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

I'm back. Was a little busy this week. I got to the drop in Miami for the second time on Tuesday at 7am. It went much better this time. It only took 2 hours from start to finish to get my 45 cases that weighed 110lbs off my trailer, and that was with me doing all the work. I pulled out of the gate and parked on the street waiting for my next dispatch. While waiting I made myself a cup of coffee, some breakfast and then laid down waiting for the magical beep from the Qualcomm. It finally showed up at 11am. I had to drive up to Lake Wales and load a one pick load of Oranges going to Wally World in Gordonsville Va for 5am Thursday.

I got to the shipper at 2:30, backed right in and was done at 4pm. I started my clock at 5am that morning, so I had enough time to make it to the rest area just on the other side of Orlando. I got there at 6pm and called it a night. I was up and rolling at 4am Wednesday. I was tired all day and it seemed like it was taking me for ever to get north. I fought it all day, and was able to get to the terminal at 5:30. I was 65 miles to the drop from there. I finished the day with 715 miles under my belt. Not bad for a rookie.....lol. I got my reload info during the day. I had to pick up a rejected pallet of Tangerines right there at the DC and deliver them in Richmond. I was wondering how this was going to play out dealing with this type of delivery and pickup at a WalMart. To my surprise it was one of my best dealings with them. I was in the gate at 4:45am, dropped the trailer at my assigned door at 5am, unloaded at 7am, the one pallet was put on and I was out the gate at 7:30.

I got to the drop in Richmond at 8:30, was done at 8:45 and back at the yard at 9:30. I had 4 hours left on my clock, took a load to Downingtown PA that delivered this morning at 7am, was empty at 7:30 and was at the IHop across the street at 8am waiting on dispatch. I got back to the truck at 9am and had a deadhead move back to Richmond sitting on my computer. I got here at 2:30 and got a 6 dropper that starts in Chester Il and ends up in Saint Louis, all by noon on Monday. Right now I'm at the yard waiting on my truck to get the inverter fixed, it started shutting off by itself. Through my keen eye, I found the connection on the positive cable to be corroded and hanging by a thread. Not a big fix so it should be done soon. That's it for now. God Bless and be safe.

 

It's always nice to put a face to a name. I met a driver through the blog a few years ago and to this day we seem to cross paths every so often.

 

Glad you found us. It's good to have another voice here. Don't be a stranger.

 

Well it was bound to happen. In fact, I'm rather heart broken. While my truck was in the shop yesterday the mechanics heard an unusual sound coming from the right side of my engine near the turbo. It took them 30 minutes to find out the problem, my EGR valve was going bad. They red tagged my truck. This morning I got up, showered, had breakfast then went in to see Jonathan for a loaner truck. We have had 5 brand new Cascadia Evolutions sitting up against the fence for 2 months now. He asked me if I wanted one, for keeps or a loaner until I get back. Without hesitation I took the Cascadia with all of 498 miles on it. He assigned it to me, sent an email to my dispatcher letting her know I'm in a new truck, transferred my fuel card over to the new truck and then I spent the whole day moving.

Here it is almost 6pm and I'm just finished setting up shop. I had to bring the mattress to the shop and get a receipt for it, then I moved all my stuff in. After 1318 was completely empty I then spent an hour cleaning the inside. Not that it needed it, but I was very impressed with how it was detailed when I got it back in April, so I figured the least I could do was to give it back the same way I got it. I now have the last new truck Abilene has, #1487. I just hope this truck treats me the same as the Volvo. Now if my load would get here then I can leave and go make some coin.