Coming to orientation Aug 13th...

Chin up Spirit, you'll be running soon enough. As new driver's, I'm with you in wanting to feel the tractor is safe to operate. Let us know the outcome.

Yesterday I awoke in our Helena Terminal. Had a great night there. The Driver's Lounge was virtually empty so I had the kitchen to myself and did some cooking and ate like a pig! Had a room to myself as well as shower/bathroom.

Checked in with dispatch by phone as I've been doing since my truck does not have the Qualcom installed yet. Was told I'd get a "shuttle" run from Helena back to Missoula (my home terminal) so the shop could do a once over on the truck. While waiting around, the Helena shop did an alignment on the tractor since Missoula does not have the equipment to perform alignments.

Got my shuttle run information around 1:30pm. Simple task, take a loaded trailer from Helena to Missoula to be re-powered somewhere. So route 12 McDonald Pass again. Pretty full load and a full obstacle course of construction on the pass. The paving project is in full swing with one narrow lane open in each direction. Couple of stop and go's to allow equipment to move about. Slow going but a chance to go through the gears both up and down the pass.

The three stage engine brake on the Volvo allows for very nice speed control on the downgrades. Find the proper gear and let the Jake do the rest.

Got to Missoula around 4pm. Dropped the trailer and headed for the shop to reluctantly hand over the key so they could do their thing. Was informed it would probably be Monday or Tuesday before I got it back. This service they do which includes installing Qualcom and a full service generally takes 2 days to perform. This being Labo Day weekend throws the schedule out of whack a little.

As an alternative to hanging around for the long weekend, I put my name on the "Fire List" which is a great money maker if we are called upon. W/S is contracted to haul supplies out to the various fire camps in MT, ID, WY. With all the fires out here there's a decent chance a run or two will be needed. Some of the regular runners are off for the Labor Day weekend so I'm hoping for a run to break up the weekend.

I do live here in Missoula so it's no big deal if I'm down for 3-4 days. As a new driver, however I really want to stay out and at my new profession.

Updates as we go!

Becker

 

Well as luck would have it, I did get a fire run on Friday.

Located at the Missoula airport is a federal agency that warehouses and delivers supplies to Fire Camps throughout the Northwest. A large wild fire had broken out in Pine Creek Mt. which is located about 40-50 to the north of Yellowstone National Park. I was called around noon on Friday and asked if I'd be interested in the run. Heck Yeah!

I arrived at the facility at 12:30. Went into the warehouse and reported in. The guy running the dock pointed to one of their shiny new trailers and said they'd have it loaded in about an hour so hang tight. No problem, I went back out to the truck to check it over. Since my truck is in the shop I was given an older Volvo with about 800K on it to make this run. The trailers owned by the agency are appoximately 30' in length, so an hour seemed reasonable.

1/2 an hour later I was asked to go back to our terminal to get one of our 53' trailers as there was no way they could fit what was needed in one of theirs. Returned in 15 minutes (literally we are across the street) and backed to the the dock.

Loaded and pulling out at 14:30. It was 255 miles to the camp which took about 4 1/2 hours with construction and 2 slow mountain passes on I90 near Butte. Then south from Livingston to the fire camp. The directions had been supplied which I was grateful for as my GPS was still in my truck being serviced. As I got closer to my destination, the smoke thickened considerably. Several local roads were closed with a National Guard unit at the entrances prohibiting people from entering.

The directions took me pretty far off the beaten path until I arrived at the camp itself. They had great markings from about 3 miles out. I noticed many other fire fighting vehicles and personnel heading to the same place. I arrived at a large cattle ranch and called the contact number they had provided me. Nice man told me "Yup, come right down that dirt road and take a right at the barns, we'll be watching for you"

I wasn't sure I could squeeze through the fencing bordering the dirt path, but granny gear and mirrors did the trick. Got to the barns, took a right as instructed, and there was the operation in full swing. Barns taken over, at least 500 people milling about, a couple of huge tents already in place serving as mess halls and cooking facilities.

Was asked to wiggle the trailer in as close to a barn as possible where they had a forklift and a couple of supply guys at the ready. All the guys there were very nice and appreciated the supplies. During the unloading, I watched (and pitched in a little) to see what I had hauled out there.

Quite a collection filling the 53 footer. Everything from aluminum tables, fire hoses, helicopter supply kits, clothing, command tents, sleeping bags, generators, MRE's, and the list goes on. After a couple of hours I was unloaded and returning to Missoula.

Overall a great run. Got another education on something I hadn't known much about and met some nice people as well. Turned the truck off a little before 02:00 pushing my 14 hours right to the max.

My truck may be ready today (Monday) and if so, I'm hoping to get rolling again soon.

More later,

Becker

 

Becker, you write a good story! Thanks for sharing it! I didn't know we helped out with those runs. Sounds like a great adventure.

 

Love hearing these stories of starting at WS. When I read about the orientation in Missoula, it's like I'm there all over again...been through it all. Oh, and about the SFS shop, you'll learn to "love" it there....it's not much of a shop in my opinion. When my truck had turbo and transmission issues (it was one of those crappy Volvo automatics), I requested and got a beer load from Irwindale right to Zip beverage in Missoula. They ended up giving me a different truck. I don't trust the SFS shop as far as I could throw it!
Anyways, enjoy your new profession. I'm looking at possibly going back OTR as the job situation here in Socal sucks so bad...

 

Wow, you're in an '05 Freightshaker? I thought they would have gotten rid of most of those by now. Well, stick with it and it will either break down enough or talk to Mark in Missoula (if he's still there) and see if they can put you in a newer rig.
I live not too far from the SFS terminal, so see WS trucks with a little regularity. I always look for my old ones...1832 and 1751. Next time you get back to SFS look and see if there is a KW daycab there, 106 I believe. I drove that truck about 3 months on a daily run from SFS to halfway to Phoenix, trailer swap and back. Nicest truck I've driven....18 speed and a lot of power!
Anyways, take care and stay safe driver...

 

SpiritWolf: 685 is pretty good. Where'd you do that? My highest has been 719, eastern MT->SD->IA (mostly flat, straight, no big cities, light traffic). I don't really like driving more than 500/day though.