Adventures of a Flatbedder at Roehl

1. If I can't boast about "working" for a living, then you take all the fun out of life!
2. I wave at every Roehl truck I see, even when they don't wave back at my Gray/Silver Ghost. (I do have to admit, VAN drivers don't wave the most, but flat's miss me too.)
3. I smell like Old Spice Endurance Body Wash or DIRT! Just depends on when you see me.
4. There are some very DISGUSTING Van/Reefer/Flat... TRUCK drivers out there.
5. Can't we all get along?
6. When is that pay raise again?

 

Been a little lax in updating this weekend, so got a few mins and here we go!

Finished up my 5 stop load. Was pretty easy except for the 5 inches of snow I started out with in the morning. First stop had a shovel so I was able to shovel most of it off and second stop unloaded inside so the rest melted off!

From there it was off to Atlas Tube in Chicago to pick up heading to ALABAMA! Nice weekend run, but I decided to rush down there. Got there on Saturday so that I could get a reset in. Have the time, might as well do it!

Unloaded on Monday morning, 1st in line of 3 Roehl trucks, and then off to Anniston, AL to pick up next load. Got there in time and then back up to Chicago. This is where is got a little tight. When I unloaded I had 2.5 hrs to get where my GPS was telling me was 2 hrs and I needed to stop for fuel. Got there with 5 mins to spare.
Next I was to deliver the today at 1300 in Chicago. Quick trip plan, I should be there by 1200. Get rolling and ..... Should have checked route a little better. I wasted probably 1 full hour on the backwoods roads of Alabama before getting to the interstate. So my 1200 is back to 1300.
So as I run to make that time I get to Gary for fuel. While sitting at the fuel island I get a call from a planner. "You still in the yard?" "Ya!" "Do you want to deliver that load in Chicago or relay it and I will get you another load." So not wanting the hassle of Chicago, I drop it and wait for another load.
Now I am on a load to TN and have stopped for the night at the exact truck stop that I was at last night, Pilot at x86 on I-65 in Kentucky. Oh, and that was 635 miles later. Oh, and ?I need to be at the consignee at 0900 tomorrow and I am still 2.5 hrs away. Once my ten is up, I estimate that I will have 2.5 hours to get there.... That is if my time zones are correct. If not, I may have an extra hour. You know, time to actually do a pretrip and in-route inspection. Call me crazy!!

 

Made it to Consignee in TN about 30 minutes early at 0830. Went in to check in and didnd't have my pick-up number. Walk back out to truck to get number. Yep have what looks like the number. So go back in... Yep its a number, the 4 PM number. Can't deliver until then. This is not happening!
So I head out to the truck, already blocking some incoming trucks, call FM and read him the riot act. "hold on, I'll call CSR and see what's up." So he calls back 5 minutes later, try this number. Go in and that is the right 0900 number. Get unloaded and send a message in, Make sure the 4 PM driver has the right number or he won't be unloading. Just trying to be nice.
So my next load is out of Felker Bros. in Glasgow, KY. Get there and find my trailer and 3 stop load heading home via WI and Iowa. This is Wednesday. While strapping up the load it gets really quiet. Then I hear a small rumble that keeps getting louder. I walk to the front of the truck where
I can see better. The trees start swaying and then all I see is a wall of water on the way. I jump in the truck and then watch the hail and wind go crazy. There were 3 Roehl trucks there and I could barely see the one next to me, less than 20 feet away. Not sure if there was a tornado or not, but the funny thing was that about 5 minutes after it passed the tornado sirens go off. Talk about being late for the party.
So get all my stops completed today and finally get an answer for my bridge hit. Drum Roll please...........
PREVENTABLE
Of course it was, didn't have local directions, I was out of route, didn't call my FM to hold my hand, didn't call the Chicago hotline before planning my route, didn't see any of the non existent low bridge signs, should have been home sleeping instead of driving... You name the reason, I am guilty so the accident was preventable.
The thing that bothers me the most about this, Roehl didn't have the guts to tell me. I had to ask, 3 times, on what they classified it as. Not sure if I will attempt to fight it or not, truck companies have us bent over on what is preventable and what is not, so I will probably lose even when/if I appeal.
OH well, time for the weekend and a stiff DRINK!!

Drive safely drivers!!