Calex Express....My New Home!

#1.....Yes
#2.....No

Happy 4th to you too.

 

I'm home,,,,finally. 3 weeks and 2 days exactly since I left. This was about a week longer then usual. Don't like it but I can count how many times this has happened in the 3 years I'm working with Louie...one other time 2 years ago.

I deliver in Miami at 6am. I'll be home at noon and spend the rest of the week and weekend home, then leave out on Monday.

My trip back to Milton was long, hot and tiring. I got finished loading in Salinas at 12:30am Thursday morning just as my 10 hour break was up. I scaled the truck, 79,960 and felt pretty good. I decided to run down through Barstow and run 40 back. I got to Barstow just as the sun was coming up and decided to take a 2 hour nap. 5 hours later I woke up even more tired and well into my driving time. I showered then left. At the 40/15 split there was a truck that decided to deliver his load of Berries all over the highway and we were being routed up 15 to the exit at Peggy Sue's Diner then across the 2 mile road back to 40. It was a total mess, 105 degrees and very frustrating. I got to the exit and at that very moment made a decision to go the same way back to Pa as I came out. 15/70/76/80.

I made it to Vegas with enough time to fuel and take my 10 hour break, at 2pm local time in the heat of the day. All 108 degrees of it. Let me tell you, My APU was worth absolutely nothing. This was the first time since I was assigned this truck back in October that I idled all night. I try and watch my fuel consumption at all times but this was a little much.

I got up at 4am local time, showered and left, wanting to beat the heat as much as I could before daylight. I ended my day at a little fuel stop in Vail Co. I left at 3am the next morning and made it to Brooklyn Ia for my next break. I now had to get up early the next morning to put in my 11 hours as quick as I could in order to get up early Monday morning to make my appointment time in Milton. I was up and rolling at 2am Sunday morning. I made it to Barkeyville Pa and shut down until 2:30am Monday morning.

I got up, grabbed a cup of coffee and got to Milton right on time for my delivery. Louie called and asked me if I had enough hours to take a Miami load. When I come back from California with a fresh 70, I make sure I have enough time to get home. The last thing I want to do is reset in Pa, especially after being gone for 3 weeks. I split my sleeper berth because I got held up at my delivery, then got back to the terminal, got fuel, got serviced then went and saw Louie for my dispatch. I was drop and hooked in Mountain Top and rolling South at 3pm with Lake Worth on my mind.

I don't know what it was, but this trip started out with me being tired, and was exhausting the whole way back. Maybe it was the heat, or maybe it was just the way things fell in route, but boy it feels good to be home after this round.

Here are some shots I took in the mountains of Colorado.

#1... Climbing Vail at 17 mph.
#2... Almost to the top
#3...Check out the elevation, and I still had another 1300 fet to climb.
#4...What goes up, must come down.
#5 & 6...I enjoy my job, and the pride I take in my truck, even when I'm parked in South Central LA.

 

Got my dispatch yesterday for Monday. I load at the port in Jacksonville going to Spartanburg. I load at 4pm and will deliver as soon as I get there that night, then take my 10 right there. I get to use the biggest waste of money I ever spent, my TWIC card. What a waste., I haven't used it in almost a year. This will be one less thing to renew when it's time, that and my Hazmat endorsement, doubles endorsement and tanker. The only thing I'll keep is the most important one, my motorcycle endorsement.