Calex Express....My New Home!

I don't even have anything bad to say about the customers. As for Calex themselves, still the best OTR company I worked for as far as people treatment, lanes of travel, and their dispatch policies. If I didn't always seem to be short on miles (most here have done better than me) I'd still be there today.

 

Hey all here's an update about my last week. I woke up last Wednesday morning in Santa Nella and went in to take a shower. my reset was done and I was just waiting on Louie to send me my load info. I was done with my shower at 7am local time and went in to have breakfast. I walked in and I saw one of our old timers having breakfast. I sat down and ate with Jimmie. I'm 56, been doing this for 31 years and could fill a book about the last 31 years. Jimmie is 83, been driving for 60 years and has been with Calex since they started the business in 1974. I can only imagine what he's been through the last 60 years. I enjoy shooting the bull with this man, he's a real nice down to earth man, one who has nothing but knowledge and help that falls out of his mouth. He only does one round a month, not because he needs to, but because he still enjoys this job, even after 60 years.

As i was eating Louie called. He told me my load had 2 pick ups and he gave me the first pick up info in Huron Ca, about 85 miles south of Santa Nella. My second one was in Mendota, about 50 miles from the first one. I ate and shot the bull with Jimmie a while, called the cooler to confirm the p/u number and was told the product was ready to ship. I left and got to Huron about an hour and a half later, checked in and was immediately given a door. I had my 8 pallets on in 45 minutes. I was taking cantalopes back and they are usually heavy. I called my second pick up and was told the product also was ready and I was getting 15 pallets there. I singled, double, singled my first 8 pallets, then drove up to Mendota. I checked in, was told it would be about an hour so I went to my truck and made a sandwich. As i was eating the shipping office called and gave me my door assignment. I backed in, they had my 15 pallets staged and I loaded them on. I singled the second to last row in my trailer then went and scaled with the certified scale they had on their property. Without moving my trailer tandems I was grossing 76K, had 32,900 on the drives and 31,600 on my trailer, all with 3/4 fuel.

I couldn't believe this load, I was now done, legal and starting what would become the easiest produce load this season. I wanted to get to Barstow and call it a night. It was midnight when I pulled into the TA, parked, had my cookies and milk then went to bed. I never check call, but with produce on we have a check call scfreen we need to fill out every day, eaither the night before when we go to bed, or the first thing in the morning. I was up at 7am showered then had to call into Louie. It seems my 2 pick ups had 2 completely wrong temperatures that they wanted the load at. The first one called for 45-50 degrees, the second one called for 36 degrees and put a temperature recorder in the trailer. I knew what the answer was going to be, but it's my job to let Louie know and let him make the call. I put it at 36 degrees the night before when I was finished loading. He called me back about an hour later to tell me the buyer wants it at 36. That took care of that issue. After my shower it was 4 days of not having to kill myself. 4 days of 650 miles per day and I would be in Milton PA at 7pm Sunday night.

I stopped for fuel in Kingman AZ then finished my day in Moriarity NM. I woke up the next morning and had Big Cabin Ok on my radar. I stopped for fuel in Amarillo then finished my day in Joplin. Got up the next morning, showered then had the big rest area east of Indianapolis at the 10 8mm in my sights. After fueling in Clayton In, I finished my day at the 108mm. I woke up Sunday morning with 575 miles to go. My plan was to stop at Lamar PA, fill the reefer tank up, shower then go to the 215mm and end my day 5 miles from my delivery. The whole plan for my trip worked and I was well rested the whole trip, not like the last trip out west.

I got my load info, put my 2 pick ups on, checked called via my peoplenet the 4 days and delivered another produce load out of California with no issues, all with Elogs. The reason why I mention the last part about the e-logs is because while waiting for my door assignment at 5am Monday, I'm listening to a driver explain to everyone why you can't haul produce while on electronic logs. At 5am in the morning, listening to drivers relive their trip across the country and telling all their truck driver stories, all I wanted to do was bump the dock and go back to sleep. I let super trucker enjoy spewing his profound knowledge about trucking and just went out and bumped the dock. I find it quite comical sometimes about what can fall out some drivers mouth.

Oh, one last thing, I was preplanned for my trip home while in the shower last week in Barstow. I'm filling in on a dedicated run that one of our long time O/O's has been doing for the last few years. He is having major work done on his truck and is taking his vacation. I'll be doing this run for about a month. It is time sensitive that has 2 pick ups and 3 drops. The pick ups are in Jessup Pa 18 miles from the terminal at 6am in the morning, then finish out at our warehouse 5 miles from the yard. The 3 drops are Wilmington NC tomorrow night, West Palm Beach Friday morning, then finishes in Deerfield Beach at 10am Friday. The load loads on Wednesday's, that's why I am still here in Pittston. In order to get on the right schedule I had to layover here since Monday. I'll be home Thursday late afternoon, then leave out Monday to be back up in PA for Wednesday.

I was at the yard yesterday at 9am, had my truck and APU serviced and wrote up uneven tire wear on my super single that were put on 2 months ago. They had me take the truck down to our alignment shop this morning and bingo, the rear axles were out of alignment. That was done at 2pm and now I'm just waiting to load. It can't get here fast enough, it's time to go home.

 

Produce from California, been quite a few years but I remember it well!! Those pick ups you had John, the one in Mendota, was it Stamoules or something like that?? Then the one in Huron was probably Drasic or Drisics or something like that, funny how years later somethings still stick in your mind, tho going in to those was about a twice a month deal back then, probably did it in my sleep a few times!! The E-logs, yes, I would get argued with just about every time someone found out the company I was with used them, "you cant get the miles", "theres no way you can get over 500 miles a day", but I did very well on the E-logs, many days at 650 miles or more and not using them today I miss them, it makes life so much simpler and much more relaxing to run under E- Logs.

 

Yes it was Stamoules in Mendota. The one in Huron was Valle Cold Storage. E-logs don't stop me from making a living. In the beginning when we first got them there was a short learning curve. Three years later they work fine. I can count on one hand the times they held me back. The good thing is we are dispatched to run legally.

 

Yea I kinda miss the place had a lot of fun times there next time u see louie n Jason tell I said hi

 

John Boy I got a question for you if I may???

I am curious to know if Calex hires from the western part of Pa? If they do- do you think it would be possible to do just Pa to the southeast? I'd love to be able to go to the southeast on a regular basis from here.

 

You're not the only one...

After 6 months of running the same 2 roads on 3 round trips per night, I'm about ready to re-apply. I may be home every day (I run night shift) but it's mind numbingly boring.

 

I'm not sure if they do. I know we have a driver that lives up near Erie and never gets home. Running the southeast is not a problem, living in western pa is.

 

I remember one of my last produce loads out of CA. 10 p/u ld that took a couple of days and cross country to Boston where the Rec. wanted to reject it because I wouldn't hire his brother-in-law as a lumper. Yuch!!!

 

hey johnboy i live right near calex in pa was laid off from my current postion in 2010 to 2011 about 5 months it was temp but i was going to apply there if not called back heard some good things about em accept thet dont pay holiday pay?