ATS/school

Ohio, sounds like you already got most of your questions answered, but in case not: from what I was told you need to start out in over the road. Regional, heavy haul, wind etc. require previous experience. They also have a van division, specialize in pad wrap I believe. I can't tell you anything about the van. Let me know if you have any other questions.
As for my adventures, just ran hard all day. Sitting at the Love's in Ina,IL. I'll call the cons. tomorrow to see about an afternoon delivery. I would really like to make it early, but they may be sticklers about appointments, and I really won't complain. It is a nuclear plant. I definetly want those secure(ok, at least APPEARING to be secure). I have under 500 miles to go tom., can't have Bronc or Brick thinking I'm a wimp ya know! Well thats all for now folks, i'm going to see if I can watch some of the MN boys high school hockey tournament. This is the first year of my life I haven't been home to watch, literally!

 

Yesterday I couldn't get an answer at the consignee's number, surprise surprise. When my FM finally got hold of someone they said they could take me early, if I got there by 2pm. I pushed as hard as I could, just couldn't quite make it. So I spent the night in a little truck stop in Rock Port,MO. This morning I got up to blowing snow and about a 30 degree temp. diff., with icy roads and all. Boy yesterday would have been nice! Anyway, set off to try to find the place, directions sketchy as usual. It really wasn't too hard, especially when I actually got hold of someone this morning! Basically just followed all the cars out to the plant. I had to wait 20 minutes for another security guard to show up to check in all the big trucks. Then i'm told they need to look under the tarps. Ok, how is that going to happen with out me chasing tarps across the cornfield? Keep in mind the wind was pretty strong at this time. We were ableto get a "supervisor" to allow us to only unstrap one side at a time. Then the fun part, a 90 degree blind side into a big "tent", after backing up a long ramp like road. It wouldn't have been so bad but my copilot was all excited, she thought all the open fields were just for her to run in, an dkept getting in the way of the mirror. And the guy that was guiding me, well he must not have ever done it before. Finally had another guy help with the directions and got it in. Then it was the fastest untarping i've ever seen! I took off 4 straps and bam(to steal a phrase) all the straps were on the trailer. Man it goes fast when there are 10 guys to help! They even helped with the tarp folding. I think they felt bad about the way the whole thing was set up, very poor for deliveries. I was told every driver had trouble with the layout. I got my next load right away, picked up utility trailers in Missouri Valley, heading to Mankato,MN then Waite Park,MN. My FM actually managed to get me home for my sons hockey banquet without my having officially asked. I know he pulled some strings to make it work. I tried real hard to get the 1st stop to unload me tonight but they wanted to wait until 8 am tom., hopefully it goes better than their directions. Good thing I know a little about Mankato. The Waite Park Menards I know all to well! Spent many thousands of dollars there! Any way, I'll be off for a few days but when I come back out I plan on staying for a good long time, need the money! And if they can keep me running, i'm running!

 

I'm back! Picked up a load in Fairbault,MN on Tues., a big roof top air conditioning unit. Only weighs 11000lbs. Just a heads up for anyone, especially you L/O or O/O's. If you get a chance to carry one of these from the Mcquay Int. plant, take it! Fastest load I've seen. Just had to turn the truck around, pull off to the side a little and they come with a mobile crane, like the ones that marinas use to lift boats. They set the unit down and THEY secure it with big J bolts. Takes maybe 5 minutes and your on your way. I was told that they engineer them with the secure points for just that purpose. Anyway, fast! I have pushed hard to get out here to Cali, and I actually will get to unload a day early! They weren't going to be able to be ready for me on Sat. so they set up an alt. site, worked out pretty cool. Only drawback is that I have to go into LA, Orange actually. Hopefully traffic will be ok, I dont have to be there until 11am. Hey, I said hopefully! A guy can dream can't he?

 

Big Duker, I gave up on the ear-ring many, many years ago. About the time kids started coming along. Time to grow up. The helicopter thing sounds cool. And yes, it would be good to see things be cooridinated. Unlike this current cluster****. The Orange drop went pretty smooth, took a little while for them to get the crane set up and move a few things to make room, but still pretty good. I got the next load right away, had to head to our Fontana yard to get a different trailer. Of course it wasn't there. Fortunatly there were other RGN's to grab. I headed out for Vegas Sat. morning. After several "run around" calls I got in touch with someone who knew what was going on. I'm picking up a crusher from the Con-Expo to take back to OR. Sounds like a really cool show, but at $70 to get in, I stayed in the marshaling yard. This is were the cluster comes in to play. I really don't think anyone knows what anyone else is doing, or supposed to do. Stood in a line for several hours to be told to get into another line. OOPS, sorry, now get back into the first line again and start over. The good news is that one of the drivers for the consignee has been here before and is actully in charge for them. We won't be able to load until sometime Sunday, originally set for 8am, but were told tonight not to expect anything until after lunch. Gotta love them unions! Sorry to any union drivers, but this isn't the first time in my short(to date) career I have had to wait on someone who doesnt care how long you have to wait! I know this is part of trucking, just a part that drives me a little nuts at times. I'll be running out to OR with another ATS driver, hopefully he wont talk the WHOLE WAY OUT, but i'm not liking my odds. At least he's entertaining! Take care all and be safe!

 

Klepsdad, anytime! Glad someone can get a laugh or find some entertainment from my misadventures! I have often admired those nice shinny trucks you guys run over there! I know you have to wash them every week, but they really do look sharp! I wish ATS would LET us wash them more, but summer is coming. Well, we ran up as far as Fernly, NV today. No, no records there but we are trying to set it up so we can just end tom. at the consignees yard and unload in the am. All we need is Mother Nature to co-operate over the mountains. I know that hasn't been the case much this winter! We have already decided that we won't be throughing chains, too top heavy as it is. And these crushers are display more than anything. I think i'll scale this tom. b4 heading into CA. I SHOULD be ok, paper work show total weight as 43,500 lbs. Be nice to know for sure. Talk to everyone tomorrow night!

 

Well, Mother Nature cooperated, other drivers truck, not so much. Just outside of Scremento his truck went completely dead. No power of any kind! After gettting tired of waiting for road service, we started poking around. Turns out the main ground cable from the battery box was routed wrong and was rubbing on the frame, wore through the insulation and wala! A little electrical tape and we were off. We got into the consignee's yard late(early am). Got very little sleep before they woke us up. Very nice people to work with though! Then I got the message to switch trailers with the other driver and head over to the scale house at Cascade Locks, seems one of our drivers got hit for an overweight ticket. He was 7,000lbs over! That comes to $1100! The company said they will fight it out with the shipper since he didn't have a chance to scale before and the paper work showed the load as legal. Anyway, for me it was a lot of running back and forth. Then headed up to WA to give a heavy haul driver 2 of my tarps. Left the next morning to Redmond for some man lifts going to MI. I'll have to swing by our Gary yard to get new tarps. I think I'll be able to get home for the night, if I can only figure out were to put the truck and a loaded trailer. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, on my way in to WA I got my first "pull your truck around back we're going to inspect your truck" session. Yep, a level 1, full inspection. Did you know that on a Volvo, if you turn on the 4 way flashers the headlilghts go off? Neither did I! I was a bit flustered when Mr. Inspector said I had no headlights! Huh? I just turned them off as I pulled in! Finally figured out what was going on and got through it fine, no violations found! I guess that entitles me to a $50 gift card from the co.. Really don't care if I never have another one! Yeah I know, fat chance! well I need to get some sleep if i'm going to get home in time for a reset and still deliver on time!