Beginning the Long Awaited CDL Process

Hello Everyone.


Where am I?...............Oh yeah. What a week. Guess I should up date.

I've been running real hard lately. The dispatches haven't been very long, averaging 400-500 miles, but they've come back to back, and as a result, I haven't had any time to relax.

After Super Bowl Sunday, I ran in a load to Hanover, PA for an 1100 delivery appointment. I arrived about 1000, with one other USX driver ahead of me. They sent us to the opposite side of the building to be unloaded. I was second in line. While the first driver was being unloaded, a person from receiving came up to me and said "Because you don't have an appointment, I'm letting a Swift driver go in front of you. He has an 1100 appointment."

So I said "But I have an 1100 appointment."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't. What's on your Driver Tech doesn't count. Only what's on the BOL."


"What?"


So I had to let the Swift driver go in front of me. And I sat and waited for 2 hours. In the mean time, 3 more USX drivers pull in behind me, with another waiting in the lot on the opposite side of the building.

That little 2 hour delay caused a ripple that affected the next 2 dispatches. Because they were timed so closely together, there wasn't any room to make up for the 2 hour delay at this receiver.


Delays like these are common. There isn't too much you can do about them except to make sure you keep dispatch aware of what's happening. They can get involved with customer service and possibly reschedule pick up or delivery appointments as needed to get you back on schedule.


After this load, I picked up a tire load in York, PA, and ran it up to West Bridgewater, MA. Didn't get a chance to see my kids, because I wasn't around long enough. I immediately picked a load in Northborough, MA that went down into Jersey City, NJ where they took so long to unload (again a mob of USX trucks were there with me) that my clock ran out while I was waiting. I had to spend the night parked on the street in Jersey City. The good part is that the next load had enough margin to get me back on schedule for my delivery.................but................I picked up down the road in Edison, NJ and it took 8 hours to get loaded. Their system was very labor intensive to check the goods that where being loaded on the trailer, and I had to count each of the pieces as they were loaded. Not just the pallets............each piece.

They were nice enough to let me park for the night on their property. It was only a 500 mile dispatch, but now because they took so long to load me, I had to run it in one day. Sounds easy enough as long as there isn't a problem with traffic.

The reciever was in Reynaldsburg, Ohio. All interstate and was located only 5 miles off of the beltway that went around Columbus.

I had 1 hr. 45 min. of margin on this load. It was a drop and hook at the receiver. Quick and fast. Should be enough time. It weighed in at 29K, not real heavy, but it was enough to slow the truck down going over the mountains. Once I hit the flats in Ohio I had 1 hr. 15 min. of margin.......still plenty of time. Dropping at DC's are a breeze. Before I picked up the beltway I spotted my TS locations. I would have to back track about 15 miles. Still not worried.

I get off the beltway into a parking lot caused by 3 seperate car accidents.........argh!!! Getting through that mess cost me bigtime. By the time I pulled into the receiver, 38 min. HOS remaining. I had plenty of off duty time left which should take care of dropping the trailer and picking up the new one, but this complex was so huge, it triggered my e-logs to indicate I was driving when I moved from where I dropped the trailer to where I picked up my empty.

By the time I was done with the D/H and paperwork, I had 28 minutes left. I pulled out my computer and looked at a map of the area and found a route back to the interstate which headed away from Columbus. But it was heavy with stop lights.

When I finally reach I70, I had 15 minutes left and as it turns out, I was only 3 miles from the Flying J which was my first on my list. Parking was not a problem, plenty of spots available. I shut her down with 10 minutes left.

Then after my 10 hr break, I picked up a load in Columbus that delivers in Rome, GA. The delivery appointment was for Monday, so I ran the load in to our Tunnel Hill terminal, and I'm enjoying a 34 hour reset. I needed the break to get some laundry done.


So that's what's been going on. Just wish I could have posted during my travels. Catching up like this is a work out.




I'll do better.



Thanks for reading.

-Wedge

 

Have to keep driving until I get to the TS.

Sometimes you can go into the e-logs and clean them up. Like having been On Duty when you were eating lunch, or forget to put yourself Off Duty after you fuel up while you run in to the TS to grab some chow.

In this case, the log was clean. There was nothing I would have been able to do about it.

 

Being up against your 70 hour clock does make the job more difficult.

 

Hello There.


Well, I never did have a chance to run into AT today. As soon as my 34 was finished I was dispatched to Ft. Collins, CO. I left Tunnel Hill, GA Sunday around noon, with a pre-loaded trailer from the USX terminal, and made my stop for the night in Mt.Vernon, IL.

Today, I ran 622 miles through a snow storm and I'm camped out in WaKeeney, Kansas. I have about 355 miles to the receiver and a 1400 (local time) delivery appointment. Weather is looking good for tomorrow, so I hope I can get in and out of there in short order.

On my way out here, I did get to have lunch with my son who is stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas. I haven't seen him since last May. I just wish I could have stayed a little longer, but I didn't have much time to spare. I was pushing hard today so that I could have an easier day tomorrow.

So now with a less than a 6 hour ride left, and a 2 time zone advantage, tomorrow's run should be nice and comfortable.



Thanks for reading.

-Wedge




Oh yeah....Hey Sammycat.......stopped with 42 left on the clock.