Beginning the Long Awaited CDL Process

You're not kidding. I can barely drive thing.....lol.

Hey AT, here's something funny.

When I picked up this tractor in Edwards, MS, (another recovery) I noticed that it was way overdue for it's DOT in spection and BPM. So they send me to a Total Transportaion terminal in Jackson, MS to get it squared away.

While I'm sitting with all these Total botails, in comes another USX bobtail and parks next to me. You know the birds of a feather thing. Anyway, I look at the tractor number and it's my 2011 Cascadia that was waiting on a DEF pump that I left at the Freightliner dealership in Mt. Vernon, IL.

I tried to talk him in to trading with me, but he wasn't having any.......dang.

I loved that truck. It was the best of all of the tractors I've had to date.

 

I use a pocket truck stop guide that I picked up a year ago, and it has been a great tool for my trip planning. Not only does it have the big three (Pilot, Flying J, and TA), but it also lists many of the smaller, or I should say, mom and pop type individually owned truck stops. Many of these "individual" truck stops are huge. Iowa 80 TS can park 600 trucks.

These guides are easy to use, and as far as I'm concerned, a real necessity for any truck driver.

I've been in a couple of situations where this little book has really come through. Once you get out there, you'll see what I mean.

There is a larger version available as well. You can pick one up at just about any truck stop.

 

Hello Everyone.
Anytime you have a week where your truck breaks down or goes into the shop for repair can be costly, and I'm not talking about the company I work for. I'm talking about me.

Even though companies like USX have put vehicles in place such as breakdown pay, expense reimbursement and so on, it still doesn't compensate you enough to equal what you would make if you were driving. But it helps.

Now that I'm in a different truck I've been running hard trying to make up for lost ground. My FM helps as much as possible and I was given a good run with some great miles. A dead head from Barling, AR to Ardmore, OK which was about 215 miles, and the load went to Detroit, MI which was just under 1100 miles. I was able to pull off the entire run in 2 1/2 days. Traffic was never a factor, and as much as I hate to admit it, this new truck is pretty fast...........relative to the rest of the fleet. Let's just say it's the fastest one I've been assigned. Now if they could just stick a ten speed in it, I'd be happy.

I made the pick up appointment an hour early and it was a drop and hook (one of my favorite things). I was hooked up and out of there before my official appointment time of 2000. I drove for about 1 1/2 hours and decided to park for the night.

Getting from Ardmore to Detroit was interesting because of the number of road changes. It was a mixture of interstates and state highways. Traffic on the state higways moved along at a good pace. You just have to watch out for the reduced speed zones when you go through a small town.........and I mean small. On one of the roads I had just barely slowed to the reduced posted speed of 35 and then I see a new sign that says 65. I think there was one house, a store (closed) and a small fire station.

My load didn't deliver until 0900 on the 3rd day. I decided to run as hard as I could on the first day (yesterday) and see how much driving would be left. When I stopped for the night in Greenville, IL, I had less than 500 miles remaining. No way was I going to stretch this out into the 3rd day.

As soon as my 10 was over, I fueled up, did the PTI, and took off. It was clear sailing all the way to the receiver. I got there with 2:47 left on my clock. I made no stops on the way. No one knew if this was going to be a live unload or not. My plan was to expect to be unloaded. I had 3 truck stops picked out on I 75 about 30 minutes south, so the way I figured, I had what was left on my clock plus whatever OD time still remained.

As I pulled in the yard, the guard just opened the gate and waved me through. OK.......one point for me.

As I headed to the receiving office, the driver of the yard dog pulls up along side me and says "Is that that tire load from OK?"

I say "Yes it is."

He says "Great. Take over to the bull pen (his term for drop yard) drop it up against the building. I'll go get you an empty."

I say "Great." OK.......two points for me.

I park the trailer where he wanted while he pulled out my empty, and set it down in such a way so that as soon as I uncoupled and turned my tractor I was lined up to hook to the empty.

Wow. OK.........3 points for me.


As soon as I was hooked up, he reaches under to release my tandems so I could move them up, and then closes the trailer doors. That's what I call service. It doesn't get much easier than that.

I zipped into the office to give them the paperwork (all this trailer moving was done without visiting the office). They were thrilled they got the load early and so was I.

I almost ran (I said almost) back to my truck, put in my empty call, and hightailed it into the Detroit rush hour traffic.

I stopped at the first TS which is the Pilot just south of Detroit. It's really small, maybe holds about 40 trucks, mmade the customary loop through the lot, didn't see anything open. So as I made the left turn to leave I look in my mirror and there's a spot!

And I was already lined up!!!!!

