Adventures of a Flatbedder at Roehl

What a day! Woke up at 2:30 am, wasn't planning on waking up until 3. Oh well, made it to the consignee with 10 minutes to spare. Spent 90 minutes untarping and rolling up the SIXTEEN straps on this load. About 6 too many if you ask me.
So while I was rolling up straps I look down at the front tandem of my trailer. I have a blow out on the inside tire! (stepdeck so it was hidden) Man, I didn't hear anything or feel anything strange. So now my first thought is, there goes my tight time frame. Call up maintenance, get a location to go to in Eau Claire to change the tire. Once I was unloaded headed that way. Found it pretty easy too. Was really worried that I would be there for HOURS waiting, but was in and out in less than 30 minutes! The paperwork took longer than the actually changing out the tire. Helps that I was at a regular tire shop and not a truck stop.
Drive on to Shakopee, get loaded, drive back to St. Paul Park, and drop. My days is done and now it's HOME TIME!!

 

OH man, what a couple of days!! So, I come out of the house on Tuesday. Get to pick up another fine load from Certainteed in Shakopee. This one is headed to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan for you that don't know.) Get it there and drop it the next day no problem. Although, did I ever say that I hate rolling tarps in the cold and snow? Worse than rain and mud. At least the tarp will roll up in the rain. Frozen and in snow, not so much.
Next load is from Gwinn, MI. Nice people, hate their loads! This is a FIVE stopper!!! And for you van guys out there this is untarp and tarp stops! MANS work! Not those swing open the doors stops!
I digress... So get straped and tarped and on my way. Get about 90 minutes from first drop and look at times. Place is only open from 0600-1400 for receiving. It's 2 PM now... ####, gonna have to sit the rest of the day. Well not so bad as I really didn't sleep so well the night before.
So today, Drop the first part at 0600, on to the second one and get out of there around 12. Head to number 3 and get there STOP! "You are at the wrong place. I called dispatch and said you were coming to wrong place and you need to pick up some items too." Now that through me for a loop. Have hand written directions to the correct location, with really no street names. And supposedly picking up items too?? Get to the "correct" location and finally am able to get someone on the phone. no problem on address and "NO" you aren't picking anything up. Will let Customer Service handle it from there. I knew that, but had to get on the phone to let the customer think that they had a chance... NOPE!
Next up was stopping in Neenah for fuel and a SHOWER!!!! The one thing I can say about the UP, nice scenery, but no REAL truck stops to shower. And of course, I was all around Iron Mountain (Roehl Terminal) but didn't pass by so I could shower there. 3 days no shower makes me grumpy!
So sitting about 30 miles from stop 4 in Milwaukee. Hopefully, get these two stops done and get something nice, like go pick up one of the 3 over size fire engine loads sitting in Neenah and take it west. You can only dream!