Calex Express....My New Home!

Update time. I'm sitting here in Olympia Washington just starting my reset. Let me tell you how I got here......

I was given a choice of loads on Monday, actually there was 2 loads to choose from, one went to Berkley California that didn't load until Wednesday and emptied on Monday, then there was this one that loaded Monday and emptied out on Saturday (today). Having to take a reset when we empty out on the west coast I opted for the Saturday delivery that way I would be done with my reset early Monday morning and able to load 2 days early.

As it turned out my peoplenet came to life Friday afternoon as I was leaving Missoula MT with my reload information. Reload on Tuesday in Cornelius Oregon with a load of shrubbery going to Rhode Island for next Monday morning. Adding up the miles it comes to the longest trip I've done since starting work here at Calex. Total paid miles is 3250.

Now back to the trip. I was given my load info just as my truck was finished in the shop. Drop and hook in Lewisburg whenever I can get there. I got my loaded trailer about 5pm then headed west. I had enough time to get to Bremerton so I made it to the T/A at the 79 mm in Pa and called it a night. This way I can get onto my schedule that I enjoy going west. Up and on the road around 6am everyday that way if I run into any weather delays I always have extra time the last day to drive a few hundred miles if I need to. As it turned out, I did need the extra few hours of driving today.

I wasn't sure which way I would go so I just headed west. I made it to Ottawa Ill the second night and called it a night. After parking I hooked up my new Blackberry Torch to my laptop and went on line to check the road conditions. Here's a great website for you guys to download. www.fastertuck.com

I left early Wednesday morning and made my mind up which way I was going. I stopped in Walcott for a shower and haircut then made it to Council Bluffs for fuel. By the time I got there it was 40 degrees and actually pretty nice out. I fueled then went north on 29 to 90 in South Dakota. By the time I got to Sioux Falls the temperature was dropping rather fast. I made it to Mitchell SD and took my 10. I woke up the next morning and it was a balmy -5 outside, couple this with the cold my wife gave me before I left and I was now having a bad trip. Before I left I put a gallon of fuel conditioner in each tank and put some alcohol in my airlines just in case. I made it to Rapid City and fueled then headed up hwy 212 towards Billings. I stopped for a nap just in Montana and actually shut the truck off for an hour. I woke up then headed to my destination I planned on in Columbus MT for my 10.

As I was getting off 90 it had started to rain, by the time I parked there was a bunch of snow mixed in the rain, by the time I woke up it was a winter wonderland. It had snowed about 6 inches overnight. I went inside to wash up and find out how the pass was and the road conditions. Ok, here is the first time on this blog I become somewhat defensive about my ability to drive one of these things. I went to the fuel desk to pay for my coffee and I was listening to a driver talk about how the roads were. He said that they were completely covered in ice from the 408 to the 328 then become slushy until the 299. He also said to "Just drive on the yellow line and hammer down". I mentioned that I only had 4900lbs in the wagon and he said something to the fact that if I wasn't able to drive on that type of road condition to stay off the road because "I would only get in the way". Is that so Mr. Super Trucker? I just about exploded but kept my cool and told him in no uncertain terms that I've made it this far in 29 years of driving because I'm very capable of determining if I should go or not, not because of someone like you telling others to "Just hammer down". Give me a break, it's not a matter if, but when, a know it all driver will wind up in a wreck, I just hope I'm not around. End of rant, I feel much better now.

I had my coffee, went online to find the road conditions then decided to leave. It was daylight and the sun was trying to peak through so I was hoping mother nature can help the Montana DOT do some snow removal. Let me tell you, this was the worst case of pucker up I have ever had. There was very little traffic on the road and what was out was either in the ditch or driving at 25 mph like me. The farther west I went the better the roads got. I finally ran out of all the crappola at about the 325 mm and had clear sailing to Missoula. I had gone over Pipestone Pass and it was clear and dry. I stopped for fuel in Missoula then headed west. I went over Lookout Pass and it was just wet. So far so good. I then went over Fourth of July Pass in Idaho and that to was dry. My last concern was going to be Snowqualmie Pass in Washington, but that would wait until the morning. I was beat and stopped in Spokane at the Petro for a shower and sleep.

Before I went to bed I checked the road conditions for the pass and the weather. The pass was just wet but they had a winter storm warning up for the night. Oh well, not much I could do. Sleep time. I woke up this morning and checked the conditions, they had the chain law up over the pass and had gotten about 11 inches of snow over night. The weather forecast called for temps to rise to the upper 30's so I figured they would drop the chain law before I got there. I went inside and ate, while checking the reports on my Blackberry I saw they indeed dropped the chain law and said the road surface was slushy with some packed snow. I figured by the time I got there I should be in good shape. Sure as doo doo it was just wet as I went over the pass. I stopped in North Bend for fuel then headed to Bremerton to unload.

Time to get a little political here. The load I took out here is a load I've done about a dozen times, mostly to Florida. It's outdoor playground equipment that is purchased by non-profit organizations to be donated to various schools, boys and girls clubs, and inner city playgrounds, and are usually destroyed within 6 months. This particular playground equipment load was delivered to a Navy base here in Bremerton for very young children that belong to some of our men and women who are overseas fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. This has been the most rewarding load I have ever done in 29 years of driving. The look on those kids faces was worth everything I went through to get it there, on time I might add! My military days are far behind me, but today I felt like I was in the service doing my part, if only to put smiles on these youngsters faces. I know they will enjoy this playground equipment and take care of it for years to come.

I was empty in an hour and drove to the Pilot here in Olympia. I'll find a WalMart tomorrow and do some restocking and relax until Monday morning then leave to reload in Cornelius Oregon. One last thing, as I was waiting on my truck in Pittston last Monday, Jim our safety director came in and announced he had given his 2 weeks notice. He has taken a new job at another trucking company. You want to see someone almost cry, you should have seen the look on my face. All I can say is that after 29 years of this, and seeing enough safety people come and go, I must say that Jim is one of the best safety directors I have ever dealt with. He is a true drivers manager and a true gentlemen, with all the responsibilities he had one thing was always a constant, and that was his word. I will say this without any hesitation, I will miss him. Good Luck pal!

 

I'm working on it.