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

Got my first ever overweight citation in 20 yrs, 2000 over on trailer tandems. TN been hitting it hard lately. Got a level one but no violations other than over on tandems. All these Volvo loads from York have always been front heavy, this one was rear heavy. I made the mistake of assuming it was front heavy as always and being a reefer I set it to hole 9 where a front heavy 36k load would normally be ok. I got it right second time after they let me adjust it, hole 15. 204$. Rough ride, heavy in the rear is fine on a spread axle but tandems not so much. At least we got air ride instead of spring ride, be even more rough. Got a lecture about my smart drive score from my DM after sending pics of the citation. It is mostly that I get to where the collision mitigation starts beeping then I hold it there feathering back and forth because I can’t move over because nobody will let me over. I called safety up to have them explain this smart drive score crap so I can work with the system instead of against it. Must be Knight/Swift making a big deal with this score stuff. Personally I think it is stupid and useless and it should only be in trucks of drivers that need hands held. Hire professional drivers stuff isn’t generally needed. I can see why those of us that have been around for 20 yrs and much longer are retiring and leaving the industry and eventually there will only be steering wheel holding monkeys left. I feel like Im getting books thrown at me over this. I learned you got 3 seconds to back off if get close enough for the system to beep or gets recorded. Like I said, trying to work with stuff because no use going against it.

 

Delivery in the am here in Mi,just north of Toledo, than run west about 120 miles,and pu going down near Atlanta for Monday morning.

 

Unloaded in Byhalia yesterday morning then sent to Volvo in Tx then deadheaded to Ashdown, Ar to the paper mill but load isn’t ready nor has it been started on yet. Knowing how jacked up paper mills can be I could be here all night which means PCing all the way to WM since yard is still there. Guarantee there will be no parking anywhere late at night. Need a 34 fit in too. Load not ready screwed up my plans. Hopefully worst case don’t happen, lol! Load going to KY then reload same place going to TN. Assuming they load me late. They require pants and closed toe shoes, wonder how many flip flop dudes show up in shorts and have no pants, lol! Good thing I keep jeans and my steel toe doc martens in here just in case.

 

Here on the West Memphis yard. Dropped a Volvo load which doesn't deliver until Monday (and which has a "DO NOT DELIVER EARLY!" note on the load assignment), picking up a Boar's Head load due in Bethpage Tuesday morning. Been a while since I've been there. Hopefully I can still spend the night in their parking lot, 'cause there ain't no place else to park on Long Island.

 

You can spend the night, just don’t park in the dock. They load their house truck first. They are usually in at 6 or shortly after, unloaded me 630 last time. They open at 7. That is usually the load I get to get me mules before going home.

 

Thankfully they loaded it pretty quick and my plans will work now. Taking a 34 at the Loves in Prescott then head to receiver Sunday being they said 24/7 unload/load.

 

Heads up for next time Tennessee will allow up to 1,000 over on any axles as long as you're under gross.

 

Well, my garmin decided to die on me. Got five years out of it. Ill probably just get the 6 inch one this time to not block too much windshield.

 

I use Google Maps, Hammer and Smart Truck Route apps.