been charged for the damage. I had 9 stops for Farm Fresh (used to be local grocery store here) when I was OTR. None of the stores knew the coolers were coming. None had any equipment. I handed them my pry bar, told them how to go about getting them off the trl, and said get to it. I for one don’t have the $$$ to replace a cooler that I may damage. Most stops only took about 30 minutes.
Only had 3 other loads that were driver unload. 2 were Marlon specials and weren’t bad. One was Bed, Bath and Beyond up in the NE. They were getting product from World Market and their employees are not allowed to enter trls. Pulled heavy pallets of fru fru water off with rickety pallet jacks. Got paid really well to do it, too, as Abilene had no idea it was driver unload. I think it was $100/stop on top of the $25/stop we normally get. 5 stops.

 

Little over night driving from WM to Wytheville since my truck was in shop all day and they needed this Brooklyn load dropped ASAP. Stopped at the J in Knoxville for coffee to stay awake and burnt the daylights outta my mouth. That is some hot coffee, lol! Next time Ill have to remember to use ice. Im that weirdo that likes his coffee luke warm.

 

Once they sign for it acknowledging everything is good, I consider that all on them at that point.