Backed it in, and that was that.

I know, long winded way to make a point. But instead of wasting a good part of my day tomorrow delivering that load, I'm available to start a new run first thing in the morning.

And.........I just got a preplan that picks up in Livonia, MI and delivers in Solon,OH. Not a big run, but it's money.

So that's my update for now.......gotta check out this preplan.



Thanks for reading

-Wedge

 

That trip did work out as a time saver. Having these problems with the tractors has been hurting my wallet big time.

I can't see the point in letting it affect my attitude. Shippers and receivers have enough problems without having another crabby driver show up at their office crying the blues.

It all shakes out eventually.


Yes.........coffee, coffee, coffee.

 

Hello Everyone.

This was an interesting day.....or two.

I mentioned in the last post about getting a pre-plan from Livonia, MI to Solon, OH.

I woke up early and arrived at the shipper about 30 minutes before my appointment. Shipping didn't start their day until 0900. While I was sitting in my truck going over my route to the receiver, the guy from shipping says he'll load me early. No problem here.

The trip to Solon, OH was quick, and I arrived about 40 minutes ahead of time and they unloaded me right away. Having a great day, so far.

When I was unloaded, the guy from receiving told me about this snow storm that was due to hit the area in the evening. I saw that on the weather report early in the day, but didn't pay too much attention, because I knew I was headed south.

2 minutes after I put in my empty call, I was sent another pre-plan that had me pick in Canton, OH, and deliver in Winchester, VA............Yes!............wait............pick up at 2000? It'll be snowing by the time I head south. And on top of it, by 2000 I'll be just about out of hours for the day.



So I had two choices: pick up at the appointed time and find a parking spot, hunker down and watch it snow......or.......Go there really early and see if by the odd chance the load is ready ahead of time, grab it and out run the storm.

I like option 2: Get the load early and scram.


I headed to Canton and contacted my FM in route. Turns out it was to be a pre loaded trailer..............there's still a chance.


When I arrived at the shipper, there was no line of trucks waiting. I ck'd in with the guard, he told me where to put the empty and where the office was located (I get a lot of that). Turns out the trailer had been ready for an hour, and was sealed up and ready to go..........plans working good.

I hooked up to my trailer, nice and light with 17k, so that wasn't going to slow me down. My routing had a lot of back roads in it, but sometimes you have no choice but use state highways. My objective was to get to my fuel stop in Morgantown, WV, about 3 1/2 hours away, and park for the night.

I started out with 5 hours left, leaving an hour and a half of margin. Running the back roads will eat up your time. By the time I arrive at my fuel stop, I had 20 minutes left. Not the way I like to do things. I pull into the Pilot (and a small Pilot it was) and it's packed. A row of trucks on the left, one on the right, fuel island and CAT scale in the middle.

I'm following a tanker in, I go looking left , he goes right, he finds a spot, I come up empty. I look at my clock, 17 minutes left.........

I was too far away from any other truck parking, so I had no choice put to sit and wait for someone to leave. So I pulled up along the right side of the fuel island, nice and close, so it looked almost like I was getting fuel, and I sat.

After a few hours, the snow hit, and this place started to load up with those looking for shelter. I knew where I was parked that if anyone was to leave I would have to move. So sleeping, wasn't my plan. I had a big window in my delivery appointment time, so I informed dispatch that I was parked and planned on waiting until a spot opened up, and then sack out.

I only had to wait until 0300 before someone got ready to head out. When he moved out, I moved in and settled in for a full 8 hours of sleep.


In the morning, I go through my normal routine, make the bed, get coffee going, shave, brush teeth (yup all in the truck). I go up front to check messages and I've got like 10 of them. I started reading them, and it seems they had no idea, what happened to me, or where I was. The truck needs to move out of an area before it's logged as actual leaving an area.

Apparently, there was a truck fire and accident in my area, and because I didn't answer my messages, they thought it was me. I guess night time dispatch doesn't leave sticky notes for day time guys.

I called right away, and they were happy I wasn't toast.

And it was still snowing. Guess I didn't out run much of anything. I had a little over 3 hours drive to reach Winchester, VA, and dispatch told me it was OK to vary my route as required. I had to head EB on I 68 to get out of the mountains and down into the lower elevations.

The roads were a little slick but passable. You had to keep the speed down but you could though without a problem. Once I got east of Cumberland, MD there was no snow and I could move at normal speeds.

Of course my tractor looks like it just came off of the ice roads of Alaska.

I made the delivery in Winchester with out a hitch, and then
I headed for a TS for the night.........



......and this time, I have a spot.



Stay safe out there folks.



Thanks for reading.

-Wedge