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

Wild trailer chase it is.

Good thing they waited until the peak of Atlanta rush hour to decide that I need to drive inside 285.

 

Drove to the heart of Atlanta. My trucker GPS thinks everything inside 285 is truck prohibited, so finding the most expeditious truck route to 16th Street NW was a modest challenge.

Instructions were to drive to the Ikea near downtown and hook empty #88351. After navigating a tortuous path and blowing the Atlanta Falcons stadium a firm raspberry (I'm a Saints fan), I arrived at the Ikea. Streets did not look like they would be super friendly to a sleeper cab and a 53' trailer, so I was prepared to inconvenience a few people on my way back out.

Hooked the trailer, pulled it out of the dock, went to close the doors, and discovered that it wasn't empty. About 1/3rd full, floor to ceiling, with empty pallets. Nothing I can drop at a shipper for future loading.

By this time I had 1hr 20min on my 14. Even if I bobtailed straight from the Ikea to the shipper, I wouldn't have made it in time. So I dropped the trailer back in the dock, called dispatch, explained my tale of mirth and woe, and told 'em I was heading back to the Knight yard to shut down.

Maybe tomorrow they'll figure out where their empties are. Or hell, I may just bobtail to the shipper anyways. Getting one of the local guys to schlep a trailer down to the shipper will be cheaper than having me wander all over Atlanta looking for one.

 

How do you get paid on a trailer search, I've never had the misfortune of being involved in such follies?

 

Abilene pays the same for all miles listed on the load assignment, so they'll add route points for all assigned stops. I'll get paid for the trip from the Knight yard to Ikea, and also from Ikea to the Knight yard.

 

Why couldn't you just take your Abilene empty trailer? Are they not all the same?

 

I expect that the shipper is expecting a trailer with "Knight" on the side in big letters, and will be confounded if it says "Abilene" instead.

 

With all the dead deer I’ve been seeing, I keep wanting to hop out and saw off the antlers for my puppy… those things are pricey in the stores and you only get parts.

Would fit in a stocking.

 

Finished my 34 this morning and go back to Volvo to get an empty and the only green light was loaded cuz the dummy parked there dropped it after hours and backed under the new trailer next to him. Guess he was in a hurry to get it before anyone else though it was still loaded and red lighted. I hate when ppl do that and I pull out only to see a trailer is loaded. Not supposed to drop after hours anyway and unhook. Ended up with the reefer parked here. At least a reefer has dry and wet options. Will see what they come up with. Hopefully something comes through soon.

 

Can’t believe they are having this much of a hard time finding a load for this reefer trailer I got. No dry vans available. 14 bout to catch up to me….